THE
ARCANE
ARCHIVE
a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.


TOP | OCCULTISM | DIVINATION | TAROT

REVIEW - Tarot of the Orishas

To: alt.pagan.magick
From: "Mike Gleason" 
Subject: REVIEW - Tarot of the Orishas
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 17:40:02 GMT

Tarot of the Orishas  by  Zolrak  © 2003  Llewellyn Worldwide  77 cards and
booklet  ISBN  1-56718-834-5  $19.95 (U.S.)

The use of the name "Tarot" is a deliberate misnomer.  The cards which make
up this deck correspond only loosely with those in a conventional Tarot
deck.  Unfortunately, there is no other word to describe the function of
these cards.  They are not "fortune-telling cards," they are not a "game;"
nor are they runes.  They are comprised, like a "standard" Tarot deck of two
separate components:  There are 25 "primary cards" which approximate the
Major Arcana and 52 "secondary cards," divided into the four elements which
approximate the Minor Arcana.  There the similarities end.

The "Majors" are not numbered - to do so might invoke associations of
"superiority/ inferiority" in the relationships of the ideas which they
bring forth.  Five of them have no correspondence to the "standard" Tarot,
while two of the "standard" cards are not to be found (The Heirophant and
Strength).

The "secondary" cards are numbered from 1 through 10 of each element, and
also include an "Element card" in each suit - these "give our place within
the elements, considering periods of time and its peculiarities and
particulars;" a "Message of the Element card"  which produce(s) a thought
and a piece of advice intended for the consultant;" and, finally, an
"Elemental card" which links them with "professions and personalities."

Two copies of the instruction book are provided with the deck - one in
English and one in Spanish.  Since the Orishas are a concept drawn from
Santeria (and most followers are Spanish-speaking) this is a decided
advantage.

The images contained within this set are primitive.  That is not to say that
they are crude or unappealing, but they are more in the line of a Grant Wood
rather than a Michelangelo.  There is a sense of "real" versus "ideal."  The
human images in this deck are not the idealized "David" style, but are much
more representative of the carved African figures you occasionally find in
resale shops - simple, basic, and easy to relate to.

I look forward to working with these cards for a long time, and, I expect
that they, like the other decks I use, will continue to reveal more secrets
the longer I use them.  They will not replace a visit to a babalawo when
needed, but they are certainly a system to provide guidance when needed.

There are layouts illustrated in the back of the booklet, including some of
the "traditional" layouts used by most card readers.  Each position is
carefully explained for what it is, and how it relates to the other
positions.

Some folks may have trouble relating to these cards, but if you give
yourself the opportunity to work with them, I think you will find your time
and effort well rewarded.

The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org.

Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small
donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site.

The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories,
each dealing with a different branch of
religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge.
Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit:
interdisciplinary: geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness
occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells
religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo
societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc.

SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE

There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):

Search For:
Match:  Any word All words Exact phrase

OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST

Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including slave narratives & interviews
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
Sacred Sex: essays and articles on tantra yoga, neo-tantra, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
Sacred Landscape: essays and articles on archaeoastronomy, sacred architecture, and sacred geometry
Lucky Mojo Forum: practitioners answer queries on conjure; sponsored by the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Herb Magic: illustrated descriptions of magic herbs with free spells, recipes, and an ordering option
Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers: ethical diviners and hoodoo spell-casters
Freemasonry for Women by cat yronwode: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith, the Smallest Church in the World
Satan Service Org: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World
Lucky Mojo Usenet FAQ Archive: FAQs and REFs for occult and magical usenet newsgroups
Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic
Aleister Crowley Text Archive: a multitude of texts by an early 20th century ceremonial occultist
Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective
The Mystic Tea Room: divination by reading tea-leaves, with a museum of antique fortune telling cups
Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
Lucky Mojo Magic Spells Archives: love spells, money spells, luck spells, protection spells, etc.
      Free Love Spell Archive: love spells, attraction spells, sex magick, romance spells, and lust spells
      Free Money Spell Archive: money spells, prosperity spells, and wealth spells for job and business
      Free Protection Spell Archive: protection spells against witchcraft, jinxes, hexes, and the evil eye
      Free Gambling Luck Spell Archive: lucky gambling spells for the lottery, casinos, and races