The Golden Art Nouveau Tarot is a gorgeous Italian rendering of the the Pamela Colman Smith designs that makes excellent use of gold-foil accents and backgrounds. I decided to put it through my "deck interview" spread to see what it will divulge about itself in the way of a pseudo-psychological "personality profile." I don't actually … Continue reading The Golden Art Nouveau Deck Interview
Deck Reviews
A Tarot de Marseille Two-Deck Comparison Reading
For quite some time I've been intending to use my "Friend or Foe" deck comparison spread with my two Fournier TdM decks, Le Tarot de Marseille and the Spanish Tarot. I finally got around to doing it. First, here is a link to the spread, followed by the reading layout. I prefer not to anthropomorphize … Continue reading A Tarot de Marseille Two-Deck Comparison Reading
The Tarot Classic Deck Interview
Since many of you will have read my previous thoughts on the subject and perhaps some of the several "deck interviews" I've posted here, let me reiterate. I'm not one who believes that tarot decks have distinct personalities, nor that they possess speech other than what we endow them with through a convenient form of … Continue reading The Tarot Classic Deck Interview
Sacred Geometry Cards for the Visionary Path: A Deck Review
First off, I want to say that I bought this deck by accident. I thought I was getting Francene Hart's original Sacred Geometry Oracle deck, which has a "Frieda-Harris-synthetic-projective-geometry" vibe to it, and which I hoped to use in combination with the Thoth deck. That said, my first impression is that this deck has charms … Continue reading Sacred Geometry Cards for the Visionary Path: A Deck Review
The Joie de Vivre Tarot
Paulina Cassidy's second deck has been described by some reviewers as "child-like," an impression that is explicitly touted by the wording on the box, leading to the assumption that it is light-weight and not suitable for answering serious questions. This is an older deck, first published in 2011, that never caught my eye because my … Continue reading The Joie de Vivre Tarot
Original Kipperkarten: First Thoughts
I recently received the Original Kipper Wahrsagekarten from Germany and have been scouring the internet for information on its use. (I'm aware of Toni Puhle's book, The Card Geek's Guide to Kipper Cards, but the consensus seems to be that it is best used with her own deck.) Kipper is a system of cartomantic divination … Continue reading Original Kipperkarten: First Thoughts
The Heloise Lenormand “Attitude Check”
I just received Lynn Boyle's Heloise Lenormand from Australia and I'm definitely impressed. The deck is designed around a stained-glass-window motif, and the images are crystal-clear and instantly recognizable. There are five extra cards in the plain white box: the now customary second Man and Woman as well as an extra Tree, Tower and Heart. … Continue reading The Heloise Lenormand “Attitude Check”
The Rana George Lenormand “Attitude Check”
Not long ago I bought the Rana George Lenormand deck. I had taken it off my wish-list as being of only middling interest, but you know what happens when commercial availability and consumer vulnerability converge. Although its artwork is nowhere near as dazzling as Ciro Marchetti's Gilded Reverie Lenormand, I place it in the same … Continue reading The Rana George Lenormand “Attitude Check”
Medieval Cat Tarot Deck Interview
I should be clear up front that I'm not a huge fan of animal decks, unless they're a little (or a lot) quirky like the Tarot of the Magical Forest, the Marseille Cats or the Baroque Bohemian Cats (which I unfortunately missed buying when it was still in print). But I was gifted the utterly charming Medieval Cat Tarot for … Continue reading Medieval Cat Tarot Deck Interview
The Thoth and the Liber T: A Deck Comparison
I've used the Thoth deck with the Liber T: Tarot of Stars Eternal in two-deck readings for some time, but it never occurred to me to size them up using my "Friend or Foe" deck comparison spread. The Liber T is an almost worshipful rendering of the Crowley/Harris Thoth - at least in the Major … Continue reading The Thoth and the Liber T: A Deck Comparison