The Bohemian Gothic Tarot

The Bohemian Gothic Tarot

Originally published in 2007, Baba Studio has re-released their classic tarot deck, The Boehmian Gothic Tarot. The original version was named “Deck of the Year” in 2007 by renowned website Aeclectic Tarot Forum.

The stunning artwork in these cards was based on 19th Century German romantic photographic postcards, as well as studio portraits. Having been based on photographs, this deck has just a little more life instilled in it than your average deck. That should inspire you to deeper and richer interpretations.

Many gothic, or otherwise “dark” decks, will dwell on blood and death for their imagery. Short of that, others will overcompensate for the lack of blood and deck by relying on the overuse of shadows to convey the darkness. The beauty of the images in this particular deck is that they show an entire range of emotions. Looking through the cards, you can see fear, intimidation, longing, hesitance, subjugation, longing, apprehension, and surprisingly, even joy, love, devotion.

The Minor Arcana - Numbered Cards

Traditionalists will find this an easy deck to incorporate into your collection. It utilizes the standard Cups, Swords, Wands, Pentacles approach. Unlike some decks, such as the classic Rider Waite, you will not see 6, 7, 8 of the symbols on cards. There aren’t five visible wands on the Five of Wands, or nine pentacles on the Nine of Pentacles. This will offer you an opportunity to delve deeper into the imagery on each card, and make it work for your own interpretation. This will give more experienced readers a great tableau with which to work.

Here we will look at one numbered card from each of the four suits.

For example, the Five of Pentacles is all about falling on hard times. If you want to dig deeper, it could also mean that your pride or arrogance are getting in the way of you seeking help. Both of these concepts are readily present in the artwork. There is a woman standing with her two children. The older one looks frightened/concerned. It is obvious she is afraid of being out on the streets. While the mother does have a look of determination on her face, the fact that there is a lit doorway right there, but she ignores it. Is she a fool for ignoring the help just beyond that door, or is she too determined to handle this problem on her own. That is left for you to interpret based on other cards in the reading.

The Three of Wands is about having your dreams and aspirations take flight. In a darker reading, it can also be about escaping a an oppressive situation. She is looking out at the horizon. The card leaves it to you to determine if she is looking at land or out at sea. Is it sunrise or sunset? You can look at it as sunrise, and she is giving rise to a new idea, or a new hope. Or, it could be sunset and she is desperate to find her way out of her current situation. I love how the imagery on these cards gives you varied interpretations to work in with the messages on the rest of the cards in your reading. Advanced readers will love delving into the imagery. 

The Nine of Cups can be about being happy with the possessions that you have, even if you aren’t as successful as you would like. If you want to go darker, it can also be about putting yourself first or disregarding others in the acquisition of what you desired. This explains why this person seems to be enjoying himself, but is sitting alone. He appears well dressed, which would show a level of success, but the look on his face is not of pleasure. What price has he paid for what little he has? That is up for you to determine.

The Four of Swords is about period of rest and reflection. In a darker reading, it could also be about trying to rest, but still being anxious about the unfinished issue. Are you taking a moment to rest of your own accord, or is illness preventing you from fully relaxing, or fully finishing the issue. Having the sword next to her could denote her strength, but the raven resting atop her could be an omen. She is in a red dress, but there is also a red cloth under her, falling to the side. It is a nice image to convey how drained she is feeling, as if the blood is literally draining out of her. Again, this is what I love about these images. They leave it open to multiple interpretations.

The Minor Arcana - Court Cards

This deck uses the “King, Queen, Knight, Page” court cards. The Pages in this deck are all females. This gives you two male and two female cards in each suit.

The Page of Wands can be about enthusiasm, especially for a new project, or just about news itself. In a darker reading, it could also be about secrets or hidden passages. Although she is dressed all in white, she is carrying a small red book. Is it a diary? Does it contain insights into her secrets? Does the red book contradict her all white, virginal appearance? What secrets might it hold? Or is it simply her passion about embarking on a new journey which she will record in that book?

The Knight of Cups can be about creativity, but can be taken too far, and end up in impracticality. A darker reading would have it be about having that creativity wasted on fighting and conflict. The Knight is atop a horse on what appears to be either a balcony or elevated walkway. If it is indeed a balcony, that would certainly lend itself to impractical creativity, as how practical would it be to be on a horse on a balcony? The horse is also shown dressed for battle which would also lend itself to the concept of creativity wasted in conflict.


The Major Arcana

I am going to focus this section on only one of the cards in the Major Arcana. That card will be The Lovers.

There are some subtle changes made in some of the cards between the original deck and the re-released deck. However, for this re-released deck there is one card that was changed significantly. That card is The Lovers. As a bonus, both the original version and the new version of The Lovers are provided in this set.

The Lovers, as you would imagine, is about love/passion. It can be for a person, a thing, an idea. The two cards portray this concept in vastly different ways. On the one card, the female is dressed in red. She appears to be a willing participant, giving herself over to her lover. The fact that the moon is hidden behind the clouds might suggest that, while she is a willing participant, there is still some mystery, some taboo to this relationship. In the other card, the female is dressed in white, and looks nervous, unsure, hesitant. The male is the one in red now. Also, the moon is no longer hidden, but is out there for all to see. Is she nervous about giving herself over? Nervous about being discovered? Between the placement of the moon, the emotion on the female, and who is dressed in red, it leaves you many different possibilities for interpretation. How unique would it be to leave both cards in the deck, and not choose one or the other. Having them both turn up in a reading, with their major differences, could provide a most interesting reading.

Summary

Beginners will have no problems using this deck, as it utilizes a standard structure. Advanced readers will love to delve into the deeper imagery of each card and give much more detailed, nuanced readings. There is something for every level of tarot consultant to enjoy here. And, for those of you who are still novices, a deck like this will only grow with you, as you learn more about the cards, and can begin to see new ideas hidden within the imagery.

More from Baba Studios

Coming very soon from Baba Studios is a most unique and interesting deck. They are producing The Alice Tarot. This set will be based on Alice in Wonderland. The bright, vibrant, fun images will be a sharp contrast to the dark, gothic nature of this deck. There will be several versions of The Alice Tarot, including limited editions. You can find more information at the Facebook page for this deck: https://www.facebook.com/AliceTarot
We hope to bring you a review of The Alice Tarot when it is released. For now, we will leave you with this teaser:

Enjoy!


~ Giani

Additional Tarot reviews by Giani can be found in the Review section of our blog.

         

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Mind Body Spirit Odyssey Review: The Steampunk Tarot

Barbara Moore, one of the lead tarot scholars today, in cooperation with artist Aly Fell, has created one of the most unique decks I have seen in some time, The Steampunk Tarot.

If you unfamiliar with steampunk, or for those who have heard the word but never quite understood what it meant, let me take a minute to get you up to speed.

Steampunk is a blending of science fiction, fantasy, and alternate history.  Some good examples are the kind of machinery found in the works of H.G. Wells or Jules Verne.    Victorian England, and The Old West of the United States, are two popular places used in steampunk fiction.  (Those of you who saw The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or the Wild Wild West movie get the idea of what we’re describing here).  The wild contraptions and mechanics used are created with the idea that the the industrial revolution has already started, but not to the point where electricity has been developed, hence we have steam-driven vehicles and smaller devices using clockwork style mechanisms.

The clockwork mechanism aspects of steampunk are portrayed rather beautifully on the back of every card

The Minor Arcana - Numbered Cards

For those of you who are well-versed in the traditional Rider Waite deck, this deck will be an easy fit for you, as the overall concepts are similar.  So, you will have a very small learning curve if you want to add this unique deck to your repertoire.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Rider Waite, Barbara makes it very easy to study this deck quickly.  The accompanying manual starts off each card description with a simple quote, designed to get you to think about the card and its imagery.

Here we will look at one numbered card from each of the four suits.

For example, the Ace of Pentacles is all about opportunities for prosperity.  The section on this card starts off with the quote “How does it feel to hold the potential of the world in your hand?”.  This concept is so beautifully conceived in the artwork of the card.

One of my personal favorites is the Ten of Wands (a card that comes up in every single reading anyone has ever done for me).  The description starts off with the great quote “Which is more burdensome: that past that is known or the future that is unknown?”.  Many of the tarot decks I have seen show the person carrying the ten wands in front of them, or shows them grounded in some way.  What is unique about the Steampunk Tarot interpretation of the card is twofold.  First, this woman is carrying these wands (her “burden”) on her back.  Since these burdens are issues from the past, it only makes sense that they be behind her.  I am not sure why so many other decks have these burdens in front of the person.  Secondly, look at the cards strewn about her.  The ones behind her are face up.  These are the past, the things that are already known to her.  Now, look at the cards in front of her.  They are still turned down.  They are her uncertain future.  I have never seen this card interpreted in this way before.  This is a wonderful, powerful, image, and wholly indicative of the art and concepts of this deck.

The Seven of Cups, with its quote “In this moment, all possible futures exist - until you pick one.” beautifully captures the concept of having many possible choices.  Each of the seven cups depicted on the card has a different item inside them.  They run the gamut from potentially positive to potentially negative.  There are cards of tangible items as well as emotional ones.  Some are grounded, and some are airborne.  The full range of choice is very well represented here.

The Six of Swords (“A lady always knows when it’s time to leave.”) is another that wonderfully depicts its concept in a new way.  This card suggests that leaving the situation would be the best way to resolve it.  To illuminate this concept, we see the person on a flying machine.  To help illustrate the idea of “taking flight”, we can see that all six of the swords are pointing in the same direction, the direction in which the flying machine is headed.  As an extra bonus, the accompanying book suggests that, when doing a reading, if The Chariot of any Knights are also present in the reading, this should be taken as a sign that leaving the situation is all the more urgent.  A great tip!

The Minor Arcana - Court Cards

The court cards are where some this deck starts to set itself apart from other decks.  In this deck, all four pages and three of the four knights are depicted by women.

The Page of Pentacles (“Because adventure always awaits, and so I am always prepared.”) is ready for the next adventure.  She is showing emerging from behind a curtain.  This woman has prepared herself well, and is more than ready to take the stage and seize her moment.

See how the Knight of Wands (“I assure you, I do not need to read those hieroglyphics in order to conquer this situation.”) holds her wand.  It is not held casually.  The way she is holding it, it can be thrust forward, thrust backwards, or held up in front of her to block a potential attack.  She is ready to take any action necessary.  She does not need a plan, does not to consider any past actions, and does not need convincing (traits of the other suits).  The sparkle emanating from the wand is almost akin to a twinkle in your eye.  Even the wand itself appears to be ready to act.

Perhaps the crown jewel of the court cards, the Queen of Pentacles (“Let your inner light be reflected in the outer world; loveliness is next to godliness.”) is the Grande Dame, and she knows it.  From her porcelain features, to her satin dress, to the gold banister, everything in the card just radiates.  And yet, notice how wonderfully simple the overall look of the card is.  She does not need any fancy ornamentation.  She knows that the simplest things just need to shine, to elevate themselves above the simple.  Also note that everything has a function as well, nothing is in excess.  She is unadorned elegance.

The Major Arcana

In The Chariot (“Despite any concerns you may have, I am in control of this situation.”), we see a person who is fully in charge.  They have control of the vehicle, and are leading it in the direction in which they wish to go.  There are several different Elizabethan and Steampunk literary series in which heroines carry parasols filled with unique gadgets and weapons.  This card is also a tip of the cap to those heroines.  It also employs a wonderful depiction of a steam-driven vehicle.

The Devil is one of the best images in this deck.  The machine, created by these people, has become so big and powerful, that is has taken complete control of the situation.  The people in this card are being controlled by the machine, and forced to continually keep it functioning.  The idea here is that whatever the situation is that you created, it is now to the point where you can no longer be objective about it, because you are too busy keeping it going to be able to step back and realize what is really going on.  You are too busy feeding the beast to see how much control it now has over you.  This is, truly, one of the best images in the entire deck.

Lastly, we come to The World.  This woman has conquered everything.  Behind her are the symbols for Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  Unlike other cards of ending in this deck, this one is a more positive ending, as it depicts that the journey that she started was successfully completed, and that she is now ready for her next journey.  

And, hopefully, with this deck, you too will be ready for your next journey.

The only concern I have with this deck is that the cards are just a little on the flimsy side.  I wish they had been made of stronger card stock.  When using these, I would shuffle them with great care.  But, that is not enough of a concern to stop me from recommending this deck.  This is truly one of the most beautiful decks I have ever seen.  With the popularity of the Steampunk Movement, I am surprised a deck as not reached the forefront sooner.  Thankfully, we have a scholar like Barbara Moore to bring her unique vision to this concept.  The accompanying manual has a lot of useful information on each card, and also shows you ways to reinterpret old spreads in a new way, to bring out the most in this deck.  Tarot collectors as well as Steampunk collectors will enjoy these cards for years to come.

Those of you who are planning to attend TeslaCon3 in Nov/Dec 2012 will have the opportunity to see Barbara Moore present this deck herself.  What a treat!

For more information on the deck itself, you can visit www.steampunktarot.com.
The Steampunk Tarot is published by Llewellyn Publications.

Enjoy!

~ Giani

Additional Tarot reviews by Giani can be found in the Review section of our blog.

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Tarot Review: Ancient Feminine Wisdom of Goddesses and Heroines, Divination Deck

Ancient Feminine Wisdom of Goddesses and Heroines, Divination Deck By Kay Steventon and Brian Clark Published by U.S. Games, Inc.

The wisdom of goddesses… we may discover it through myth and folktale, feel it through our connection to earth and sky, receive it in a dream or vision, or even recognize it in the words of a friend. It is something that can speak to us whatever our spiritual path. Wisdom resonates, and feminine wisdom exists in the depth of our women’s souls.

The Ancient Feminine Wisdom divination deck shares the wisdom and insights of fifty-two goddesses and heroines, drawn from stories that have been passed down through centuries. The cards are divided into groups that can help us understand their significance in our lives. We begin by meeting the First Goddesses, and first among them, we are introduced to Gaia, who is referred to as “the mother of creation.” Other groups are Olympian Goddesses, where we find Hestia, Demeter, and Athena; Chthonic Goddesses, home to Cybele, Hecate, and Eris; the Guardian Goddesses, where we are offered the protection of Hygieia and Hebe. Heroines are grouped into the Heroine’s Journey, Lovers and Partners, the Power of the Heroine, and Virtues of the Heroine. Some of the heroines we meet are Psyche, Medusa, Penelope, Galatea, Medea, Cassandra, Antigone, Hesperides, and Auxo.

When we draw a card, we can reflect not only on the meanings of that specific goddess or heroine, but of her place in the deck. Drawing the card of Hygieia, a well-known ancient goddess of health and healing, would suggest to us that we are on a path of wellness. Her place in the group of Guardian Goddesses would also indicate we may be receiving some sort of spiritual protection – interpret that as you will! The deeper, feminine wisdom of the card goes even further by indicating that the need for our healing may arise from our soul being unnourished. As the accompanying booklet says, “Hygieia teaches us that without the alignment of body and soul, and heart and mind, dis-ease manifests as physical symptoms, mental anguish, and emotional pain. This card confirms that healing is imminent, but attention must be paid to the root cause – the illness of the soul.”

Each card offers enough insights that full readings or multi-card layouts are not even necessary, although there are several layout ideas provided in the booklet, and a lovely custom spread sheet included with the set. It would be of benefit to draw just a single card each day, to set aside, meditate or reflect on, allowing the card’s wisdom to inform our actions. The author suggests lighting a votive beside the card as well, to become more in tune with, as well as to honor, the energy or wisdom of that particular goddess or heroine.

These are gentle cards, beautifully depicting the goddesses or heroines, and offering insights in a direct but quietly reflective manner. The deck would be highly recommended for anyone who wishes to pursue ancient feminine wisdom, Greek goddesses in particular, and who likes the interactive nature of using oracle cards.

To learn more or to purchase visit Ancient Feminine Wisdom of Goddesses and Heroines at Amazon

~ Review by NellieLevine

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