The Barbara Walker Tarot

[EmpyreanKnight]

 

 

I remember that the first time I laid my eyes on the Barbara Walker, I vowed to myself that I would one day have it. That was way before USG decided to release it in a tin, when all the remaining copies were heartbreakingly-priced. I recall promising myself just that in a post in AT lol. I just knew that I would, because its images stirred a slumbering locus in my core that reacted to its brazen, unrelenting vignettes. I felt that when we do begin a pas de deux, it would be one for the ages. And oh, how right I was.

 

By all means, the deck should have turned me off. It had a 70's indie movie aesthetic that I don't find particularly interesting elsewhere. It was printed on almost bridge-sized cards whereas I subscribe to the bigger is better ethos. I like and enjoy being a guy and all the advantages that it entails, while it is unapologetically feminist.

 

But there is something about it, an atmosphere of cool menace intimating a calculating, ruthless philosophy that seized me. There is no frailty here, and happiness is something that you have to be willing to fight for, often at the expense of others. The characters and situations portray tribulations and victory, weakness and strength, extreme vicissitude and boundless luxury, passion, bliss, despair, desire, hope, all in vivid color. It is anything but soft, and when it does allow tenderness it is all the more poignant because of how rare and how fleeting it is. It is a deck of stone and steel, and when you gaze at the kohl-lined eyes of some of the characters staring right back at you, you will know it for what it truly is.

 

When I performed my deck interview, I was stunned. It is not interested in my spirituality or self-exploration or metamorphosis, except as an adjunct to the lessons that it will provide. It is willing to help me steer my ship amidst the wiles of fickle Fortune and to help me chart the path to my dreams, whatever they are. It is eminently practical, an unbending vizier, and since it has unfettered itself from the chains of morality, it is the perfect deck of war. When I finally asked what it was, it robed itself under the atu of one of my favorite cards. It declared itself, most fittingly, as Strength. I think I really should post that reading in my journal thread lol.

 

So yes, this is a deck which I have utterly, inexorably fallen for. I was surprised that it has never been studied at all in AT. Aside from giving it its due, I would like to post my notes on the cards, and maybe you guys can give some additional insights to them, beyond those I have already gleaned in my readings. I truly wish that you would take this journey with me, as I know that it will be really interesting. Because you see, above and beyond the dreamy and potent images and the divinatory and esoteric meanings they hold - the stories are where it's at. Tales of vanquished gods and conquering heroes, of fallen kings and blood-drenched deities and of the unlucky mortals caught in the crossfire, all played within the confines of this little deck. Neuroses, misery, exhilaration, melancholy, and unfettered lust in all its guises - for power, for the flesh, for glory - it's all here. I would so love to share these stories with you too. See you around. :)

[EmpyreanKnight]

I plan to begin this study with the minors. The majors are just so packed with lore, so dense with myths and attributions, that I have decided to save them for last, as a fitting end to this journey. Also, I want to be sure that I can fully handle them to the best of my abilities before I swim in the deep. Do not worry tho, the minors are also very compelling, and the stories they share would be more than enough to satisfy your palate for this weekly fare.

 

I shall post a thread for a new card every Friday, the only day of the week named after a goddess. I hope you can join me in the threads. I'll make it worth it. :)

 

Btw, I already posted the introduction to the Ace of Wands, just to whet your appetite. I shall post my ideas on that this Friday. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Tanga]

 

But there is something about it, an atmosphere of cool menace intimating a calculating, ruthless philosophy that seized me. There is no frailty here, and happiness is something that you have to be willing to fight for, often at the expense of others. The characters and situations portray tribulations and victory, weakness and strength, extreme vicissitude and boundless luxury, passion, bliss, despair, desire, hope, all in vivid color. It is anything but soft, and when it does allow tenderness it is all the more poignant because of how rare and how fleeting it is. It is a deck of stone and steel, and when you gaze at the kohl-lined eyes of some of the characters staring right back at you, you will know it for what it truly is.

 

EXACTLY! 

I have an OOP copy and a copy in a tin.

THIS - is my spellwork deck when I'm in a "take no prisoners" mood  ;).

 

It was the 1st deck I ever saw - my sister has a copy and showed it to me.

And the companion book was the 1st I read about the Tarot.

[EmpyreanKnight]

Finally, someone who responds to the Barbara Walker the way I do. :D Having worked with it, I know that it must be a really potent deck for ritual use. I should really explore that too.

 

The red tome in the pic is my copy of the companion book.  While the pages were near-pristine, the covers were not so fortunate so I had them stripped and replaced with marbled hard covers (at around $2!). It's a marvelous book full of delectable stories, altho I've read in some reviews that the scholarship isn't as solid as, say, Dummet's or Place's. I still love it tho, and I'd continue using it to explore this deck.

[EmpyreanKnight]

I shall be focusing on the Barbara Walker along with Sklyarova's Shadows for the rest of January until February. It's time to write my discourses on the cards on their respective threads.