Tarot & Oracle
The Tarot is at its tabletop practical basis a deck of decorated cards. Its order and appearance began to be somewhat uniform in the Renaissance, roughly the 15th Century. More complex meanings and purposes of this tool of gamesmanship seem to have begun early in the 18th Century, eventually growing and roaming into the wide spectrum of entertainment, interrogation, divination, and cartomancy that we know today.
A friend introduced me to the I Ching in college, and I quickly understood it to be an effective and enjoyable method of psychological investigation. After years of being put off by some of the more arcane and ambitious claims of tarot enthusiasts, I finally saw the analogy to the I Ching. After many years of resisting carrying the tarot in the store, I now stock it in the simple and inquiring spirit of my understanding. I am attracted to eye-catching art, of course, and I like the idea of cats being involved, of course, although I suspect cats may be more interested in pushing the cards off the table than in being supportive familiars. I respect the tarot’s history, and I will seek out books that place in the context of its origin and survival.
I am aware that the supply and diversity of decks is enormous, but I begin simply and humbly, alert to what my customers like.
Native American Tarot Deck
Native American Tarot Deck
The Native American Tarot is drawn from the four corners of North America: Eastern Nations, Plains Nations, Southwest Nations and Northwest Nations. The cards are informed by a variety of Native American tribes including Apache, Arapaho, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Comanche, Hopi, Huron, Inuit, Iroquois, Kiowa, Navaho, Papago, Pima, Pueblo, Shawnee, Sioux, and Yaqui. This deck is not limited to the standard interpretations of traditional illustrations, but reflects the spirit and meaning of the Native American Way.
Inspired by the fusion of European and Native American ideals, the card titles and illustrations are modified in both obvious and subtle ways. Comprised of 78 cards, divided into 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The four suits of the Minor Arcana are Blades, Pipes, Vessels, and Shields. What are traditionally the court cards are represented in Native American Tarot with tribal figures that project powers of personality. The four basic power essences are: