Mary El Tarot - General Discussion

Wintergreen

That would be great. But you've convinced (enabled :) me... I'm going to do it!
 

Lifeisabutterfly

Mary El Tarot No Borders + Gold Tip Titles

Ok here goes :)
Don't look at my handwriting though, I am sure you could do a much nicer job! If you choose this route with the cards, it might help to write the titles on the cards first BEFORE trimming since you would have a more room to write on and not be all cramped and squiggly.
My problem is I get so scissor happy I always end up with a reduced space to work on!
Oh dear, I just noticed the pics are totally and absolutely upside down!!!! My son helped me so I can blame it on him! Sorry about that, really! Perhaps the spirit of the Mary-El tarot took over and is playing havock with our orderly ways...but I hope it gives you an idea anyway. As you can see, or not see rather, the title on the Queen of Pents is barely visible, some will be for your eye only, as they should be :)


http://i45.tinypic.com/n15k7d.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/20tq7h1.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/o549yr.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/34rtz7s.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/14j6885.jpg
 

Wintergreen

Lifeisabutterfly, that's gorgeous. I love the handwriting: its' totally wabi sabi!
 

Lifeisabutterfly

I"ll have to look up what wabi sabi is lol!
but it sure sounds better than---
"old-school-cursive-french-canadian-nuns-will-wrap-your-knuckles-hand-writing! lol lol lol
today have day off and am going to hang out in the park with the deck and book...
The book is surprisingly illuminating on many points and i'm enjoying it alot. i personally have no interest in the astrological and esoteric because for one, I find each tarot artist seems to have an entirely different version of these subjects which are already so weighty as it is without having to learn a new system each time and for another I use tarot for meditation and readings and just learning and mastering THOSE meanings is quite enough for me thank you very much! even after 20 years + I am still learning...
For example, the King of Cups as "Master of the Subconscious" is absolute genius! I actually gasped when I read that line. Love it!!!
In case you might be interested, there's a very interesting review of the deck and book on Amazon by a ShantiDevi who only gave them 3 stars but who has a very scholarly and well written explanation why. I was almost inclined to agree because of the amazing expose, but the set was already on it's way in the post...well, when I held the deck in my hand and started to read the book WOW!!! I think the reviewer missed the boat on alot of points but it's still such an excellent review in a weird sort of way, kind of like a sounding board for your own opinion if you know what I mean. Oftentimes opposite views are quite beneficial if taken in the proper perspective, and are our great teachers.
Keep me posted!
Talk to you soon.
 

Bat Chicken

I would take that review with a grain of salt.... It seems convincing only on the surface. There was a mess on here about that. This reviewer got a membership here to specifically criticize this deck. It was all a little strange to me.
 

Lifeisabutterfly

indeed

I am glad you brought that up Bat Chicken! I was trying to say, perhaps not too eloquently, that indeed while I found the review interesting and well written -- it had almost convinced me not to like it--I am glad to report when I finally held the deck in my own hands and could make my own descision=I found that the reviewer had entirely missed the boat as to value and magic of this deck...and you are right--there was something a bit too insistent about it... maybe there's drama in the wings we don't know about...
This is a lesson to all of us that we must always make up our own minds regarding people, places and situations before judging.
I really do find that this type of situations assist us in making us stronger as far as intuition, own discernment and capability of not being taken in by just scholarly words, although I still enjoyed reading this review, it proves that not everyone can appreciate something like Mary-El tarot (counter snobbism perhaps? lol!!!!)
Plus I was overjoyed in not agreeing with this reviewer's take on the cards and having bought them anyway--To think what I would have missed out on!
I think what almost got me is that I make a point on not joining the bandwagon and if everyone loves something new that comes out I make a point of not looking at it..terrible isn't it? very cantankerous! I STILL haven't seen ET the movie yet...
I was not aware of all the kerfuffle she had caused...even in the tarot world there is intrigue and sabotage I see!
 

RunningWild

I agree with what Bat Chicken wrote about taking that review with a grain of salt. Someone had an agenda and it was nipped in the bud here.

That being said, I trimmed my deck a while ago, but without writing in the titles. I like the artwork even more without the borders but I'm inclined to save up for a second copy so that I can have it all :laugh: In general, I think I'm becoming an anti-border type and sometimes it's a struggle to keep from going scissor happy but the backing was beginning to separate from a couple of the cards and I couldn't stand it. I hadn't even shuffled them all that much.

May your Mary-El Tarot give you years and years of enjoyment.
 

Lifeisabutterfly

What's great about having trimmed this deck is that suddenly she's become very portable and reminds me of a frisky dog who always wants to be taken everywhere! It seems to have given it more life or a certain quality of lightness somehow...can't really explain it. I do find that trimming decks renders the energies and artwork more accessible, sort of like taking down a fence.
Thank you for your good wishes -- I am having a great time with Mary-El!
I never thought I would...from the pictures online my initial reaction was to push it away, even if I'd been following the development for a long time. It had to do with my puritanical background shaped in a time now gone by I might add (oldtimers!) I had decided it wasn't for me at all!
Then is was after reading LeFanu's thoughts on the deck in his blog that turned me completely around and made me get my copy! To my great delight and relief! It was good therapy to transcend those false barriers. That old enabler! Thank you LeFanu, wherever you might be lol!!
 

toj

The Hierophant card is the reason I almost did not purchase this deck. Given that I had felt a strong pull to every other image I had seen it seemed crazy for me to wait so long to get it. Yesterday I splurged and spent the night amazed at the beauty of the images. This morning I went through the book and tried the daily spread for my first reading. The scans do not do this deck justice and I am looking forward to getting more familiar with it.
 

Wintergreen

The Hierophant card is the reason I almost did not purchase this deck. Given that I had felt a strong pull to every other image I had seen it seemed crazy for me to wait so long to get it. Yesterday I splurged and spent the night amazed at the beauty of the images. This morning I went through the book and tried the daily spread for my first reading. The scans do not do this deck justice and I am looking forward to getting more familiar with it.

Hi Toj,
I had the same reaction to the Hierophant: yick! But of course she shows up often when I read with this deck, so I've been trying very hard to look at it with fresh eyes, and it's inspired many insights. Every time I see her I see something different. The artist had some interesting insights into this card up on her blog, but the page seems to have disappeard.

As I'm sure you've noticed, this deck inspires strong opinions and emotions. I hope you'll keep us posted in the Study Group thread. I'm trimming mine, and starting next week I'll be posting more frequently.