New Era Elements Tarot
Author: Eleonore F. Pieper, Ph.D.
Artist: Eleonore F. Pieper, Ph.D.
U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
2018
ISBN #978-1572819214
“New Era Elements Tarot” is a traditional 78 card deck that is accompanied by a 116 page guidebook. The deck and guidebook come in a sturdy lift top box, with cutouts on the two longer sides of the top of the box to make it easier to lift off. The cover shows the image from the Daughter of Water. The bottom of the box shows information about the deck, along with small scans of the Father of Air and the Daughter of Fire.
The foundation (basis) of this deck was taken from both the Rider-Waite and Crowley-Harris traditions. Four things make this deck unique, and not so traditional. The suits are named after their associated elements – Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The court cards are renamed Daughter, Son, Mother, and Father, and feature people from four distinct world cultures. For the Pips, the deck retains Crowley’s designations for each card (such as “Illusion” and “Victory”). The imagery on the cards has been updated to modern times.
The Major Arcana cards show either an elementary, planetary, or zodiac symbol, while the Pips show a planetary and zodiac correspondence. Each of the cards is presented in the guidebook as text only. Each card is listed by title, with correspondences, keywords, card meaning, and an exploration of the card. There are two lines for keywords: the “+” line is the card interpreted in the upright or well aspected position, while the “–“ line represents the card in a reversed position (or in a position in a spread that represents a blockage), or its shadow side. At the end of the book is a short section on reading the cards, and a six card New Era Elements Spread.
The cards are 2 ½” by 5”, and show a sepia-like coloring on the back, with imagery for the four elements in inter-connecting circles in the middle of the card. The card faces show a ¼ border, with the card title and number across the bottom of the card in white lettering. Two of the cards have been retitled: The Magician becomes The Magus, and Justice becomes Adjustment. Adjustment is 8, Strength is 11.
The deck is monochromatic, in sepia-like tones of brown. The imagery has been updated to reflect modern life, rather than the feudal system of traditional Tarot cards.
The Magus is a male dressed in a business suit, with a lemniscate symbol over his head, standing in front of a “for sale” sign. He has his hands in the air, juggling modern symbols such as CNN, FOX, the symbols for Facebook and Twitter, Botox and Pfizer.
The Hermit shows an older man, in a suit and cap, walking with a cane.
The Wheel of Fortune features cards and other games of chance.
The Ace of Fire shows elemental fire centered in a circle on the card, with associated astrological and planetary symbols above and below it.
The 10 of Fire (Oppression) features a Leopard sitting on a branch in a cage.
The 10 of Water (Repletion) features a quiet lake with ten boulders in the water. The Daughter of Water features a Maori girl, shown in traditional feather dress, wearing a fishhook pendant.
The Father of Earth features an older man in simple street cloths.
For myself, I prefer traditional decks, with traditional imagery. However, I do feel that this deck has a sense of calm to it, that it is easily read, and that it would appeal to people of all ages, from all backgrounds.
© September 2018 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without permission of the author.
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