OAK GROVE ORACLE
Brotherhood Tarot Reviews
Reviewers:
Christopher Butler
Bonnie Cehovet
Joe Lawrence
Christopher Penczak
Cliff Roberts
Staff Writer
K. Frank Jensen
Chiwah
Magic Factory (UK)
The Crystal Gate
Laughing Crow Journal
Author
Spirit Spot DFW E-Zine
Gorgeous Magazine
Lifetime
Achievement Award from the International Tarot Society
The Light Connection
THE CHARIOT
TWO OF SWORDS
SEVEN OF CUPS
STRENGTH
THE EMPEROR
THE DEVIL
THE TOWER
Brotherhood Tarot Review by Christopher Butler - January 2005
Very often in life you find it’s a case of feast or famine. I’d often wondered about working with a tarot deck that comprised of specifically gay themed images. When I came to search for one however, all I could turn up was an out of print, esoteric and ultra sexually explicit tarot that was going to prove very difficult to get hold of. I have no objections to the explicit bit, but the Golden Dawn thing really didn’t do it for me, let alone the fact that I’d end up paying a fortune for such a rare deck!
To my joy therefore, two really excellent gay decks have appeared on the market within the space of six months of each other. The first of these was the ‘Gay Tarot’ by Lee Bursten and Antonella Platano, published by Lo Scarabeo. Now we have Patric Stillman’s wonderful ‘Brotherhood Tarot’ published by Oak Grove Oracle.
I find myself liking and working with both decks for different reasons. Lee’s deck employs standard illustration and seeks to depict gay men in various everyday life settings. By contrast, and to my joy, Patric’s wonderful new deck is more spirituality based and connects to a different aspect of my life as a gay man.
To deal with practicalities first, the deck has been produced for Oak Grove by U.S. Games Systems Inc and as such it is of the highest quality. The card stock is suitably substantial and has a glorious silk finish that feels good to handle and allows for easy shuffling. The cards themselves are as tall as the more standard decks but somewhat wider, giving them an imposing feel. They could be potentially difficult to handle for those with smaller hands but as the majority of people employing this deck are likely to be male, this is not likely to be a problem. There are eighty cards – the standard seventy-eight card deck plus title and biography cards. The tasteful design of the packaging is representative of the overall high standard of the deck.
The artwork itself represents Patric’s passion for gay history, myth and legend. It also speaks strongly of the Radical Faerie movement that means so much to him. Hence, scenes from myth and history sit comfortably alongside images of everyday life, such as the motorcycle rider in the Chariot card. All of this is couched within a celebration of the West Coast landscape. What results is a set of images that somehow insinuate themselves into your heart and touch you in an affectionate but also deeply transcendent manner.
I find it difficult to fully articulate the effect this deck has had on me. It has only been in my hands for several days at the time of writing this and I have only performed several readings with it as yet. Despite this, it has become a constant companion and I find myself continually leafing through the cards and losing myself in the world that they portray. In this world my sexuality and spirituality are celebrated as one and I am allowed to connect with nature in a profound and mysterious way. What I really love is the absence of the kind of body fascism that has always been evident in the gay community but is particularly potent in the present day. This deck utterly rejects it and we are presented with men of all shapes, sizes and ages standing along side each other and celebrating that they are equally beautiful. The world of pornography and the wider world of advertising would teach us that to be beautiful we must be muscled, square jawed and under forty. That is not the case here; rather we see real men and to be perfectly honest, it’s far sexier and much more meaningful.
Anyone with a working knowledge of the Rider – Waite System will adapt easily to this deck as Patric has used that system as his foundation. Like Lee’s deck, the minor cards do not always employ the corresponding number of ‘pip’ symbols, rather they are self-contained compositions and one soon adjusts to this. Each suit follows the theme of a specific gay myth or history, which brings an added coherence. I particularly love the suit of cups, which depicts the love of Zeus for Ganymede – their airborne lovemaking as depicted on the six of cups is particularly beautiful. Another truly moving card is the Two of Swords - a literal restaging of the Waite card but using a male figure. It knocks you sideways to see an image you normally take for granted presented in such a seemingly obvious but albeit new way. To be frank, I also really love the Seven of Cups but that’s got a lot to do with the fact that I find the model to be profoundly beautiful!
Among the Majors there is a similar combination of insight and originality. Strength is shown as the power of the wind – a face appears within a gusting cloud. The Emperor is a truly powerful and pagan figure who speaks of a solid connection to the earth and a ferocious masculine power held in restraint. The ‘female’ cards are quite enigmatic in that they use male figures and make no attempt to cover it. There is no ‘dragging up’ here, rather you see men displaying truly feminine traits; this enriches rather than stunting true maleness. The Devil card is truly inspired. It shows a leather/ bondage/ domination scene with a master and two slaves. In such a scenario the slaves are there through their own freewill which is such a good parallel to draw with the Devil’s entrapments. The most powerful and surreal of all the cards however must be the Tower, which is shown as a great, surreal looking tree. This particular image cannot be fully described in words and I advise you to experience it for yourself.
I love this deck. I can see that it will become a regular tool for my readings and I also know that it will be used on a regular basis in my role as a reader for many of my gay clients. It may not be the best deck for beginners, due to its specialised nature – I would always recommend that the newcomer learn with the Rider Waite. For those with basic Tarot knowledge or more, who are looking for a deck that celebrates gay sexuality and spirituality this is beyond praise. Use it to answer specific questions of life, love and relationship, but above all, as a gay man, use it to celebrate the wonders of who you are. Then it has truly served its purpose. <Review © Christopher Butler 2005 >
Chris Butler was born 1967 in the North West of England. He holds a degree in Theology from Heythrop College, University of London. Along with Stephen du Toit and Dimitri Devdariani, he is a partner in ‘Magic Factory’, a new production company dedicated to collaborative multimedia arts projects. Chris has an acquaintance with the tarot that spans over twenty years. He is the creator of the Inner Landscape Tarot and, along with Dimitri, he is writing the accompanying book. Chris also works as an actor and a freelance artist.
www.butlerart.co.uk
www.butlerart.co.uk/tarot
www.butlerart.co.uk/tarot-readings
BACK OF CARDS
ACE OF PENTACLES
ACE OF CUPS
THE LOVERS
THE HIGH PRIESTESS
JUDGEMENT
KING OF RODS
Brotherhood Tarot Review by Bonnie Cehovet - January 2005
The Brotherhood Tarot is an independently published Tarot deck
focusing on the alternative gay lifestyle. This deck is a work of art -
and heart - for Patric Stillman - aka Pipa. It is the product of his
personal journey to find the sacred in his life. Pipa (this seems the
right form of address, and no lack of respect is meant to Mr. Stillman)
comes from the background of "Radical Faeries", which is something that
I had not even known existed until I heard about this deck. There are
several things that are focused on here - that the Radical Faerie world
is one that holds a deep connection to mother nature and the outdoors,
that this deck act as a "visual storytelling" device for gay history and
mythology, and that the gay spirit be explored beyond the conceptual
boundaries that currently exist in the western world.
Pipa made some core decisions (and choices) when he chose to put his
energy into this project. He founded his own company, Oak Grove Oracle,
and set up an Internet site www.OakGroveOracle.com
to act as the venue through which he could establish an on-line
community of like minded people to explore the arts of Radical Faeries
and showcase the wide range of their digital artistry.
The next part of Pipa's journey was indeed a physical journey throughout
the state of California - photographing scenes ranging from the ancient
Red Wood forests to the Mojave and Anza Borrego Deserts. He then
gathered friends together, and they put together the objects and
costumes that we see in these cards.
Here is a good place to note that Pipa stuck to the traditional
structure of the Tarot, and that his cards reflect the energy of the
Tarot archetypes simply through another lens - that of the gay men's
lifestyle. He has taken each of the suits and made a story within a
story - as Tarot always is. For instance, the storyline of the suit of
Cups is that of Zeus' lust for the mortal Ganymede, while the storyline
of the suit of Swords is that of what Pipa refers to as the "cut sleeve"
incident from 6 BC, which to this day acts as a euphemism for
homosexuality in Chinese literature.
I also need to say here that much of the information that I am
discussing was either included in a separate paper (called the Back
story),
or taken from the Oak Grove site, as there was no LWB (Little White
Book) accompanying the deck. However, Pipa is working on a companion
book for the deck that should be out this year (2005).
The cards themselves come in a flip top box that carries all of the
information that I like to see - what the concept of the deck is, where
the inspiration came from, who the author is etc. In other words - care
was taken in designing the box, as well as the cards. This is a limited
edition of 2,500 decks that was created with a great deal of respect,
and should be addressed with the same.
The cards are 3" by 4 3/4", of good quality, glossy cardstock. The
back of the cards shows sunlight filtered through the trees onto a
floor of yellow and brown leaves. In the middle of the card, in white,
is the logo for the Oak Grove Oracle - three circles. The two end
circles have white borders, a darker inner circle and an inner white
circle. The middle circle shows the same white border, and a dark inner
circle, divided by a white line. It would not be possible to determine
if a card were drawn upright or reversed until it was turned over. The card faces show a 1/4" white border, surrounding the picture. The Major Arcana have the number in Roman numerals and the title in black across the top of the card. The Minor Arcana have the number of the card in text, as well as the suit across the top of the card in black. The Court Cards have the title and suit across the top of the cards in black. The format for the graphics is digital photography, and t he colors come through cleanly and clearly.
One of the cards that I am really drawn to is the Ace of Pentacles. Here we see a white pentagram in a lavender disc, nestled in amongst a field of green leaves with the sun shining down on it through the trees.
In the Ace of Cups, we see a rocky shore, with a sand dollar in the foreground. Perched in the sand we see a lovely cup, facing the water, with the emblem of a sand dollar on its side and the sun glinting off of it. Anyone who has spent any amount of time at the ocean would be drawn to the sense of aloneness in this card, as well as the sense of potential.
The card of the Lovers is a card of complete grace. Here we see two male figures, lying against the background of what looks like a field. While certainly sensuality is implied here, there is more of a sense of deep connection, peace, and commitment.
What had to be one of the hardest cards to do, in my opinion, was the High Priestess. Here we see a male figure seated, with what appears to be a desert background behind him, and green foliage at his feet. He is wearing a deep purple shirt, with a long red cape draped around him. He looks directly out at the reader, with a sense of peace and knowing about him. Between his hands he holds a globe with a reflection of the world around him. The intuitive, mystical nature of this archetype comes through clearly.
The card of Judgement is another card that is absolutely stunning. In the background we see a grove of tall trees. In the foreground we see a grassy green knoll, where four male figures sand, in dark robes, facing the trees with lanterns, or some source of light in their hand. There are a group of three men - two standing together, the third standing slightly in front of them, with a solitary fourth figure standing to the left of the group. The archetypal energy of learning to accept ones self shines through here, in a very heart felt manner.
The King of Swords is a most interesting person. Here we have a male figure, dressed in black leather and holding a staff in his hand as he faces the reader. He stands in the middle of a path that weaves through a wooded area and ends up at a large rock formation.
This deck has an edge to it - these are Radical Faeries, after all! Their world is not the world of day to day modern living, such as is expressed in the recent alternative lifestyle deck Gay Tarot (by Lee Bursten, Lo Scarabeo 2004). I would suggest that anyone who might be interested in this deck go to the Oak Grove site and see what it is all about.
There are two extra cards that come with the deck. One card is about the site itself, the Oak Grove community and their goals. The other card details what the site offers in terms of the Brotherhood Tarot:
* Complete Tarot Instructions
* Sample Spreads
* Multimedia Galleries
* "Pipa Sez Chill" 24/7 Streaming Radio
* OGO! ON e-zine
* OGO Shop
* E-cards ... and more
I feel that this is a well done deck, and that it has a place in the Tarot world. It can be a gateway to understanding some of the difference amongst people. Pipa will be coming out with a companion book to this deck, which will go into much greater depth about what the cards are to him, and the process of his creating them. I look forward to reading the book - it will be the gateway through which the Tarot world will be best able to access the knowledge, history, and mythology that this deck represents. <Review © The Crystal Gate 2005 >
Bonnie Cehovet is a professional Tarot reader and Reiki Master/Teacher, who lives in Shelton, WA with her two cats, Maxwell and Sara. She is Vice President of the American Board For Tarot Certification, and editor of a monthly Tarot newsletter, Gateway To Tarot. Her Tarot reviews appear on Aeclectic Tarot, The Meta Arts, and the World Tarot Network. Her articles have appeared on the World Tarot Network, in the print newsletter Celebrating The Tarot, and in various e-newsletters and on line sites. In 2005 she had two articles included in Llewellyn's Reader, and had an article accepted for the 2006 edition. The Crystal Gate, her personal on-line site, is devoted to presentation of the cards, articles, book, deck and software reviews. She also offers a full range of classes by e-mail. Personal Lifestyle Readings are offered by e-mail, over the phone or in person. Bonnie may be contacted at: Crystalgate@aol.com.
Brotherhood Tarot Quote by Christopher Penczak - February 2005
"The Brotherhood Tarot blends the core concepts of a traditional deck with striking images of gay masculine sexuality, history and myth. Using both photography and digital artistry, the deck takes you on a journey of life, as seen through the lens of the Radical Faerie."
Christopher Penczak,
Author of Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe and Sons of the Goddess:
A Young Man's Guide to Wicca.
For more information regarding his books,
check out his personal
website.
THE SUN
Brotherhood Tarot Review by Joe Lawrence - January 2005
The Brotherhood Tarot is the most exciting development to blossom on the horizon of Gay Art and Mythology to date. The visual imagery created by Patric Stillman is pure magic indeed. His skill blending art and photography to create new images for gay men goes beyond the New Age. Anyone with a deep interest in Spirituality must add this tarot deck to their lives - it is truly an enriching experience.
The first card I picked when opening and blessing the deck, was THE SUN: Its all good because you have attained a harmonic balance in life. This is a metaphor for this incredible tarot deck, which will become a tool to sculpture your life and meaning.
I only wish there was a little booklet enclosed to look up the meanings immediately, instead of having to go online, but I understand there is a companion book coming. <Review © Joe Lawrence 2005 >
Joe Lawrence, Editor of Laughing Crow Journal - His art has been published in many books about Gay American Indians and has been a steady contributor of articles, poetry, art to RFD Magazine.
Brotherhood Tarot Review by Cliff Roberts - February 2005
Rating: 4 Wands (5 Wand rating system)
This tarot is a unapologetically gay themed deck. The glossy cards are photomanipulations dealing exclusively with male imagery. Radical Faerie Patric Stillman aka Pipa got together with some friends to photograph the concepts for the cards. The California settings cover the ancient Red Wood forests to the Mojave and Anza Borrego Deserts. The art is beautiful and the men sexy in a non-model, average man sort of way. The costumes include men in chest harness and chaps, satyrs, snake men, shamans, heroes and gods. This deck has the usual Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana consists of Pentacles, Cups, Swords & Rods. I don't think this would be the best for those new to tarot. It doesn't have some of the traditional imagery and symbols that one equates with most decks, but for an experienced reader who is looking for a good deck heavy with male energy, this is the perfect choice. There is not an accompanying 'little white book' but there are plans to print a companion book in the near future. <Review © Spirit Spot DFW 2005 >
Cliff Roberts, Tarot Reviewer for Spirit Spot DFW E-Zine - Spirit Spot has a focus on spiritualism of alternative religions, like paganism, in the DFW area of Texas. They offer articles, classifieds, reviews, event information, news, holiday information, Mythology and Lore. The quarterly e-zine can be found on their Web site.
COVER AR BY KRAYEL
Brotherhood Tarot Article by Gorgeous Magazine - February/ March 2005 Issue
What does your future hold?
Oh, come on! You know you want to know, don't you? When you're
going to meet Mr. Right? Or at least, Mr. Sexy? Where your
potential lies? What tomorrow will bring? Well, wonder no more
because there's a brand new spiritual tool made just for you,
honey. With the coming of the New Year, came Brotherhood Tarot, a
gay-spirited tarot deck that's creating a lot of buzz among
spiritually minded gay folk all over the world.
This intriguing deck is based on the traditional structure of the
Tarot, but the look and feel is new. Filled with innovative and
comedic imagery, every card is a work of art - replete with images
of Radical Faeries, drag queens, leather daddies, satyrs, and a host
of other captivating characters (some of them pretty yummy looking)
cavorting through various landscapes.
Not only can you read this deck like an ordinary Rider-Waite tarot
deck, but each suit is a visual exploration of gay history and
mythology. For instance, the suit of Cups illustrates the story of
Zeus and his lust for the mortal Ganymede. The suit of swords
retells the "cut sleeves" incident from 6 BC - which is still a
euphemism for homosexuality in Chinese literature to this day.
The guiding light behind the creation of Brotherhood tarot is
digital artist Patric "Pipa" Stillman, who abandoned the corporate
world to pursue his spiritual calling. Yes, there were a couple of
setbacks, but anything worth doing is worth doing well and he
persevered until glory of glories - the decks are hitting the
streets now!
It is the first offering from Pipa's company, Oak Grove Oracle, a
gay-owned multimedia enterprise dedicated to exploring the creative
arts and Radical Faeries from a gay point of view. The term
"Radical Faerie" refers to gay men (and sometimes women) who are
looking for a healthier and more intimate and honest way to be in
the community with each other and the world as a whole. The Radical
Faerie Movement has an online chat community where members are
encouraged to share like interests and experiences, ask questions
and learn lessons in a sale online space.
Whether you are
actually a tarot reader yourself, or have someone else who reads for
you, the gorgeous, enchanting, intriguing images on each card will
jump start your own spirituality and help you get in touch with your
psychic aura. Who knows? You may have gifts you haven't discovered
yet. Because they are gay-themed, these cards are particularly
effective for that lifestyle, drawing on that energy to produce
results.
If you are just starting out, a good layout to use for first-timers
is the simple cross. Center yourself and take some deep breaths to
bring in clarity and breathe out the fatigue of the day. Take the
cards and shuffle them. While you are shuffling, hold in your mind
the question you would like to get the answer to. When you feel
ready, cut the cards and take the top card off the deck and lay it
in the center. This card represents you. Take the next card and
place it above the center card. This card represents the positive
aspects that will come bear on the situation. Next place a card
below the center card, which will represent the negative aspects
that will have meaning for the situation. Place a card to the left
of center - the influences from your past that need to be dealt
with. Place the last card to the right of the center - representing
the final outcome.
You don't have to be a psychic to "read" the cards, as they come
with their general meanings written down. Just read the meanings of
the cards that come up and a course of action will come to mind.
Follow it. Trust your intuition. The testimonies of those who have
used Brotherhood Tarot reflect their ultimate value - many from the
pens of those no more clairvoyant than a tea kettle.
There is a companion book due out next year that will give you more
insight into the interweaving stories of Brotherhood cards and
suits. For more information and to order a Brotherhood Tarot Deck
for yourself, just log on to their web site at
www.oakgroveoracle.com.
<Article © Gorgeous Magazine 2005 >
Gorgeous Magazine, Los Angeles Publication: Lifestyles, Entertainment & Pleasure
Brotherhood Tarot Review by K. Frank Jensen - March 2005
The Brotherhood Tarot was sent to me by its creator and publisher, Pipa, who mentioned that Stuart R. Kaplan of US Games Inc. recommended that he do so. Taking into consideration that the majority of my reviews of decks from USGames are not overwhelmingly positive, I am still wondering how it came to that.
The declared purpose was to invent "...a tarot deck that would speak to the spiritual nature of gay men". The "Brotherhood Tarot" is based upon digitally manipulated color photographs by Patric Stillman. The manipulation can be, for example, a highlight that is laid in here and there, a halo or shining rainbow colors are added, or skin colors are changed from tan to green. Compared to our day's standard, the computer manipulation is not convincing.
We are right in sunny California in the middle of an out-of-doors scenery in company with men, exclusively men. While the Italian Gay Tarot gave us a few glimpses of the female gender, these guys have eliminated women completely. "Keep them out of the picture; we are men and we are happy about that; we are ourselves, we are the world. We are of all ages (except young), some of us are in leather, many have tattoos, some are meditative, some play with weapons and fire, some shout, some fight. We are having fun and we want to expose it," could be the deck's manifesto.
Even more than in the Italian gay tarot, the traditional suits of the tarot play only a minor part, if a part at all. This is just a series of 78 pictures. The Page of Swords carries an axe, while the Six of Swords has a staff. Confused? Most Major Arcana cards could just as well be number cards and vice versa. In a promotional paper for the deck, the editor states that, for example, the suit of Cups retells the story of Zeus’s desire for Ganymedes. That story and others will be told in a book published later on. However, the book is not here yet, and if there are stories told, it is not obvious from the cards themselves.
That the deck follows the structure of the so-called "Rider-Waite" is not obvious to me. Not that I would prefer it did so, but the creators state that it does.
When people make it a virtue to expose their sexual preferences, the question, "What about eroticism in this deck," could justly be asked. Well, I am not the one to answer to what extent this deck has an explicit built-in sexuality that may appeal to someone. Personally, I find the nakedness exposed on some cards more laughable than anything else.
Many have been tempted to create a photographic tarot but, with a few exceptions, they have not succeeded. It takes more than just dressing up a couple of amateur actors and then go outside and shooting photographs. <Review © K. Frank Jensen 2005 >
K. Frank Jensen is the founder and editor of Manteia, a now-defunct tarot magazine. For his significant contributions to the tarot community, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Tarot Society at this year's World Tarot Congress. He has one of the greatest tarot collections in the world.
Brotherhood Tarot Review by Chiwah - August 2005
Well, I think this is a first—I don't recall ever reviewing anything created specifically for the gay community. But the time has come—Pipa's Brotherhood Tarot was just too good to pass up.
The digital art on these 78 colorful cards is truly singular. Drawing inspiration from gay history and mythology, Pipa (who makes his home in San Diego) has created the ultimate masculine fantasy Tarot deck with bold, colorful Radical Faerie imagery.
To make the deck useful as well as artistically rich, Pipa has held to the traditional meanings for each card as represented in the popular Rider-Waite deck.
“It was important to me to reflect the fact that gay people have been around for centuries in all cultures,” he said. “I think that we sometimes forget that life did not start for us in the 60's. Discovering our ancient history meant a lot to me… These stories offered me a way to approach the Tarot with another perspective that I hope others find appealing as well.”
I am as "straight" as they come, but I do appreciate this perspective.
You have to see these cards to appreciate their brilliance of their imagery. Nonetheless, I shall attempt with mere words to convey something of their flavor. First, The Fool: the picture of innocence, turning his back on the realities of life. Then, The Sun: a blue serpent-man embracing a giant sunflower. The High Priestess is male, holding and held by orbs of feminine energy - and oh, The Empress! Stunning. Vibrant. Male. The Knight of Pentacles sits astride a zebra, rainbow banner waving in his right hand. And the Six of Cups? I dare not try to find the words.
The deck is tasteful, gorgeous, innovative. And Pipa promises a companion book telling the stories behind the cards later this year.
Well done, Pipa! <Review © The Light Connection 2005 >
Chiwah, writer for The Light Connection and woman of many interests creating more Joy and Light and Love in the world.
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