Comparison

It was a Thursday, and a hot one! Nothing much to report today, though I did manage to familiarize myself with a new Tarot deck- though it's a Tarot deck only in that it corresponds roughly to the Tarot. It's one I had long been struck by, and finally got a chance to examine a little more in-depth. The Osho Zen Tarot, as the name suggests, carries a lot of Zen imagery in it. It's actually similar in a number of ways to the Crowley-Thoth Tarot in that it is largely symbolic. In this case, each card is very individual, though it corresponds to a card in the Tarot- for example, the King of Swords is listed as Control, and the (abstract) picture kind of represents this concept. It's interesting that each and every card is given a specific meaning, usually in a word or short phrase. This kind of blurs the distinction between Major and Minor Arcana, and at the same time makes the reader focus on each card- what does this card say to me, individually? What message is contained here? It's this reason that makes me think I wouldn't recommend it for a beginning deck, much as I wouldn't recommend the Crowley-Thoth deck either. It could go one of two ways, either confusing the hell out of the person, or putting them in a position where they take the interpretations of the cards as unwavering truth, and don't formulate their own meanings, or personalize those meanings. This, I think, is what throws a lot of people, the idea of "this card means this, and that card means that". It's both an art and a science, as the meanings of the cards are somewhat fluid, changing to a degree with the cards that they are associated with or that appear near them, perhaps even in opposition to them, or contrary to them.
Nonetheless, armed with a knowledge of Zen, this could be an interesting tool, and provide insight to a more traditional Tarot deck. Again, I'd say somewhat like the Crowley-Thoth, though this is Aleister Crowley we're dealing with here, so a large grain of salt is recommended.
A couple cards struck me right off the bat- the first is The Fool, which, in this deck, is also called The Fool- other cards have their names changed, but can still be identified both by number and conceptual design. The Fool on this deck is somewhat similar to the more well-known Rider-Waite Fool, and carries the same white rose, symbolic of a pure and unspoiled mind, but here the cliff is a little different- The Fool has just stepped over the edge of the cliff, but the look on his face is one of complete absorption- he's so confident that he won't fall, the viewer is convinced of it too. Another card is Comparison, here the correspondence is to the Five of Swords, which usually shows a defeat, or sense of not being able to compete, and by extension, comparison to another person or situation. This makes a good deal of sense, as once one is defeated, they often begin comparing themselves to the person that defeated them. However, on this card the image is one of an oak tree and a stalk of bamboo. Could the two compare each other? Both have advantages, and both fulfill their functions- the bamboo is hollow, and useful, while the oak is solid and also useful! Bamboo bends in the wind, while the oak tree does not bend. It's an interesting take on the card, which at first seems to have nothing to do with the suit of Swords- except that both deal with ideas and mental processes. All in all, I'd recommend this deck for people looking to gain a deeper insight into the Tarot, though people who are not familiar with the process might be a little stumped.
I find it interesting to examine each card in the spirit of Zen- no comparisons, no value judgements, more like a clear mirror reflecting only what's put before it. This is what most Zen teachers stress, simply being present in any given moment.