The Sacred Circle Tarot: A Celtic Pagan Journey

Rating:
Summary: Attractive but with one major flaw
Review: This is indeed an attractive deck but it unfortunately has one MAJOR flaw. The back of the cards are designed as such: two crossed swords behind a shinning disc, above the disk is a lovely cup. The problem is, due to the direction of the swords and the crowning cup, as you shuffle, cut and before you do your spred, you KNOWahead of time whether or not the card is going to be reversed or not. I find myself trying not to look at the cards as I shuffle or before I do a layout. This adds a strange sort of stress to each reading. The book is well researched in the Celtic vein and if you are not concerned with the above mentioned, it is definitely worth having.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Deep
Review: This Tarot deck combines beautiful pictures with extremely deep symbolism. There are also key words on each card for easy interpretation. Perfect for divination, meditation, or simply for its aesthetic appeal.

Rating:
Summary: An imaginitive and intuitive tarot deck
Review: What makes this deck stand out is the quality of its imagery. The background of each card is a carefully retouched photograph of a sacred or historical Celtic site. Superimposed upon this background are further photographs or illustrations that suggest the meaning of the card. The brilliant, clear images make the deck a pleasure to work with. Another unique feature is that the order, and in some cases the names, of the major arcana cards have been changed in order to facilitate a transition from the classic, cabalistic-style meanings to a more coherent Celtic framework which, I believe, has a much greater impact than the standard renderings. The only ciriticism I have is really with the book, and not with the cards themselves. The author's pop-psych "positive thinking" comments get a bit tedious, but then you are supposed to divine with the cards and not the book, so in the end it doesn't matter. I would suggest that, since the images on the cards are really symbolic and not representational (by which I mean they are pictures that suggest, but do not directly tell, the meaning of the card) it might not be the best deck for a first-time user. But it is without a doubt the best deck for those for whom the "standard" meanings and images have grown a bit cold, and who feel a little more at home in the wild forest than in the temple.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful for collecting, but not for intensive use.
Review: When I first recieved this tarot I was ever so happy. It was colorful and realistic with its pictures. Though when I began to use them, problems would emerge. The cards are quite large, in that I couldn't comfortably suffle them. When trying to interpret the meanings, there would be fairly long definitions in a book included. Which made the spread incrediably long to read, especially for others I tried to read for. Also like another reviewer here, I find it hard to concentrate on the reading when I know which card is reversed beforehand. So if you enjoy collecting cards rather than using them intensively I suggest this deck.