Tarot/Oracle Challenge #5 A Deck Gifted to You

December Tarot Challenge #DecDivination challenge by @alex242505

12/5 A deck that was gifted to you

這是參加#DecDivination的挑戰活動，今日主題 12/5：別人送你的牌

My deck received as a gift is in a different sense — it’s a deck gifted to me by the universe, sitting in a “Free!” cardboard box, published in my native language, Traditional Chinese, at PantheaCon in California where I don’t see many Asians at all.

Even though I didn’t do tarot at the time (though very much into paganism and mysticism), I considered it fated. I looked around and stammered, “ This tarot deck is printed in my language! Should I take it?!” Some kind soul nearby raised an eyebrow I think and said, I think you should.

That deck was the Traditional Chinese version of the Mythic Tarot by Juliet Sherman-Burke, Liz Greene and Tricia Newell, first published in 1986. It seems like the only version on the market today is the New Mythic Tarot by a different artist.

The deck is in the theme of Greek mythology, and each suit follows a Greek mythology hero. The art style is reminiscent of traditional RWS tarot in the level of detail and intentionality of objects, as well as the kind of doom and gloom plus heaven and happiness contrast (lol).

To this day I tell myself I’ll use that deck to start learning tarot, whenever I feel it’s time. So, there’s not much I can share about the deck, just a story of how the connection was made. I’ve never really been gifted decks since I’m still somewhat in the spiritual closet (perhaps more in the mystic closet), and not many people know I play with tarot and oracle cards. I think it’s a fun and wonderful gift though!

別人送我的卡片，我是一副也沒有，因為我沒出櫃，還在掃帚櫃裡，所以沒甚麼人知道我對塔羅或神諭卡有興趣。但也因此，有副卡片比較特別，可以說是老天送我的，是在一群美國人中出現的一套繁體中文塔羅牌。

那是在加州的一個活動，會場分成很多主題區，其中一個主題區有個寫著［免費］的紙箱，讓大家放捐贈的東西。我往裏頭一看，就看到一副寫著中文的［希臘神話塔羅牌］，還是尖端出版的，忍不住突然錯愕。因為雖然在加州，但是會場大部分都是白皮膚的。

過了幾秒鐘，我從錯愕中醒來，想說是有人跟蹤我想指認我是台灣人嗎？又想說這是個徵兆嗎？左顧右盼，很想找出是誰放在箱子裡的，四周沒甚麼人，我結巴的說﹔「這套塔羅是我的母語，是在我國家印刷的耶，我應該拿走嗎？！」一個人回話了，瞪大眼睛點點頭說：［也許吧？你就拿吧！］

我當時雖然對身心靈領域很有興趣，但對塔羅牌沒甚麼感覺，本來對於要擁有那副牌有點排斥，但是一種宿命感戰勝了，我決定如果未來學塔羅，就從他下手。

至今，我尚未有系統的學習塔羅，但從神諭卡及其他領域，確實會不斷間接接觸塔羅形義。這套卡用四個神話來分別解釋四個牌組的生命經驗，我覺得比其他格局廣大的主題會更容易記憶及詮釋。畫風上，也有點早期的線繪畫風，稍微較接近偉特系統的古典風格，較為平面粗曠，雖然我個人認為有點醜，但是也保留但柔化了傳統塔羅的［恐怖感］。