Phantasmagoric - Knight of Swords

Little Baron

O and Hedera...if you keep up long enough with this we soon have you reading with this baby ;)

That's right Hedera!!! We will draw you in, like Tom Tom, with our twinkling blue eyes and pretty faces! And ... like Tom Tom, once we have you, we'll steal all of your toys (or maybe your decks LOL)!

Even if there are people out there that don't warm to this deck, I also would find it quite interesting to know what their differences are. I can see that some might not think it serious enough; not dark enough; not spiritual enough, even. It is a matter of taste, I suppose.

For me, however, it is getting warmer every day. As I work on the card a day, I am getting to know the characters names which I like - Tom Tom, Axle and Hasan. I think that that is a nice edge to a reading - to have names that don't exist in any other deck. Personally, I get to know them better. I don't ever look at tomorrows card as 'The Knight of Swords. Infact, those words are invisible when I look at it. I just see Tom Tom. It makes the deck individual for me and therefore, doesn't conform completely, to the traditional decks which I use at different times. You could liken that feeling to that of The Faeries Oracle - not standard cards but loads of individual characters.

Yaboot
 

Maan

O we will catch Hedera ;)

I know alot of people feel like this deck is not spiritual of deep. But it is!
It also makes sure i don't take myself to seriously and keep both my feet on he ground...and thats a very clever thing to to if your dealing with me LOL

And like you Yaboot i too love the individual stories that go with the cards. My personal favo is Polly. We met a couple of times ( better to say daily for a while) and she had loads to tell me.

BTW i hope Rostie will join us soon. She is the one that got me wanting the Phantasmagoric in the first place.
 

Hedera

Well, you know, you guys just keep posting interesting stuff like this....
I'm busy discovering ancient decks at the moment, but I'm sure you can lure me in! ;)

A pity really he didn't put those names like Polly and Tom Tom on the cards!
 

Little Baron

Two's Company

Well, even though it is just the two of us (and Hedera soon, when she falls under that Phantasmagoric spell hehehe), this thread is livening up! Maybe we will entice some more victims yet!

Yes, where is Rostie? We PM'd a bit about a year ago and it was this deck that we talked about. She converted me too.

I also like the fact that my feet are kept on the ground; after all, Tarot should be enjoyable. This deck gets the message through in a lighthearted way - not to say that those messages are any less deep, spiritual, sensual and precise than any other tarot cards. Even The Tower, which has a habit of provoking anxiety in me when it appears in all other decks, has a different energy here. I know what it is saying, but it whispers rather than kicking me off my chair.

I havn't spoken with Polly yet. She never raises her head from those sketch books she is so into. She'll be in touch soon ... I am sure of it.

Best wishes

Yaboot
 

Little Baron

Yellow Blob

Maan, Hedera, Rostie

Just one thing, while I think of it. Since the Ten of Wands came up a few days ago, and I likened the 'Yellow Blob' with the grin to my mother (she was always told she looked like Sophia Loren in her younger days so I am sure she will be elated with that comparison!), I was just wondering what it signifies to you. I hadn't noticed before (probably because I havn't spent much time with this deck in the year since I bought it) that it also appears in the 8 of Wands as well. There is mention of Fingerpin and his road crew, but in the explanation/story of both cards, the yellow blob is not mentioned. At first I thought it may be an inhabitant of the woods that Axle is distributing a flyer to but in the other card, it is part of the circus.

Any ideas? Have I missed its appearance anywhere else?

Yaboot

*I appreciate how odd this question may seem to non-readers (and to readers) of the Phantasmagoric Theatre Tarot*
 

Melvis

Hi, all!

Can I jump in here, too? I just can't express how much I love this deck! For me, it is a very personal deck, as no one has asked for a reading with it yet.

I just love going through the cards and getting to know the characters. To me, this deck is like your favorite book series from when you were a kid. There are so many different players and each one is like an old friend. I'm working on memorizing more of the LWB, but it's difficult. Strangely enough, I usually remember the stories about the characters more than the characters' actual names.

When I look at cards from this deck, the designation of the card (from a traditional tarot standpoint) is almost secondary. The first thing I see when I pull the Knight of Swords is not the the "Knight of Swords"...it's "Tom Tom"!

Speaking of Tom Tom, (some of you might not be able to relate to this comparison if you haven't seen the program) he reminds me of Eddie Haskel from the old 50's TV show, "Leave it to Beaver". He's all charm and big doe-eyes and "You look lovely today, Mrs. Cleaver," but you know that he's really planning something sneaky.

Regarding the knife on Tom Tom's shirt, the first thing that struck me is that it's pointing right up at his throat. To me, that seems to be a warning that all his shenanigans will only hurt him in the end.

I'm enjoying your threads, Yaboot, especially since it's urging me to look at the deck itself more often! :D

Peace,

Melvis
:TSTRE
 

Little Baron

Melvis,

I am so pleased that my posts have encouraged you to pick up the Phantasmagoric again. I hardly looked at mine in the year that I have had it but something clicked about a week ago and that is why I started posting up the daily draws.

I always found the stories and names to be a bit overwelming at first, but as I draw them, day by day, aside from them coming to life, I am also remembering the stories shared by the few of us that have been contributing in these threads.

Please, please, please join in. I am sure you can learn so much from these cards and from the handful of us that are looking deeper into what is a wonderful deck ... and I am sure we will benefit from your insights as well.

Tom Tom is my favourite in the deck, but there are other little characters in their that I love too. The Bald Tufty ones are great that I posted details of on one of my other daily threads.
I have posted a reading in the 'Your Readings' section. It is one of my first with this deck and since I have only reaquainted with the deck recently, it is not one of my best. I am learning from it though. Let me know what you think. I would love to see other peoples Phantasmagoric readings to see how people interpret the cards within a reading; what their reading style with the Phantasmagoric is like. I am sure that it is anthing but 'usual'.

To anbody else out there that wants to jump in, please do. I gather from Maan that this has been a lonely hermits journey for her and this deck. In the past week, Freesiaskye has bought the deck, Galadrial has jumped aboad and now you. Hedera is close to persuation ... I can feel it!

**It's getting a little more crowed in here; I think we are going to have to move the furniture about to make some more room LOL**

Excellent to have you join us, Melvis. Look forward to your Phantasmagoric posts.

Yaboot
 

darwinia

Melvis said:
Hi, all!

Can I jump in here, too?

Well, I hate to tear you away from all the action in the William Blake study, but if you insist.

Gosh, I think my tongue just went through my cheek. That Urizen has such a sense of humour.
 

Maan

Ooo nice Melvis...welcome

Like Yaboot says we should buy some bigger chairs;)
Coffee anyone?
 

Hedera

Could I have some tea please?
Quite strong, with lots of milk and no sugar.

Off to post something (semi-) sensible in the fave/least fave thread now....