GUEST POST: A Comparison of Two Alchemical Tarot Decks, by Craig Conley

I'm delighted to welcome Craig Conley, author and photographer of the intriguing The Portmeirion Tarot, as my first guest blogger. (I have reviewed his deck here.) -- Roswila (a/k/a Patricia)


Lovers of esoteric artwork and alchemical symbolism have two especially stunning Tarot decks to explore.

The limited edition Alchemical Emblems Tarot is a 22-card Major Arcana deck produced by Adam McLean. The deck was designed by F.J. Campos, using alchemical emblems colored by Adam McLean.

The Alchemical Tarot Renewed is a 79-card deck produced by Robert M. Place. This new version replaces the long out-of-print original deck published by HarperCollins and features two Lovers cards (one more visually explicit than the other).

In the side-by-side comparisons below, Adam McLean's Alchemical Emblems Tarot will always be featured on the left, and Robert M. Place's Alchemical Tarot Renewed will always be featured on the right.

Both decks are visual feasts. Place's deck features new artwork reminiscent of old alchemical treatises, while McLean's deck reproduces actual alchemical woodcuts. As a rule, Place's imagery is more streamlined than the old woodcuts, with sharper lines, stylized designs, and bolder colors. The artistic difference means that Place's imagery is somewhat more accessible at first glance, while McLean's remains more enigmatic. Place's imagery is more quickly apprehended by the conscious mind, while McLean's invites the unconscious mind to ruminate.

Some symbolism is similar between the two decks. Place's Hierophant appears to derive directly from the old woodcut, though he further echoes the lunar and solar energies in the arched windows and carved figures.




The Devil cards both feature the figure of the Alchemical Hermaphrodite, the result of the sacred marriage between opposites. This "Divine Child" is a fusion of polarities. Why it was chosen for the Devil card in both decks is beyond our comprehension. Presumably, the "enslavement" aspect of the Devil card is represented by the fusion of the man and woman, yet the hermaphrodite historically stands for an integrated Oneness, not a Duality. However, we will bow to superior knowledge of the Tarot creators.




The Hermit cards bear some interesting differences. Place's imagery follows traditional Tarot symbolism, with the addition of the ouroboros in the top right corner. McLean's woodcut is far more intriguing. It depicts a hermit who has resigned himself to an underworld journey of the psyche. He sits with arms folded in a gaping fissure, having relinquished his lantern for the light of the stars. His meditative spirit, represented by the winged figure, will follow the cycle of the cosmos, lifted and carried by natural currents.




We find some especially interesting differences in the Judgement card. Place builds upon traditional Tarot symbolism (echoing the resurrection of the man and woman with the wheat growing from the skull), while McLean's woodcut offers a whimsical approach. We see a lively circle of dancing monkey-like figures, suggesting an eternal recurrence of life as opposed to a linear resurrection. The figures dance around a double horn, one played by the Philosopher's Donkey, the other a blossoming cornucopia.




The two decks feature instances of similar imagery on dissimilar cards. For example, McLean's Triumph (Chariot) card offers the source material for Place's Two of Coins.




In the end, both presentations have their own strengths. Both feature stirring, deep-rooted symbolism. Both honor and celebrate inner transformation and the mystical journey toward wholeness.




Place revisits alchemical symbolism from a fresh perspective, while McLean offers a window into ancient wisdom. We hope this comparison will help you decide which approach resonates best with you. We personally couldn't resist either deck!

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Roswila's P.S. -- A couple of the card images above are already inspiring a future post or two of my own here. I love that donkey on McClean's XX, and that VII and Two of Pentacles pair is lovely. Thanks, Craig, for your thoughtful and informative work and for allowing me to share it.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying the incredible wealth of images available in different Tarot decks,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

FEATURE (with reading) OF THE PORTMEIRION TAROT, by Craig Conley

I’ve promised a couple of times here to feature a new photographic deck, Trump L’Oeil: The Portmeirion Tarot, photographer/author Craig Conley, and here that post finally is. My first new deck review from my new home cross-country in California.

I won’t give you too many details as I really want to encourage you to visit the link at the bottom of this post for an intriguing journey. I will say all of the photos in this deck are of architecture, statues, paintings, etc., found in the welsh village of Portmeirion. For those who have seen the wonderful classic surreal T.V. show “The Prisoner,” Portmeirion is where it was filmed. I love that a village can be so saturated with archetypal symbolism that Tarot images (as the author and photographer says) “pop up” as one wanders through it. It is not unusual for me to see Tarot images as I go about my daily life, but all 78 and all clustered in one place? Delightful, delicious, delovely! :-D

As to how these Portmeirion images work as a Tarot deck? Quite well, I believe, though some knowledge of Tarot might be helpful. Unless one reads very intuitively, then this deck would work absolutely fine. I’ve looked at those cards Conley displays on his site and see why he chose each aspect of Portmeirion. Each seems clearly suitable as a Tarot image, yet at the same time offers something unique. I have also done one three card reading at the site – see the link below to try a free reading for yourself – and found it’s particular images brought something additional to the experience.

I asked if it’s finally a good time for me to switch to that better way of eating I’ve developed over the years (in order not only to lose another good chunk of weight, but improve my health in general). I got the Eight of Pentacles, Strength, and The World. (By the way, I read three card layouts right to left.) The World in this deck is Hercules holding the world on his shoulders. Big wry laugh! All this weight -- and worry about it -- IS like carrying the world around. I don’t think I’d have gotten such an “in my face” response from a more traditional World card who’s figure is usually dancing and certainly not burdened looking. Strength spoke fairly traditionally: it will take a lot of strength and application, but in a gentle way, no forcing; more the sort of strength that permits things to happen. The outcome card, the Eight of Pentacles is one I have the image for:



A couple days before I did the above reading I’d thought how this photo calls up for me that aspect of “making pentacles” that is sometimes attributed to the Eight of Pentacles of developing one’s spiritual life, as opposed (or in addition) to the more usual attribution of physical work and skills. In this Portmeirion version I saw the possibility of moving from the archway on the left or the more material world, toward the archway on the right or the more spiritual. And then to have this same card come up later as the outcome in the above reading was quite encouraging. That is, to recognize that this material struggle to create better health and well-being for myself, is also very much a part of my spiritual work. When I typed that I thought how obvious that comment seems, but it’s easy to lose that awareness beneath each day’s more concrete demands, at least for me. I am not sure I’d have recalled that spiritual aspect to the Eight of Pentacles if I’d read with a more traditional deck.

Here’s a few more cards from the Portmeirion Tarot I’d requested images for some time ago, so you can get a little taste of the deck, before visiting the site:





I highly recommend that you visit Conley’s site (and check out the link to information about the village in general, as well): Trump L'Oeil: The Portmeirion Tarot. You’ll be intrigued.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying the universe of The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****