Fool Stop Tarot Blog

World Tarot Day: Community Spread

World Tarot Day originated with DenElder. She's since passed the torch but the original spirit was that all those who loved Tarot would share it in some way on this day. Her thoughts were not commercial but were community oriented.

777 CONTEST

We have been having a lot of fun on Facebook with daily questions. If you are a regular there, you know we post all sorts of questions from the silly "deserted island" type to those that make you dig like "what cards would you take antique shopping."

Right now we have 679 folks who've "liked" our Facebook page. Of course we want to share the love with more. We are driving towards 777 as a magic number. Yes, there's a pun in there. Ask your friends to "like" our Facebook fan page. They can go here or they can like us by clicking on the Facebook link to the right on this blog. When we hit that magic number, everyone's name goes in a hat. We will pull a winner who will get their choice of the following decks:

• Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot
• Morgan's Tarot
• King Solomon Oracle Cards
• Karma Tarot
• Sun and Moon Tarot
• Ask the Queens
• Imperial Dragon Oracle

We are 98 people away from that magic number as of 2/7/2011.

You are automatically in the contest just for liking the USGS Facebook page.

Help us get the word out. You can do that by going to the Facebook page and clicking on "Suggest To Friends." Tell them about the contest because they will be eligible as well once they like that page.

Ready?

Set?

GO!

Happy Birthday December!

 
 

 Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear....

 

HEY! I don't know who to sing to. I need help. We have some great Tarot birthday cards here that Stuart Kaplan is happy to sign for you. So I am looking for a December birthday between 12/15 and 12/25. If that's you, leave a comment with your birthdate. We will contact you for your mailing address so you can get your birthday goody.

By the way, do you do a Tarot reading for your birthday? If you do, do you use a certain spread? Let us know.

That lovely 9 of Pentacles is from the Paulina Tarot. Keep your eye out for the Oracle deck coming from Paulina Cassidy soon.

© December 2010 U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Scavenger Hunt Winner

We have a winner from the Scavenger Hunt.

 

Congratulations to Zanna Star for answering all ten questions correctly and being drawn at random. You will be receiving an email from our office so that we know where to send you your Doomed Queens: Royal Playing Cards deck by Kris Waldherr. Enjoy.

 

CONTEST: Calling All Would-Be Sleuths!

Calling All Would-Be Sleuths!

We like games here at US Games Systems, Inc. So let's play one. It's a scavenger hunt! What will you win? Your very own copy of the Doomed Queens: Royal Playing Cards deck, that's what. You can play Rummy with your friends and wow them with the Doomed Queens of Kris Waldherr. 

So what you have to do to enter is answer the following ten questions. All answers can be found on the U.S. Games Systems, Inc site and on this blog but you will have to hunt for them. So grab your pipe and magnifying glass, all you would-be Sherlock Holmes types. Let the search begin!

 

1. U.S.  Games Systems, Inc. publishes award-winning card games. Name one.

2. If you want to be informed of the specials for registered customers only, what should you do?

3. Why was Waite's choice of Pamela Colman Smith such a good thing?

4. What was the first product giveaway on the U.S. Games Systems blog?

5. What are three types of Rider-Waite Tarot that we publish?

6. Find at least 2 products with the word "dog" in the title.

7. What year was US Games started?

8. Name three titles in the Natural World Playing Card series.

9. What is the tiniest deck published by U.S. Games?

10. How many pages are there in Volume II of the Encyclopedia of Tarot?

Don't put your answer in the comments! You don't want to make it easy for your competition. Email your answers to our Watson ([email protected]) by Sunday November 21, 2010. The winner will be drawn from all the correct answers. Look for that name to be announced on this blog on Monday November 22.

So what you have to do to enter is answer those ten questions. The game is afoot!

© U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Autumn Full Moon

Tonight promises to bring a big, bright & beautiful October Full Moon.

Anybody have any Tarot readings lined up for this weekend? How does the moon exert its influence? 

BTW- The first person to correctly identify this deck will win a special tarot spread sheet from USGS.

 

...and the winner of the Halloween Tarot deck is:

Berthe van Soest!

Congratulations Berthe! You were randomly selected from all of the participants and we couldn't be happier for you especially since Halloween Tarot is your go-to deck in October! We agree that the deck is super friendly and gets us in the mood for spooky readings.

Please email [email protected] with your snail mail address and she will send your deck out just in time for Halloween!

We want to thank everyone who posted and shared their favorites. There were certainly some surprising choices. Keep coming back for more tarot fun and contests!

Decks for Halloween (And a Giveaway!)

oooooOOOOOooooo

Mad scientists, vampires, werewolves and creaky doors...

Icy winds, scraping twigs, laughing ghouls and headless horsemen...

Frenzied bats, bubbling cauldrons, candy corn and rattling bones...

BOO!

Were you scared? Nah, I didn't think so.

So Happy Halloween to you, spooktacular Fool Stop Tarot Blog readers!

I thought I'd share some great U.S. Games Systems decks you could use for Halloween, Samhain and Día de los Muertos readings and parties.

First up: the oh-so-perfect-for-the-season Halloween Tarot by Karin Lee and Kipling West:

  

Next, how about the utterly original Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza:

 

Check out the hauntingly beautiful Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz:

 

And how about that nifty, quirky Phantasmagoric Theater Tarot by Graham Cameron:

 

In a similar vein, what about the Karma Tarot by Birgit Boline Erfurt?

 

And what Halloween season would be complete without vampires, right?

Feast your eyes on the Vampire Tarot by Nathalie Hertz:

 
Tell me: do you use a special deck for Halloween, Samhain or Day of the Dead festivities? And, would you like to win the awesome Halloween Tarot (in a tin!) ? All you have to do is post your favorite spooky, unusual or "dark" deck from U.S. Games Systems before Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 10 AM EST to be entered into the random drawing.

Also, feel free to share any creepy or unusual Tarot readings you've given (or received!) during the Halloween season, as well as some of your favorite accoutrements or music that you use during Samhain parties or readings.

Have fun and good luck!

-- Janet, Social Media Maven

And the Winner of the Swiss 1JJ Tarot Deck Is...

Lillie!

Congratulations, Lillie! You were randomly selected among all posters as the winner of the Swiss 1JJ Tarot deck!

Please email me at [email protected] with your snail mail address so we can get your deck right out to you.

Because posters didn't have to provide the correct answer to Tarot Mystery #5 to be entered into the drawing, everyone's name was placed in the proverbial hat.

Thanks for playing, everyone, and stay tuned for another giveaway to commence very soon!

-- Janet, Social Media Maven for U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

USGS Celebrates Halloween!

Leaves falling, wind howling, spiders crawling and monsters roaming…

Yes, intrepid readers, we’re celebrating the thinning of the veil—a time of ghouls, flying brooms and haunted houses…

Halloween!

This month, look for spooktacular posts that will enchant, inform, intrigue and entertain you.

From a virtual costume party to ghastly giveaways, terroriffic spreads to “dark” deck profiles, the Fool Stop Tarot Blog is THE place to be during October!

So bolster your courage, don a mask and grab your trick or treat bag, because fiendish frights and frolicking fun are heading your way this Halloween!

-- Janet, Social Media Maven for U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Image from the Halloween Tarot ISBN 0-88079-965-X

Tarot Mystery #5 (And a Giveaway!)

Hello Fool Stop Tarot Blog readers!

It's time for yet another Tarot Mystery (aren't these fun?). This time, it's a Tarot Mystery and a Giveaway. Woohoo! (And you know how much I love giving away stuff...)

Tarot Mystery #5 happens to be a song.

Based on the 9 of Cups and The Star cards below (from the lusciously bizarre Deviant Moon Tarot birthed from Patrick Valenza's twistedly creative mind) what famous song am I thinking?

 

Here's the giveaway part! All you have to do is post a guess and you'll automatically be entered into the random drawing to win...

An oldie but goodie...the Swiss 1JJ Tarot deck!

Posts must be made before Monday October 4, 2010, 8 AM EST (good Lord, it's almost October already?!) .

So tell me...the 9 of Cups + The Star = what song?

Have fun and good luck!

Deviant Moon Tarot ISBN 978-1-57281-611-4

Swiss 1JJ Tarot ISBN 0-913866-51-2

-- Janet, Social Media Maven for U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

And the Winner of the Ask the Queens Advice Card Deck Is...

Deborah Outland!

Congratulations, Deborah!

Please email me at [email protected] with your snail mail address so U.S. Games Systems HQ can get the Ask the Queens Advice Card Deckby Kris Waldherr right out to you!

Everyone, thanks so much for your contributions to the Tarot Archetypes The Fool post. Your insights help make the Fool Stop Tarot Blog worth reading, so please keep those comments coming!

Look for a new giveaway to come verrrrry soon....

-- Janet

Tarot Archetypes The Fool (and a Giveaway!)

I'm pleased to introduce another feature at the Fool Stop Tarot Blog, and I think this one will prove as informative as it is fun: Tarot Archetypes!

Beginning with The Fool, Trump 0, and working through the entire Tarot, I invite you to brainstorm with me--posting all the permutations of a particular card's archetype. (Although some people feel that only Trumps 0-21 portray archetypes, I feel that the entire 78 cards of the Tarot depict familiar universal patterns.)

What is an Archetype? An Archetype is a template or original pattern from which copies are made. Psychologist Carl Jung, author Joseph Campbell, storyteller/author Clarissa Pinkola Estes, psychologist Jean Shinonda-Bolen and others are among those that have brought the concept of Archetypes into our consciousness.

To break it down in practical, every day terms, Archetypes are patterns that are universally recognized. We see Archetypes in myths, fairy tales, literature, and movies. Sometimes, an Archetype plays out right before our very eyes, as in the case of the Twin Towers (The Tower card) or across the big screen (Wall Street, the King of Pentacles card) or in sacred texts (Jesus and Odin, the Hanged Man card).

The Tarot is replete with Archetypes, which no doubt contributes to its lasting intrigue and appeal.

Some Archetypes we find in the Tarot include Soldier, Teacher, Mother, Father, Death, Queen, Thief, Magician, Rebel, Wise Woman, Justice, Resurrection, Lovers, Hermit, Clown, Priest, Bully, Rescuer, Hopeless Romantic, Amazon/Wonder Woman and many others.

In fact, as you can see, some Archetypes share names with Tarot cards!

So our first Tarot Archetype is The Fool. What TV roles, book characters, archetypal patterns, songs, historical figures/events, news items and so on reflect The Fool, in your opinion?

Here are a few of my archetypal associations for The Fool:

General Archetypes: Clown; Jester; Puer Eternis; Wise Fool; Divine Child; Simpleton; Madman; Wanderer

Pop Culture: Pee Wee Herman; Dory in Finding Nemo; Grizzly Man (documentary); Peter Pan; Mork (from Mork and Mindy); Roscoe P. Coltrane (Dukes of Hazzard); What a Wonderful World (song by Louis Armstrong); Jump (song by Van Halen)

So, what are your associations for The Fool? Try not to repeat another's comments if you can! I think this could be an illuminating and informative exercise for us all!

EDIT: Here's the ongoing list of Fool Archetypes and roles; keep 'em coming, everyone, and I'll post yours!

Gilligan (TV show Gilligan's Island) - Kris
Stan Laurel (Laurel and Hardy) - Kris
Susan (from Desperately Seeking Susan TV show) - Prince Lenormand
Yes Man (Movie: Jim Carrey's character) - Dichiaroluna
Alfred E. Newman (Mad Magazine) - Elarbolcelta1967
SpongeBob Squarepants - mdtarot
Teenagers -  Audra
Robin William's character in the movie Toys - Deborah Outland
Marley the dog in the movie Marley and Me - Joanne
Toddlers - Silverlotus
Cameron from Modern Family (TV Show) - Greendaygal540
Fry from Futurama (TV show) - Stephanie
Uncle Fester from The Addams Family (TV show) - Stephanie
Forrest Gump (movie characer) - C.M. Padget
Lucille Ball - Debbie Herbert
Foster Brooks - Debbie Herbert
Baby Bear from the Berenstein Bears - Debbie Herbert

Oh, and did I tell you this will be a giveaway post?

Yep, it's that time again, dear readers. Woohoo!

Every comment you make to this particular post (Tarot Archetypes The Fool) equals an entry to win--drumroll--Kris Waldherr's new Ask the Queens Advice Card Deck! The only caveat is that your posts need to be thoughtful (not merely an "I agree" post)--but you may post as many associations as you'd like when they pop into your head.

The giveaway contest ends next Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 11 PM EST. Every comment made before then will be entered into the random drawing to win the Ask the Queens Advice Card Deck. But even if the deadline passes, feel free to keep posting your archetypal associations for The Fool!

Good luck!

Top card from the Whimsical Tarot ISBN 978-1-57281-253-6

Middle card from the Halloween Tarot ISBN 0-88079-965-X

Bottom card from the Vanessa Tarot ISBN 1-57281-574-4

-- Janet, Social Media Maven for U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

And the Winner of the Sun and Moon Tarot Is...

Thanks so much to Angie, Elise, Tara, Cosmo, 3Jane, Debi and Lynn for contributing such thoughtful replies to our very first Tarot Dilemma!

As you know, our first Tarot Dilemma, What Should Donna Do?, was also a giveaway, which means--you guessed it--time to announce the winner of the Sun and Moon Tarot by Vanessa Decort!

And the winner is...

Drum Roll

Cosmo!

Hearty congrats to you, Cosmo! Please send your snail mail address to [email protected] and HQ will send your new deck right out.

Thanks for playing, all, and stay tuned for yet another giveaway to be posted this week!

-- Janet

Tarot Dilemma #1 - What Should Donna Do?

I'm pleased to introduce another great feature to the Fool Stop Tarot Blog--Tarot Dilemmas!

Tarot Dilemmas are fictional situations where YOU get to test your skills as a reader.  Consider the dilemma, ponder the cards and render your advice--it's that simple...and fun! There are no wrong answers, so let those insights fly.

The benefits? Beginners get reading practice and seasoned Tarotists hone their skills--and we all gain from seeing the cards in new ways!

But this inaugural Tarot Dilemma has yet another benefit.

Oh yeah, baby...it's giveaway time again! Woohoo!

This time, you can win the new Sun and Moon Tarot by Vanessa Decort. You may remember that I profiled this deck a few weeks back (click here to read the post and see card images).

How can you win? Simply share you take on the cards for this first Tarot Dilemma as if you were actually giving this fictional person advice. Want to multiply your chances of winning the random drawing? EVERY post you make on this thread counts as an entry!

No one-word answers, though, or mere words of agreement or disagreement. Instead, please contribute thoughtful and honest information, feedback and advice to our make-believe querent or your fellow posters--as well as any questions you may have (in case you happen to be insanely curious like myself).

Remember to be considerate! (But I didn't have to tell you that...you guys are great.)

So without further ado, I present our first Tarot Dilemma!

Donna Rambunkle has a problem.  [Suddenly, I feel like Gene Rayburn from Match Game...]

Her pre-teen daughter, Seneca, has been uncommunicative and moody. Donna isn't sure what's wrong or how she can best relate to her daughter. She wants to be supportive, but not intrusive--available, but not smothering.

She comes to you for advice. From the Fenestra Tarot, you draw the following cards:

 

 SIX OF CUPS  2 OF SWORDS  9 OF PENTACLES

Based on the above cards, how do you assess the situation? What will be your advice to Donna?

Remember, all thoughtful, considered posts will be entered in the random drawing to win the Sun and Moon Tarot by Vanessa Decort...but you only have until Sunday, August 29, 2010, midnight EST to post!

Have fun, and good luck! 

The Fenestra Tarot is illustrated by Chatriya Hemharnvibul. You can find out more information about this deck at the U.S. Games Systems, Inc. website at this link. The ISBN for this deck is 1-57281-560-4, and is available from your favorite online retailer or brick-and-mortar store. If you don't see it in stock, just ask for it.

-- Janet

And the Winner of the Goddess Tarot Set Is...

As you probably know, I posted a contest here at the Fool Stop Tarot Blog two days ago...and the result is in!

I compiled all the names (duplicating the ones with multiple chances) and printed them out. Then, I had my 11-year-old son cut the names into strips, put them in his black silk top hat hat and pick a winner. (Yep, that's him! He pulled the winner's name just moments ago.)

Enough already!, you're probably thinking. Just announce the winner!

OK, I shall!

The winner of the Goddess Tarot Book and Deck set is...

Elarbolcelta!

Congratulations, Elarbolcelta! Please email me your snail mail address at [email protected] and I'll be sure to get your prize out to you pronto.

Everyone, thank you so much for playing along with me! I was thrilled to see over 20 people participate in our inaugural giveaway. WOW! Keep watching the Fool Stop Tarot Blog for more chances to win, because more fun contests are coming soon.

-- Janet

Win the Godddess Tarot Set by Kris Waldherr

In honor of U.S. Games Systems, Inc. releasing TWO new decks by Kris Waldherr, I'm giving away the Goddess Tarot Deck and Book set!

All you need to do is make a post in the comment section below telling me your favorite USGS deck/s and why you like it/them by midnight Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, August 11, 2010--and you'll be entered into a random drawing to win!

Want an EXTRA chance to win? Follow the Fool Stop Tarot Blog on Networked Blogs via this link. (Just let me know who you are in the comments section below if your name is different from the one you're commenting as.)

And what about yet ANOTHER chance to win? (Yep, that makes three total!) Just "like" us on the U.S. Games Systems Facebook page at this link. (Already a fan? Just share one of the most recent USGS Facebook updates with your followers and you got yourself an entry! Just let me know via the comment section below accompanied by a link to your shared post.)

Good luck and thanks for spreading the word!

-- Janet