ARCANA XV

ARCANA XV http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/ Hi and welcome to my Tarot page! In my Gallery you'll find Tarot wallpapers I created and that you are free to use if you like. You'll also find scans of the Tarot and Oracle decks I own. In my blog, you can read about my assorted thoughts on Tarot and other forms of divination. Various deck reviews and my own personal interpretation of the cards coming soon in Tarot Reviews and Arcana XV Tarot Meanings! The place is still under construction, so check back often! COMING SOON: The Deviant Moon Tarot, by Patrick Valenza Arcana XV Tarot Card Meanings   Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:08:18 -0000 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:37:27 -0000 ARCANA XV http://images.arcanaxv.multiply.com/logo http://arcanaxv.multiply.com 100 100 Willow Tree Tarot http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/links/item/11/Willow_Tree_Tarot Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:37:27 -0000 Carnival of the Tarot - Fourteenth Edition : Willow Tree Tarot http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/links/item/10/Carnival_of_the_Tarot_-_Fourteenth_Edition_Willow_Tree_Tarot Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:20:49 -0000 Le Tarot Ambre Lovely French deck by Florence Magnin. Probably my most cherished Marseilles style deck. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/47/Le_Tarot_Ambre Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:14:37 -0000 Tarot Favole, art by Victoria Francés It is with a very heavy heart that I feel compelled to give this deck just 2 stars. It's not because I hate it, in fact, I absolutely love it. The problem is that this is not a Tarot deck, even though it is. I know, I know, it's very confusing. It will all become clear when I explain exactly where this gorgeous deck goes terribly and infuriatingly wrong. First, let's get the basics out of the way: The Tarot Favole (art by Spanish illustrator <A HREF=www.victoriafrances.es/>Victoria Francés</A> ), scans of the cards now available for viewing in my <A HREF=http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/44/Tarot_Favole>Tarot Gallery</A>, comes in a standard cardboard box containing 78 cards and a small booklet listing very basic card meanings in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. As seems to be the norm with decks published by Fournier, the cardstock is rather flimsy and bends very easily. Daily rough shuffling might not be the best idea for this deck if you want to keep it in good condition for longer than a week. The cards themselves, again a constant with Fournier decks, are ... http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/reviews/item/5 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:48:50 -0000 Tarot Favole This is a very gorgeous deck created with images by Spanish artist Victoria Francés. It is not a traditional deck, as it was done for purely merchandising purposes, but it is still breathtaking nonetheless. I will post a review of the deck in my blog shortly. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/44/Tarot_Favole Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:12:07 -0000 Beginner's decks? Umm.. yeah, whatever. <a href="/photos/hi-res/3/12"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.arcanaxv.multiply.com/image/12/photos/3/300x300/12/11.jpg?et=Nxs83buhv27yWB1N7VaGjg" border="0"></a>What exactly is a beginner's deck anyway? I often read and hear about how some decks are more user-friendly or easier to understand for those who are just starting out on their Tarot journey. The Rider Waite Smith is almost universally acclaimed as THE beginner's deck par excellence. I couldn't disagree more, both with the idea that there is such a thing as a beginner's deck in the first place and with the premise that if there was such a deck, that the RWS would be it. Now don't get me wrong, if the sole purpose of your Tarot journey is the in-depth study of the symbolism, artwork and historical significance of a particular deck, the RWS is probably a good choice as a starting block. The images, especially in the Minor Arcana, are quite easy to understand and provide a very solid base for any new student of the Tarot. From there, you can then move on to study more obscure, less candid decks such as the Thoth or the Marseilles. However, if you're planning on using your de... http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/journal/item/20/Beginners_decks_Umm.._yeah_whatever. Sat, 10 Nov 2007 21:46:00 -0000 Unknown Origin Majors This deck is vaguely reminiscent of the Dürer Tarot, but it's creator and origins are unknown. The names on the cards are in Italian, but there is no indication anywhere as to who the publisher or the artist might be. There are some references online that place this deck's origins in Croatia, but my money is on this being an Italian creation. If anyone has any more information, I would be very grateful if you would share it here. =) http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/43/Unknown_Origin_Majors Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:14:44 -0000 H.R.Giger Tarot Baphomet Tarot of the Underworld by Swiss artist H.R. Giger (Majors only deck) http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/41/H.R.Giger_Tarot Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:25:33 -0000 Haindl Tarot Very unusual deck by Hermann Haindl http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/39/Haindl_Tarot Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:03:52 -0000 Fantastical Tarot This is one of my favorite decks. Created by Natalie Hertz, it's a very cool mix of fantasy and gothic art with an oriental twist. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/36/Fantastical_Tarot Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:15:27 -0000 Gill Tarot Colorful deck by Elizabeth Gill. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/35/Gill_Tarot Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:03:54 -0000 Witches Tarot Wiccan deck by Ellen Cannon Reed. This one has been hidden away in a drawer for quite a while, as I just can't seem to connect with it at all. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/34/Witches_Tarot Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:54:33 -0000 Margarete Petersen Tarot Stunning deck painted over the course of 22 years by German artist Margarete Petersen. I'm in love again. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/33/Margarete_Petersen_Tarot Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:32:39 -0000 Now you see me, now you don't <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RyCtagoKCtYAAH09RnM1"><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RzYnUQoKCtYAAAWaHjc1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.arcanaxv.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RzYnUQoKCtYAAAWaHjc1/20.jpg?et=Jp0rAO7K8cscrwrj2HWjcQ" border="0"></a></a><a href="http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RyCvTwoKCtYAADCTo2U1"></a>What is it with cards that seem to appear in readings over and over again, no matter what spread is used, no matter how thoroughly the deck is shuffled? And then just as suddenly as they started showing up, they completely disappear for months at a time. I used to think that the reason had to be inadequate shuffling, the same couple of cards "sticking" together, until I noticed that the same phenomenon happens when I use my Orphalese Tarot software. Now, the cards on a computer are just pixels on a screen, there is no way they can get stuck to one another the way real card stock can. And yet, the same thing happens. In the span of a week or two, the same cards show up, intent on hammering their message home, until they quietly retreat to the back burner once more. Lately, Death has been making a come back in my readings.  Fortunately, it's been showing up alongside very happy cards, so whatever changes are on the way, (and some of those changes... http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/journal/item/19/Now_you_see_me_now_you_dont Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:30:00 -0000 MAAT Tarot Very interesting deck, filled with strong and often rather unusual symbolism by artist Julie Cuccia Watts. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/31/MAAT_Tarot Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:04:22 -0000 The Gilded Tarot Ciro Marchetti's first Tarot deck. This beautiful deck was one of my favorite reading decks for a long time. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/30/The_Gilded_Tarot Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:00:03 -0000 The Housewives Tarot Kitschy 50's style deck by Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum. Fun! http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/29/The_Housewives_Tarot Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:06:43 -0000 The Necronomicon Tarot, by Donald Tyson and Anne Stokes I've finally received my copy of the Necronomicon Tarot, by Donald Tyson, illustrated by Anne Stokes. Scans of the cards are now available for viewing in my <A HREF=http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/24/Necronomicon_Tarot> Tarot Gallery</A>. This kit comes in a box containing a deck of 78 cards, with an additional 2 cards listing the elemental and/or astrological correspondences for the Majors and the Court cards; a black organdy bag to store the deck in and a companion book of over 200 pages. The card stock is rather thin, but not flimsy, and bends easily. The images are colorful, yet retain a dark and menacing atmosphere throughout. This is definitely not a deck one would use for happy occasions. It is a very dark, albeit sort of Halloweenish deck. The deck is based on Donald Tyson's own version of HP Lovecraft's Necronomicon and, going by the many disillusioned comments I have read online in recent weeks, will almost surely disappoint the fans of the original. I, myself, am only very vaguely familiar with Lovecraft's work, so I can't really c... http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/reviews/item/4 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:56:04 -0000 Prediction Tarot A very soft, pretty, traditional deck by Bernard Stringer & Peter Richardson. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/26/Prediction_Tarot Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:39:54 -0000 Necronomicon Tarot A dark, fantasy deck by Donald Tyson based on his version of the Necronomicon and illustrated by Anne Stokes. This deck will probably disappoint fans of HP Lovecraft, as it has very little to do with his original work. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/24/Necronomicon_Tarot Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:56:05 -0000 The Vanessa Tarot Very cute, modern deck by Lynyrd Jim Narciso. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/23/The_Vanessa_Tarot Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:29:18 -0000 Kingdom Highway Tarot The Kingdom Highway by John D. Williams is mostly and art deck. It's very large and very beautifully drawn, but I am at this point incapable of reading with it. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/22/Kingdom_Highway_Tarot Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:59:43 -0000 Llewellyn Tarot Beautiful deck by Anna Marie Ferguson, based on Welsh mythology. http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/20/Llewellyn_Tarot_ Mon, 1 Oct 2007 17:18:40 -0000 He said, She said <a href="/photos/hi-res/3/5"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/3/5"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.arcanaxv.multiply.com/image/10/photos/3/300x300/5/04.jpg?et=+LRQ5eMyhuDZS+gTqRkOxA" border="0"></a>My Thoth deck is male. Very male. Infuriatingly and endearingly so. It's probably why I'm so crazy about it to begin with. It's no secret I've always gotten along better with men than with women. The same is also true with my Tarot decks. The ones that possess that unmistakably male energy are always those I work best with, especially when reading for myself. I like the blunt and logical, no frills responses I get when working with the <a href="http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/3/Crowley_Thoth_Deck">Thoth</a>, the<a href="http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/3/5"></a> <a href="http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/12/Revelations_Tarot">Revelations</a> or the <a href="http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/6/Vargos_Gothic_Tarot">Gothic Tarot</a>. Like my male friends, they keep all unnecessary sentimentality out of the way and dive right into the heart of the matter. There is no mistaking the message in the cards; it's always unambiguously clear and to the point. There is no time wasted with small, insignificant details; no endless analysis of why things are what they are or how they came to be and no pretense that things are not as bad as they actually are. The usual response, most specifically from the Thoth, can be summarized this way: "THIS is... http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/journal/item/18/He_said_She_said Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:34:00 -0000 Truly, Madly, Deeply... <a href="/photos/hi-res/19/7"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/19/7"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.arcanaxv.multiply.com/image/6/photos/19/300x300/7/06.jpg?et=3kOCgA21e6Z37oOHwT9XZA" border="0"></a> Once again, I have fallen head over heels in love. The situation is becoming increasingly desperate. How many more times is my heart supposed to go through the exquisite agony of love at first sight before it gives out on me? I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take. It is my firm belief that I must have been cursed at some point in time by some evil spirit, who's decided that it will not cease tormenting me until the total and complete depletion of my bank account. The new love of my life is none other than the drop-dead gorgeous <a href="http://www.kartytarota.pl/index.php">Maroon Tarot</a>. Scans of the Major Arcana are now available for viewing in my <a href="http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/19/The_Maroon_Tarot_">Tarot Gallery</a>. This self-published deck is a work in progress, created in Poland by Maia Zaworowska and illustrated by Tomasz Maronski. One look at those hauntingly beautiful cards and I was hooked and heading straight for my PayPal account to place the order. It is only available as a Major Arcana set at the moment,  the rest of the deck will be completed some... http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/journal/item/16/Truly_Madly_Deeply... Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:42:00 -0000 The Maroon Tarot Once again, I have fallen in love. This time with a new self-published deck from Poland created by Educatio (Maia Zaworowska) and illustrated by Tomasz Maronski. Only the Major Arcana are available at this time. The rest of the deck should be published sometime mid 2008. I cannot WAIT! http://arcanaxv.multiply.com/photos/album/19/The_Maroon_Tarot_ Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:28:06 -0000