Review by Cerulean
This might be a deck for those raised with delight in the film,
stage, and photographic arts. Here is a photomontage
deck circa 1990s that reminded me how quickly that we
could become jaded to popular designs. Earlier
photomontage decks, such as the dark Vertigo or the explosive
Voyager might seem to have more staying power because of
their more dramatic presentation. In the 1990's,
creative photography enhancement added a futuristic feel to
the photographic decks.
Oh, and yes, we all nod
to the sepia-toned Mountain Dream, which predated all
of these---but it had a fun, funky look that stamped
it a deck of it's time. That deck seems like pure
nostalgia now.
The Sacred Circle showed more lush
photography around 1997 and featured Celtic spirituality---
this adds to its appeal when I saw it. By 2002, an
airy softness in design and other nearly transparent
filters of Tarot de Paris appealed to me for classic
design. Just around the corner, probably will come a whole
melange of photomontage decks---one of them, the Quest
Tarot, has an intense and curiously Thoth-like feel to
me. A newer oracle, the Fairy Ring, might have more a
more magical feel for its otherworldly slant---a
combination of enchanted beings and humanlike creatures.
Vision in contrast, is one of the quieter photomontage
decks. I find that its strength is the use of actual
actors and props in a Marseilles setting and tarot
structure. These are people and things that you can use to
form a mental screenplay.
In structure this deck
system has a Marseilles-based ordering. The images are
set in a quasi-Medieval/Renaissance stage. What also
kept me interested in this deck was how well and
quietly this stage is set for the viewer. Small gold
lettering in English and a thin gold border surround a set
staged and titled in a Gothic script. There are
deceptively simple borders and subtle pips (Did you see the
flowering branch of the batons? Did you notice how the cloud
formations changed in background of the Swords?). In
addition, the set contains a nice little white book.
Michelle Jackson's review speaks of the strength of Vision
when it first came out.
The images for the Aces,
Trumps and Courts are nicer to me than most Marseilles
woodcuts. Do you like human figures posing in heroic
attitudes or film frame stills? By 2002, this deck reminds
me of nostalgic photographs or film classics. This
reminds me of how I feel about certain film remakes---for
example, the twentieth-century Three Musketeer films with
Faye Dunaway as the nemesis, Milady.
The strength of
the Vision Tarot for me is how the deck allows for a
quieter thought process. While I've heard people say that
in our Western society what seems most attractive at
first sight is what you follow, this doesn't always work
for me. I have to live and be with things with a
quieter staying power. What I know best means working
with a more reflective art style that can also merge
with other things. The last bit about merging means
flexibility, an ability to both blend in and yet keep it's own
strength. Vision Tarot doesn't glitter like gold, but it can
quietly merge with other deck designs for comparative
readings. I can also use it for it's strong Marseilles
structure in other ways.
Lately I've been playing with
the very bright Visconti Gold 2002. I've been reading
the book a little at a time, also checking out spreads
laid out in the book Castle of Crossed Destinies by
Italo Calvino. I've been wishing that I could find a
nice Marseilles deck that works for me for the second
portion of the Calvino book. I've also had another new
favorite book, by Gareth Knight, The Magical World of the
Tarot (Fourfold Mirror of the Universe). The information
on the Marseilles structure and the spreads look
very interesting. But my favorite historical
Marseilles decks, the Di Gumppenbergs of the 1800s, are too
decoratively different than the cards in both books.
I found
that Vision Tarot sets the Marseilles stage for me. The
Marseilles poses, with actors and props, engage my reading
imagination. The photos of the actors and props begin a
filmlike screen experience that inspires me. The poses and
pictures are so clearly from the Marseilles deck. But these
are photographs, a totally different medium than drawn
or woodcut designs. So I have the old Marseilles
design with an attractive and different art medium to
engage me.
There's enough information in the little
white book (LWB) to also enjoy a reminder of older
design history. I take the LWB to the gym and read a
little on the exercise bicycle. I keep it clipped it to
my Visconti book, to have another take on card
history.
Well, now that I've said that, I'll make a full
confession. The Visconti Gold and Vision are my companion
decks. I have them in their boxes and matching red
velveteen drawstring bags in a dark book bag. They actually
live in my car with the Visconti and Crossed Destinies
books. I pull out the book bag between errands, classes,
gym and work trips.
Because many of us in the
modern world have an affinity to film, photography or
live performance, this deck might work best as a way to
catch our eyes and then quietly slow down. During the
workweek I'm in constant motion. A display of photographs
anywhere will invite me to sit down, come take a look. Only
then can I start to engage my quieter aspects.
Over time, I may pair up the Vision with a less expensive
version of the Vertigo or other photomontage decks. I
think the Marseilles structure and photographic style
works well for me. I hope it will become like a comfy
sweatshirt or easy pair of good workout shoes. Easy to slip
into and carry, perhaps a little beat up around the
edges. But overall, a nice companion deck and just
different enough to keep my interest in the ideas that it
might inspire.
Cerulean is starting new tarot projects that may
include the Sansai Experience and short stories. She is
exploring various Asian-Western art and literature topics.
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