Hello, Voyeur
It has been 35 days since my last, as well as first, official post on the Revulva. 3+5 = 8 – a number symbolic of Dominion. For two decades my favorite number was 7. However, over the last year or so I have begun to feel a deep connection and reverence for the number 8. I appreciate so many meanings aligned with the number eight: how its line is contained in a continual eternal figure of voluptuousness, the power it is symbolically known for, complete and utter Dominion in any and every capacity. But I digress.
On a spiritual level, the last 35 days have been filled with a flood of insights into myself, and how my wants and needs have morphed over the last 2 years. I have been making preparations for this next cycle of my life, and I am pleased to report that all is in place to help ensure all plans run efficiently to the best of my ability. Externally, I have been enjoying my weekly Sex Dates. What is a Sex Date you ask? They are the term I have given those free, single days I can devote to either a) my sole pleasure in some or any capacity or b) a day I go into a certain section of this city to scour for new used/new books for my erotic library as well as new toys/accoutrements/art to add to my private erotic collection. Over the last month these Sex Dates days have been prone to the style of the latter. I am happy to report I have invested in many new toys, props and books to review on the Revulva in the coming weeks. I am also happy to report that many times my findings have been synchronized with the themes of my life that week: for example, less than a week after my last, and first, post, I happily came upon a book titled Erotica: Aspects of the Erotic in Australian Art by Cedric Flower which just so happened to feature many of the wonderful artists I was introduced to via the Pop to Popism exhibit. I am pleased to announce that this past week I also won a double pass to attend the exhibit once again – I guess the Goddess desires me to revisit the magic I beheld as well as become better acquainted with fantastic local artists of Australia’s past. Winning times deux.
What I would like to touch on today, if I may, is to review several Erotic Tarot Decks. I stopped reading the Tarot around 2001 when it became evident I was much too young and did not require the insight and guiding light of the tarot. It was until several months ago when I decided on a whim to sit down for a reading at the Glebe Markets, that I realized the time was right to become reacquainted with the Tarot. I stand by the Rider Waite Deck as the basic and most essential deck for many styles of readings. But different decks bring forth different insights, and being a woman deeply connected to my sensual and sexual nature, and wanting to explore myself through divine erotic images, I made a choice to invest in several erotic decks for not only my personal erotic library but for my spiritual library to boot.
After careful study, analysis, as well as seeing which decks continue to be published and are actually available to be purchased (lol) I narrowed it down to the three decks I felt should be added to my library. They are as follow:
1.) The Decameron Tarot
2.) Tarot of Sexual Magic
3.) Tarot of Casanova
Currently the site I buy my divine books from do not have the Cassanova Tarot in stock, so I made purchase of the Decameron Tarot and Tarot of Sexual Magic. Following are my smart-ass art critic and practical does-this-deck-do-the-job-or-not reviews of both decks. Enjoy.
DECAMERON TAROT
(artwork by Giacinto Gaudenzi)
Researching this deck online I found deeply contrasting attitudes towards this deck. On one hand, we have groups of people who are revolted by the images and revile the ‘abuse of power’ and misogyny they believe is on full display within the deck. On the other hand, there are readers who are deeply devoted to this deck and swear by the accuracy and insight the readings provides for close friends on matters of the heart and loins. What everyone can agree on in regards to the Decameron Tarot deck is that is should only be used for readings for oneself or with close friends due to the graphic images on display. Truth be told, this was the deck I was most excited to receive. Ever since I can remember I have always loved graphic illustrations of sexuality and I was uber excited to see all the wonderful cocks and cunts which would be on display. And I was not disappointed.
THE ART
The ‘outer’ image found on all the cards are of two couples in differing states of arousal. One couple embraces while the woman fondles the man’s genital area. The second couple has a lady mounting her lover while he stands supporting her. Both couples are flanked by a small image mid-card of a man and woman who are both masturbating while facing away from the fornicating couples. I don’t know whether to respect their (faux) chastity or feel kinda offended that the couples arn’t worth watching.
(artwork by Giacinto Gaudenzi)
The Suite of Wands cards are all flanked by an image of a short staff with an uncircumcised penis head. The shaft of the wand is green and has vines twining around it, making the Wands deeply earthy for such a traditionally fiery suite. Out of the four suites I would say that the Wands houses the more ‘misogynistic’ cards that naysayers to the Decameron Tarot speak of. I side with the touters who state that sexuality and sexual experiences come in many forms, from the passionate to the frigid, the satisfying to the non, from the sacred to profane and that it makes sense that said images would be displayed in an erotic tarot deck seeing as sex is so personal and nuanced for us all. You will see an image of a woman having her dress pulled over her eyes for the 5 of Wands and a woman having her mouth silenced by a man shushing her for the 7 of Wands card. With the exception of two cards, the glorious Ace of Wands where the most divine naked woman has mounted a penis-shaped trunk and seems drunk with devotion to its phallic splendor (and it is splendid, for the record) and the 8 of Wands, where you will see a woman receiving cunnilingus from a lower caste man, the suite for the most part does revolve around depictions of the pleasure and conquering of woman’s bodies by men. I interpret the man in the 2 of Wands as clergy during a time of festivities and the young woman half-naked turning away from him not only due to shyness and inexperience but also due to not being attracted to who he is/what he represents. There are three cards featuring women fellating men (including one with a midget walking in on them!) with the final card of the King of Wands partaking in deeply bawdy back-door penetration with a young bride who appears far from virginal. With her ‘come fuck me’ pout as she offers up her breast for you, the voyeur, to suckle on, I don’t think he cares either. This is one King who will have a spring in his step come yonder.
The Suite of Chalices/Cups continues the visual trend of young, delicious women in various states of sex play. This time however, the men are more young adult with nary but one old man in sight. The chalices possess a gold stem shaped in the body of a sitting woman. Where her head would be is the silver cup, and studded along the rim are small, hairless yoni’s. With the exception of the 8 of Cups which shows a man grabbing a woman below the mouth while wielding a knife, all the images are bawdy and consensual. Three cards even show woman on top navigating proceedings – hurray! Despite once again seeing the ‘porn star’ pout touted in the Queen of Chalices card, I admit that said card is my favorite Cup card and one of my favorite cards from the deck, full stop. The Queen and her lover are in full 69 mode. He appears happy to catch/lick every drop from her puseta while she balances a cup of wine on her behind while she looks back at us, the voyeurs, right hand on hip, and left hand clutching a glorious moist cock. Her dreamy eyes and open mouth no doubt indicating she is indeed enjoying this experience and in full DOMINION of the proceedings. In contrast, the King of Chalice, like the the King of Wands, is in full ribald mode. He is deeply enjoying playing with his partners tit-tays while he he’s looking down upon her while he penetrates as she lays on the bed. Like the partner in the former card, this woman is in porn mode except her legs are stretched in the air with her feet at his ears, apparently the Godmother of the Girls Gone Wild prototype as indicated by her lips seemingly mouthing ‘Yeah, bitch!’ while he grasps her titties tight for his delight.
The Suite of Swords visual cue is of a dagger with a handle that are both breasts at their base and a phallic shaft at the meeting of the blade. I assumed the round images were testes at first, alas, I admit to being wrong. Once again, glorious nubile ladies with gorgeous breasts and vulva’s abound and once again, the men on display are a range of horny young studs amongst the class spectrum and gross old men. I like the Ace of Swords sword between the woman’s open thighs. The Two of Swords is definitely in my top ten images of the deck – two lovers, a man and woman wearing festivities/Mardi Gras masks naked while the man happily eats out the woman comfortably leaning back on pillows, watching while he services her – YUM. It is really lovely to see the cock inside the woman cum (pun intended) for the 5 of Swords card. I also like seeing the woman’s ass and cunt on full display for the 9 of Swords as she gives head to her partner while he sits on a chair (the image is framed by the table they are at – nice detail, artist). The Queen of Wands shows the one lesbian couple depicted in the deck (the one gay couple are depicted in the Major Arcana for the Sun card). And once again, the King of this suite is in full ribald manner while he grunts down on his younger lover who frames his gargantuan hairy stomach with her thighs. He is def digging the experience let alone the view.
The Suite of Pentacles has as its icon a coin with a woman bending over, happily smiling at us through her splayed legs with her breasts and vulva on clear display. To either side of her she has two intertwined penises – how fabulous. I would have to say out of all the Minor Arcana suites that the Pentacles suite is the most earthy and sensual of them all. Once again, all the ladies on display are young and nubile, especially the Ace of Pentacles who is doing a back bend over a large coin while a man rests on her stomach while delighting himself playing with her ample bush. The Two of Pentacles has a couple in ecstasy in the shadows with what appears to be the pattern of blinds upon their bodies (how…modern?). The woman is grabbing his ass, so he’s doing what he’s doing well for us both. In fact, it seems that all the sexual satisfaction for the women has been reserved for this Earth suite. The 3 of Pentacles has been thrown on the kitchen table, vulva wide and displayed, her food falling to the floor while the man hungrily feasts on her breasts. The nipple suckling continues for the 4 of Pentacles. The young couple is either being choreographed or been surprised by an older man in the 6 of Pentacles (whatever floats your fantasies) while cards 8 and 9 have a woman in the throes of passion while she’s on top full frontal and from behind. It looks like it’s the same couple actually, and it’s nice to see her man offering clitoral stimulation in 9 of Pentacles card to boot (the blind patterns are back, too – awesome!). I also love the 10 of Pentacles with the mask lady back, relaxed and waiting for her beloved (I assume). For once, the King card has two older people in the throes of getting it on. Out of all the suites, this is the one where the lovers are actually in the same age bracket versus cradle robbing their hearts out.
The Ace of Pentacles (artwork by Giacinto Gaudenzi)
Now to the Major Arcana. This is where you encounter a variety of ages when it comes to the women. You will see a young woman passively examining the ugly-ass Fool‘s uncircumcised cock. While he’s trying to catch a butterfly in his shoe, she is pulling the string on his pants to check out his anaconda. The Empress is far from being the embodiment of the sensual – here she is a matronly figure riding reverse cowboy on her young lover who seems shocked he’s been roped into the experience. The Star card has a woman up in a tree, smiling lasciviously at you, the viewer, shaded by the moonlight while she pee’s in a pot. Yes, you read that right – pee’s in a pot. Water sports is a big theme in 17th/18th century European erotic art, so it makes sense it would make a splash (pun intended) in this deck. Voyeurism, swinging (literally, the woman is on a swing while a man gazes upon her vulva and another above her offers his cock to her mouth), not to mention the 69 action going down in the Wheel of Fortune card as a clothed man and a naked woman gaze down upon the copulating couple. Out of the entire Major Arcana only two cards capture any sense of sensuality: The Lovers (though if you look close you’ll see the scene marred by the clergymen behind the curtain who looks bewildered by something off-scene) not to mention the woman is holding onto the tail of a cat while her lover nuzzles her navel. Truly bizarre. But it’s The Tower, traditionally a card portending abrupt changes to one’s life, is so laid back that you too would want to lay back and play with that gorgeous, thick cock if that was the meaning of ‘abrupt change’ for your life. It’s probably my favorite card of the whole pack, but just for the art as it truly is strange to see two people so calm in the midst of so much (historic?) chaos. By the same token, maybe they are meant to be symbolic of how one should approach change – with a calm, relaxed, fluid demeanor. Only the artist truly knows.
The Tower (artwork by Giacinto Gaudenzi)
THE READING
“Okay, Baroness”, I hear you sigh, “you’ve waxed on the imagery. But what about the READINGS? Are they insightful? Do they FUNCTION, do they have something to SAY rather than suggest?” If you want my honest opinion, these cards are a funny bunch. It would be hard for both novices and aficionados of the Tarot to NOT be distracted by the ribald imagery. To be honest, many of the cards have no connection to the energy of the traditional Tarot. Though the accompanying booklet attempts to link a language for the meaning of these cards in a sexual context, I find them more befuddling for the most part. There are def some moments that the cards speak and they def surprise with their insight. But for me personally, these cards are more for those days when you want to be entertained by a reading, not illuminated by one. Now the Tarot of Sexual Magic is a whole other Universe…
ReVulva 