SO MANY CARDS.  SO MANY CARDS by James Wanless

So, here I am in Boise , the first time to Idaho for the Voyager mission to all 50 states. I'm working at a wonderful store and center, Spirit At Work, and am slated to do a workshop entitled Spiritual Fitness (Meta-PE) that I am most desirous to launch! But the attending group, their interests, and the environment was not the "right" place for the subject of experiencing "the body is the temple of the spirit." I knew it wasn't right because I felt it. Yes, intuition rules... when you feel.

Instead of moving around, we sat down (in fact, "fit for spirit" is an effortless set of spontaneous, creative exercises for the "four dignities" of lying down, sitting, standing, walking.). We all got on the floor... no cushions, no props. And we began to just talk; we talked about the importance of our names. And then, it felt right to Pick-A-Card. My intention for picking a card was to establish who I was with this small workshop group, and it was the Feeler, Child of Cups. I said to myself, "Wait a minute, I am supposed to be the Hierophant, or at least the Sage, maybe even an Ace, but the Child?"– The supposedly least "significant/important/successful" of all the Voyager Family cards. But here I was, sitting around, simply establishing rapport for the next four hours. And that's what we did, we picked some cards (about how to create "right livelihood"), had plenty of insights, and most important we were all healed in some way by the very process of feeling our way as we "edutained" each other with our life stories and cards. There was no hierarchy in our circle. There was honesty and emotional intimacy, so real, down to earth and personal. There was no great agenda that had to be followed.

I must say that this was the very first time in my 25 years of Voyager teaching that I totally let go of the advertised program! And let go of thinking that I had to offer pearls of wisdom. I could be just another person, looking for some answers in a most informal, present, playful way... ah, the wonders of the Child's way!

And now a new appreciation for the Feeler Card! I have always valued the Feeler, knowing it was important for me to learn, being the mentalist that I am. Living the Child of Cups that afternoon meant to simplify, follow the feelings, be flex-able, open, and vulnerable. And to communicate just to communicate, without great goals and expectations. And to be down on the earth, childlike and natural.

The moral of the story is that we all have a self-image about who we are or should be, and the beauty of the tarot is that by picking cards face down, we get to see new and different aspects of ourselves, and to break free of being captive to a set self-identity.

Voyager Tarot is for growing on the journey of life. We cannot do that unless we shed, Scorpio-like, our fixed concept and picture of ourselves. The cards, as a "map of life," show us the way to be all that we are meant to be. But maps don't get you there. We have to act on their guidance.

So, who are you today? Pick-A-Card, and BE IT! Stretch yourself with this yoga of being. Expand your identity to encompass the 78 destinations on this map to wholeness.

Why Are There So Many Tarot Decks? LOTS OF ANSWERS (see below...)

WINNER OF THE FREE READING IS...

With so many quality answers to the question of why there are so many tarot decks being published, I was flat out stumped for picking a winner! So, I picked a card(s) for each of the submitted answers below for a way to select the best.

Lo and behold, according to "quantum" reality, the cards I picked were perfect for the answers by you all!!!! So, let me digress, according to quantum sub-atomic physics, there is a synchrony between everything. Tarot is a perfect quantum practice because the card you pick reflects your own vibration. Every time I invoke the quantum aspect of tarot, the cards selected are always most appropriate. With this understanding and intention of choose the "right" card, not the best card, and allowing your hand to make the intuitive choice, your cards will be even more right than usual.

Three cards I selected for three answers to the question of "Why So Many Cards?" were the same! (I picked a card facedown from the entire deck as I read the answer and visualized the person who wrote it). That card is.... ACTOR! (Man of Wands). Wow, why the Actor? Because the Actor represents diversity, the many faces and facets of the truth.... just like the many tarot decks that represent truth through symbolic variety. It's the way of the universe to create diversity. So, now, maybe the answer that received the UNIVERSE card I "quantumly" selected should win. Yes, but what about the other stellar cards selected for other answers, like EMPRESS, REGENERATOR, LOVE, SYNTHESIS, FORTUNE, SYNERGY, REJOICER, LEARNER, PLAYER? Who wins?

There is no one best answer! Just like so many decks, each having value.

But as I promised, there is a winner, but how to decide? Aha! Pick-A-Card that indicates on what basis to pick a winner. (The "how to decide" card is really a very cool application of the tarot process... try it!)

The card I got for how to decide the winning answer is the Child of Wands SEEKER! So, which answer most reflects the spirit and quality of the Seeker. Let me look... yes, the winner is Linda Okimoto (lindala@verizon.net). Check out her answer and the Seeker. Linda, who lives in Los Angeles, happens to be a certified Voyager Consultant and Coach (proving that it pays to get certified!!!), and artist who created the stylized mandala of the DNA molecule on the backside of the Voyager cards, all in one night with great inspiration!

(ALL THE SUBMITTED ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION AND CARDS I SELECTED FOR EACH ARE BELOW.....)

THE QUESTION

I just had a conversation with Stuart Kaplan, President of U.S. Games (the largest publisher of tarot decks in the world) and author the Tarot Encyclopedia. He told me that in his new Fourth Edition 800 new tarot decks are featured. Wow. And probably 795 will not be published in print. Wow. And he received 100 new decks from Japan , wow, wow! My question is... Why so many tarot decks?

THE ANSWERS Diversity & Exoteric Wisdom is coming “out of the closet.' Never in the history of the world have we been so hooked up. If you are in New Zealand – I can talk to you, I can see you, I can send you a book -- all in real time. We know all about each other, all about each other. The only place that keeps covert operations is the White House, and that is because the press is corporately owned and in on the the scheme....but even that is changing...at some point there will be no more ‘beating around the Bush!’

Truth is coming out and into the light of day – we are all communicating in ways we’ve never communicated before. And we are searching, maybe not all of us...but is increasing more difficult to remain in the ranks of the ‘willfully ignorant’ and stay a member of the ‘flat earth society’

Esoteric wisdom is coming out – indigenous cultures are sharing prophecies and sacred ways.

helenamiele@earthlink.net (Card Selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – EMPRESS)

I think the reason for so many tarot decks would have to be related to the need for humanity to find answers so that we can change and grow. I think even those people who may not be very tuned into a spiritual path and who may find their spiritual support for the more fundamental religions, are seeing that what they assumed were the "rule" of life, do not explain what is going on. Our political leaders seem to be sort of clueless, with terrorist attacks happening all over the world, natural disasters taking peoples lives and turning them inside out, people want a way to make sense of life.

I don't think everyone is meant to follow the exact same path as they grow spiritually and different tarot decks give people the option to find one that they resonate with. I actually think that the tarot deck(s) best suited to an individual actually find that person, or are introduced to that person. And just as everyone is at a different place in the wheel of spiritual evolution, the decks will be mirrors for that evolution and appropriate for what they need.. I am reminded of the Bach flower remedies who "came" during the depression years and many many of the remedies addressed the healing that was needed during that time. Now, there are many new flower remedies in addition to the Bach flower remedies are tools for people of today to heal and grow.

I also think the publisher received 800 decks for publishing, because of the pressures being experienced on our planet at this time those "universal" sources for wisdom and guidance are working on overdrive to get their messages to us.

Kathleen Ferrell

(kferrell28@cox.net)

(Card Selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – REGENERATOR)

Each of us sees the world through our own eyes and therefore we could all make our own deck, only some people actually choose to do it. So 800-900 is a small number compared to how many there could be if we all created a deck!!!

Beth Cunningham

Coach@CunninghamCoaching.com

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – FORTUNE)

This is a time of great searching, of planetary change as well as lightening-paced technological change...yet our earth is cycling in ways that appear to be severe despair. People are searching for answers, searching for meaning, truth, purpose in a world feeling upside down. What better way than to develop your own deck of cards...to go deep inside to find the answers within...and hopefully share the meaning with others. So many decks from Japan and why do they have a seventy hour work week? One would need to do a deep spiritual search to look at those kind of priorities...imagine how much the spirit suffers when there is no time for Fool Play?

lindala@verizon.net

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – ACTOR)

As more and more people seek answers and guidance to the tragedy of the world, environment, finance, health, careers, and relationships, and in desperation for Divine connection, more decks will appear, each design appealing to what the creator was inspired by, from the Other Side.

jeanneblum@yahoo.com

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – ACTOR)

The card I drew for your question "Why so many tarot decks?", is the Two of Worlds-

" Reflection". With all the changes going on in the universe, more and more people are turning inward, and tapping into their 6th sense, or intuition.

They are realizing that all the answers to their questions are available within. What better way to achieve this than through Tarot.

This card represents reflection, peace and stillness. The moon represents the law of cycles, and the earth is going through a tremendous cycle of purification(witness the weather patterns in the past several months).The beam of light at the center of this card represents the opening of the third eye, or clairvoyance. Hence the dawning of intuition, and the ability to read Tarot.

Joan McIntosh jgmci@yahoo.ca (Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – UNIVERSE)

I can think of many reasons:

1) Each deck reflects the personal vision of the deck's creator, their unique interpretation of the essence or archetypal wisdom passed down through this powerful oracle.

2) I like the diversity of decks in the world for they are like having different people or friends, each with their special gift or personality.

3) Sometimes decks are developed based on a specific culture or myth. I think of this as a cross-cultural or bilingual study. For example, if you already know a great deal about Traditional Tarot decks and pick up a new deck such as the Buddha Tarot by Robert Place, you could deepen your understanding of Buddha's journey to enlightenment. In the reverse, if you already know a great deal about the Arthurian Legend and pick up the Legend Tarot deck, you could begin to relate to the wisdom of Tarot through your understanding of the Grail legend.

4) In certain secret orders of continental Europe and England in the 19th and 20th century, the initiate learning the arcane metaphysical lessons would be expected to draw or color in their own Tarot deck, to more fully integrate their learning.

5) Divination tools, card playing games and gambling have been present throughout history in many cultures. Once paper and printing presses were developed cards became more accessible to the common person. There has been a natural interest in the use of cards for these same purposes around the world today.

Katrina Wynne

www.TarotCounseling.org

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – SYNTHESIS)

Your question: "Why so many Tarot decks?"

This is a person that owns probably 175 (and another 60 in Oracles)!! Well, being a Pisces with Leo rising and Moon in Gemini, I LOVE CHOICES!! You, it's kinda like "sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't"! And, as my dear father used to say, "that's why there is chocolate and vanilla ice cream"!

CHOICES ARE: beauti-full, wonder-full, funder-full, yummy, fabulous, exciting, marvelous, necessary, life-changing, self-honoring, being in tune, tuning in, expansive, great fun, educational, contemplative, and just plain necessary!

Thank you, Wonder-full World of Tarot, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Susan Schultz

susangel@susangel.cnc.net

(Card selected by the Captain –REJOICER)

For your question of the month, why so many tarot decks, I think it's because there are many different artistic interpretations of symbols, just as there are many different mythologies that deal with similar archetypes.

ktenbensel@hotmail.com

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – LOVE)

About your questions regarding the incredible number of Tarot decks being printed lately, I can only imagine a few things. People finally know the Tarot and many of us have sought guidance through a reading. The gaming company is always looking for new and different ways to sell the same thing so investing in new designs would make sense for them. Tarot deck sales have been very hot the last few years so the thought is "How can we make this look different in order to attract a different set of eyes?" (Think of the greeting card industry - same message presented thousands of different ways). Design wise, we all respond to images differently. From one person to the next, we choose vastly different styles and are aesthetically diverse. This is what US Games is gambling on.

Nora Gumpel

2ngumpel@verizon.net

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – LEARNER)

Simplicity, Purity and Truth – stories in pictures – easily identifiable symbols. It is Simple. And to each of us, each card – picture can tell a different story. There are so many different themes, so many divergent interests, and all can be blended into the Tarot. The basic tarot encompasses all facets of our qualities. There is a Purity about the concept of the Tarot – Four suits –four seasons, four branches of Yoga, and probably more I can’t think of now. And there is a basic truth in the meaning of each card. Some decks are exciting (Voyager); some are peaceful; some dark, some light – so there is an endless market for new ideas and Tarot can easily fit in. So whatever someone’s interest, there could be a deck that will appeal to all.

Edith Shertz

edithshertz@dwt.com

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – ACTOR)

This is a question I ponder each time I purchase another deck...I hate to count...perhaps 30?

Although I continually return to the Voyager deck I find myself drawn to work with others from time to time.

I feel that each deck has a particular symbology that is going to connect and speak to an inner core within us or the person we are reading for in a different way. Some decks are geared to work on all levels while others work more specifically on the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual levels. When I am drawn to work with a particular deck it is because the images and meanings within it are working on a deep level either spiritual, mentally, emotionally or physically. The act of working with the cards is much more than "reading", it can have deep repercussions throughout our energy field as we connect with the images, colors, meanings, words, feelings, etc evoked during the process. Thus there are increasing numbers of decks to serve our evolution...some will be short lived as they have very specific purposes, others like the Voyager deck will be timeless because they do interact on all levels of the psyche and are not limited in time and space and seem to evolve as we do rather than being static in meaning.

Carolyn Workinger

carolynwk@comcast.net

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card – SYNERGY)

Why are there so many decks: Existence is infinite and within each of us is the potential and the totality of all existence. Each of us carries that infinity AND is also our own particular 'representational strand' or particular aspect of that totality. Because of this, there are potentially as many tarot decks as there are human beings on this planet, ad infinitum. Some of those decks have been brought out of that inner individual potential and interpretation of the whole. Many others lay quietly within the void waiting their turn to be brought out and manifested for us to use, play and grow with!

mtcarduner@aol.com

(Card selected by Captain Pick-A-Card ­– PLAYER)

(Transmitted 12/09/05)