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The Urban Tarot Deck Review

The Urban Tarot Deck Review

Introduction to The Urban Tarot Deck

I found Robin Scott’s Urban Tarot Deck as I was navigating through the labyrinth that is the Internet, and ended up in love at first sight! ? This gorgeous deck is the result of a result of a very successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012. 

The Urban Tarot Deck draws inspiration from the various locales of New York City —  the streets, the buildings, the parks, the monuments, the people — everything about this lively and vibrant city is the source material for the images of this deck. 

The latest news that I’ve heard is that the Urban Tarot Deck will be published again through U.S. Games Systems. However, Robin still has about 200 copies of the deck (as of 6 March 2017) — which could very well be considered to be the ‘First Edition’ ‘Collectors’ copies. ??

Psst: Deck Collectors! Get yourself a copy while the stocks last!

Cards of The Urban Tarot Deck

Each card is about 2 ¾ inches wide and 4 ¼ inches tall, with rounded corners. The surface has a smooth finish and the card is thick, but not too thick. The cards shuffle well during readings. 

The back design of each card reminds one of the subway maps that you can find all over NYC. The card back is totally reversible, so if you use reversed cards in your reading, this deck is perfect!

The card images of The Urban Tarot Deck are so gorgeous, that I wished that they covered a bigger area on the card. However, this wasn’t a deal-breaker for me. 

Psst: I also hear that this is going to be fixed with the US Games version.

You can see the card images on Robin’s site. And if you are into using Tarot Apps, you can find The Urban Tarot App on the App Store as well as on Google Play.

LWB and/or Book

The Urban Tarot Deck doesn’t come with an LWB, but there is a full-fledged book that you will have to buy separately. The book features full color images of each of the cards on one side, and a detailed description of the card imagery on the other. You will also find information such as the source of inspiration in NYC, and the models who posed for the pictures. Another wonderful thing about the book is that the edges of the pages are colored to sync with the suits — so it makes searching for the card meanings quite easy!

In my personal opinion, this deck is perfect for those who have a good base with Rider-Waite-Smith based card imagery, and want to explore the Thoth based imagery. This deck features images that are a beautiful amalagamation of both. So visual storytellers can find peace while working with Thoth-based symbols as well. 

Although the book provides a lot of information about the various places and situations and people who inspired the designs, and why a certain sort of imagery was used, you may benefit by reading up on the Thoth system to take your readings to the next level. However, even without that, using a storytelling approach, you will still find the images beautifully expressive and informative.

One thing I do miss is having reversed card interpretations. But that isn’t a deal breaker either. If you’ve worked with Tarot for a while, and you use reversals, it isn’t rocket science to figure out the interpretations. ?

Here are some of my favorite cards from The Urban Tarot Deck!

Majors, Minors, Courts, Suits

The deck follows the Thoth system. Therefore, Major Arcana 8 is Justice, and Major Arcana 11 is Strength. 

Also the Court Cards follow the Thoth system of nomenclature and hierarchy. Starting with the Princess card, we move up via the Prince, the Queen, and finally, the Knight card.

The Suit of Pentacles is called the Suit of Disks.

And yes, unlike the Thoth deck, these cards have stuff going on in the background of the suit images — which totally makes this deck a great mix of the best parts of both Rider-Waite-Smith and Thoth systems.

Reading with This Deck

I have had a ton of fun reading with these cards. Not only are the images deeply evocative, but they are also highly relateable. These are images not from some fantasy land, or imaginary place, or historical space and time. These are images from the world we live in, and see all around us. They are real, raw, and poignant. And they make a whole lot of sense. 

Video

I even made a video about this deck where I talk a bit more (as usual) and give you a peek at the cards. Take a look…

Giveaway

Robin has been so generous by sending me another copy of the deck and book (which she signed, btw!!) for a giveaway. So get on it, and make sure you’ve entered! The contest ends 31st March 2017. 
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Your Turn

What did you think of this deck? Did you like the images? Did they speak to you just like they did to me? And if you already have this deck, what are your experiences with this deck? Tell me in the comments…

The Cathar Tarot Card Deck Review

The Cathar Tarot Card Deck Review

Cathar Tarot Promo PicThe Cathar Tarot is a new deck that will be released on the 20th of December, 2016. I recieved a copy of The Cathar Tarot from the deck publishers in return for a honest review.

To be honest, as I started out, I did not have much knowledge of the Cathars. And I don’t claim to be an expert either. However, from a complete novice’s point of view, this deck does create a great entry point to get to know of the life and the culture of a people that have, sadly, been obliterated from this world.

The Cathar Tarot 

The Cathars existed during the Middle Ages, and were found in Italy, Germany, Flanders, England, and France. The name ‘Cathar’ seems to have been derived from the Greek word ’katharoi’, which means ‘the pure’. They rejected several formalized beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church and believed that the world was not created by God, but by the Demiurge, a reflection of the real Creator. This world, therefore, was a poor copy of humanity’s true home, which is an earthly paradise where there was no ‘fall’, no ‘sin’, and no one was expelled from Eden.

Some interesting facts about the Cathars include: they were vegetarian, and they had pretty open view about sex. More than that though, the Cathars were a gentle people, and had very tolerant views about other religions. 

Ultimately, these people were branded as heretics by the Church and were systematically hunted down and slaughtered.

A number of legends still prevail about them, chief among which is the belief that they held the secret to the Holy Grail, or even the Grail itself.

Deck Theme

The Cathar Tarot Card Deck is an interesting depiction of the beliefs, life and lifestyle of the Cathars in the Middle Ages. The images draw upon the beliefs of the Cathars, and then upon an ancient belief system called ‘Gnosticism’.

Deck Creator(s) and Artist(s)

The deck creator, John Matthews, and the artist, Wil Kinghan have used the universal symbolism and appeal of the Tarot structure to share the wisdom of these wonderful people with the rest of the world.

I liked how the artist has used a very interesting drawing style for the card images — you often find art and fresco drawings from the Middle Ages drawn in this exact way! I thought that this was a great way to connect with the time-period that the Cathars existed.

The Cathar Tarot: The Cards

The Cathar Tarot Card Deck comes packaged in a very sturdy box that holds the cards and a 112-page book that contains full color illustrations.

cathar-deck-height-vs-universal-waiteThe cards are approximately 3 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall, and have rounded edges. The card stock itself is pretty thick, and so the entire deck is a bit of a thicker pile compared to, say, the Universal Waite Tarot Card Deck.

Regardless, shuffling the deck isn’t that hard for me — and I have relatively smaller hands. Probably the reason lies with the surface of the cards which is smooth and not matte.

Back Design

cathar-tarot-back-designThe back design is pretty, and features the Cathar seal. This is a part of the armorial bearings of the Counts of Toulouse and can be seen in the Languedoc region of France, where the Cathars had their final stronghold. This design is therefore also known as the ‘Cathar Cross’.

Due to the coloring though, one is able to easily know if the card is upright or reversed. For those of us who use reversed cards in readings (like I do), back designs like these can be a bit frustrating. However, I overcome this by closing my eyes while pulling the cards — that way I don’t get affected regardless of the card’s direction.

LWB
and/or Book

cathar-tarot-bookThe deck is accompanied by a 112-page full color illustrated book.

The guidebook contains quite a bit of information about the Cathars, their way of life, and their belief systems. The card illustrations for the Major Arcana cards are big (take an entire page) but are comparitively smaller for the Minor Arcana.

The font size is pretty small though, so you may need your reading glasses for this one.

What I really liked about the guidebook is that the information is presented slowly, and it builds upon itself as you keep reading. As you read through the information of the Major Arcana cards, you learn more and then a bit more about the Cathars’ life and belief.

While I am not completely averse to info-dumps, I did like this approach very much — somehow, I wanted to keep on reading and thus learning more about these lovely people.

Meanings (Upright and Reversed)

For both, the Major and Minor Arcana cards the description included the information about the context and the imagery, and keywords for the ‘Light’ and ‘Dark’ aspects of the card’s meanings.

This is particularly useful for those of us who use reversed card meanings in our readings.

More Information

The back of the book contains a section where the deck creators talk about how one can get to know the deck better, and activate the cards. Three spreads, the ‘Cathar Cross Spread’, and the ‘Court of Wisdom Spread’, and the ‘Grail Knight Spread’ are included, along with a sample reading.

Finally, there are a few passages from actual Cathar writings that add to our knowledge of the Cathars and their beliefs and lifestyle. And if you are truly drawn into this, there is a short list of books and websites where you can learn even more.

The Cathar Tarot: Majors. Minors. Courts. Suits.

The deck follows the Rider-Waite-Smith format — the Minor Arcana cards have pictures on them. And if you have experience working with the Rider-Waite-Smith or similarly-formatted deck, learning this deck won’t be hard.

In keeping with the deck’s theme, the suits are named as follows:

  • Wands: Book of Shields
  • Swords: Book of Swords
  • Cups: Book of Love
  • Pentacles: Book of Wisdom

The names of pretty much all the Major Arcana cards are also in keeping with the deck’s theme. Here however, they do not follow the Rider-Waite-Smith pattern — Major Arcana 8 is Justice, and Major Arcana 11 is Strength.

A comparative list of the names of the Major Arcana cards is also provided at the back of the book.

The Cathar Tarot: Reading with this Deck

As you may have seen, I’ve been doing my daily card readings for this month, on Instagram, with this deck, and the information flows so smoothly from the imagery!

My Experiences and Thoughts

Since this is a new deck for me, I do carry the book with me and glance through it while I look at the card image. But, even if I didn’t have the book, I wouldn’t suffer much. The imagery of the cards lends itself very beautifully to the storytelling process and to an intuitive reading.

Knowing the meanings of the symbols and the context specific to the Cathars beliefs and lifestyle does help — but if you are in a bit of a rush, and can’t refer to the book, then too, you won’t go wrong if you just mined the cards’ imagery and used your intuition to seek guidance. IMHO, this is the best thing about the Cathar Tarot Card Deck.

Video

I also made a video where I talk about this deck, and where you can get a sneak peek at the cards as well. Enjoy!

The Cathar Tarot Giveaway

The fun thing is that I accidentally ended up getting two copies of the deck in the mail. That meant only one thing. A Giveaway!

So go ahead and enter yourself into the giveaway thingy below. The giveaway ends 12 a.m. EST on the 9th of January 2017, and I will announce the winners on my Instagram and FaceBook, and also in the Comments section of this blog. The deck will be sent via USPS (and I think I ought to be able to provide a tracking number as well). 

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Buy Your Deck Now!

The giveaway has since ended, but you can still buy a copy of this lovely deck!

Your Turn…

What do you think about this wonderful deck? Would you want to buy it for yourself? Or do you already have it? Do share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments section below. It would be interesting to hear what you thought of this deck.

Japaridze Tarot Card Deck Review

Japaridze Tarot Card Deck Review

Introduction

wpid-Nino-Japaridze.jpgThe Japaridze Tarot Card Deck has been created by the contemporary, surrealist artist Nino Japaridze.

Born in 1961, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Nino Japaridze is a talented artist. She has widely exhibited her works since her childhood. After completing her studies in the Fine Arts Academy, she moved to Paris and began exhibiting her work all across Europe. Today, she works and lives in Paris with her daughter, Anna.

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Ancient Egyptian Tarot Deck

Ancient Egyptian Tarot Deck

The Ancient Egyptian Tarot Deck by Clive Barrett (or the AET, as it is often called in the Tarot world), has been one of my most favorite Tarot card decks. Ever since I bought it many years ago, I have been in love with it! 🙂 So, it is with great pleasure that I am going to write a review of this amazing Tarot card deck today!

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The Mythic Tarot

The Mythic Tarot

The Mythic Tarot deck is themed around Greek Mythology. With all kinds of stories from Greek Mythology converging in both the Major and Minor cards, it makes sense that this is the deck to have if you are a big fan of Greek Myth. Conversely, it also makes sense that this deck is not for those who aren’t fond of Greek myths. But, if you are looking to get a great head start into the subject, and especially via the route of the Tarot, then it is an absolute must to have this deck with you!

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Pagan Tarot

Pagan Tarot

I have had the Pagan Tarot Deck with me since a few years now, and every time I look at the cards, I find myself amazed and intrigued by their images. In this deck, we see the ups and downs of the everyday and spiritual life of a modern day witch, a young woman.

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The Druidcraft Tarot Deck

The Druidcraft Tarot Deck

The pictures in Tarot card decks are centered on a particular theme, and often follow either the Rider-Waite-Smith system or the Thoth system. The Druidcraft Tarot Deck is based on the themes of Wicca and Druidry and follows the Rider-Waite-Smith system. Created by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, and Will Worthington, these exquisite cards have been a favorite of mine ever since I got them many years ago. If you are curious, you can visit the deck’s website and even read an interview with the authors. There are some other interesting things on the site that you can also read about.

Meanwhile, lets just dive into the review of these really brilliant cards.

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Ask The Queens Advice Card Deck

Ask The Queens Advice Card Deck

I haven’t really much experience with using Oracle and Advice Card Decks. So when I got the ‘Ask The Queens Advice Card Deck’, I was very enthusiastic for trying it out.

For the past few months, I have been patiently trying this deck. I have consulted it when I have gone through the typical ups-and-downs and have received some interesting answers from this deck.

Let me tell you more about my experience with this very intriguing deck.

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Tarot of The New Vision

Tarot of The New Vision

The Tarot of The New Vision is a very stunning, and different take on the imagery of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. See, with the RWS images, you are seeing something – but the Tarot of the New Vision images show you what is on the other side of that image.

Makes for a pretty interesting learning and reading experience, if you ask me. The deck features artwork by Raul and Gianluca Cestaro. If you buy the book and deck kit, then you will also get a fully illustrated book that was written by Giordano Berti, Tiberio Gonard, Raul and Gianluca Cestaro. So lets have a look at this wonderful deck created by Lo Scarabeo.

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