Review: The Tarot of Bohemian Secrets

Author: Alice Smeets

Self-Published

ASIN: B08Y5LZVWL

The Tarot of Bohemian Secrets, by Alice Smeets, is a rebranding of the Ghetto Tarot, originally published in 2016. The 78-card deck and 68-page companion book come in a sturdy, lift-top box.

The cards are 3.5” by 5.3 “ and are of heavy card stock. The card backs have a black background with a white, reversible, line graphic in the middle of the card.

The card faces have a ¼” white border followed by a thin black border which surrounds the card image. The card title runs across the bottom of the card – black lettering against a white background. The Major Arcana cards  show the card number and title. The Minor Arcana numbered cards show the card number and suit.  The Court Cards show the card title and suit. The suits are Cups, Pentacles, Machetes (Swords), and Brooms (Wands). The Court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.

The companion book begins with a history and discussion of both the deck and o Tarot. I was quite impressed with the section on using Tarot as a healing tool – which it is in so many ways! Very apropos is the quote from Carl Jung: “When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as our fate.”

There is quite an interesting Tarot spread presented, entitled The Tarot of Bohemian Secrets Spread: Reveal Your Shadows”.

The cards are presented with a small black and white image, the card number, title, and energy, archetype, gifts, and challenges, a short discussion, and actor or actress (Major Arcana);  a small black and white image, card number, suit, and energy, gifts, challenges, a short discussion, and actor or actress (Minor Arcana numbered cards); and a small black and white image, card title and suit,

This deck follows the traditional interpretations of the cards, as photographed in a modern setting (downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti). The photography was done by Alice Smeets, with the assistance of Haitian are collective Atis Rezistans, within the slums of Haiti.

The Tarot of Bohemian Secrets can be used by those new to the Tarot and Tarot professionals, from all backgrounds. It will make you think about how you view life, and how through the power of your own thoughts you can turn life’s challenges into gifts.

© February 2024 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.

 

Review – The ChildInside Tarot

Author: Alice Smeets

Artist: Alice Smeets

Self-Published

2023

The Child Inside Tarot, by Alice Smeets, is a 79-card deck and 119-page companion book. It comes in a sturdy lift-off top box.

The cards are 3.3” by 5.11” and printed on premium heavyweight card stock. The deck comprises 79 cards because there are two “love” cards.

The card backs have a lilac-colored border surrounding white line imager against a lilac background. The card fronts show imagery to the edges, with a white border on the bottom acting as a background for the black lettering that gives the card’s number and title (for the Major Arcana), number and suit (for the numbered cards of the Minor Arcana), and title and suit for the Court Cards.

The High Priestess has been renamed the Sorceress, the Hermit has become the Shaman, The Lovers has been renamed Love, The Chariot has been renamed The Conqueror, Justice has been renamed Karma, The Hanged Man has been renamed The Hanging Girl, Death has been renamed Rebirth, Temperance has been renamed Balance, the Devil has been renamed Imbalance, and Judgement has been renamed The Angel of Awakening.

The suits are Waves (Cups), Magic Wands (Wands), Coins (Pentacles), and Swords. The Court Cards are Princess (Page), Prince (Knight), Queen, and King.

The artwork for this deck features children of indigenous tribes in Guatemala. Softer colors are used for most cards, and the scenes are appropriate for children.

The companion book begins with Smeets addressing the need of this world for the magic of children. She then discusses the background of this deck and the background of Tarot.

There is a section on how to use this deck, three-card and four-card general Tarot spreads presented, as well as a ten-card Inner Child Spread.

Each Major Arcana card is presented with a small full-color image, the card number, title, and energy, the card’s gift and challenge, a discussion of the card, and an Inner Child Message. The Minor Arcana numbered cards are presented with a small color image, the card number and suit,  the card’s gift and challenge, a discussion of the card, and a Message from the Inner Child. The Court Cards are presented with a small full-color image, the card title and suit, gifts and challenges, a discussion of the card, and a Message from the Inner Child.

This deck is meant to connect both adults and children to their inner child, the energy within that wants to be playful and wants to see the joy in the world. It is a way to experience the magic in life. (Smeets notes that we experience curiosity, creation, and are open to the world through our inner child.)

This deck is appropriate for all ages and all backgrounds. Smeets suggests that while this deck can be used to answer any type of question, it is geared to answering questions about emotions, releasing old emotional baggage, and reconnecting with the joy felt in childhood.

This deck offers itself to beginners and experienced readers alike – it is a powerful tool for connecting with our inner child, no matter how young or old we are.

© February 2024 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without the written permission of the author.

 

Review: The Gift of Life Tarot

Author: Alice Smeets

Illustrator: Alice Smeets

Consciousness Rising

ASIN: B08Y5ZSTZ9

2021

The Gift Of Life Tarot is a 78-card deck and 111-page companion book from photographer Alice Smeets. It comes in a sturdy two-part lift-off top box. The card titles and numbers follow the traditional Rider-Waite style, as do the interpretations.

The cards are 3 ½” by 5 1.2” and are made of sturdy cardstock. The backs have a white background with a golden radiating sun in the middle (upright and reversed cards cannot differentiated.)

The card faces have a ¼” white border, surrounding beautiful full-color images of people in real-life settings. The suits are Water (Cups), Earth (Pentacles), Air (Swords) and Fire (Wands). The Court cards are Daughter (Page), Son (Knight), Mother (Queen), and Father (King).

The Major Arcana shows the card title across the bottom against a white background, while the Minor Arcana shows the number and suit across the bottom of the card against a white background. The Court cards show the card title and suit across the bottom of the card against a white background.  

The companion book begins with background on this deck and the process of its creation. As these are real-life photographs, the process is a bit different from that of most decks.

This is followed by a section that discusses the background of Tarot.

Several spreads are presented, including the Life Purpose Spread, the Find The Gifts In Different Situations Spread, and the Hidden Talents Spread.

Each Major Arcana card is presented with a small black and white photo, the card number, title, and energy, gifts and challenges, the Real Life Moment (how Smeets chose to depict the energy of the card), and Life Purpose Reading (how the card functions in a reading).

The Minor Arcana numbered cards are presented with a small black-and-white image, the card number and suit, the card’s energy, the Real Life Moment (how Smeets chooses to depict the energy of the card), and Life Purpose Reading (how the card functions in a reading).

The Court Cards are presented with a small black and white image, the card title, suit, and energy, the Real World Moment (how Smeets chose to depict the card’s energy), and Life Purpose Reading (how the card functions in a reading).

This is a very special deck in that Smeets, photographed in Haiti and around the world, shows real-life people in real-life scenes with no staging. These images will absolutely pull you in! The deck title is very apropos—life is a gift!

This deck is appropriate for children, adults, and people from all backgrounds. Because the images are real-life, applying them to any question or situation is easy. Both beginners and experienced readers will connect easily with this deck and find the stories it tells powerful.

© February 2024 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without authorization from the author.

 

Boadicea’s Tarot of Earthly Delights

Author: Caroline Kenner with Paula Millet

Artist: Paula Millet

Boadicea Design LLC

2023

ISBN #979898685780-0-00

Boadicea’s Tarot of Earthly Delights consists of the traditional 78 Tarot cards with two extra cards (Boadicea the Queen and Perspicacious the Platypus) and a 212-page companion book.

The cards are 3 ½” by 5 ½” and are made of sturdy, glossy cardstock. The backs show two hands facing each other, surrounded by unique imagery. The card faces show a ¼” color border surrounding collaged imagery. The card number and name run across the bottom of the card using black type on a white background. The suits are Combustion (Wands), Tentacles (Cups), Aether (Swords) and Fungi (Pentacles). The Court cards retain their traditional titles: Page, Knight, Queen, and King.

The companion book begins with an overview of Tarot history, followed by an explanation of who Boadicea the Queen was. Boadicea was Queen of the Iceni, a tribe that occupied territory that is present-day Norfolk and Suffolk. After her husband died, Roman authorities annexed the Iceni kingdom. At a well-planned time, Boadicea and her army fought back. She was defeated, but not before razing the cities of Colchester and London. This deck and book are dedicated to Boadicea’s wisdom, assertiveness, and courage.

Each card is presented with a full-color image, the card title and number,  a statement of the card’s energy, upright and reversed interpretations, and an explanation of the symbols in the card.

There is a section on reading the cards, with several spreads presented. Definitions for one, two, and three-card readings are presented, along with several three- and five-card spreads, a modern Celtic Cross spread, and four custom spreads from Sara Mastros of The Fool’s Dog: the Grand Garden of Earthly Delights, Boadicea’s Chariot, the Hamsa of Protection, and Boadicea’s Saga.

At the end of the book, there is an appendix that lists all of the artwork used in the collage process of this deck.

While it does not use traditional imagery, I feel this deck is an excellent addition to a deck collection as it encourages users to think beyond traditional boundaries.

February 2024, Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.