My partner Steven ordered a copy of Emily Carding’s Transparent Tarot for me as a Christmas/Solstice gift. Still not here, so I wait with trembling breath and twitchy fingers. The Transparent Tarot feels like a new evolutionary step in the practice of tarot. I already have some ideas about how I can use this innovative pack of cards:
- After discussing each Birth Card individually, we can stack one atop the other to discover their integrated message.
- By placing one’s Year Card onto the Birth Cards, one can gain insight about how the life lessons, challenges, and gifts might express themselves in the guise of the year’s energies.
- Couples counselling. Place their Birth Cards and Year Cards on top of one another (now, now…stop those naughty thoughts, my dears). Do the same layout for each person so each can receive insights into their piece of the relationship, then superimpose one spread on the other for the story of the relationship itself. Note: This could be done not only for intimate romantic partners, but also for sex buddies, co-workers, parent-child relationships, client-practitioner relationships, friends, and more.
- Stack all cards from a tarot layout on top of one another. Use the resulting image to summarise the session.
- Find your favourite card in the deck. Describe its positive/evolved qualities. What do these say about you? Find your least favourite card in the deck. Describe its challenging/unevolved qualities. What do these say about you? Now place one atop the other. Describe as many of its qualities as possible. What do these tell you about the integration of your more and less evolved qualities?
I’m sure that more applications will arise for me when the actual tarot pack arrives in the post. Stay tuned!
Evolutionary Tarot & Circle Ways 
You won’t be disappointed! I really like the Transparent deck. It opens the door to all kinds of creative ideas, just like the ones you’ve listed here.
Don’t forget that you can also do partial-overlaps. For instance, you can merge the positions in your spread into more of a continuum. I think that’s neat to do.
What a beautiful deck, and an amazing concept! Thanks for sharing this. I’d have never heard of it otherwise.
[…] show notes! Pagan Thought From The Blogosphere for January 4, 2009 compiled by DarklyFey The Transparent Tarot via Evolutionary Tarot. This is an amazing deck! Letter Writing from At Brigid’s Forge […]
“sex buddies”?… how do you get one of those?!
I’ve been watching the development of this deck off and on for a while, I think 06, I didn’t realize it was done, thanks for the heads up, it’s on my list for the next paycheque.
Thanks for the partial overlap idea, Richard. Brilliant!
Happy to lead you to another deck, Fey.
As far as finding a sex buddy, Judy, how about asking the tarot for some inspiration, then pull a card?
Worthy investment idea, Ges.
This has got to be one of the hardest decks to get your hands on. I have been collecting Tarot Decks for years, I thought Mahoney’s Tarot of Prague was difficult to find.
I am still waiting for this deck to get to New Leaf Distributing where I can get it at cost. They have been waiting for months to get it.
I too am waiting for the Transparent Tarot.