Fool Stop Tarot Blog

May Mystery Deck Revealed

Well you've all done great at guessing this deck. Are you suprised to learn it is the African Tarot by Marina Romito and Denese Palm.

The exuberant imagery of African Tarot draws largely on the African experience, depicted in a primitive art style. Marina Romito has reinterpreted the standard Rider-Waite images with symbols inspired by indigenous South African culture to create an accessible, uplifting deck. Evoking universal childhood emotions, African Tarot can help you explore your true inner nature.

The back design of the cards is inspired by the Shagaan culture (one of the indigenous ethnic groups in South Africa); the tortoise symbolizes the slow coming of justice.

The miniature deck is perfect for small hands.

55-page booklet includes individual card meanings as well as card combinations.

Marina Romito holds a degree in philosophy, but is primarily a seeker of greater global harmony and truth. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Denese Palm has long been involved in the field of human rights, and particularly with women’s group in rural economic assistance projects.

Enjoy a few more images from the amazing African Tarot deck.

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May Mystery Deck: Clue 5

Welcome to the May Mystery Deck contest. This is clue number five.

We've got a very special prize for this one. You can win the hot-off-the-presses Magical Times Empowerment deck by Jodi Bergsma.

What do you have to do to win? Oh that's easy! Just leave a comment. You can leave one per day for up to five chances to win. Get a bonus entry by sharing the post on your Facebook, Pinterest or via Twitter (hashtag #USGSTarot). Then let us know in separate comments that you shared it.

Now on to the clues!

CLUE NUMBER FIVE

Some have called me childish, but I prefer childlike.

Check back tomorrow to see if you were right. The mystery deck will be revealed. and the winner will be announced Monday.

May Mystery Deck: Clue Four

Welcome to the May Mystery Deck contest. This is clue number four.

We've got a very special prize for this one. You can win the hot-off-the-presses Magical Times Empowerment deck by Jodi Bergsma.

What do you have to do to win? Oh that's easy! Just leave a comment. You can leave one per day for up to five chances to win. Get a bonus entry by sharing the post on your Facebook, Pinterest or via Twitter (hashtag #USGSTarot). Then let us know in separate comments that you shared it.

Now on to the clues!

CLUE NUMBER FOUR

My size is ideal for small hands.

Check back tomorrow to see the next clue. The mystery deck will be revealed on Saturday and the winner will be announced Monday.

May Mystery Deck: Clue 3

Welcome to the May Mystery Deck contest. This is clue number three.

We've got a very special prize for this one. You can win the hot-off-the-presses Magical Times Empowerment deck by Jodi Bergsma.

What do you have to do to win? Oh that's easy! Just leave a comment. You can leave one per day for up to five chances to win. Get a bonus entry by sharing the post on your Facebook, Pinterest or via Twitter (hashtag #USGSTarot). Then let us know in separate comments that you shared it.

Now on to the clues!

CLUE NUMBER THREE

Both my creators are women.

Check back tomorrow to see the next clue. The mystery deck will be revealed on Saturday and the winner will be announced Monday.

May Mystery Deck: Clue 2

Welcome to the May Mystery Deck contest. This is clue number two.

We've got a very special prize for this one. You can win the hot-off-the-presses Magical Times Empowerment deck by Jodi Bergsma.

What do you have to do to win? Oh that's easy! Just leave a comment. You can leave one per day for up to five chances to win. Get a bonus entry by sharing the post on your Facebook, Pinterest or via Twitter (hashtag #USGSTarot). Then let us know in separate comments that you shared it.

Now on to the clues!

CLUE NUMBER TWO

Justice is important to my creators as well as my back.

Check back tomorrow to see the next clue. The mystery deck will be revealed on Saturday and the winner will be announced Monday.

May Mystery Deck: Clue 1

Welcome to the May Mystery Deck contest. We've got a very special prize for this one. You can win the hot-off-the-presses Magical Times Empowerment deck by Jodi Bergsma. 

What do you have to do to win? Oh that's easy! Just leave a comment. You can leave one per day for up to five chances to win. Get a bonus entry by sharing the post on your Facebook, Pinterest or via Twitter (hashtag #USGSTarot). Then let us know in separate comments that you shared it.

Now on to the clues!

CLUE NUMBER ONE

I can be said to be a very cultural Tarot deck.

Check back tomorrow to see the next clue.

The mystery deck will be revealed on Saturday and the winner will be announced Monday.

Mystery Deck: Reveal

Were you one of the ones who knew me right away? Did it take you a few clues? I tried to make myself hard to guess. Let me know how I did.

I am the Mystical Lenormand U.S. Games Systems Inc. ISBN 1572815345 by Regula Elizabeth Fiechter & Urban Trosch.

CLUE 1:The first thing most reviewers and users comment on is the gorgeous artwork.

CLUE 2: Each border of my cards is different.

CLUE 3: Urban is the so-called "city boy" in English speaking countries.

CLUE 4: I am considered a Petit Lenormand since I am only 36 cards. My 52 card cousin is the Grand Lenormand.

CLUE 5: The snippet show yesterday is from the front of my box as well as being the Stars card.

 The winner will be announced on Monday.

 Here are some of my images for you to enjoy. Click to see the larger image. Leave a comment here if you want to be included in the drawing for Monday.

Mystery Deck: Clue 5

I'm the mystery deck of the week. I'll give you five clues--one for each day. I'll tell you the answer on Saturday.

Fifth Clue: I've been shy about showing you myself but I know that helps. Here's a small piece of me to share.

I'll reveal all tomorrow.

Don’t forget to guess on each day! And, of course, I am a proud U.S. Games deck!

Mystery Deck: Clue 4

I'm the mystery deck of the week. I'll give you five clues--one for each day. I'll tell you the answer on Saturday.

 

Fourth Clue: I only have 36 cards so while I'm not grand, I am complete.

 

Don’t forget to guess on each day! And, of course, I am a proud U.S. Games deck!

Mystery Deck: Clue 3

I'm the mystery deck of the week. I'll give you five clues--one for each day. I'll tell you the answer on Saturday.

 

Third Clue: One of my co-creators might be called a city boy in English-speaking countries.

 

Don’t forget to guess on each day! And, of course, I am a proud U.S. Games deck!

Mystery Deck: Clue 1

I'm the mystery deck of the week. I'll give you five clues--one for each day. I'll tell you the answer on Saturday.

 

There is a prize included so guess away! Every guess--wrong or right--counts.

 

First Clue: The first thing many say of me is how attractive I am. I try to not let it go to my head.

 

Don’t forget to guess on each day!

Guess The Deck: Answer Revealed

All week we've been guessing what deck I am. Were you successful? Did you know right away? What clue gave it away for you? Are you still scratching your head?

I'm the Vanessa Tarot published in 2006.  Here's what US Games says about me.

Taking their inspiration from pop culture, the sassy but sage characters of Vanessa Tarot playfully reinterpret traditional female roles. With humor, glamour, and an attitude of adventure, the daring darlings of Vanessa Tarot share all their arcane secrets. This charming deck invites readers to join in the joy ride exploring life through the fanciful imagery of tarot. Presented in a keepsake tin, Vanessa Tarot includes 78 cards with 30-page instruction booklet.

"Vanessa Tarot has taken its inspiration from several areas of contemporary pop culture including female role models from the small and large screens of television and cinema, life-like fashion dolls, and heroines from comic books. In the same way that dolls encourage imaginative role-playing, Vanessa Tarot provides scenarios for examining our fantasies, fears, decisions, desires, and choices. The sassy but sage characters of Vanessa Tarot playfully reinterpret female roles, occupations, and social stereotypes from the housewife to the witch, and the princess to the scientist."

-- Lynyrd Narciso, Introduction to Vanessa Tarot

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See what Dan Pelletier has to say about this deck.

The Vanessa Tarot does for illustrated pip Waite-Colman-Smith based decks, what Major Tom's Tarot de Marseille did for the Marseille version Tarots, and dragged it (the Tarot) into the 21st Century.

The Vanessa Tarot will perhaps be the most overlooked Tarot of 2007. 'Serious' Tarot folks will eschew it, many will never get past the Magician -- and will poo-poo it as a silly novelty. But the Vanessa deserves a closer look. It's nothing short of brilliant!

Let me start with the LWB -- it deserves framing. This should me the new standard for LWB's. It is well written, concise, and is arraigned by numerical value as opposed to suits. And what is said about each card -- makes sense. Some folks enjoy saying 'Tarot is a language', perhaps because such a statement eludes cogent response, However the Vanessa Tarot IS a language. Gone is the weighty esoteric symbology, leaving behind clean image concepts -- that translate smoothly into nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and articles. Many cards easily fill encompass several of those labels.

Yes, it's a feminine deck albeit not feminist. Marketing may well relegate it to the early teen female market segment of the populations, and that’s a shame. The deck is also multicultural.

Some examples: The 10 of Wands eschews the burdening issues and displays an attitude of study -- or 'workload'. The Knight of Wands wears a parachute and stands in the doorway of an aircraft in flight. In the Four of Cups, she sits in front of the Tarot Café, while a hand enters the picture from the left offering a cup. It's tres mondo coolaroonie!

The cards measure 9.5cm x 6cm, perfect for your hands, and get this ... they come in a metal case.

This deck, and the LWB rock ...

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Here are a few images from this great deck.

You can have your own copy if you like. Just go here.

Remember we are drawing a name from all comments left this week including on this post. You could win your choice of our Tarot magnet sets. Would you pick the Fool set?

Guess the Deck: Clue #4

I'm full of sass and like to tease. That's why you'll find a Sarah Palin, a Sophia Loren, a Samantha Stevens as well as a Snow White and a Sleeping Beauty within my 78 cards. Was it intentional? Some were but some were not. Ms. Palin wasn't even on the national political scene when I was published.

What deck am I?

Since today is Valentine's Day, what would you say to a lover who gave you these? Remember that all guesses this week will be put into a drawing. You could win your choice of our new magnet sets.

Guess The Deck: Clue #1

This week will be a guessing game. Monday-Thursday we will give you clues to guess the deck. Friday we will reveal it.

Today's clue is about men and horses. Or is it? My armored friends wear the uniforms of the jobs they have chosen. While two are hard at work, the other two are not. A love letter, a motorcycle, a plane and a toolbox are what they employ. And did I mention? They aren't boys.

What deck am I?

We will draw one winner from all comments. That person will win their choice of our brand new magnet sets. Check out the Strength set here.

What's The Story (Ukiyoe Tarot)

On our Facebook page, we often ask our fans to tell us what story three cards tell them. What do you think these three cards say?

How would the reading change if you read it from right to left?

The Ukiyoe Tarot is being reprinted in 2013. See more images here.

Ask The Readers

You are the reader today. I had the following question so we are going to throw this open to all our blog readers. This is now your client. The question is: 

What do I need to do to grow my business exponentially?

What would you tell this client? I drew the following three cards for the Situation, the Action and the Outcome? See the bottom of this post for how you can be the next one we all read for.

Situation: Ace of Coins

Action: 9 of Coins

Outcome: Princess of Coins

Thanks for your assistance. And if you have a question you would like answered, please send it to Stella with the subject line, "Ask The Readers". We will pull three cards and ask our blog readers for their interpretations.

"Fantasy artist Galasso has transformed classic tarot imagery into a vibrant tour, through a crystal ball, into a magical world filled with fairies, fantastical creatures, and exotic flowers. Color creates the backdrop against which the story of each card is told. Lyrical and mysterious, the illustrations almost sing." -- Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight Magazine

Guess the #Tarot Deck

This snippet is from a rather unusual Tarot deck. I'd give you clues but I can't bear to!

It's small, but can you tell us what deck and what card this is? Leave your guess in the comments.

Guess the #Tarot Deck

Here's a snippet from one of our more popular Tarot decks. Can you tell us what deck this card is from and what deck?

Leave your answer in the comments. I'll announce the winner on Friday January 25th. You win bragging rights and a cool spread sheet from U.S. Games Systems Inc.!

3Jane's Astral Pyramid Reading

3Jane requested that her Astral Pyramid reading use the Happiness house.

Click on image to enlarge

In row two (which actually starts with row one the Astral House card of Happiness), she got the Crown and the Ladder. The next two weeks will see her getting a lot of attention at work. She will not have to work too hard to be noticed. There may even be a promotion in the works. If she has any projects out, I think this indicates a lot of good news for her.

Click on image to enlarge

Row two, the three week (or day or month...I'm just sticking to week for now) shows the Eagle, the Star and the Knot. So this is a two-against-one week. Two cards indicate triumph and one failure. I am going to say that 3Jane's happiness may take a blow but it will all work out. And for the better in the long run. This feels like one of those arguments that brings out old issues that will finally get fully worked out. Good week. Hard discussions that lead to more commitment. When I look at these I also see that 3Jane will need to avoid tying herself into knots over little things.

Click on image to enlarge

Row four is a bit of a mixed bag. Looks like 3Jane will need to be careful not to overdo it with the partying otherwise, she may need bail money! She's going to have to stay strong though to overcome any blocks to her personal happiness.

So that's my first Astral Pyramid reading. I did not use the book. I wanted to show you how easy this deck is to read with even without the detailed write-ups in the book for each card.

3Jane, what do you think?

#Tarot Mystery Solved

The answer to this mystery is Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants. Thanks to all who guessed here, on Facebook and on Twitter! This one was a stumper!

Got an idea for a Tarot mystery? Send it to me and we will feature it here.

#Tarot Game: What Book Is This?

Agent Reader has done it again! She had a client who wanted to do a reading. During the reading the client mentioned a book she thought Agent Reader would enjoy but of course, Agent Reader forgot to write down the title. HELP!

Here's what she knows.

Death figures heavily in this book. The hero seems to be a time-traveler at times. He's definitely the King and Knight of Swords although he starts out as the Page of Swords.

The Eight of Wands figures heavily in this story but the Eight of swords shows up as well as Justice Rx.

The end of the book was a Six of Swords with a Twp of Cups twist.

What was this book that also was made into a movie?

 

Cards featured: Sun And Moon Tarot, Cat's Eye Tarot, Crystal Visions Tarot

#Tarot Riddle: What Deck Am I?

Riddle me this:

I was first published 31 years ago. I've remained a perennial favorite even though I may not bloom as brightly as some other decks. Some say that the Byzantine empire had a hand in my creation. You may not know it, but my artist was chosen because of a business card. It is said that I am a deck for anyone but you can go deep into my Qabalah meanings if you dare.

Do you know who I am?

Guess the #Tarot Deck

This is not a card. It is the cover of the box. Can you guess which Tarot deck this is?

This could be considered a speciality deck because of the subject.

The suits are not traditional.

What do you think this deck is?

It's a #Tarot Mystery Again!

Our operative, Agent Reader, had a strange client today. She came in asking about a man she was interested in.

This client is the heroine of a well-known book, but once again, Agent Reader can't remember the title.

Seems her mother is the Queen of Coins Rx and is pushing her daughter towards marrying a man who seems to be a bit of a Knight of Coins. Our querent has two sisters who are also running about town flirting and causing problems. They are the Three of Cups.

Fancy A Game Of #Tarot, Anyone?

On Monday, James Wells shared his Tarot Circle games with us. It made me wonder about the actual card game of Tarot.

Did you know that the game of Tarot is still played? There is an entire group of games for the 78 card deck. Many people refer to them as Tarock games. Tarot or jeu de tarot is a game similar to other trump-style games where you take tricks.