Tarot Templates: A Card A Day Creates Magic

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Party With Housewives And Zombies? NEVER!

There are just some combinations you should never do. Like inviting Aunt Tessie's ex-best friend and new husband who just happens to be Uncle Jack formerly of Jack and Tessie. Or pajamas with hiking boots. Or like bringing the wrong Tarot decks to a public event. Yep, I think there are some things that would be flat-out wrong to bring. Consider the social pitfalls of housewives and zombies and brides for instance.

b2ap3_thumbnail_Zombie_8Swords.jpgI like to have choices. With close to 300 decks, I have a lot of choices when gathering things up to work an event. Recently I was packing up to work a bridal shower. I had to figure out which decks to take.

After talking to the shower organizer, I had a sense of the crowd--funky, fun and very Austin. That gave me a clue as to what decks I wanted to bring. And, even more importantly, what decks I did not want to bring.

I happen to love the Zombie Tarot. I think it's a fun deck that reads very well. But, body parts and half-dead brides ruled that one out. Had this been a Goth bride, I might have chosen this one though. Talk about a sense of humor? This deck has one.

I also decided against the Thoth as the images don't lend themselves to party situation. Same for the Marseille type decks in my collection. Of course, grin, I prefer RWS clones anyway so that's an easy one for me.

I'd already promised the hostess a "sassy, fun" deck which I knew was going to be the Vanessa Tarot. That one never fails to amuse--me and my clients. With the approachable artwork by Lynyrd Narciso, this little deck in a tin is one of my party go-to decks.

b2ap3_thumbnail_Vanessa_21Universe.jpgBut the other two decks were a mystery. After some contemplation I grabbed my Radiant Rider-Waite (Smith) because it has those iconic images some clients need. I've hear more than once, "That doesn't look like MY deck." So I like to have one of the familiar decks available.

The third deck was a toss-up between the Rainbow Travellers by Carmen Waterman and the Housewives Tarot. In the end, I went with the Housewives Tarot for the sheer quirkiness of the images. It is also a very upbeat deck delivering hard messages with humor.

My shtick at parties is to have the three decks in bags. Then each guest is asked to pick which bag they want. I read for three hours and the Vanessa was chosen by all but two of the guests. Those two chose the Housewives Tarot. In a "that's interesting" moment, the only two gay men at the shower were the ones who chose the Housewives.

The bags were a very decorative pouch from India, a simple red silk pouch and a quilted one with moons and stars. The red silk housed the Vanessa Tarot while the Housewives were in the quilted one.

I have no concept of why people choose a bag! My choice would have been the bag from India because it is, to me, the prettiest of the three.

From a professional POV, having several decks keeps it fresh for me because I don't know which deck someone will choose. For the client, it lets them feel like they have a part in the reading beyond just asking a question.

b2ap3_thumbnail_HousewivesTarot_7Swords.jpgNow my next gig is a corporate one where they want a more traditional style reader. Of course that means the stereotypical Romany that most of the non-Tarot public imagine. For that one, I'll haul along the RWS of course, but I may take along the Visconti-SforzaTarot as well. Kat Black's Golden Tarot might also work. I guess I'll just have to go stand in my office again and muse.

What about you? Do you have a suggestion for a deck I might use?

Word to the wise...all the links except for the Rainbow Travellers Tarot are affilate links. Just so you know!


Seek joy,y'all. Pass it on.

Images used with permission from U.S. Games and Quirk Books respectively. No further reproduction granted.
Last modified on
Professional Tarot conversationalist, Arwen Lynch has worked with Tarot as a vehicle for personal transformation since 1980. Her personal philosophy is that Tarot is best used to correct your life course. She is a published author (in romance, as Marilu Mann) as well as past president of the American Tarot Association (4/1/2007-4/1/2014). She specializes in helping people who are determined find their joy and writers who want to finish their book. She's an initiate of Wicca.

Comments

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Wednesday, 09 April 2014

    I love this post. Some readers look down their nose at party readers. Having done my share of party readings, I am a big believer that wherever people gather is an opportunity to serve them. I've done really important spiritual readings for people at parties. I also love the post because humor and fun are an important part of spirituality. By the way, a random personal note: I collect Tarot decks and, due to an infestation recently, had to throw out a lot of my decks. Was a bizarre spiritual cleansing process. Luckily, I still have some beloved decks.

  • Courtney Weber
    Courtney Weber Wednesday, 09 April 2014

    I AM A PROPONENT OF PAJAMAS WITH HIKING BOOTS. SO THERE.

    I like the Medieval Scapini at parties as it looks very much like "a deck they'd see in the movies." It was perfect last week as it has an Italian Renaissance theme, and I was reading at a party with Italian food on the menu. Yay!

    I also often use my Tarot of the Boroughs since it's an NYC-themed deck and most of my parties are in NYC!

    Love this post and the idea of three decks at each party! Yay!

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Wednesday, 09 April 2014

    Courtney, hear hear!

  • Arwen Lynch
    Arwen Lynch Wednesday, 09 April 2014

    FdG! You know I adore you. :D Sad that you had to throw Tarot decks away. My heart hurts. What are some that you got to keep?

    HA! There's one in every crowd, Courtney. :D Pajamas and hiking boots! I'll bet that was a fun party if there was Italian food. Way to make me happy. :D

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Wednesday, 09 April 2014

    I got to keep most of my favorites. I will not bore you with the complete list but one of them is Chesca Potter's deck. I really liked her (met her when I was living in England, though I don't know if she'd remember me or not) so I bought her deck, which I hear is worth a couple hundred dollars now. I do not know if I could part with it.

    I also got to keep a View Askew deck, if you know View Askew productions, Kevin Smith's film production company? I don't know if more than one or two were made. I think maybe it was fan art.

    Oddly enough, shortly after I had to toss decks, I was gifted more decks. One of them is the cat people deck, which is blowing me away. It has enormous depth.

    And I still have my Rider Waite, which to me transcends all the other decks, even if I don't use it much anymore, except when I am teaching tarot classes.

  • Arwen Lynch
    Arwen Lynch Thursday, 10 April 2014

    I love the Potter deck.:D It's gorgeous.

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Thursday, 10 April 2014

    Yes, she was ahead of her time. Sigh, no way am I giving up her deck.

  • Arwen Lynch
    Arwen Lynch Thursday, 10 April 2014

    If you ever lose it, let me know. I'm pretty sure I have two Wild Spirit in my current collection.

  • Francesca De Grandis
    Francesca De Grandis Thursday, 10 April 2014

    Arwen, you are so sweet. Thank you! You should sell the extra one, then you'd have a few hundred bucks to buy even MORE tarot decks. LOL, this is clearly advice written from one lover of occult objects to another lover of them.

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