For the Love of Vintage Tarot Decks

 

For the Love of Vintage Tarot Deck(s)

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.

"The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

-From The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

 

I have always loved this passage from this children’s book. I’m not sure I completely took it inside of my soul, until this weekend. –Just a note—this is longer blog.

 

Also I visit Facebook Marketplace, I haven’t bought anything from the listings…before this past weekend. I sent the typical quarry (fully expecting a “no”) “Is this still available?

I received a “yes, it’s still available”.

A collection of Tarot Books and Tarot decks (about 11 decks) available from a seller who lived “near me” (near me, being in Titusville).

My brain started racing. Do I have the cash available? Asked her if she was “firm” in the price. I mentioned there were a couple decks with which I was not familiar.

She sent me some pics. I checked my resources and had the requested amount.

I was a little reticent because of the “less than comprehensive” answers I was receiving. But I made arrangements to meet with Suzanne (her name was) to me in the parkinglot of the IHOP off the I-95 exit for Titusville.

We arrived before she did, and  suddenly had the worry that I was going to be discovered by the police. Because of the cash in hand, I was worried someone would see the exchange and we would be detained on the grounds (the abscent police) would suspect us of making a drug connection.

When she arrived, she was (exactly) as her picture depicted. Almost 6 ft tall, with platinum hair, and a lovely smile.

She had mentioned that these belonged to her mother and she wanted to sell it as a complete collection.

We made the exchange.

When I got them home (and dumped them onto my bed) I set to the task of making sure (first) that all the cards are in each deck.

One of the decks that I particularly wanted The Zerner Farber Tarot Deck. I had the deck (previously) and now have an incomplete deck and…this deck is no longer in print.

When I came upon the (coveted) deck, the box looked like this:

 

Pushing down my (extreme) dislike of “tuck boxes”, I also tried to hold my optimism that all the cards were there, given the look of the box.

That all sort of fell to hell, when, after I took them out of the box and saw the statis of the cards. Some were upside down (I don’t read reversals). Some were backwards  front-to-back, All of them worn at the corners, many with creases. I was certain not “all of the cards” were there and bolstered myself for disappointment.

As I sorted them into suits, I began to develop appreciation for this deck.

The guidebook said published in 1997.

These cards were (obviously) well loved and well used.

At the end of the sorting and putting the cards in order,

 I realized that all the cards were present and accounted for.

I found myself stunned. Then, my stunned feeling dissolved

 in to a reflective pool of gratitude.

 Felt some presences of spirit with me, as I was visitng with these cards.

One of them, my spirit guide Andrew.

He told me to look at these cards and let that wash over me.

In a moment similar to Rafiki encouraging Simba “Look harder!”

Andrew helped me to see that there are many stories to be told in these vintage cards.

The influence of this (lovely—and I thought, slightly confused) woman who owned this deck was going to remain and guide me in my future works with this deck.

I loved the feel of the soft edges of this well-loved deck. I loved the muffled sounds

 as the cards clapped together. I even appreciated the creases and softly worn corners.

There were several “gems” that I found in the offerings from Suzi this weekend.

I learned that I have 3 new friends. One, a wonderful woman who lives in Titusville. One, a woman in spirit, who might visit me, as I am the conservator of her Tarot collection.  One, a vintage deck, who is pre-loved and embodies for me what it means to be “Real”.

 

Until next time,

Eat something wonderful,

And live a life worth loving.

-Kim Danbert

www.kimdanbert.com

Pocket of Peers Tarot Deck-Commentary

 

Pocket full of Peers-Tarot Deck by Jamie Sawyer

Commentary-Not really a review.

 

I’m not usually known for Tarot Deck reviews or commentary.

 Something about the emergence of this deck has nudged me toward my blog.

As I move forward, I am aware that some people (reading this) will think that I am jealous because I am not one of the pictured. I am not , really, jealous.

 I am disappointed at some of the content, however.

I have seen a “flip-through” of the deck on Arwen’s youtube channel. I had seen flashes of cards as they were used by Mitchell Osborn on Facebook and a couple of them produced some time ago, of Rachel Pollack and Mary Greer.

Like the other works that I’ve seen (and purchased)  by Jamie Sawyer, the cards are beautiful…stunning, really. Lovely pict-o-graphs of practitioners (and some cards with no real people depicted) casting readings…dancing, playing singing bowls etc       Really amazing

Illustrations as only Jamie Sawyer can capture them. If I was one of the peers depicted, I would be flattered and honored.

There are several of the people represented that I recognize: Arwen, Mitchell Osborn, Ethony, “V”, Mary K. Greer, Rachel Pollack, Benebell Wen. There is a host of other mystical/Tarot luminaries whom I do not recognize, or know.

I like that Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack have “stand out cards” (out of the usual Tarot canon) as Teachers.

Now, I’m about to say something that might make me unpopular. Are these people my peers? I think, by their inclusion in this radiant Tarot deck., they are set aside, maybe set above the rest of us who didn’t make the cut.

 I haven’t (yet) published a Tarot deck, or written a book. So my 39 years in Tarot and mystical practice are unhearalded—at least in this deck. But I find myself feeling that makes this deck more “clique” than “peers”.

If this is a deck meant to embrace the more modern sensibilities, then where is Enrique Enriquez (of the documentary “Tarology”)

I also find myself missing some of the unsung harbingers of Tarot. Maybe they should be in their own deck titled Visionaries. Where is Janet Berres? (Creator of the International Tarot Associattion)? Where is Robert V. O’Neill (author of Tarot Symbolism, one of the first exhaustive texts on the topic). In seeing the flip through, I found myself waiting to see Amy Zerner & Monte Farber as The Lovers, (Creators of The Enchanted Tarot) but they were not pictured. Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone (creator of The Tarot School and The Reader’s Studio) are not among those pictured.

  I found myself looking for Stuart Kaplan (President and creator of U.S Games Inc. who was the first company to print and distribute Tarot in the United States). I found myself missing Eden Gray-who created one of the earliest Tarot texts in modern times.      There is a deck that features A. E. Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith, so I guess I have no complaint on that score. But where is Robert M. Place (creator of several Tarot decks, among them The Alchemical Tarot)

  I realize that this illustrates (on my part) my belief that I thought we were all (kind of ) in the same Tarot Boat..However, I’m now feeling that we don’t even occupy the same firmament. There (apparently) are the Stars, which glimmer so brightly. Then there are the people in the Mid-heaven, who have notice and prominence.

Then there are we, who collect Tarot decks, buy Tarot books , read Tarot Cards and teach Tarot classes. I’m thinking we’re the ground forces…appreciated, but not really acknowledged.

Am I so socially unaware that (at my age) I don’t realize that there is a kind of caste system in the Tarot world? No, I am not. I have found myself star struck at a Tarot convention.

Do I like pictorial evidence in a medium to which I have devoted much of my professional  career that I am not ‘one of the chosen”?

No.

Will I support a deck that would remind me of this

(every time I break open the oracle) how low down the Tarot Totum pole I actually am? No.

What kind of Fool am I?

 

In 2005 (not quite sure of the year) my mother and I attended my first World Tarot Congress.

So many Tarot luminaries were in attendance. I spent much of the time gobsmacked,Star struck and card struck.

On Saturday night, there was a banquet and a “talent show” where songs were chosen for the respective cards of the Major Arcana, and I was to sing (solo) “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” because (as Janet Berres, the creator of the event, said) “None of the Pagans are going to know this song”

My mother and I walked into the dimly lit banquet room to take seats in the only table which was unoccupied. All the other tables were full, and I feared we would be the duo outcasts in this lone out-lying table.

But then, a foursome entered the dining room and took their seats with us.

Immediately I knew Amy Zerner, with her stunning purple hair (before it was an actual fad) , Monte Farber (Amy’s husband and co-deck creator) greeted us, pleasantly. Then a long looking man, with a care-warn face, that I recognized as the keynote speaker from the night previous, Stuart Kaplan-president of U.S. Games Inc. and his companion, Bobbie Bensaid.

I was (properly) cowed. My mother was not.

We all started chatting back and forth and then started talking about the songs we were performing. Monte was to sing “Blue Moon” (for the Moon card) and  Stuart was bemoaning the fact he had been chosen to sing “What kind of Fool am I?” for the Fool Card. I mentioned I was singing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”. Monte said he knew that song and sang the tag line of the chorus “Comin’ for to Carry me home” and I chimed in with descant/harmony and the table stopped for a moment. Stuart said to my mother “She can really sing” and my mother-in a knowing way said “yeah, she can sing”.

There many other wonderful things that happened as we made new friends. Monte arranged an entire act around his Blue Moon number with dancing back-ups of Amy, Bobbie and me. Monte and Caitlin Matthews came up and sang Swing Low Sweet Chariot with me, in four-part harmony.

But there was a moment with Stuart that I have remembered just now.

When the event was announced and Stuart introduced to kick off the singing, Stuart, promptly, came to my chair. With one hand on my shoulder, and one drawing the chair back, he leaned down quietly and said “come with me. You’re going to help me sing this song.”

I did as he ask. One does not refuse royalty…even if it is Tarot Royalty.

As we got to the stage there were many people up there to help sing this song. Not be out done, Stuart pushed me forward toward the microphone. In the picture taken, it’s almost as he’s hovering above me (in a back row) in the performance of the song.

After that I kept in touch (for a bit) with him and Bobbie.

I saw him a few years later (at another event) and he treated me like family.

 Just today, I learned that Stuart Kaplan passed on Feb. 8^th 2021 of complications of Covid 19.

Rest in deep peace, dear Stuart.

What kind of Fool are you?

The kind who journeys in spiritual realms without cares or pain (now).

All my love,

Kim