The classic Tarot card deck of Pamela Colman Smith is re-imagined with outlandish and exotic sex toy inserts.
The joy of the Tarot card is that, much like regular playing cards, you can redesign and twist the look of the cards according to your own tastes – while the card characters must obviously remain constant, how you interpret those characters is entirely fluid. If you go shopping for a Tarot deck, you’ll find a variety of designs, from the traditional to the modern – though most will follow a certain style because that is what people want. You probably won’t get taken seriously as a Tarot reader if you are using one of the more esoteric collections.
Quite what people wanting their fortunes read would think if you were to whip out a deck of cards that featured sex toys is anyone’s guess, but perhaps not for much longer. Thanks to the Vibrating Tarot project, you’ll soon be able to find out how people react for yourself. The brainchild of Frank Lawrence, this… erm… ‘unique’ collection features the classic Tarot illustrations of Pamela Colman Smith combined with images of modern sex toys sourced from suppliers like The Dungeon Store, Sybian, CalExotics, Womanizer and others. “The goal is to create a tarot deck that draws a meaningful connection between their products and corresponding card,” Lawrence explained. “Significance behind the artwork is everything within the tarot, and this deck is no exception. The concept clears away stigma with its initial humour but should also be looked at in a serious way as a legitimate tool of divination to engage with, solo or with friends and trusted partners, in search of deeper knowledge about yourself and those around you.”
Well, I imagine that you’ll certainly find a deeper knowledge of those around you should you use this deck – some will be appalled and aghast with others will see it as a joke. Perhaps it will be those with genuine open minds who will look beyond the novelty and see the significance. Or you can just look at this as an experiment in modern art, juxtaposing the sacred and the profane and making the connection between spirituality and sexuality that those in more traditional religions seek to deny. Some of the juxtaposed images work better than others – but we should note that the illustrations on display here are still works-in-progress. And if nothing else, the toys seem to add a strange otherworldly aspect to the cards, looking like alien creatures and fantastical presences – which says a lot about how sex toys have developed in recent years when you think about it.
Those of you so inclined can find out more at https://pallorpublishing.com/vibrating-tarot-home. A Kickstarter is planned for next month.
Now, it’s time for us to get back to work on our own Reprobate Tarot and playing card collections…
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