talkmagic.co.uk

In a lot of books from the 70's and 80's people make mention of the zodiac deck. This deck was made up of 4 sets of the zodiac symbols each in a different colour.
I've been after a deck for ages but cannot find them anywhere. I assume they are no longer in production, anyone know otherwise or have a deck for sale?

www.cards4magic.co.uk do a zodiac deck on Bike stock for a tenner. Just put zodiac deck into the search feature, no image available but the details are there.

Mandrake wrote:www.cards4magic.co.uk do a zodiac deck on Bike stock for a tenner. Just put zodiac deck into the search feature, no image available but the details are there.

I've tried these, they are just a deck of 12 cards in one colour, not 48 in four different colours.

Hi ed,

After a quick search the only deck I have found is here http://www.mickyhades.com/magicforsale06(Ut-Z).htm Check 23-53 towards the bottom of the page.
I think this is what you are looking for.

Hodgkinson wrote:Hi ed,

After a quick search the only deck I have found is here http://www.mickyhades.com/magicforsale06(Ut-Z).htm Check 23-53 towards the bottom of the page.
I think this is what you are looking for.

Hi, I came across this site last night when looking. At the time I thought they were a bit pricey but after spending a few hours looking and the realisation that no one is making these anymore I think I'll have to get them. For the effect I have in mind I need 2 decks but this is a good start. Thanks for looking. Ed

cant you just make your own?

Or even just use coloured pens and write the signs?

IAIN wrote:cant you just make your own?

Or even just use coloured pens and write the signs?

Yes I can, If all else fails I will use rubber ink stamps which you can get in the various signs of the zodiac and different colour inks.
I would prefer a proper deck though.

ed crawford wrote:Yes I can, If all else fails I will use rubber ink stamps which you can get in the various signs of the zodiac and different colour inks.
I would prefer a proper deck though.

Me too. I went through the same search a year or more ago, but like you, drew a blank (pun sort-of intended). I'm rather surprised that they aren't available. I wonder if Card Shark would consider it.

The rubber stamp method is one of last resort, but I've thought about it seriously. The problem is that, to stamp a decent deck might take two decks of blanks (you're bound to make a few errors), four different permanent ink pads (unless you print on regular cardstock, in which case you might get away with cheaper pads), and a set of 12 or 13 stamps (which could easily cost you two or three quid each). That would be over £50 for one deck, but obviously better value if you made more. Especially if you made enough to sell!

I think there must have been at least one other brand of four colour zodiac cards, because the reference I read talked about a stack for 48 cards. The one on the Mickey Hades website has 52.

Part-Timer wrote:

ed crawford wrote:Yes I can, If all else fails I will use rubber ink stamps which you can get in the various signs of the zodiac and different colour inks.
I would prefer a proper deck though.

Me too. I went through the same search a year or more ago, but like you, drew a blank (pun sort-of intended). I'm rather surprised that they aren't available. I wonder if Card Shark would consider it.

The rubber stamp method is one of last resort, but I've thought about it seriously. The problem is that, to stamp a decent deck might take two decks of blanks (you're bound to make a few errors), four different permanent ink pads (unless you print on regular cardstock, in which case you might get away with cheaper pads), and a set of 12 or 13 stamps (which could easily cost you two or three quid each). That would be over £50 for one deck, but obviously better value if you made more. Especially if you made enough to sell!

I think there must have been at least one other brand of four colour zodiac cards, because the reference I read talked about a stack for 48 cards. The one on the Mickey Hades website has 52.

I have looked into the ink stamp idea and have discovered the same as you, very expensive. The stamps I'm looking at are about £5 a piece.
The 48 deck is the same as the 52 one. The 52 deck just contains 2 sun symbols and 2 moon symbols. I have sent Micky Hades an e-mail but have not heard back yet.
It amazes me that these are not still being produced, they are perfect for people like me who work mainly as a mentalist but do not like playing cards. These decks are numbered 1 to 12, the colours work as suits and the suns and moons make them into a full 52 deck. Perfect for doing all card tricks without having to use cards.
The idea I have in mind does not require the symbols to actually be on playing card stock so I may just print these off using the various symbols of the zodiac. The problem I am now having is how to change the colours of each of the symbols without having to change pretty much every pixel in paint on word. Any computer people on here who know how to do this?
I'll try card shark too, might not be too expensive.

ed crawford wrote:The problem I am now having is how to change the colours of each of the symbols without having to change pretty much every pixel in paint on word. Any computer people on here who know how to do this?

Simply changing colours is easy enough in any paint program. You should have a "pouring bucket" (flood fill) icon somewhere. Select the colour you want and click on the old colour to flood it with the new.

Depending on the program you're using, there might be problems if there's not a closed outline around the colour. Also if there are different patches of the same colour, you might have to flood them all separately. The better your program, the more it will do automatically.

PM me if you want me to do the colour changes for you. I might also have some decent clip-art zodiac symbols on file if you need them.

ed, do you have a link to the images you want to change the colours of on the internet? If so then I can probably knock some different coloured versions together for you.

If you're just on about these...



... then I can do you those at any size and any colour for you to print out.

EDIT: I just realised Robbie has already offered to do something similar. I didn't mean to dismiss her offer with mine I just didn't see it! I guess you now have two people offering to do graphic jiggery-pokery for you, hehe.

Hey everyone, thanks so much for your kind offers to put these symbols in colour for me. I have been trying and failing miserably, when I try and pour colour in on paint I have to do it pixel by pixel and it all comes out looking very blocky, very frustrating.
Queen of clubs, those are the very symbols I require in black, green, red and blue. I need them in the right size to fit on a poker sized card with enough room below to write the corresponding name of the symbol. If you could be kind enough to do this for me there will be a good few drinks coming your way next time we are both attending some sort of magical convention.
Robbie, equal thanks are due to you for your offer. I hope you don't mind me taking up queen of clubs as they have the symbols to hand.
Thanks everyone.

Right-click HERE and select "Save Target as..." for a zipped folder containing the 12 zodiac symbols in black, green, blue and red, formatted as transparent gifs and at what I estimate is the correct size to be printed onto playing-card-sized stock. Let me know if they're OK

hope you don't mind..but I'm gonna pinch a set too as i re-read a basil horwitz mental effect that uses them too..

thank-you kind sir and madam...