Tarot Tables

Here's something a bit different. I mentioned that I found a table in the shed today and another blogger said how she hoped I would post a photo. I hadn't thought I would at first. Why? Because as much as I like it, it's not particularly spectacular. It's just a white table, which is exactly what I was looking for, but nothing to write home about.

A good few years ago, I had a go at decorating a table. Rather than a tarot table, it was what I called a fortune table. It all began with an old 1970s game I found in a boot fair for a pound. I wasn't interested in the actual game and chucked that, but it had a big gold arrow in the middle that spun and I wondered what I could do with it. So after painting up an old chipboard table black, I began to decorate it in gold with letters and symbols. I built up the middle to house the arrow comfortably, and surrounded it with astrological symbols. It also enables you to ask 'yes and no' questions like an ouija board and holds words which can be used for divination and reflection. It used to stand in my room and some friends could never resist a spin of the arrow when they came round to visit. However, this table has been in the loft for some years, gathering dust.

From the Fortune Table, I moved on to what I called The Tarot Laptop. In those days, I didn't have much room, so I wanted something to pop on the bed for three card readings. I also painted up this chipped up old little table, which I decorated with gold as well - drawing out three placements for the cards to sit on. It could be used on the bed without the cards flying all over the place or getting damaged. So many people have space issues, so it seemed a good idea at the time.

On a roll, I moved on to The Victoriana. I had seen this table for about £30 in a second hand furniture store and got my parents to pick it up for me. I just loved it's size and shape, and could visualise how it would look if I painted it red. My room at the time was filled with bronze statues and ornaments, leaning heavily on the Victorian style. I was also using the Victorian Romantic Tarot at the time, which I used as an inspiration for the piece of furniture. I mapped out the Celtic Cross on it in gold and touched up the edges to make it look more lavish. It was scratched and worn when I bought it, in a cheap and dull looking wood finish. The red gave it a real boldness. Out of all the tables I revamped, this one was used the most. It was big enough to cater larger spreads and I had two stools so that others could sit on the other side of it for readings. It was a nice reading table with a stylish little shelf beneath it that was big enough for a wooden tarot box. My friend has The Victoriana now and I was considering getting it back off of her and painting it white before I found the one in the shed this morning. She had been looking after it.

So, in comparison to the three decorated tables, the white one is not quite so ornate. It's plastic with metal legs and doesn't look quite so stylish on my concrete floor, which soon needs to be sorted, along with the curtains. It's funny, because things have changed since I worked on those tables. I was very much about the bits and bobs that surrounded my readings before, but now, it is the 'practical' I am looking for; somewhere clean and big enough to work with the tarot. This is more than good enough for my tarot work and I just know it is going to get a lot of use. It sits up next to the window, so as I found today, I can comfortably sit there and turn the cards while looking at the tree and world outside; a great space to read for others or spend some time alone, falling into the images of my decks.