Tarot Celta
Celtic history and mythology
72 cards + a 57 page, hardcover companion book in a cardboard shelf box with a clear plastic cover.<br /><br />The cards are very small, measuring 5.3 cm wide x 7.8 cm long. The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Despite its name, this isn't a true tarot. The deck is divided into 20 major arcana and 52 minor arcana, for a total of 72 cards. The major arcana bear almost no resemblance to traditional tarot majors.<br /><br />I don't read enough Spanish to glean all the details, but the suits are Espadas, <span class="ILfuVd"><span class="e24Kjd">Ã</span></span>rboles, Hoces, and Triskeles. Each suit has 3 court cards, more typical of playing cards, rather than 4 court cards as is normally seen in a true tarot deck.<br /><br />I have not included any scans of the cards because I haven't taken them out of the shrinkwrap. I'm hesitant to do so because the cardboard "supports" around and under the cards are very thin and weak, and I don't want the cards to shift all over the box, especially since I'm not planning to read with this deck.<br /><br />Though don't normally include non-tarot oracle decks in my database, I'm listing this one here by way of caution for other collectors who might, as I was, be lured by the word "tarot" in the title. <br /><br />I would recommend this set <em>only</em> to those who enjoy oracle decks, prefer decks with very small cards, and who read enough Spanish to be able to understand the guidebook.<br /><br />I paid $5.98 for the set at Half-Price Books; it was (and still is) in brand-new condition, but the box has a few scuffs.
Años, Pedro
Editorial LISBA
© 2004
72 cards
Spanish
Other / Oracle
ISBN 8466210695
Golden Tarot
78 cards + a 64 page guide booklet in a small, sturdy 2-part cardboard set box.<br /><br />The cards measure 8.1 cm wide x 13.1 cm long. The cardstock is thin and flexible, with a glossy finish that is smooth on the card backs and very slightly textured on the card fronts.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana cards are just pips. <br /><br />As gift shop tarots go, this is pretty close to the bottom. The book is perfunctory, and the minor arcana cards are disappointingly plain and uninspired. The majors are pretty, but not strong enough for me to recommend this set.
Dean, Liz (author)
Launay, Melissa (artist)
Cico Books
© 2008
78 cards
English
Plain pips
ISBN 9781906094867
Morgan-Greer Tarot
78 cards + a title card + an artist's "about" card, with a fold-out LWB and a 94 page softcover companion book, packaged together as a set in a cardboard shelf box. The deck itself also has its own tuck box. Also included with the set is a fold-out "spread sheet" of the sort that was often included in U.S. Games tarot sets of this period.<br /><br />The cards measure 7 cm wide x 12 cm long. The cardstock is very flexible, with a glossy coating that is prone to stickyness, making it a challenge to shuffle the deck at first. The glossy finish is also prone to fingerprints and smudges.<br /><br />The card backs are blue with a pattern of white stars. The pattern is almost, but not quite, completely reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Rods, Pentacles, Cups, and Swords. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic in the RWS style.<br /><br />The Morgan-Greer tarot was originally printed by Morgan Press in the 1970s and then picked up by U.S. Games in 1979, but this copy is much more recent, with a copyright date of 2004. This copy was printed in Italy (and has the glossy, sticky finish that is common to Italian-printed USG decks of this vintage). Interestingly, the LWB lists copyright years of 1979 and 1993, respectively, though 1993 doesn't appear anywhere else on the deck or packaging.<br /><br />On a personal note, I wish that the male figures in this deck didn't resemble 1970s porn stars. Perhaps it's the mustaches.
Greer, Bill
Morgan, Lloyd
U. S. Games
© 1979, 2004
<em>The Book of Tarot</em> by Susan Gerulskis-Estes, <span class="ILfuVd"><span class="e24Kjd">© </span></span>1981, ISBN 0880792779
78 cards
English
RWS
ISBN 088079593X (set)
ISBN 0913866911 (deck)
Celtic Tarot
Celtic history and design
78 cards + a 158 page softcover companion book in a 2-part, slipcase-style cardboard shelf box.<br /><br />The cards measure 8 cm wide x 12 cm long. The card stock is smooth and flexible, with a lightly glossy finish. <br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are illustrated pips. Because the art style is so visually busy, I find the pips especially challenging. My eyes don't quite know where to land.<br /><br />When I was measuring and scanning these cards, I noticed an interesting detail; unlike most decks, the card art includes the artist's signature and date at the bottom right corner, in tiny script, just below the card borders. Some of the cards give a year of 1988 and others give a year of 1989.<br /><br />The companion book, written by Helena Patterson, is quite thorough and insightful.
Davis, Courtney
Thorsons
© 1990
<em>The Celtic Tarot</em> by Helena Patterson (companion book included with the set). The ISBN in the book is different from that of the overall set. Specifically, the book's ISBN is 0850309190.
78 cards
English
Illustrated pips
ISBN 0850309204
Universal Waite
Tarot
78 cards + a title card + an extra card with a quote from Stuart R. Kaplan, in a standard cardboard tuck box. The deck is packaged as part of a set, along with a softcover copy of <em>The Pictorial Key to the Tarot</em> by Arthur Edward Waite and a spread sheet fold-out guide. The book, deck, and fold-out sheet are all housed in a slipcase style cardboard shelf box.<br /><br /><em>Note</em>: There may have also been an LWB with the deck, but if so, I stored it separately. If I run across it, I'll update this record.<br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 4.75" long. The card stock is reasonably flexible, with a smooth, matte finish. <br /><br />My copy is from a Belgian printing; the words "Printed in Belgium" appear in the lower right margin of the title card.<br /><br />The backs feature a reversible pattern of gold stars on a dark blue background.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Wands, Pentacles, Cups, and Swords. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic. <br /><br />This deck is a recolored copy of the Rider-Waite-Smith. The line art is the same as that of the RWS, but it has been given a fresh, slightly softer, and more colorful look and feel thanks to artist Mary Hanson-Roberts, who used colored pencils to recolor the version originally created by Pamela Colman Smith.<br /><br />The set box lists two copyright years: 1990 and 1992. The deck box lists 1990 as the copyright year; 1990 also appears on the cards themselves.<br /><br /><em>Personal note</em>: For a period of time while I was still reading predominately with RWS-style decks, the Universal Waite was my deck of preference. It's more pleasing to the eye than the original, yet still no-nonsense, no-frills, no-frippery. I may have a second copy somewhere, though, as this particular copy has no apparent signs of use (aside from the shelf-wear of the packaging).
Hanson-Roberts, Mary
Smith, Pamela Colman
U.S. Games
© 1990
78 cards
English
RWS
ISBN 0-88079-416-X
Tarot Nova (Fortune Telling Kit)
Divination
78 cards + a title card in a cardboard tuck box, accompaied by an oversized but very thin guide booklet. The deck is part of a larger "Fortune Telling Kit" that also includes a small, hardcover Palm Reading book. The overall set is housed in a large, cardboard, two-part slipcase box.<br /><br />The cards are smaller and more square than average, measuring 6.7 cm wide x 8.2 cm long. The card stock is reasonably flexible, with a glossy finish. The glossiness makes the cards prone to sticking together.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0 -- or more precisely, labeled as "Zero" (there's no numeral on this card).<br /><br />Suits are Pentacles, Cups, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana cards feature limited scenes and follow the RWS system.<br /><br />The Tarot Nova has been published in different sizes and packaging, always as a "gift shop" type of item. The art is quite sweet and readable, especially for readers familiar with the RWS. <br /><br />The original retail price on the back of the set is $15.95 USD.
Paschkis, Julie (artist)
Fairchild, Dennis (author)
Running Press (Philadelphia, PA)
© 1996
78 cards
English
RWS
ISBN 9781561387564
Girl's Guide to Tarot
Childhood and friendship
78 cards + a 64 page softcover guide book, packaged together in a sturdy cardboard shelf box with a hinged cover and a magnetic closure. The cards are also inside their own tuckbox, which fits inside the larger set box. The set also includes a purple, polyester spreadcloth or scarf.<br /><br />The cards measure 6 cm wide x 11.5 cm long. The card stock is very flexible, with a high-gloss coating that makes the cards prone to stick together at first (though they are easily separated).<br /><br />The card back design is non-reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and follow the RWS quite closely.<br /><br />For what appears to be a "gift shop" tarot set, this is a surprisingly fun, fresh take on an RWS-style deck. The art is colorful and child-friendly.<br /><br /><strong>Of note</strong>: This set has a copyright date of 2009, but the companion book was initially published on its own in 2002. The book that accompanies the set is an abridged version of the original copy from 2002.<br /><br />The original retail price on the back of the box is $12.95 USD. I paid about half that amount for it on clearance.
Olmstead, Kathleen (author)
Stüwe, Mark (artist)
Sterling Innovation (an imprint of Sterling Publishing, New York)
© 2009
78 cards
English
RWS
ISBN 978-1-4027-6448-6
Tarot (<em>aka</em> Beginner's Tarot)
Traditional tarot
78 cards + an 80 page softcover guide book packaged together in a shelf box with a flip-front cover that opens to reveal the book and cards. The cards are nestled within a cardboard support/frame inside the set box, and protected by a clear plastic cover that separates the cards from the book.<br /><br />The cards are small, about the size of playing cards, measuring 6.5 cm wide x 10 cm long. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, matte finish. <br /><br />The card back design is completely reversible.<br /><br />The major arcana are unnumbered, and are clearly influenced by the Tarot of Marseille, as are the minor arcana. The minors are illustrated arrangements of suit symbols.<br /><br />Suits are Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />For a set that I'd classify as a "gift shop tarot," it's better than average. Provided that the reader is comfortable reading with TdM-style decks, this is a very usable deck, and the card stock is good quality. <br /><br />However, the art is unremarkable and perfunctory.<br /><br />I purchased my copy used from Half-Price Books. The cards are like-new and appear to have never been used. The book is in nearly-new shape. The box has some shelf wear.
McCormack, Kathleen (author)
Woodcock, John (artist)
Quantum Publishing, London
Printed in 2006 (© 2001)
78 cards
English
TdM
ISBN: 1-84573-194-8
ISBN-13: 9781845731946
Truth-Seeker's Tarot
Tarot--general
78 cards plus an 80 page hardcover guidebook in a 2-part, lidded cardboard set box that stands upright. The set box is notably more annoying than most in how it is partitioned, in that it is easy to accidentally drop (and trap) cards in the portion of the box intended for the book. <br /><br />The cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is reasonably flexible, with a thick, glossy coating that feels almost plasticized. The cards also feature goil foil stamped accents on top of the glossy coating.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles. The court cards are Princess, Prince, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are attractively illustrated, but not scenic. <br /><br />I think it would be possible to use TdM meanings when reading with this deck.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: This deck has exactly the same art as that of the Pathfinder's Tarot. There are two key differences between these sets:<br /><ol><li>The Pathfinder's Tarot features larger cards; the Truth-Seeker's cards are smaller.</li>
<li>The Truth-Seeker's Tarot features gold foil stamped accents, while the Pathfinder's does not.</li>
</ol>
Also, the Truth-Seeker's was published first, in 2008. The Pathfinder's followed in 2011. <br /><br />Given a choice between the two, I prefer the Pathfinder's. The art looks better and brighter in that version, and though it lacks the gold foil stamping, the gold-colored portions of the images catch the light beautifully, almost as if they were foiled. <br /><br />I find the gold foil in the Truth-Seeker's is a bit too dark; it also feels a little delicate, as if it could be accidentally scratched.
Daigneault, Sylvie (artist)
Fontana, David (author)
Duncan Baird Publishers, London
© 2008
78 cards
English
Mixed
ISBN 9781844837168
Pathfinder's Tarot
Tarot--general
78 cards plus an 80 page softcover guidebook in a 2-part, lidded cardboard box.<br /><br />The cards are larger than average, measuring 14.6 cm tall x 8.1 cm wide. The cardstock is very flexible, with a smooth, lightly glossy finish. <br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles. The court cards are Princess, Prince, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are attractively illustrated, but not scenic. <br /><br />I think it would be possible to use TdM meanings when reading with this deck.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: This deck has exactly the same art as that of the Truth-Seeker's Tarot. There are two key differences between these sets:<br /><ol><li>The Pathfinder's Tarot features larger cards; the Truth-Seeker's cards are smaller.</li>
<li>The Truth-Seeker's Tarot features gold foil stamped accents, while the Pathfinder's does not.</li>
</ol>
Also, the Truth-Seeker's was published first, in 2008. The Pathfinder's followed in 2011. <br /><br />Given a choice between the two, I prefer the Pathfinder's. The art looks better and brighter in this version, and though it lacks the gold foil stamping, the gold-colored portions of the images catch the light beautifully, almost as if they were foiled. <br /><br />I find the gold foil in the Truth-Seeker's is a bit too dark; it also feels a little delicate, as if it could be accidentally scratched.
Daigneault, Sylvie (artist)
Fontana, David (author)
Watkins Publishing, an imprint of Duncan Baird Publishers, London
© 2011
78 cards
English
Mixed
ISBN 9781780280424
Tarot of the Renaissance
Art
<div class="element-text five columns omega">
<p><span>78 cards + a title card and advertising card + a small fold-out guide in a standard cardboard tuck box.</span><br /><br /><span>The cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled without damage.<br /><br />The card backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Pentacles, Chalices, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic, but do not align with any specific system. In some cases, the suit symbols are integrated into the scene, but in other cases the suit symbols are floating above or over the scene.<br /><br />The cards are titled in 5 languages. As with other Lo Scarabeo decks of this period, the fold-out guide is only in English. <br /><br />On a personal note, I have a sentimental fondness for this deck as it was among the first 40 or so I ever purchased. I bought it during a Llewellyn sale, when many Lo Scarabeo titles were on sale for $5 each.<br /></span></p>
</div>
Trevisan, Giorgio
Lo Scarabeo
© 2000
78 cards
Multilingual
Other / Mixed
ISBN 9780738700557
Crystal Tarot
Art--Gustav Klimt
<span>78 cards + a title card and advertising card + a small fold-out guide in a standard cardboard tuck box.</span><br /><br /><span>The cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled without damage.<br /><br />The card backs feature a reversible blue and white design with peacocks.<br /><br />The fold-out guide ascribes non-traditional titles to each of the major aracana; however, the cards themselves bear the traditional titles.<br /><br />Balance (<em>Justice</em>) is VIII and Energy (<em>Strength</em>) is XI. Madness (<em>The Fool</em>) is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Pentacles, Chalices, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are decorative pips; they are very beautiful, but not at all scenic. There's no specific, discernable theme to this deck, but the fold-out guide mentions that it is influenced by the art of Gustav Klimt.<br /><br />Because of the non-scenic minors, I think it would be possible to use TdM meanings/methods to read with this deck.<br /><br />The cards are titled in 5 languages, but the the fold-out guide is only in English. This seems to be the case with other Lo Scarabeo decks from this same period; I'm not sure if they produced multiple versions of deck guides in other languages for different markets or not.<br /></span>
Trevisan, Elisabetta
Lo Scarabeo
<span class="st">© 2000<br /></span>
78 cards
Multilingual
Other / Pips
ISBN 9780738700588