26 October 2010

Nybor tarot by Nybor (aka James Robin Odbert)

There are many erotic tarot decks, most of them are a 'spiced-up' version of the Waite-Colman-deck not so this one. After his first encounter with the tarot, while creating  a card for the "Fantasy Showcase Tarot" this artist got inspired and researched & worked over thirty years on his own deck, trying it bring up-to-date to our modern world and sensitivities.

The majors are still all there but renamed and put into 5 groups: Beginning & End, the seasons, 6 "realms" cards and 7 family cards, all with updated.Sexuality is  the central theme ranging from soft to over and beyond the legal and ethical, because as Nybor says not everything is good and beautiful, but there is more also  - there are also elements from mythology, psychological insights, pagan & ritual practices and much more.
  
This limited edition of 500 doesn't come cheap but for those looking for erotic deck and for something very special could be interested by it.
For those interested you can see the deck,get information and/or buy it at the artist's  homepage

22 October 2010

Millénaire Tarot de Marseilles (Second edition) by Chris Butler

Here's yet another little precious one to add to the neo-Marseille* part of my collection!

This version, as did the previous one, was created from only photoshop custom shapes and clipart to form a modern, and tongue-in cheek Marseilles deck. Stylistically size- and colorwise Chris took inspiration from the Flornoy restoration of the Noblet Tarot but that is where it started but it ended up becomming a very modern vibrant even with a certain pro-active feeling to them, especially in the minors and it's workable deck for readings and a great item for the collector.

For those on FaceBook here is the page for this deck
and you can contact Christ through here

21 October 2010

Amy Von Harrington's Homemade Tarot Cards

Fun things can come in little pouches sometimes, like this deck that doesn't take itself too serious, you can almost feel the jolliness that had to be going on while creating it.

The images are collage old stile it seems (being paper, scissor and glue method) to form images ranging from chaotic to playful and comical. Some of the cards are landscape others in upright directions (others i'm not sure what's up- down, or any-other-way) some images are filling the cards entirely some leave some border - the deck as a whole ranges from sweet over playful to a bit chaotic but somehow that adds to it's charm.

For those interested they are sold here and here  is an interview with miss Von Harrington
(o and yes they accept paypal)

18 October 2010

Tarot MEM by Mark E. Merrill

Recently I received this very limited edition deck of only 13 decks (the artist always a coven hence this number).

Some tarots are produced in only a few months from conception to printed deck, not so in this case where the first seeds have been planted in 1979 by an 1960's Encyclopedia Britannica article entitled 'Psychic Boom' by Samuel Moffett, the artist was then only thirteen years of age. Many years and also many stages in the decks and also the creators evolution later the decks was ready and in my collection.

The long gestation period gave this deck the possibility to mature and gain a deepening and variation of tarot-understanding that fitted the personal study and insights of its creator, this include also some renaming and switching of cards.  

For those interested in learning more about the artist here is his blog
And here an whole page about the artist by the artist

12 October 2010

I Tarocchi Della Cattedrale by Federico Manicardi

There are always new treasures coming out and finding their way into my collection, one of the latest new ones is this deck inspired by the carvings of the Romanesque Cathedral of Modena.

The result is both surreal and at the same time with a playfully ancient feel, some cards show only partial figures, heads, parts of legs or other parts falling outside of the card giving it a very bizarre and playful feeling.

05 October 2010

Tarot of the Boroughs by Courtney Weber & George Courtney

Self-described as "a contemporary urban deck set in New York City" this is a deck that brings a modern-day and working view of the world we are living in seen through the eyes of the tarot - and pretty eyes they are. Full colour, glossy and taken with a keen sense of drama and esthetics these 78 pictures of true people, New Yorkers from all walks of life, including well known writers, performing artists (like for example Moby), some less known persons (at least to me) as well as ordinary people.

An interesting element of this deck are the stories told by the minors and that you can see evolve from 1 to 10 with the protagonists coming back as the court-cards.
The website of the deck with all kinds of information and buying possibility is here or at the Tarot Garden