A few years ago I had the chance to travel to Eastern Europe. I was there for a short time, but it felt like I really was a world away from the United States where I live. The culture, the lifestyle is so different. In the U.S. everybody drives everywhere and we really don’t see people walking on the streets. In Europe…everybody is walking. It feels like a more social society and not so isolated like life in the U.S. can seem.
While I walking the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria I would pass many different little shops. I would wander in and check out what they had, and I did not recognize most of the brand names. In one interesting little shop I came across a deck of tarot cards. Of course I had to buy it! The cards are by artist Dora Gadzhova, called the Durer Tarot, made it in Bulgaria. It is a beautiful deck in a style that I find engaging. The symbolism of this deck is inspired by Albrecht Durer in its own unique way. I have not seen anything about this deck anywhere. There must be all types of unique tarot decks created around the world that we never get a chance to consider.
The very first deck of tarot cards I bought when I was a teenager was the 1JJ Swiss Tarot. At the time I bought it because I thought it was attractive. I knew nothing about the symbolism at the time. But the cards appealed to me. In the years since I explored the symbolism of the tarot, I found this 1JJ Swiss deck was lacking in the intense symbolism of the Marseilles cards. Yet I still own this very first deck of mine. I have used it more then any other and I have developed something of a bond with these cards. They have shared a lot of my life with me.
Now…I am thinking of putting aside my old (worn out) deck and start using this new Bulgarian deck. I find these cards combine a more complex symbolism along with attractive imagery. What do you think? Should we stick with our old deck we have used for years? Should we alternate between decks? Personally, I think we develop a bond with our cards…emotional, intellectual or spiritual. Yet, change is also good. We need to stimulate our imagination with such changes. Stick with an old friend…or go for the new deck in town?
March 27th, 2009 at 3:02 am
I love finding beautiful decks! I recently found a deck in a little shop downtown that I just fell in love with. Can’t lie however, I still use my frist deck. I think everyone should have a bond with your first deck.
March 27th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Hi El Corrigan,
I think we can develop some something of a psychic bond with a deck of cards. The longer we use it, the more of a connection we have with it. Maybe its only in our minds…maybe not! But nothing will replace our first deck. My deck is getting pretty ragged. I could buy a exact replacement…but it would not be the same one I had for so many years.
March 27th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Hi David!
I love this Tarot deck! I have one from Ukraine given to me by a client I had in London. It is nice but so beautiful as this!
My first Tarot deck is long gone. When I was reading in London, I had so many clients that the decks would get so loaded up with energy that they were impossible to clear and the readings were more difficult. As a result I have worked with a lot of different decks. At some point, you bond is with TAROT as opposed to a certain pack of cards, I find.
I designed my own Holy Grail Tarot and painted it from 1996-2000. Big job!. If you are curious you can see it in the photo gallery at http://www.whiteswan-tarot.com.
What company do you go with for you email subscriptions from the blog? I like how your works.
Cheers,
Arlene
March 28th, 2009 at 5:17 am
This is a simply luscious deck. I have my favorite general purpose deck which is like an old friend- The Morgan Greer, but I can’t seem to help collecting myriad beautiful and interesting decks, too. I also have several decks that I use for different types of readings. I’d like to invite you to join us posting about tarot on tuesdays. The hub for this fun new meme is at Tarot Tuesday Home
March 29th, 2009 at 2:03 am
Arlene, your Holy Grail Tarot is great! That was a huge accomplishment. Have you published them as a deck? If not, you should along with a book about them, explaining your approach to your symbolism and your philosphy. As for the email widget, it is Google feedburner.
March 29th, 2009 at 2:23 am
Thorne, your idea about different decks for different purposes makes a lot of sense. A deck that seems to have the symbolism down right might not appeal to us with their artwork. The art is so important. Even then sometimes we need some whimsy, other times seriousness. Your Tarot Tuesday is a nice idea; I’ll sign up for it!
March 29th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I think you should break in the Bulgarian Tarot cards and see where it takes you. Since there are more cards, maybe your readings will have more dimension.
How often do you do readings?
March 29th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Hi Zera,
I really don’t do readings very often. Mostly if I am at a party, as something fun to do. People like these readings and sometimes take them quite seriously. However, I have to be careful, because some people might have a religious disagreement with tarot cards in general. I have to be aware of who is at the party. For instance, I don’t bring the cards to family gatherings that include some very religious members.
April 4th, 2009 at 3:07 am
David, what a gorgeous deck! The colors are so rich that they feel like they have texture and shape. I’ve been reading for over 40 years, and my original deck is also long gone. Over the years, I’ve collected dozens of decks. I’ve nearly always had an “everyday” deck that is always close at hand - though it changes from time to time. When I read for someone else, I often lay out several decks and ask them to choose the one that “feels” right to them. On occasion, I’ll be drawn to reading with a different deck - usually with no rhyme or reason to the why of it. If the deck feels right to you, start playing with it a bit. Shuffle it, sift through it, sit and lay out spreads without even really trying to read with it. Handle it and carry it with you - you’ll be surprised how quickly it will come to feel like an old friend.
April 4th, 2009 at 4:18 am
Hi Chameleon,
Your idea about letting someone pick the deck to read with is really a great idea, I never thought of that. What a great idea! And letting someone examine the different decks might spark their own interest as in tarot. I have found that the tarot requires imagination. To read the cards is a creative experience…the artistry of the cards combined with own creative intuition with the interpretation.