Tarot Pagano/Pagan Tarot

Rating:
Summary: New and Interesting
Review: I bought this deck on the review alone and I am quite pleased with it. This deck depicts modern settings as well as Pagan rituals. The artwork is great and the little white book that comes with the deck is informative when you get stuck regarding the meaning of a card.

The only perplexing card in the deck was Key #16 The Tower, which depicts a young woman dressed in ceremonial robes turning away from two nude couples engaged in sexual activity. I was stunned by the overt sexuality in this card and wondered how it related to the conventional meaning of the Tower card. I took this deck to my Pagan/Wiccan circle and passed it around. Every person there generally liked the deck but also questioned the Tower card.

With the nudity and sex on this one card I knew I could never use this deck to read for young people or prudish people. It just seemed to ruin the whole deck. The little white booklet said of the Tower card, "If we do not relinquish the path of baser nature, if we continue to act in ways that are not in our greatest good, the Tower tears down those things that are dangerous to us, and forces us to confront the reality before us." Ok so is it saying that sex is "base"? I don't buy into that. But I do like they way the booklet explained. I just don't think the meaning presented in the booklet goes along very well with the actual picture on the card. And why was it pictured like that anyway? I just have questions.

If this doesn't bother you then I suggest you buy this deck. I actually really like it but I just wanted to give you a clear picture of this issue as I wasn't the only one perplexed by the Tower card in my circle. It could just be a message for me that I need to figure out. After all, this was the first card I drew from this deck in my daily Tarot card drawing. :-) Blessings

Rating:
Summary: The Pagan Tarot
Review: The Pagan Tarot brings a fresh and unique approach to the tarot in general, and specifically to many of the individual cards. While based on the Rider-Waite-Smith template as far as structure is concerned, that's where the similarity ends. The imagery is totally new and often features scenes of modern daily life, yet is rich with symbolism and interpretive potential. The trump cards bear little resemblance to the historical counterparts, bringing a contemporary vision that I found curiously enticing. The court cards are renamed from pages, knights, queens, and kings to elementals, novices, initiates, and elders; another change I found that offers new insight into arguably the most difficult cards to interpret. The suits are named in a traditional fashion as pentacles, swords, wands, and chalices, corresponding respectively to earth (physical), air (mental), fire (spiritual), and water (emotional), but again with distinctively inventive scenes, familiar yet suggestive of a deeper meaning, beyond the conventional.

As its name suggests, much of the symbolism and imagery is pagan in nature, with scenes ranging from traditional Wiccan ritual to shopping at ones favorite metaphysical boutique. There is little nudity however, and I would feel comfortable using this deck to read for all but the most prudish. The religiously conservative may also find exception to a variety of the scenes, but for most typical tarot readings, this deck would suit both querent and reader quite well, regardless of background.

The standard-sized 78 card deck features a thin, white border on which the card name, number and/or suit appear at the top in English, and in Italian, French, Spanish, and German at the bottom, leaving the greater part of the card for the illustration. And illustrated they are, with sometimes totally new perspectives, or familiar symbols in different surroundings or situations.

On the familiar side, the three of swords depicts the traditional heart in which three swords are inserted. Yet below, a woman is seated at the foot of a couch on a hard, polished and tiled floor, arms wrapped around bended knees, head bowed and eyes looking down. A clear picture of an ending, a cycle's completion - in this case causing the pictured woman some amount of thoughtful introspection.

Somewhat less familiar is the Empress, depicting a child, a young woman, and an older woman all casually attired, apparently working in a home garden, planting the seeds of fruition. Maiden, Mother, and Crone, working in concert, bringing to pass the fruits of their labor. A refreshing and meaningful change from the traditional "queen" figure, seated in a throne.

Totally new is the nine of wands, depicting a scene in which a tow truck prepares to tow what would appear to be a disabled car, with the apparent owners, a young couple, paying the tow-truck driver. Quite a change from the traditional "man behind cell block nine" scene.

For me, the most unique aspect of this deck is the clear recognition of the blend of elemental energies in all of the cards. The six of swords with fire in the background, the thick gray smoke churning up through the air, as the canoe is paddled quickly and quietly through the waters. A cleansing indeed, as the couple lets go of the past, and heads into the future. Or the eight of wands, where a woman is seated at the foot of her couch, bills stacked about her, cash in hand, wands in front, books in back, all on a blue carpet. Or the nine of chalices, where a woman is shopping, looking at the chalices neatly displayed behind the clerk, with swords, wands, and jars of liquid in the foreground, shadowed yet evident.

At first, I though the accompanying "lwb" (little white book) was somewhat sparse. It crams 5 languages of meaning into 63 little pages, only 12 of which are in English. While each of the major arcana have their own paragraph of interpretation, the court cards and minors are grouped by suit and/or number, and have no individual meanings outlined. After a short time, I found the wisdom in this approach - no preconceived notions to interfere with my interpretations of each cards appearance. Only the gentle guidance of a general direction of energy to bring the meaning forth.

Every tarot I own had at least several cards that don't work at all for me. This deck has none of that. Every card is a "good one", every card speaks clearly and enunciates its meaning with vigor. And unlike some of my other decks that spoke loudly at first, only to lose their energy after no more than a second glance, this deck endures. Each use brings greater detail, new discoveries, and deeper insight. I look forward to each and every reading.

Rating:
Summary: The Pagan Tarot
Review: The Pagan Tarot brings a fresh and unique approach to the tarot in general, and specifically to many of the individual cards. While based on the Rider-Waite-Smith template as far as structure is concerned, that's where the similarity ends. The imagery is totally new and often features scenes of modern daily life, yet is rich with symbolism and interpretive potential. The trump cards bear little resemblance to the historical counterparts, bringing a contemporary vision that I found curiously enticing. The court cards are renamed from pages, knights, queens, and kings to elementals, novices, initiates, and elders; another change I found that offers new insight into arguably the most difficult cards to interpret. The suits are named in a traditional fashion as pentacles, swords, wands, and chalices, corresponding respectively to earth (physical), air (mental), fire (spiritual), and water (emotional), but again with distinctively inventive scenes, familiar yet suggestive of a deeper meaning, beyond the conventional.

As its name suggests, much of the symbolism and imagery is pagan in nature, with scenes ranging from traditional Wiccan ritual to shopping at ones favorite metaphysical boutique. There is little nudity however, and I would feel comfortable using this deck to read for all but the most prudish. The religiously conservative may also find exception to a variety of the scenes, but for most typical tarot readings, this deck would suit both querent and reader quite well, regardless of background.

The standard-sized 78 card deck features a thin, white border on which the card name, number and/or suit appear at the top in English, and in Italian, French, Spanish, and German at the bottom, leaving the greater part of the card for the illustration. And illustrated they are, with sometimes totally new perspectives, or familiar symbols in different surroundings or situations.

On the familiar side, the three of swords depicts the traditional heart in which three swords are inserted. Yet below, a woman is seated at the foot of a couch on a hard, polished and tiled floor, arms wrapped around bended knees, head bowed and eyes looking down. A clear picture of an ending, a cycle's completion - in this case causing the pictured woman some amount of thoughtful introspection.

Somewhat less familiar is the Empress, depicting a child, a young woman, and an older woman all casually attired, apparently working in a home garden, planting the seeds of fruition. Maiden, Mother, and Crone, working in concert, bringing to pass the fruits of their labor. A refreshing and meaningful change from the traditional "queen" figure, seated in a throne.

Totally new is the nine of wands, depicting a scene in which a tow truck prepares to tow what would appear to be a disabled car, with the apparent owners, a young couple, paying the tow-truck driver. Quite a change from the traditional "man behind cell block nine" scene.

For me, the most unique aspect of this deck is the clear recognition of the blend of elemental energies in all of the cards. The six of swords with fire in the background, the thick gray smoke churning up through the air, as the canoe is paddled quickly and quietly through the waters. A cleansing indeed, as the couple lets go of the past, and heads into the future. Or the eight of wands, where a woman is seated at the foot of her couch, bills stacked about her, cash in hand, wands in front, books in back, all on a blue carpet. Or the nine of chalices, where a woman is shopping, looking at the chalices neatly displayed behind the clerk, with swords, wands, and jars of liquid in the foreground, shadowed yet evident.

At first, I though the accompanying "lwb" (little white book) was somewhat sparse. It crams 5 languages of meaning into 63 little pages, only 12 of which are in English. While each of the major arcana have their own paragraph of interpretation, the court cards and minors are grouped by suit and/or number, and have no individual meanings outlined. After a short time, I found the wisdom in this approach - no preconceived notions to interfere with my interpretations of each cards appearance. Only the gentle guidance of a general direction of energy to bring the meaning forth.

Every tarot I own had at least several cards that don't work at all for me. This deck has none of that. Every card is a "good one", every card speaks clearly and enunciates its meaning with vigor. And unlike some of my other decks that spoke loudly at first, only to lose their energy after no more than a second glance, this deck endures. Each use brings greater detail, new discoveries, and deeper insight. I look forward to each and every reading.