'Pata-Busca Trumps...An Imaginary Solution

The JARRY ARCANA - An IMAGINARY SOLUTIONS Deck

  

THE JARRY ARCANA DECK IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/the-jarry-arcana
 

The Jarry Arcana is not a tarot, nor an oracle, nor a spell casting deck. While the deck of 34 cards (Alfred Jarry’s age when he died) may be used for divination or conjuration, it’s primary function is intended to be that of a generator of imaginary solutions. Actually, it is not really even a deck at all, but rather and example of “that which is comprised of cardboard rectangles” (in Jarry-speak).

Shuffle these rectangles, state your quandary, allow three (or possibly more) of the enigmatic objects to fall on the table (or floor) in a sort of line, then read the “communique” that emerges from the sequence. This pronouncement will inevitably point to your solution, as highly suspect as this might seem at first glance…an uncovering, which, invariably, will prove to be of profound use despite its alleged “imaginary” status.

Individual cards are composed of (approximately) three images, each of which is either a computer game icon, photograph, painting or artifact suggestive of Jarry’s world. Several of the cards also contain images from the Marseilles Tarot of Jean Dodal (circa 1701-1715). Each image combination may either be read as one “statement” or three or more individual “suggestions” which may be read within the context of the other cards in a spread. Three card spreads seem to provide the most useful solutions from my point of view. The cards are intended to be read according to the principals used by Camelia Elias and Enrique Enriquez, which emphasize what the images themselves are “saying”, rather than looking at the images or combinations as symbols with fixed meanings.

Indeed, the creation of the Jarry Arcana was partially inspired by the work of Enrique Enriquez, who in his book and film Tarology, exposes the Marseilles Tarot as a “’Pataphysical Machine” which unfailingly expresses Jarry’s , swerves, alignments and imaginary solutions and hypotheses. The Jarry Arcana attempts a similar gyration.

The card images suggest Jarry’s preoccupations with seeing life as literature and the actions of the self as performance art. Indeed, he turned himself, some say to his detriment, into a wondrous and bizarre piece of work…his last and best Imaginary Solution.

It is my sincere expectation that this box of properly shuffled cardboard rectangles will help steer the reader along the twisty, swerving pathways of the ‘Pataphysical Imagination.

The card images are presented below. 

THE JARRY ARCANA DECK IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/the-jarry-arcana
 
Original icons made by Lorc, Delapouite & other contributors are available HERE and are provided under the terms of the Creative Commons 3.0 BY license.

Other images, including Jean Dodal Marseilles Tarot, are in the Public Domain.

Deck concept and this post

© 2016 Charles Webb

 

The Enigma of Arcanum 23

Solution proposed by CW

Hint #1. William S. Burroughs, Robert Anton Wilson and many others are implicated in the evolution of the mystery.

See… http://conspiracy.wikia.com/wiki/23_Enigma

          http://the-number-23.blogspot.com/

Hint #2. Alfred Jarry was 23 years old when Ubu Roi was first published and performed.

See… http://dangerousminds.net/comments/the_original_theatre_of_the_absurd_ubu_roi_a_lot_like_the_forbidden_zone

Ubu poster drawn by Jarry

 Hint #3. Robert M. Place provides one tarot connection and a possible solution. See image below.

Also see… http://www.thealchemicalegg.com/23trumpN.html

Robert M. Place's solution

Hint #4. Andre Breton and other surrealists provide a swerve in the form of their Jeu de Marseilles. Ubu is implicated as the Joker in this “Tarot”.

See… http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2006/03/17/surrealist-cartomancy/

Surrealist "Tarot" with Ubu

Hint #5. Moves were afoot to create an entire Robert Anton Wilson tarot deck the year before his death. A proposed “Sacred Chao” card 23 is shown below.

See… http://maybelogic.blogspot.com/2006/04/newraw-tarot.html 

Sacred Chao card 23

AND THE QUEST CONTINUES…

Le Hoodoo Tarot de Marseille: Playing the ‘Pataphysical Machine Part IIII

HOODOO MAN (MEMPHIS AL)
by Albert Williams

My name is Memphis Al, and they call me the hoodoo man
My name is Memphis Al, and they call me the hoodoo man
Now if you want your fortune told,
          you had better see me when you can

I do my crawlin' at midnight, don't be seen in the day
I do my crawlin' at midnight, don't be seen in the day
Well, you know whilst everything quiet and easy,
          the hoodoo man can have his way
 
If you wanna see me, baby, you had better see me when you can
If you wanna see me, baby, had better see me when you can
'Cause you know I'm a very busy fellow,
          and they call me the hoodoo man

Le Hoodoo Tarot de Marseille is a standard 78 card Marseille deck (e.g. a Noblet or Dodal) that has been ‘Pataphysically re-imagined and re-configured (constrained) into a 33 card conjure inspired hoodoo tarot.

The deck is a singular exception to the normal Marseilles, an anomaly created by imposing a slight swerve onto the protocols determining which cards may be allowed into the deck (along with their new assigned meanings)…the nature of said swerve being inspired by hoodoo belief and practice.

The resulting deck may be read to good effect in several ways, two of which are as follows:

First, according to possible new meanings assigned an individual card (when designated...see below) and/or traditional symbolic meanings (in the case of the trumps whose meanings have not been re-defined) and/or, second, using an “open”, observational/intuitive "what's happening - how does it make you feel" approach (a la Enrique Enriquez, Camelia Elias), or a combination of both.

Potentially intriguing, amusing and significant clinamen, anomalies, syzygies, antinomies and conjurations may be observed, depending on the particular reading style(s) employed. Observing the results of at least two reading styles for any given query is recommended for full effect.

Various spreads may be used, of course, depending on the proclivities of the reader and querent. 

A significator, which is not one of the cards in the reading deck, may used to represent either the querent or the object of the query and/or eventual spell cast by the cards. 

This significator is typically an ordinary playing card, an “identifier” petition paper, or other small object, which the querent can take with them when the reading concludes…to be used as either as a symbolic reminder, continuing “prompt” of the reading…a talisman…or as a “casting” delivered in some way to the object of the query or spell…i.e. the person or thing the querent wants to either attract or repel.

The cards included in the hoodoo deck are:

All of the Major Arcana, some with newly delineated meanings as follows:

The Hanged Man – One who “turns the world upside down”, a genius, an enlightened man…one “in the know”, a trickster.

The Pope – A powerful Hoodoo Man

The Popess – A powerful Hoodoo Woman

Force – Power, not “forcing” or just physical strength

Temperance – Calculating, measuring, scheming

The Hermit – A Man of Knowledge, enlightenment, not hiding

The Sun – “In the know”, exposed, awakened

The Court cards included are:

The Queen of Cups – Healer, rootworker, healing, uncrossing, healed, uncrossed

The Queen of Wands (Batons) – Witch (black magic), harming, crossing, harmed, crossed

The Valet of Coins – Trickster (like the Jack of Diamonds)

The Pips included are:

Ace of Cups – The Holy Grail, abundant blessings, mystical union

Ace of Wands (Batons) – Sexual lust, dominance

Three of Cups – The Holy Trinity, salvation

The fives of all four suits. The quincunx, or “five spot” is an important number in hoodoo workings because it is a symbol of, and a possible stand-in for, the crossroads…a sort of portable crossroads, when the real thing is not available. In the Hoodoo Marseilles, if a five appears it means the querent is at a crossroads…in matters of love if the Five of Cups, in matters of money and luck if the Five of Coins, in matters of business dealings, if the Five of Wands (Batons), and in matters of physical, intellectual or emotional conflict, if the Five of Swords.

Nine of Wands (Batons) – Cast a spell. Nine is an important number in conjure…write a name on a petition nine times, perform a working nine days in a row (or some multiple), the timing of workings in graveyards or at the crossroads, etc.

The number of cards in this Hoodoo Tarot of Marseille is 33…3x3=9.

Additionally, the balance of the cards may be used in the following manner to answer a “yes-no” question. Shuffle the cards thoroughly, then cut the cards and turn the left half of the deck face up.

If the card on top is either Cups or Coins (corresponding to Hearts and Diamonds… the red cards in a playing card deck), the answer to the querent’s question is Yes; if the card on top is either Wands (Batons) or Swords (corresponding to Clubs and Spades…the black cards in a playing card deck), the answer is No. The strength of either the Yes or No may be gauged by the number of the card, with the two being the lowest card and the Ace being the highest, as with playing cards.

It will be noted that there is one fewer Yes cards than No cards because of the way that the suits are deployed in the main body of the “working” deck. Using this method, the deck is slightly “stacked” against a yes answer, so questions should be worded accordingly, or one could simply remove a No card to even the odds.

Le Hoodoo Tarot de Marseille may, of course, be used for ‘Pataphysical spell casting for literal imaginary solutions (as suggested, above), as well as the exposing of fictive truths (within the literal and imaginary constraints imposed by the “experiment”).

Further Down the Rabbit Hole (Playing the ‘Pataphysical Machine, Part III)

“But what I like to say in lieu of an answer, is that card readers are good at participating in the creation of ‘fictional truth’.” Camelia Elias

“We can see how, as a pataphysical machine, the Marseilles tarot can help us reach those two degrees of separation with reality that pataphysics prescribes, but a warning is in order: we may end up eating the bread crumbs trail we left behind to orient ourselves, never finding our way back home.” Enrique Enriquez

In two recent offerings (One, Two), I explore Enrique Enriquez’ characterization of the Tarot of Marseilles as a “’Pataphysical Machine”, a refinement of Jodorowsky’s “Metaphysical Machine” depiction.

Instead of further engaging the Marseilles as a participant without conceptual input into the design of these rather odd pata-experimental operations and maneuvers, I thought that it may be a good idea to get some opinions from the deck herself prior to continuing with Part III, hence the following exchange…

Marseilles, what can you expose about the relationship between ‘Pataphysics and the Tarot that we may not be aware of?

Answer 1

 So, what are Temperence and The Charioteer looking at?

Answer 2

 And what is the Popesse looking at?

Answer 3

Oh, I see. So what do you make of Alfred Jarry’s statement “the virtual or imaginary nature of things as glimpsed by the heightened vision of poetry or science or love can be seized and lived as real”?

Answer 4

 So, what is the Popesse looking at now?

Answer 5

 And what is in Death’s gaze?

Answer 6

Yes, always the ecstatic alchemist, Jarry indeed danced too close to the edge...perhaps. What's your hypothesis regarding a (fictive) solution to our conundrum?

Answer 7

Ah...a riddle within the riddle, do you have anything else to tell us?

Answer 8

 And the Pope’s gaze?

Answer 9

Thank you Marseilles...we shall carry on with our investigations. Hopefully, we will do Jarry justice.