Long Live the Queen!
October 8, 2007 8:02 PM   Subscribe

The Victoria Regina Tarot, assembled from steel and wood engravings from nineteenth-century illustrations, now has an online reading generator with several original spreads.
posted by hermitosis (29 comments total) 26 users marked this as a favorite
 
While it's no substitute for the real thing, a lot of effort seems to have been put into making their online readings way more practical than most online reading generators. And the deck itself, mentioned on MetaFilter in the past, is a fascinating work of art in its own right.

Incidentally, regarding the matter of my posting this to the blue I was dealt the Princess of Cups, which represents a naive, trusting approach. This level of optimism is charming, but it can lead to disappointment...
posted by hermitosis at 8:02 PM on October 8, 2007


thanks hermitosis, i think i might have some fun with this.
posted by vrakatar at 8:09 PM on October 8, 2007


This could very well complete my steampunk Halloween costume. Thank you for the link.
posted by Saellys at 8:13 PM on October 8, 2007


Oh my goodness, is the Victoria Regina really out of print? I had no idea. It's my absolute favorite deck--the cardstock is sturdy, the cards themselves are large, and the art is incredible.
posted by Powerful Religious Baby at 8:13 PM on October 8, 2007


I wish these were still in print.
posted by lemuria at 8:18 PM on October 8, 2007


A friend bought me a set on ebay for $49.99. They're a Chinese version, so they have Chinese characters as well as the English titles (which sort of fits the collage aesthetic beautifully). I don't know how else they might differ, since I've never seen another version in person. The book though, as you can imagine, was practically useless to me.
posted by hermitosis at 8:22 PM on October 8, 2007


the happy squirrel?
posted by pyramid termite at 8:31 PM on October 8, 2007


All about the happy squirrel.
posted by Powerful Religious Baby at 8:39 PM on October 8, 2007


I love this. The Tarot works. Like all mystical fortune methodologies, it functions by providing general and cryptic advice and forcing us to apply it to our circumstances. Which makes us think about our circumstances in ways that we did not before. The magic's in us.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:41 PM on October 8, 2007 [10 favorites]


This is very cool. Love the illustrations.

Wonder if the online readings have reversals (I haven't delved in too deep yet).
posted by iamkimiam at 8:44 PM on October 8, 2007


Ironmouth, that’s great way of putting it. If only more people saw it like that, instead of pretending there’s magic in the cards, and sometimes tricking people into paying for access to it.
posted by tepidmonkey at 8:48 PM on October 8, 2007


...tricking people into paying for access to it.

A half hour of my time is worth money no matter what, whether I'm sawing a lady in half or just telling you those jeans really don't make you look fat.

Besides, no matter where the "magic" is, you really do usually need another person's influence to point out new ideas and pore over old ones. People pay me for readings all the time, but when I need a fresh look at a problem, it's not just as simple as doing one for myself.
posted by hermitosis at 8:56 PM on October 8, 2007


I just think it’s important to acknowledge the confirmation bias involved in cartomancy/astrology/etc., since there’s no proof that these are scientifically reliable methods of predicting the future or providing guidance. Yes, they can provide guidance by getting someone to look at old problems in new ways, but in order for this to be conscientious the person being read should know that there’s nothing supernatural or paranormal going on. Time is money, but the magician sawing a lady in half isn’t actually sawing a lady in half.
posted by tepidmonkey at 9:17 PM on October 8, 2007


UNLESS HE IS!

No, I agree with you, actually.
posted by hermitosis at 9:19 PM on October 8, 2007 [1 favorite]


I just think it’s important to acknowledge the confirmation bias involved in cartomancy/astrology/etc.,

it's even more important to realize that there are much deeper uses and meanings of the cards than mere fortune telling - it's very hard to find literature that goes beyond the mundane, exoteric divinatory meanings of the cards, but it's a worthwhile and fascinating thing to study
posted by pyramid termite at 9:36 PM on October 8, 2007


She ain't no human bein'!
posted by trip and a half at 10:20 PM on October 8, 2007


What do you think of the interpretation of these cards?

Compare the seven of swords in this version to a more explict explanation.
posted by salvia at 2:08 AM on October 9, 2007


My boyfriend got a deck for me for Christmas last year at a princely sum. It's ridiculous that the company that owns the rights to this haven't rereleased them when there's still (obviously) this interest and people are paying in the three digits for them on eBay. [/rant]
posted by pxe2000 at 3:44 AM on October 9, 2007


I love this deck. Always have.
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:34 AM on October 9, 2007


I actually prefer the first interpretation, which errs on the side of fewer possible interpretations in favor of being more practical and engaging of the querent. Though it is nice that learntarot.com provides reinforcing and opposing cards that might come in handy in the scope of a reading.

In the Thoth deck the seven of swords is "futility". That word could be stretched to sum up either interpretation, though it seems that the VR description is directly inspired from either the Thoth deck or the Western mysticism that it was based on. I don't know how Joan Bunning from learntarot.com arrives at her descriptions; while they seem perfectly decent (and while being imaginative is often more important than being "accurate"), in my own readings I usually play closer to the Thoth-based interpretations, myself. That way I have more symbols and systems and associations to explore and get my own feel for, instead of just trying to memorize someone else's arbitrary keywords.

Suffice to say though, the seven of swords in that position in a reading means that you are definitely swimming against the tide, wasting energy on a pursuit that is only taking you further from where you want to be. I recommend that you relax, and look for inspiration in yesterday's post about the lost Arctic explorers:

On September 12, the explorers resigned themselves to wintering on the ice and camped on a large floe, letting the ice take them where it would, "which", writes Kjellström, "it had really been doing all along"...
posted by hermitosis at 6:39 AM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]


Thanks for the explanations and impromptu reading, hermitosis.
posted by salvia at 7:54 AM on October 9, 2007


Just be glad you didn't draw the Happy Squirrel...
posted by hermitosis at 8:25 AM on October 9, 2007


I am making this comment simply to ensure that there are not 22 comments.
posted by Araucaria at 12:42 PM on October 9, 2007


I got the queen of wands. Is that good? (never tried tarot before)
posted by vronsky at 1:37 PM on October 9, 2007


Depends on the situation of course, and whether the Queen is to represent an aspect of you, or some other person in the picture.

She represents the temporary ability to undergo radical transformation by sheer force of will; she is passion that inspires one to actually strive, rather than passion that renders one vulnerable or pleasantly distracts one from the world.

Whether this is something you can/will/need to embody, or whether you will/can/need to seek this out from someone around you depends on the question at hand.
posted by hermitosis at 1:45 PM on October 9, 2007


Well my question had to do with a creative endeavor that I am undertaking. So in that light, it is actually quite interesting. Cool!

Thanks hermitosis:)
posted by vronsky at 2:09 PM on October 9, 2007


Wow. I've been playing with this sucker and got spookily-accurate readings. Thanks for posting this!
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:26 PM on October 9, 2007


Wow, I decided to ask "who am I" and got the trump card Justice.

Back when I played with the Tarot a lot (Barbara Walker deck preferred) I consistently got King of Wands for that one.

This is especially spooky because I've occasionally thought of writing a story about a vigilante who calls himself Justice.
posted by localroger at 5:34 PM on October 9, 2007


Back when I played with the Tarot a lot (Barbara Walker deck preferred)

I read that as "Barbara Walters deck", and was momentarily furious that such a thing existed and I did not own it.

I bet there is no Barbara Walters deck, huh? Bah.
posted by trip and a half at 7:22 PM on October 9, 2007


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