PostModernTarot1971toNow

InthepastfewdecadesTarothasevolvedtosharemanycharacteristicswithpostmodernart.So,whatsPoMo
aboutTarot?

Thebasicpremiseofpostmodernismis..
Therearenofixedmeanings.
Meaningdependsoncontextandonwhatthereaderbringstothetextorimage.Thereis
norightwaytointerpretacard.Insteadofmemorizinggivenmeaningsfromabook,the
readerengagesthecardimagedirectlyandallowsthecardtorevealitself.Cardmeanings
arefluidandchangewiththesurroundingcards,thequestionandthecontext.Personal
interpretationtakesprecedenceoverauthorities,eventhedecksdesigner.Untilthe1970s,
howtoreadTarotbooksspoonfedthecorrectcardmeaning.ComparethistoMary
Greersgroundbreaking1984workbook,TarotforYourself,whichguidedthereader
throughtheprocessofdevelopingapersonalrelationshiptothecards.
Ifthestudentsunderstandingofthecardsisjustasvalidastheexperts,thewayispavedfor

TheInteractiveReadingStyle

Insteadofinterpretingaspreadinaonewayflowofinformation,thereaderhelps
theclientdrawhis/herownmeaningfromofthespread.TheTarotreader,no
matterhowexperiencedorwellinformed,doesnotpresumetoknowbetterthan
theclienthowtoapplythecardstotheclientslife.
RichardRobertsdemonstratedthistechniqueinhis1971bookoftranscribed
readings,TarotandYou,whichinfluencedMaryGreer.AfriendofJoseph
CampbellandadevoteeofCarlJung,hewrotethatthesuccessofareadingdependsonthereaderslevelof
consciousnessandpersonaldevelopmentratherthanonknowledgeofcardmeanings.Althoughhisintentionwas
toencouragetheclienttocometohisownconclusions,inpracticehejumpedinandinterpretedthecardbefore
allowinghisclienttospeak.Clientsusuallyendedupagreeingwithhim,perhapsbecausetheydidntwantto
contradictanauthorityfigure.IttookapsychologistwhousesTarottoimplementRobertsintentionandgivetruly
interactivereadings.InhisbookTarotandPsychology,ArthurRosengartengivessomeverymovingexamplesof
howTarotimagery,withminimalornointerpretationfromhim,causeddramaticshiftsinhisclients
understandingoftheirsituation.
SomecharacteristicsofpostmodernartappliedtoTarot

Appropriatingthepast
Likerepackaginga50ssitcomordoingacoverofaBeatlessong,
deckdesignersendlesslyrepackagetheRiderWaiteSmithdeck,
tweakingittoappealtovariousinterestgroupsfromGaystoGothsto
Druids,whilekeepingitsessentialform.
NoDistinctionbetweenHighandLowCulture
Playingcardsandfortunetellingareconsideredlowculture.DecksdoneinthestyleofOldMasterslikeDa
Vinci,Bosch,andBotticellithumbtheirnosesattheseculturaldistinctions.Conversely,decksillustratedincomic
bookandMangastyleglorifypopcultureinamediumthatmanybelieveisintendedtoconveyspiritualtruths.
FragmentationandCollage
CollagewasfirstusedinfineartbyPicassoandBraqueabout1903.Thefirst
collageddecktoreachthemassmarketmaybePennySlingersSecretDaikiniOracleof
1976(alsoknownastheTantricTarot).TheVoyagerTarotbyJamesWanlessisthe
ultimateinfragmentation.Eachcardisaconglomerationofimagescenteredonthe
cardstheme.KatBlack(GoldenTarotandTouchstoneTarot)takesfragmentsofold
masterpaintingsoutofcontextandblendsthemseamlesslytocreateanentirelynew
entitythathasnorelationtotheoriginalmasterpieces.
ParodyandIrony
TheultimatepostmoderndeckmaybetheHousewivesTarotbyPaul
KeppleandJudeBuffum.Adsfromwomensmagazinesofthe1950s
areappropriated,collagedandusedinanentirelynewcontext,
whileparodyingtheimageofthehappyhousewifeswooningover
hernewMaytagdishwasher.
EmphasisonSurfaceAppearances
Whenartisliberatedfromhavingtoconveymeaning,surfacebeautybecomesparamount.Decksbecomegorgeous
whilemeaningissecondary.
Socialfragmentationanddiversesubcultures
WitchcraftandPaganism
Inthelate60sandearly70s,authorsprominentinthewitchcraftcommunitylikeSybil
Leek,LeoMartello,PaulHuson,andArnoldandPatriciaCrowther,publishedbooks
linkingtarotandtheCraft.Witchydecksdidntappearuntilthe1980s.Amongthefirstare
theBarbaraWalkerTarotpublishedbyU.S.Games,Inc1986,andtheWitchesTarotby
EllenCannonReed&MartinCannonpublishedbyLlewellynin1989.

TheFeministandGoddessMovements
Inthelate1970s,severalmembersofaSantaCruz,Californiawomenscircle
experiencedanoutburstofcreativeactivitythatresultedinnumerous
goddessandwomanorienteddecks.Somenamesthatappearonmultipledecks
areFlashSilvermoon,BilliePotts,ShekinahMountainwaterandFfionaMorgan.
Mostofthesedeckswereselfpublishedorhadaverysmallprintrun.Thefirst
massmarketfeminist/goddessdeckwasMotherpeace,createdin1978byVicky
Noble,KarenVogelandLilyHillwomyn,selfpublishedin1981,thenpublishedbyU.S.Games,Inc.in1983.The
firstbooktotakeafeministapproachtoTarotappearedin1976:AFeministTarotbyGearhart&Rennie.Thiswas
notaradicalrevisioningofTarotbutratheratransitionalbookreinterpretingtheRiderWaiteSmithdeckwitha
feministslant.
MultiCulturalismandAlternateLifestyles
Thelate20thcenturysawthecreationofdecksforeverylifestyle,fromgaystogothsto
pagans.DeadWhiteMalesandEuropeansensibilitiesweredethronedasthedefault
viewpoint.Decksbasedonvariousworldmythologiesandculturesflourished.The
XultunTarotpublishedin1976byPeterBalinisprobablythefirstdeckbasedonanon
Europeanculture.
WhatsintheFuture?
Predictingthefuturemeansextrapolatingfromthepresentyetculturechangingtechnologyoftencomesoutofleft
fieldrenderingmodelsofthefuturelaughablyoutdated.UnforeseeninnovationswilltransformTarotinwayswe
cantpredict.Butheresalistoftrendsthatwillprobablycontinuefortheforeseeablefuture.
Asselfpublishingtechnologybecomesmoreaccessiblewellseemoresmalleditionsofartistsdecks
expressingapersonalvision.
Thecollectingmaniawillnotabate.Demandwillbemetbyselfpublisheddecksandpublishinghouseslike
LoScarabeothatcommissionartiststocreatedecks.
Tarotwillbemoreglobalandmorefragmentedatsametime.Computertechnologywillallowindividualsto
expresstheirpersonalsymbolisminTarot,andthesametechnologywillallowartiststomarkettheirself
publisheddecksglobally.
TheRiderWaiteSmithdeckisentrenchedasthedefaultdeckinEnglandandNorthAmericaforthetime
beingduetothesheernumberofdecksthatuseitasatemplate,andthehowtoreadbooksbasedonthese
decks.
TheinteractivereadingstylefacilitatedbyfullyillustrateddecksisinfiltratingregionslikeLatinAmericaand
Francethathaveverydifferenttarottraditions.
PeoplewhocombinetarotwithaspecialinterestsuchasKabbalah,Cathars,ortheGraillegend(aswellas
hardcorehistorianswhodontacceptanythingwithoutairtightdocumentation)arefindingeachotheronthe
internetandformingtheirowninformalspecialinterestgroups.
Tarotwillincreasinglybeusedforspellwork,talismans,guidedvisualizations,andcreativeinspiration.

ReadingswillbecomejustoneofmanyusesforTarot.
Tarotwillbecomemoreprofessionalized.Perhapsitwillgoindirectionofastrologywithprofessional
associations,schools,degreeprograms,andinternationalconferencesattendedbyhundreds.
EachoneofusinfluencesTarotsfuturewiththedecksandbookswebuy,ourblogpostings,andtheconferences
andclasseswechoosetoattend.Wehaveinheritedanancient,flourishingtradition.Whatpartofyourtarot
inheritancedoyouwanttopreserve?WhatfutureareyoucreatingforTarot?