The Tarot Set

Rating:
Summary: Definitely worth the cost
Review: I had read a few reviews of Jane Lyle's work and remembered that she was generally highly recommended. I concur. The book that accompanies this set is worth the price tag. I have plenty of books on tarot and card interpretation. This one is definitely one of the best. The focus here is simple: card meanings. There are a few spreads and some other information at the end of the book, but it is in the interpretation of the cards that the book shines. She does not go into the history of the tarot or other information that many books contain, which might be interesting but not particularly necessary. The only weakness in that area, in my view, is in the section on court cards, which was skimpy and lacked depth. Each card meaning is given in upright and reversed positions.

It is also a good thing that the book is so strong, because the deck that is included isn't the greatest. It is a Marseille deck, and the cards are cheaply made. They are usable, but that's about it. (The pip cards in the Marseille deck, unlike many others, give no indication of the meaning of the card - one must memorize the symbolism from other sources.) They are not well colored and the cardboard is not something that will hold up. Also, I have small hands and found them hard to manage.

If the cards were just a little nicer I would have given this set five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Not all that great...
Review: The book is good but the cards are terrible!The art isn't even close to that of other decks and when reading the cards it becomes difficult to tell if the wands and swords are reversed or not.If you get this set,get it for the book,not the cards.My suggestion is to get at least one other deck,if your a beginner at tarot though you need to be very careful when selecting a deck,look for one you like thats hopefully a beginner's deck.If you buy a difficult to read tarot deck you'll regret it...

Rating:
Summary: A bargain at this price
Review: The deck, though inexpensively printed, is the star attraction here. What you get is a very standard historical reproduction of a Nicholas Conver style Tarot de Marseille, which was originally printed in 1760. Other reprints of this deck are available, but the one in this set is the least expensive. This is a historically accurate and traditional deck which has not been remade after the image of any group's specific teachings. The deck was originally made for playing a card game, and came to the attention of occultists shortly before the French Revolution. This is the deck that stands at the root of all subsequent esoteric systems; the symbols they contain begin here.

Jane Lyle's book, unfortunately, while good enough in itself, is a poor fit for the deck. She gives mostly Rider-Waite-Smith meanings for the cards without the "training wheels" of the Rider-Waite-Smith illustrated pip cards. For a beginner, using that system with these cards is going to involve a lot of memorization. For learning to read the Tarot de Marseille, a system based on numerology would be more appropriate. The French "tirage en croix" system, which uses only the trump cards, could also be taught with this deck. I gather that the book and deck were put together as a marketing decision. Still, it's an excellent deck, and a fairly good beginner's book, but the unique virtues of the deck are not mirrored in the book.