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
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 ...
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?
