"Flying Hearts Tarot - Lachend das Leben Spielen"
The Flying Hearts Company
Flying Hearts Tarot is another collage tarot. We have seen a few during recent years, like The Goose is Out,
Secret Daikini (which has actually not a "real" tarot-structure), Voyager Tarot and to a certain degree
also The Dali Tarot. Flying Hearts Tarot comes from a group of (former?) Raineesh-people, calling themselves
the Flying Hearts Company. The deck is much in the style of The Goose is out, which also was a product of
a Rainesh-group" (some artists might even be the same in both decks, if I remember right).
The four series in this deck are called Luft, Feuer, Wasser & Erde (Air, fire, water and earth). The court
cards are called masters, there are 16 of them, numbered 1-15+000, but they do not immediately relate to
the suits. Some major arcana cards carry the traditional names, like arcana no. 6 "Die Liebenden" (The
Lovers), while many other are changed, even if still keeping the name close to the original meaning of
the card: f.i. is "The Magician" called "Der Spieler" (the gambler) and The High Priestess is called
"Intuition".
This is a nice deck. The collages are humorous and without any sense of self-importance, as we find
in f.i. The Voyager Tarot, which puts itself on a level, where it really does not belong. Most cards in
The Flying Hearts Tarot are a mixture of more or less known works of art, mixed
in with modern photos and
drawings. The deck is really meant for what the subtitle says: "Playing your life laughing".
The enclosed book is exactly as unpretentious; a great part of the text is poems or meditations relating
to each of the cards. Like the introduction to the chapter on how to use the deck says: "The only rule
for using the tarot is, that there are no such rules. The players themselves decide the rules".
The text for arcana 21, which is called "In this world and even outside this world" does for example say:
"No worldly grain of dust breaks through the complete aura of the white cat. Activity does not interest
him, even if he does avoid the chaos of the commerce. His reflexes are quicker than light; his pleasure
is without reason and therefore immortal". The text goes on describing a meditation on the cat depicted:
"Early morning, before opening your eyes, let your body relax in the most comfortable way - like when
in the belly of your mother. Stay "there" as long as possible, take pleasure in the soft sounds
of your breathing. Feel, that you are hidden in the pleasurable warmth, and relax. If you find this
un-pleasant, then give up the hope of being enlightened in this world. You need once more to be re-birthed
as a kitten".
Another sentence from the book: "An old man came to Lovis Hà Beyondo: I have used innumerable tarot decks;
I have studied the esoteric teachings all my life, and therefore I have dismissed so many friends. I have
fasted, have stayed in solitude, have waited for signs of enlightenment night after night. I have dismissed
everything, I have wandered through hell - and despite all that I am not enlightened. What shall I do now?"
And the master answered: Leave your sufferings and never more spread the cards" (Alexis McTavis).
Nice cards, well printed, large size, nice text. The box, which contains both book and deck, is functional,
but made of form-pressed plastic, not exactly to my taste.
Flying Hearts Tarot is another collage tarot. We have seen a few during recent years, like The Goose is Out,
Secret Daikini (which has actually not a "real" tarot-structure), Voyager Tarot and to a certain degree
also The Dali Tarot. Flying Hearts Tarot comes from a group of (former?) Raineesh-people, calling themselves
the Flying Hearts Company. The deck is much in the style of The Goose is out, which also was a product of
a Rainesh-group" (some artists might even be the same in both decks, if I remember right).
The four series in this deck are called Luft, Feuer, Wasser & Erde (Air, fire, water and earth). The court
cards are called masters, there are 16 of them, numbered 1-15+000, but they do not immediately relate to
the suits. Some major arcana cards carry the traditional names, like arcana no. 6 "Die Liebenden" (The
Lovers), while many other are changed, even if still keeping the name close to the original meaning of
the card: f.i. is "The Magician" called "Der Spieler" (the gambler) and The High Priestess is called
"Intuition".
This is a nice deck. The collages are humorous and without any sense of self-importance, as we find
in f.i. The Voyager Tarot, which puts itself on a level, where it really does not belong. Most cards in
The Flying Hearts Tarot are a mixture of more or less known works of art, mixed
in with modern photos and
drawings. The deck is really meant for what the subtitle says: "Playing your life laughing".
The enclosed book is exactly as unpretentious; a great part of the text is poems or meditations relating
to each of the cards. Like the introduction to the chapter on how to use the deck says: "The only rule
for using the tarot is, that there are no such rules. The players themselves decide the rules".
The text for arcana 21, which is called "In this world and even outside this world" does for example say:
"No worldly grain of dust breaks through the complete aura of the white cat. Activity does not interest
him, even if he does avoid the chaos of the commerce. His reflexes are quicker than light; his pleasure
is without reason and therefore immortal". The text goes on describing a meditation on the cat depicted:
"Early morning, before opening your eyes, let your body relax in the most comfortable way - like when
in the belly of your mother. Stay "there" as long as possible, take pleasure in the soft sounds
of your breathing. Feel, that you are hidden in the pleasurable warmth, and relax. If you find this
un-pleasant, then give up the hope of being enlightened in this world. You need once more to be re-birthed
as a kitten".