smleite, I didn't find your post boring, and agree with a lot of your sentiments. Of course, in a historical sense, tarot originated in a predominantly white culture, so of course it's going to reflect that! And of course, there's nothing wrong with that, any more than it is wrong for art created in any culture to reflect the culture of the people who create it. That's simply natural, and inevitable.
That's why I distinguished between the historical sense of tarot and the more "spiritual," universal sense of tarot. When it comes to the essence of tarot as a set of archetypes, I personally feel there is something missing, something limited and restrictive, in a deck with only white faces. This is a personal preference, and I don't think there's anything racist about people who don't have the preference. There's plenty of folks, including some who are not white, who enjoy and stick to decks with only white faces, seeing the white faces as simply a reflection of the culture of origin and nothing more. But personally, I can't see any one particular deck as the "ultimate tarot" in any sense other than a historical one, especially not one limited to a specific time, culture, and place.
I feel this way about any deck restricted to any culture, whether it is Caucasian, African, Native American, or any other. And I don't much like the forced effect of decks that try to rectify this by making a "cultural collage" with a different specific element from a different specific culture on each card, such as the World Spirit. I like decks that find a way to express the universally human in a way that transcends culture, yet in a unified and cohesive way.
I personally find that Navigators of the Mystic Sea does that beautifully, by speaking in a dream language that draws on universal human postures and facial expressions, as well as diverse symbols and elements from many cultures, times, and places that are juxtaposed without making them seem artificially jammed together. I think the International Icon is a recent deck which works towards a universal quality too, though it's my personal take that Navigators does it better. And of course, there are people who would find these same decks limiting and limited in focus.
And I don't think that the "East" (Which way is East? Depends on where you stand...) is inherently more enlightened. It's just that Buddhism, and in particular, Zen, is what I connect with personally. I have yet to encounter a method of cultivating awareness as direct and powerful as zazen, simple sitting meditation. But that's not because I believe zazen is the only way, but rather, that it's the way for me. And also, I've been as influenced by the transformation Buddhism has undergone in its translation into American culture as I am by its Asian roots.
And when I think of Western spiritual traditions, I don't so much look to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, though I have been inspired by and have drawn from each one, especially their mystical sects. I find it strange - in any other consideration, products from those cultures are considered "Middle Eastern," but their religions are considered "Western." Of course, those religions have spread since then, but I'm talking about origins.
All of the above traditions are oriented towards that which transcends this world in some way. When I think of the spiritual tradition I associate with the West, I think of the pagan traditions of Greece, Great Britain, and other parts of Europe. Of course, paganism and shamanism are universal forms of religion found in every culture. And I think that these traditions address a religious quality which has been forgotten or cast aside in Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This is the soulful enjoyment of the transitory pleasures of the world, experiencing something essential in them rather than looking beyond them.
I personally find it essential to draw from both more "spiritually" (i.e. transcendent) oriented traditions as well as more "soulfully" (i.e. sensual and embodied) oriented traditions. So I certainly don't devalue the contribution of the "West" vs. the "East." I don't think any one culture has a monopoly on truth, and that every culture on Earth, whether human or animal, has its wisdom. Some learn best by focusing on one particular tradition, but others, like myself, learn best by drawing from more than one.
Wow, this has really derailed from the original topic, but I think this discussion speaks to it in an interesting way by pondering the universal and essential in different forms, so I hope the moderators don't delete it.
