Reasons why I love the Haindl, Part II
September 11, 2008 § 3 Comments
Of all the Fools in all the decks, I love this one the most.
The Haindl Fool possesses such purity and grace. His expression conveys both sadness and wonder, such aching joy for all that the world holds – from the blood pulsing beneath a swan’s white feathers, to the slow invisible movement of planets in the sky. And here he stands before it, inadequate in his patchwork and bells, with the realisation that he is small, human, humble and nothing – in the face of the incomprehensible beauty of everything.
I am a fool, he says, for believing I knew anything.
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Well put. The Haindl is one of my favorite decks. It’s not for people who refuse to believe the world has plenty of sword cards in it.
Thought from Alastair Sims’ Christmas Carol, after Scrooge wakens from his three visits. He sings, as he dances around his bedroom:
“I don’t know anything,
I never did know anything,
But now I know that I don’t know
All on a Christmas morning!”
–The difference being that Haindl’s fool hasn’t quite arrived at Sims’ point, yet. But he’s getting there, I think.
Since 1990 when I found Haindl’s Tarot in Mysteries, one of London’s most popular esoteric shops, I have been recommending it (often succesfully) to the confused-looking punters who hang around the Tarot sections of esoteric shops. It’s startlingly original, dark yes, and sooo deeeep. The guy is Jewish, was made to dig his own grave four times whilst a prisoner of war, as a form of psychological torture. Maybe for this reason, don’t expect a fluffy deck – but expect one to challenge you. My favourite aspect of it is that, rather than using people to express the meanings of the numbered pips, scenes from nature only are used (similar to Miranda Gray’s fantastic ‘Arthurian’ Tarot). This challenges the viewers’ imagination deliciously. Buy a copy before it’s deleted!