Tarot cards and playing cards have the same origins from early Europe. The earliest surviving painted Tarot deck comes from 15th Century Milan, Italy. Records indicate a deck was first used for divination of the future in the mid 1700s and remains a popular fortune-telling method.
We all have a picture in our minds when we envision these divination cards, but they have become extremely diverse. Aside from the most popular Rider-Waite deck, cards exist depicting and centered around angels, Native Americans, gemstones, astrology, baseball, Wicca, animals, gummy bears, vampires, and many others.
And then, there are the gay tarot decks.
The Original Gay Tarot started it all. Created by Paul Chirumbolo, the deck was designed to “help gay men live and love and learn and grow by touching into the unique sources of creativity found within themselves.” Its images combine both traditional and digital media, and has a companion book: THE Original GAY TAROT: Everything You Need To Know About Sex, Money, Power, Love and the Secrets of the Universe.
More widely known is Gay Tarot
by Lee Bursten and Antonella Palatano. The deck replaces traditional male-female archetypes with symbols of male homosexual unions. It is also the product of Llewelyn Publications, a well-known and well-respected New Age company carrying a diverse range of occult and Wiccan books.
There is also the Brotherhood Tarot. This deck is limited to an edition of 2500 copies. The images are a combination of mythology and gay history, representing a more “Radical Faerie” influence.
And that is just a small sampling. various other gay tarot decks can be found all over the web. If you prefer a deck that is more gay and lesbian inclusive, there is also The Cosmic Tribe Tarot.
Regardless of your opinions on divination methods, it’s a fascinating aspect of the paranormal realm. And some of the illustrations are quite lovely as well…
With David leaving soon to join a soccer team in Milan, Italy, the couple exchanged necklaces as an early 10th anniversary present. They’re not your ordinary jewelery; each hand-carved, gold-and-silver Japanese pendant features Archangel Raphael.
This isn’t the first talisman to be worn by David. He currently wears another charmed necklace believed to effect libido and endurance. Judging by what Victoria has mentioned in the past, it must work!
