Review – The Osho Zen Tarot

Osho Zen Tarot

Author: Ma Deva Padma
Artist: Ma Deva Padma
Osho International Foundation
1994
ISBN 0-312-11733-7

Suits: Fire (Wands), Water (Cups), Clouds (Swords), Rainbows (Pentacles)

Court Cards: King, Queen, Knight, Page

The addition of the Osho Zen Tarot to my collection was a turning point for me. Before this I had used decks interchangably – the Osho Zen deck came to be one that I used in readings for myself and others where the question/issue was of a much more spiritual origin. The LWB (little white booklet) puts the focus of the deck on mirroring the awareness of the individual to his situation, to the current moment, rather than looking for the prediction of future events.The cards came into my life in a very round-about way. I recommended the deck as a gift for someone else to give my sister. I showed so much interest in the cards that the same person gifted me with them! At first I pulled a card-a-day, as a way of getting to know them. Then I joined an on-line tarot list that chose a card a week, with each list member presenting their interpretation of that card from two different decks. I chose to use the Osho Zen as one of my two decks. At the same time, I had the chance to do short readings for a couple of members on the list.

I used the Osho Zen and Morgan Greer decks “in tandem,” employing a spread from the Osho Zen LWB.

The spread that I used is called “The Paradox.” After shuffling the cards thoroughly, the deck is split into three piles. One pile is chosen to read from. The top card is read as the here/now, the bottom card is read as a past-life influence. A random card from the same pile is read as insight into the “paradox.” It has been my experience that much knowledge can be gained from this small spread! The connection between all things in life is shown, as well as the “way out” (the “paradox” card).

I recommend this deck as part of the backbone of any readers’ collection, or as a starting point for someone going into tarot as a self-learning experience.

(c) December 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Review – “Tarot Lovers’ Diary 2013”

Tarot Lovers’ Diary 2013

 Author: Karyn Easton
Artist: Karyn Easton
Independently Published
Paranormality.com
2013

I got Dragon software as a Christmas gift, and my Tarot Lovers’ Diary arrived the very next day! Okay 2013 … bring it on! I am ready! This is a lovely, A6 wirebound diary that has been out since 2006. I have used it myself for several years – I am old fashioned, so it sits right by my computer, with a written “to do” list for each day of the week (I do try to leave Sunday’s completely clear!). I check things off as I go, and can look to the days ahead to see what I will need to accomplish. Things can still sneak up on me, but I do have a good visual sight line on my projects. Yes, I could use an electronic calendar, but for me, this works better.

The diary includes:

• Tarot card meanings and associations (with a black and white scan of each card), with room for personal notes.
• Black and white illustrations of the entire 78 card Tarot Lovers’ Tarot at the end of the book that can be cut out and used as a mini-deck.
• Examples of Tarot spreads, including two different Questions and Answers Spreads, the Yes/No Answer Spread, a Three Card Spread, the Seven Card Horseshoe Spread, the Seven Card Infinity Spread, and a Six Card Spread.

The diary itself is set up in the “week at a glance” format, with a small area for notes for the week, as well as a complete calendar for the month. Holidays are noted (please remember that this diary is produced in the UK, meaning that the holidays reflected are for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland), along with interesting little factoids presented for each day. The cycles of the moon are also noted.

There is an inclusive table of contents in the front of the diary that lists the pages where you will find astrological information, chronological cycles and eras, a religious and civil calendar, holidays in the United Kingdom, phases of the moon, where the upright and reversed meaning for each of the Tarot cards can be found, as well as where sample Tarot spreads are located. (I really like the fact that the spreads are not corralled in one section – they are interspersed throughout the diary, so that they can be specifically looked up and used, or they can be experienced in an “Oh, cool … look what I found!” manner as the diary is used.)

Throughout this diary are mini “infomercials” for products from the paranormality.com site, such as the “Tarot Lovers’ Trilogy” Tarot card app, a link to the Birth Card Calculator, links to the Tarot Lovers’ Tarot and the Paranormality sites, the Tarot Lovers’ Notebook, the Paranormality Haunted Directory and more.

Note: In honor of transparency, I need to point out that reference to my book “Tarot, Birth Cards, and You” is made in the diary. I thank Karyn profusely – had she not allowed me to use her “Tarot Lovers’ Tarot” imagery in my book, the book would never have made it to print!

The Tarot Lovers’ Diary can be ordered here:  http://www.paranormality.com/07diary.shtml ,

 © December 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Review – Tarot For Healing

Tarot For Healing

Author: Kara Owl
Jupiter Gardens Press
2012
ISBN #978-1-938257-22-3

Tarot is all about healing – on all levels (mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual). There are many different ways that the Tarot can be used in this capacity. For author Kara Owl, it grew out of the search for a way to deal with the devastating effects of fibromyalgia. She got some relief from various healing touch therapies, but started wondering if using these therapies in conjunction with the Tarot might bring greater relief.

The gender references in this 169 page book alternate between “his/him”, and “hers/her”. This method was meant to equal out the genders, but for me, it was a slight irritation. I would have preferred to see “their” used throughout the book, rather than have the jumping back and forth. Just a personal preference – Owl’s scripting may work perfectly well for most people.

According to Owl, the Tarot can target specific problem areas, which allows the reader to work with their client in finding their individual path towards healing. Part of Owl’s journey was that in working with the Tarot for over twenty years, she felt that we really were not tapping into its full potential. She began creating her own deck, and in the process was drawn to certain cards, feeling that they had a message for her. She used meditation and guided journeying to find answers. From this, she began to seek the healing messages within each card.

Owl talks about how an individual will know if they are a healer. Myself, I feel that we all have a certain amount of healing ability, which will remain latent until we work to develop it. She notes that healers need to come from a point of compassion, and that they need to be discerning in dealing with their clients.

The first step on the journey to working with the Tarot as a healing tool is to purchase a deck. She recommends one that the individual is drawn to, and she recommends not allowing others to touch the deck, as their negative energies may “infest” it. Grounding before doing a reading is also discussed.

In “Healing and Ethics”, owl states that the first step in the process of walking others through healing is a :self-check”, to make sure that, as a reader/healer, each individual has healed in whatever energy needed to be healed in their body and spirit has been healed. She emphasizes that we should not attempt to heal another person before we have healed ourselves.

In this type of reading (healing), each suit is seen as a road map for where hidden issue lay. The Major Arcana are seen as carrying more weight than the Minor Arcana, and, if they appear in a reading, they indicate a deep set problem. An abundance of Swords in a reading indicates that the problem originates in the mind. An abundance of Cups in a reading indicates that the problem is in the emotional realm. An abundance of Wands indicates that the issue is a passion, or a sexual imbalance. An abundance of Pentacles indicates that the issue is of a financial or physical origin.

Owl is consistent throughout the book in encouraging readers to connect their clients with whatever professional help they may need, whether it is a mental health professional, a physician … or whatever area they are looking to heal. She also advises that readers not attempt to help a client whose issues may be similar to something they are facing themselves. To this end, Owl recommend keeping a list of referral numbers handy for clients. This is an excellent idea … one that is encouraged in every type of reading venue that I know of.

There are several different methods suggested for getting to the heart of a client’s issues … through a Major Arcana reading, having a client pick one or two cards from the Major Arcana, a specific six card “problem” reading, or a body reading, where the cards are actually laid on the client’s body. With the latter method, it is   noted that if the client appears to have body issues, that this method should not be used.

Owl notes that as a reader goes through the healing Tarot that they will need to deal with their own illness’s and emotional baggage. For the healing Tarot, the standard Tarot meaning are used as a foundation for healing work. Suggested are activities such as drawing the card that most appeals to you, and the card that least appeals to you.

The template that is used for presenting the cards is to present the traditional meaning, then move into specific categories: physical, mental, emotional, and reversed. From the book:

The Hermit:

In general reading, the Hermit is the card of retreating in order to contemplate and find the answers within. It is a card of solitary thought, and represents going it alone so that you can find your inner answers. Unless, of course, it represents a person in the querent’s life. If that is the case, it is a wise older friend, therapist, or teacher. This person can help the querent illuminate the things that are bothering or blocking her. It has been my experience that it is more often the querent needing to retreat, but every so often it is a person helping the querent.

For physical healing, this card represents illumination. It often comes up when the querent needs to, or is going to, find answers to long-standing questions. This can be regarding an ailment she has been struggling with, a misdiagnosis, or simply finding a new procedure that can cure an old illness. Something is going to come to light in a good way.

For mental or emotional healing, this card represents a need for solitude. This can be something the querent is aware of and has been unable to indulge, or it can be something she was oblivious to and yet needs. For introverts, this will not be a shock. If the querent is an extrovert, the idea of being alone may be scary, or at the least uncomfortable. However, some solitude is necessary for thinking, for rumination, for contemplation, and for growth. Indeed, if there has been some kind of emotional or injury, the querent is well advised to retreat, regroup, lick her metaphorical wounds, and re-enter the world only after she’s come to terms with what happened.

For spiritual healing, the Hermit also requires contemplation. Inner contemplation and a spiritual journey are generally the needs here. The querent needs to do something on her own, something she’s wanted or needed to do represent their spiritual path. Whether this is something as simple as a retreat, or as complicated as a vision quest, she needs to take action. She will benefit greatly from it, but it will not be easy.

Reversed, this card indicates that the querent is isolating herself. She needs to allow others to help, or even ask for help. She is walking a solitary path, and it is not healthy for her right now. The Hermit is always about introspection, but in this case, the querent requires feedback on her thought process. A group therapy or support group would be helpful if she is dealing with some kind of pain. She may feel ashamed, and seeing that other people are dealing with the same pain as well can be good for her.

The Hermit is a powerful card, and using it in healing can be transformative. If the querent wishes to learn about herself, this card will teach her. Here, the Hermit is expressed completely, guiding the querent to healing in the way that the querent most needs.

The Minor Arcana are presented with upright and reversed meanings. From the book:

Three of Wands:

This card can be a warning against counting on things she doesn’t have, or it can mean that things are finally moving for the querent. In healing, this is the card of stasis. It means that whatever has been bothering the querent is gone, but is also a warning to the querent not to rest on her laurels. She may get sick again sooner than she thinks, and she should take good care of herself while she can.

Reversed, this card is indicative that no matter what she thinks, something is wrong. She needs to take care of herself and do what preventative care she can.

The Court cards are presented as situations/issues or people, with upright and reversed meanings. From the book:

Queen of Pentacles:

As a situation or message, the Queen shows  the querent making something solid, such as developing a business, work situation, or exercise plan. If the Queen represents a person, represents a person, she is an earthy, practical person who enjoys working with her hands. She is pragmatic, popular, and expects and gives the best she can. In healing, the querent means that the querent needs to develop a solid plan and then give her best effort in following it. She must be stringent.

Reversed, this card indicates that something the querent isn’t doing is hurting her. Whether it’s following the diet her doctor set out for her, taking medications, or anything in between, she can’t keep taking this situation so lightly.She risks her life in doing so.

For each Maor Arcana card, there is a short, specific meditation to aid in healing. For the Minor Arcana, Owl uses one general meditation with each card as a specific focus. Wands help with passion, Cups with emotions, Swords with ideas, and Pentacles with grounding, protection, and family issues.

At the end of the book, Owl addresses spreads for healing, the business of Tarot, and case studies.

For anyone who wants to work with the Tarot as a healing modality, this book presents some interesting possibilities. Each person who reads this book will take away what works for them.

© December 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

 

 

Tarot Birth Card Pairs

December is a big month for my Tarot Birth Cards – they are becoming fast friends with the “Freshly Squeezed :Lenormand” cards (Jean Hamilton-Fford, 2012, Independently Published), and are having a continuing party for the entire month of December! At the end of the month, my Tarot Birth Cards will be gifting a lucky someone with a “Freshly Squeezed Lenormand” deck!

Would you like to be that winner? If so, please go to the Facebook page for my Tarot Birth Cards, and leave a comment. Your name will be noted by the Fool, and tossed into the hat! If you find the page interesting, you might even decide to “Like” it! That would be wonderful … but not necessary.

Would you like to know more ab out the Tarot Birth Cards? You can calculate your cards here, you can read about the Birth Cards here , and you can listen to conversations between them here.

(c) December 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Review – The Rainbow Travellers Tarot

The Rainbow Travellers Tarot

 Author: Carmen Waterman
Artist: Carmen Waterman
Soul Clouds Publishing
2012
ISBN #978-0-9916867-0-4

 

from the Rainbow Travellers Tarot site

“The Rainbow Travellers Tarot” is a stunning deck – gentle, with modern imagery, and a “WOW!” quality to each of the cards. The inspiration for this deck came from Waterman’s earlier work with mythical and fantasy images. This is a deck where you truly want to enter the world that the cards portray – and it is very easy, as there are no borders! Yes! It is noted in the introduction that both the artwork and the divinatory meanings may stray from the traditional, as they come from the author/artist’s own study.

She also notes that each of the 78 cards has its own story to tell … and indeed it does! Definitely a deck for ceremonial and ritual work, as well as divinatory readings. Rainbows have been heralded as messengers of beauty and hope after a storm – in this deck, they help us through the storms in our lives (the last is my interpretation).

The Minor Arcana provide the messages that support the querent on their journey – Soul/Wands, Heart/Cups, Mind/Swords, and Body/Pentacles. In this way, we create the balance in our lives that allows for growth. While the suit symbol appears in each of the Minor Arcana cards, it does not appear multiple times, as in traditional decks.

The Court Cards have become the Guide Cards in this deck. They are here to teach us.

This is a 78 card Tarot deck, with a traditional foundation of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Major Arcana carry traditional titles, with the following exceptions: the Fool becomes the Traveller, the Hanged Man becomes Letting Go, the Devil becomes the Shadows, and the World becomes the Universe. Strength is VIII, and Justice is XI.

The Minor Arcana suites are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The Court cards are Muse (Page), Protector (Knight), Healer (Queen), and Mentor (King).

I am going to take a moment to talk about Waterman’s background – she is a certified Myers-Briggs training consultant, with a passion for helping others to understand themselves, and to develop their greatest potential. Her inner self is an instant fit with the Tarot, making the creation of this deck almost a forgone conclusion! And yes, the foundation of the deck is the Myers-Briggs personality profile, developed by the mother/daughter team of Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, based on Carl Jung’s earlier work in his 1921 book “Psychological Types”.

“Knowing yourself is the first step towards

making your dreams come true.”

from the Guidebook

 

The cards come with a 40 page guidebook, a certificate of authenticity, and a beautiful Tarot bag to act as a home for the cards. The cards are 3” by 5”, on good quality card stock. The backs are beautifully done, showing a blue sky with stars, a multi-colored rainbow on the upper 2/3 of the card, and a gentle green branch coming in from the left hand side of the card, and meeting the rainbow. The whole image is seen slightly out of focus, as through a mist. The backs are not reversible.

The card faces show the imagery out to the sides of the card (there are no borders), with the card name across the bottom. (Roman numerals are used with the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana is written out in text. The art is digital, a nice mixture of reality (the human figures) and fantasy (the background).

I found it interesting that the figures in this deck all look to be thirty-somethings …works for me! They all look to be very self-confident and ready to rock and roll with the Traveller! Cards that drew me in were the Healer of Cups (a dark haired lady with candles in the background), the Mentor of Swords (a male figure with his hands outstretched, and Celtic style horns on his head), the Healer of Swords (a female figure wearing a beautiful, orange/peach dress that swirls around her), the Three of Wands (a female figure shown from the shoulders up, with gorgeous dangling earrings, and a pensive look on her face), the Eight of Cups (a dark haired female figure looking out at the reader), the Nine of Pentacles (showing a fantasy scene of turrets against a night sky), the Ace of Cups (showing a female figure on the same precipice that the Fool is standing on), the Two of Cups (a dark haired ffemale with her hands clasped in front of her), the Five of Cups (a dark haired female figure, wearing elbow length black gloves, with one arm thrown over her eyes), and the Four of Pentacles (showing a cloaked figure holding a lit lamp in their right hand, their back to us as they face the window).

The cards that I chose to include in this review are the Traveller, the Magician, the Empress, the Eight of Swords, the Five of Wands, the Mentor of Pentacles, the Muse of Swords, the Protector of Cups, and the Healer of Pentacles.

            

    

The guidebook includes background on the deck, and on the author/artist. Each card is presented with a black and white image, the basic energy of the card, the messages associated with it, and questions to ask yourself when the card appears in a reading.

From the book, for the Mentor of Wands:

Mentor of Wands

The Mentor of Wands is passionate about their beliefs and lead with a sense of ease. They are highly respected and people flock tothem for advice and counsel. They are patient and comfortable giving orders and delegating responsibility. The Mentor of Wands places high importance on traditions. Family, faith and community are sacred to them.

Messages associated with the Mentor of Wands:

Respect
Knowledge
Principles
Community

When the Mentor of Wands appears you should ask yourself, “Am I participating and doing my part?” “How can I strengthen my spirit?”

Waterman is bringing out an e-book entitled “Intuitive Reading”, available through her site, http://rainbowtravellers.com/ ,which will address selecting a Tarot deck, how to care for your cards, setting the stage for a reading, studying individual cards, guided interpretations, questions to ask yourself, and how to do readings for yourself and others. An online e-course is also in process!

I highly recommend this deck for divinatory readings, daily guidance, ceremonial, and ritual work. The artwork is incredible, the cards very easy to enter, and the wisdom just flows!

 © December 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

 

The Holidays – Enter The Fool

The image above is a very unique take on the Fool, the archetype that takes the journey that we call the Tarot. I felt that this energy personified the ability to go into the holiday season with what I see as an open mind, and an open heart. This is a season that can be filled with great joy, and many opportunities, but it can also be a time that is quite stressful, with both professional and personal obligations.

How does the Fool handle this? Wouldn’t the Magician handle all of this a bit better? I mean, can’t he call in all of the elemental energy at his command and manifest at will? My thought is this … if we choose to work with (or channel, if you will) the energy of the Magician we would be setting ourselves up for a very bumpy ride! we would feel that we had the wisdom and the power to manifest all kinds of things. We would be running amok, not taking the time to set priorities, and not really stopping to deal with the changes that ife throws at us at this time of year.

There is another reason that I feel the Fool is a better fellow traveler for the 2012 holiday season – we are experiencing the vibrational changes of the ascension, and we need to take the time to acclimate to them. We also need to be able to tell the difference between stress from the holidays,and stress from acclimating to the vibrational/spiritual changes we are undergoing. The Fool can take a time out when he feels the need. He can take a step back to assess things, or take a step forward if he feels that this is what he needs to do, without exactly knowing why.

Bring your open, Foolish nature to this holiday season!

Image from the “Rainbow Travellers Tarot”, by Carmen Waterman, Independently Published, 2012.

(c) December 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Review – Elemental Tarot For Kids

Elemental Tarot For Kids

Author: Rayne Storm
Artist: Rayne Storm
Schiffer Publishing
2012
ISBN #978-0-7643-4130-4

“Elemental Tarot For Kids” is a 71 card Tarot deck aimed at children nine years and older. And yes, I did say 71 cards – not the traditional 78. What got left out, and why? Anything that was considered to be negative was left out. Period. There are thirteen Major Arcana cards, two of which, God and Goddess, are not in a traditional Tarot deck. The remaining eleven cards are Karma, Dharma, Butterfly, Doors, Rock, World Tree, The Wheel, The Stars, the Sun, the Moon, and the World.

The four suits are Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. The Court cards are Paige (yes, that IS the right spelling), Sage, Mage, and Shaman.

The premise behind this deck is that through the cards of the Tarot we tell a story, and that story, through messages that are hidden in plain sight, gives us advice and guidance for our questions and concerns.

This deck is presented as a “program”, based on the theory that everyone and everything speaks to us in its own way. The author makes it a point to say that there are no negative responses in this deck, no reverse meanings, and no “death” cards. Beginning readers are encouraged to use the materials as they gain enough experience to move into the realm of an experienced reader.

The 96 page companion book is written in the style of a lesson plan. Storm begins with a note to parents, guardians, and/or mentors that teaching the Tarot to children at a young age, is good in that the language of the Tarot (as with any language) will be more easily learned by the young. She designed this deck with her then nine year old son in mind. The reasoning for not including negative or reversed cards in this system was that this was to be seen as a “starter” deck, meant to develop intuitive skills.

The book is built on progressive levels: Paige (Apprentice), Sage (philosopher), Mage (experienced), and Shaman (Master). This deck is meant to be more a game of memory than a traditional study of the Tarot.

In the introductory page, Storm encourages people to bless their cards before using them. (Note: Storm’s background is that of a first generation Eclectic Hearth Witch.) She gives the following blessing:

Blessed be my Tarot cards of mystique,

with the provision of guidance that I seek.

So Mote It Be! (or, So Will It Be!)

The first section starts with the instruction to take cards with black or orange borders out of the deck, think of a question, shuffle the cards (while focusing on your question), stop shuffling, turn over the top card, and that is the answer to your question. Thus begins the student’s journey as a Paige.

Part One – Building A Foundation, addresses what divination is, and how it works. There is an insert at the bottom of this section that provides a Code of Ethics for the reader. It reads:

 

Ethics and Responsibility:

NEVER accept money or gifts

for doing a Tarot reading

or any other form of Divination.

NEVER use your cards

for other people unless

it’s for entertainment purposes only.

NEVER-EVER say that something

Negative or bad COULD or WILL happen.

While this may sound all well and good, to me it is totally negative in nature, takes away from the nature of a reading, and limits its scope.

Storm then goes over the order of setting up a Tarot reading: set up your area, think of a question, shuffle your cards, lay out your cards, read your cards, apply your intuition, and record your reading.

There is also a section on questions and answers (such as “Do Tarot cards predict the future?”), and terms and definitions, where Storm defines things such as act, minor arcana, and surreal). She then presents the basics for the Major and Minor Arcana, with charts for the Major Arcana (card/title/focus/interpretation), and the Minor Arcana (card number/title, symbol, and interpretation for each of the suits).

Under information on storing your cards is a link to instructions for making your own Tarot bag, which I thought was a nice inclusion. The section ends with two exercises, a quick quiz, and review notes. The student is informed that they are now a Sage.

In Part Two- Sage, the Major Arcana is presented with a definition of what Essence is, followed by the cards themselves. Each card is presented with a full color thumbnail image, the card title, focus, number, and essence. The write-up includes what the title means, what the essence of the card is, what it teaches you, and questions to ask yourself. At the end of this section are two exercises, a quick quiz, review notes, and a word puzzler.

The Minor Arcana are presented with a definition for the element (Earth/Grounding, Water/Emotions, Air/Thought, and Fire/Desire), the title, focus, level, and interpretation. There is a short discussion of the energy of the card, what it teaches, what the element represents, and questions to ask yourself. At the end of the section on each suit are two exercises, a quick quiz, and review notes. For there is also a crossword, for water there is also a scrambler, for Air there is also a decoder, and for Fire there is also a translator. The student is now informed they are a Mage.

In Part Three – Mage, the student begins working with Tarot Spreads. The spreads presented are a one card spread, a three card Across Time spread, and a five card Elemental Tarot spread. There is a template for each of the spreads for doing practice readings. The student is now informed that they are a Shaman.

In Part Four – Shaman, the student takes a final test, and is awarded a certificate of completion. How cool is that!

At the end of the book there is an appendix that gives the answers to the quizzes for Part One, the Major Arcana, and the Minor Arcana (the four suits).

The cards and companion book come in a lift top box with a magnetic lid. The cover shows a child’s hands over cards that are spread over a table, side by side with an angelic figure standing in front of a quarter moon. (The same images, only with the figure standing over the child’s hands, are on the cover of the companion book.) The cards are large – 3 ½” by 5”, and of sturdy, glossy card stock. The card backs are a beautiful light lavender, with the deck name in the center of the card.

There are several extra cards that come with this deck: a card showing the template for the Single Tarot spread and the three card Across Time spread, a card showing the template for the five-card Elemental Tarot spread, a card on what the Tarot is, a card showing the order of the cards (Major Arcana, then the Minor Arcana – Earth, Water, Air, and Fire), a card on Ethics and Responsibility, and one on the process of doing a reading.

The card faces show a color coded border: Major Arcana/Outer White/Inner Purple, Earth/Green, Water/Blue, Air/Yellow, Fire/Red. The Major Arcana show the card title across the top, the Focus/Interpretation across the bottom, and the card number in the lower right corner. The Minor Arcana show the number and suite across the top, and the Focus/Interpretation across the bottom. The Court cards show the card suite and title across the top, and the Focus/Interpretation across the bottom.

The card images are simplistic, with strong primary colors. The Minor Arcana Pips (numbered cards) show the suit symbols over the background of an icon – very Tarot de Marseille in nature. The Court cards show the same image on all four cards: Earth/Bearded Figure, Water/Mermaid, Air/Angel, Fire/Winged Dragon. The Court cards also show both elemental symbols – that of the suite, and that of the card itself.

The cards that impressed me the most were Doors (indicating choices, and showing two doors), Rock (showing a Stonehenge type rock formation), the World (showing figures holding hands in a circle), Ace of Earth (showing a leaf on a pillow), Water Shaman (showing a Mermaid), Six of Air (showing six icons on a rolled tablet), and the Seven of Fire (showing seven fire icons being held in a hand).

The thought behind this deck was very comprehensive, and the artwork is well done, but non-traditional. Taking out the “negative” cards (including Death), and choosing to not work with reversals to me limits the readings being done. If the cards were presented as something other than Tarot, this would be a great deck. However, it represents the Tarot in a very limited manner. I see no reason why children should not learn the Tarot as it really is, toned down to their level of acceptance and  understanding. If I were looking for a Tarot deck for my child, this would not be the deck that I would choose. If I simply wanted them to see what divination was all about, I might get them this deck. There are other Tarot decks out there aimed at children that do a much better job.

 REMEMBER: you can

change what COULD

happen, because it

hasn’t happened yet!

From the Ethics & Responsibility card.

 © November 2012 Bonnie Cehovet