Tarot for the more advanced
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Tarot Decks for more advanced readers
The Tarot decks displayed below are those I consider not best for a beginner.
Some have additional cards to the deck, some have renamed many of the cards and some are just plain 'different' enough from the normal Tarot so as to make them a difficult place to begin learning.
I don't necessarily want to put a beginner off buying one of these decks but if you then find you are struggling to understand the cards I suggest you buy a simpler Tarot and lay aside your more complex deck to return to it once you have grasped the fundamentals of Tarot.
Tarot for the more advanced by Katherine Carington Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 UK: Scotland License.
Based on a work at www.squidoo.com.
Haindl Tarot
Fabulous artwork draws on traditions from all points of the compass in this Tarot, with cards renamed to suit this cultural mix.
It would take a while for me to become accustomed to using this deck of cards as there is so much detail in them. Each card turned over invites hours of study - this is not a negative by any stretch of the imagination as the distinctive imagery would make reading the cards all the easier once you have got to know them.
The cards in this deck measure c 2.75 x 5 inches
The Tree of Life Tarot
This is a Tarot deck I do rather like but I hardly ever use, in spite of having owned it for the best part of twenty years (ouch has it really been that long).
As you can see in the picture, the cards are just a bit different from what you might expect and included in the correspondences displayed on the cards are, for the Major Arcana, the appropriate placement on the Tree of Life.
These cards measure a comfortable 2.75 x 4.25 inches
The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot
The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot is a beautiful deck, although I'm not sure how easy it would be for me to get past my interest in Da Vinci's artwork in order to read the cards.
Nevertheless, an inspirational deck to own.
The Bosch Tarot
This is the Bosch Tarot from Lo Scarabeo.
At approximately 2.5 inches by 4.75 inches, all the Lo Scarabeo cards I have are very comfortable in the hand, an excellent size to use.
In this deck, the illustrations are based on the works of Flemish artisit Hieronymous Bosch. The startling images are very expressive of the meanings behind the cards.
The Tarot of the Dead
The Tarot of the Dead.
I must admit, I like this querky Tarot.Certain things about it ring more true than some of its more pretentious cousins. Take card XIII for example, much more in keeping with the idea of total change or rebirth.
The cards are approximately 4.5 by 3 inches.
The Merlin Tarot
The Merlin Tarot is a partner deck to the Arthurian Tarot (see near the beginning of this lens) and a reasonably comfortable size at just a fraction over 3 inches wide and 4.5 inches long.
This deck also draws on Arthurian legend for its inspirational imagery.
The Arthurian Tarot
The Arthurian Tarot is a partner to the Merlin deck and is illustrated in a similar Celtic / Pagan style.
The cards measure 3 by 4.75 inches, which is on the limit of comfort for my small hands.
Gothic Tarot of Vampires
Here we have the Gothic Tarot of Vampires, another deck from Lo Scarabeo so made in a very comfortable 2.5 x 4.75 inch size.
The images are quite striking and I am certain that many folks would enjoy this Tarot deck. I find it difficult to relate to, some of the images are somewhat shocking, however, it definitely lives up to its title.
Native American Tarot
The Native American Tarot is another Lo Scarabeo deck and, as you may expect, the artwork is superb throughout.
Each different deck will appeal more or less to a user and it's important to try and get a feel for any deck before you buy. Sadly this isn't very easy to achieve as there are (you may be realising this) literally many hundreds of decks to choose from.
The usual size of Lo Scarabeo decks, these are very comfortable in the hand for shuffling and spreading.
The Elemental Tarot
The Elemental Tarot is an interesting deck, published 20 years ago (1988) and if bought as a set, it came with a beautiful little hardback book which I have sometimes seen available seperately.
At 3.25 by 5 inches, I find these cards a little large for me but they would be very suitable for larger hands.
The Viking Tarot
The Viking Tarot is another in the Lo Scarabeo range of Tarot decks.
At c 2.5 by 4.75 inches this is again a very comfortable deck to handle and the striking imagery lends itself well to interpretation.
The Shakespearian Tarot
The Shakesperian Tarot.
This is a very nice Tarot deck, the cards measuring just under 2.5 by 4.5 inches, a very manageable size.
In this fully illustrated deck we see characters from Shakespeare's works and each card carries an appropriate quotation from one of Shakespeare's plays. The imagery and meaning of each card is fully explained in the book which accompanies the cards and this book gives a quite fascinating trip through history and references the modern Hollywood interpretations of Shakespeare's works.
The six of orbs, for example, is a portrait of a fairy accompanied by a quote from a song sung by one of the fairies serving Queen Titania ...
I do wander everywhere
swifter than the moon's sphere
And I serve the fairy Queen
to dew her orbs upon the green.
... the quote given on the card is the final line of that small verse.
Perhaps it would help the Tarot reader using this deck to have some knowledge of Shakespeare's works but enough id given in the book to whet the appetite.
The Dragon Tarot
The Dragon Tarot from US Games Systems is a stunning deck with fully illustrated Minor Arcana cards.
At 2.75 by a fraction short of 4.5 inches in measurement, they are a good size to handle but I do have one beef with this particular deck, the box they come in is actually too small.
The box appears to be exactly the same size as the cards and when I first unwrapped the deck it seemed as if there was something wrong, no-matter how I tried, I couldn't get the cards apart.
Much patience and not a little daring, finally saw the cards seperated. It appears the whole deck had been vacuum packed to get it into the box. Of course, It means that once you have that minute layer of air between the cards it is almost impossible to get them back into the box.
This, of course, is rather a minor point since most of us have a bag, cloth or box in which we would keep our main deck(s).
But most of us don't have as many Tarot decks as I do. It is something to bear in mind though as if you buy this deck (and US Games Systems are still using this packaging) you will probably want to also buy a bag/cloth/box to keep them in.
It is fair to say that if you discard the instruction leaflet there is less trouble getting the cards back into the original box.
The Atavist Tarot
The Atavist Tarot.
This Tarot is an awkward size for me, at 3.5 by 5 inches I find shuffling very difficult but I do have small hands.
The imagery in this deck has a distinctly modern flavour and may not be to everyone's taste but there is certainly a place for this Tarot among the rest.
The Ramses Tarot of Eternity
There are quite a number of Tarot decks based on Ancient Egyptian images, this is the Ramses Tarot from Lo Scarabeo.
Striking and evocative imagery of Ancient Egyptian life convey the meanings of the cards well and the fully illustrated Minor Arcana assist beginners in interpreting the cards.
Measuring c 2.5 by 4.75 inches, this is a comfortable deck to handle.
Tarot of the Old Path
The Tarot of the Old Path is an AG Muller deck.
Subtitled the Magic Tarot of Female Energies and Wisdom, this is a popular deck which draws on Wiccan influences and the artwork is worthy of considerable study to assimilate all the symbolism included.
Fully illustrated Minor Arcana cards aid interpretation.
c 2.75 by 4 inches in size, these cards are towards the limit of comfort for my small hands.
The Celtic Wisdom Tarot
The Celtic Wisdom Tarot offers readers a portable oracle, intended to empower the individual.
These cards depict archetypes and aspects of the Celtic Otherworld.
A fascinating deck although, at 3.5 by 5.5 inches in size, I find this deck a little too large for me to handle comfortably.
Grand Etteilla Egyptian Gypsies Tarot
Grand Etteilla Egyptian Gypsies Tarot comes with a comprehensive booklet of c. 120 pages, quite a refreshing change from a small box as usually the booklets only give brief meanings and a very short history of Tarot.
There is (for me) one drawback to this Tarot and that is the thickness of the cards.
While the individual cards measure a comfortable enough 2.5 by 4.75 inches, the BP Grimaud deck I have is a full 1.5 inches thick in new condition. This makes the stretch to shuffle them too much for comfort for my hands and my fingers don't reach to cover all the cards - kind of awkward.
Other than that, it is a very interesting deck and may be more suited to study rather than cartomancy.
The Afro-Brazilian Tarot
Another beautifully illustrated deck from Lo Scarabeo, the Afro-Brazilian Tarot employs stunning images and draws on the Yoruban religion and Brazilian Candomble.
A very comfortable 2.5 by 4.75 inches, this Tarot has a fully illustrated Minor Arcana to aid interpretation of the spread.
The Napo Tarot
The Napo Tarot is based on Argentinian myth, culture and history and is produced by US Games Systems.
Named after the Argentinian artist, Napo, whose striking artwork illuminates the Minor as well as Major Arcana, this deck measures 2.75 by almost 5 inches and is quite comfortable to handle.
The Medieval Tarot
Drawing its inspiration from the Middle Ages, this deck has rich imagery of everyday life. The deck is a delight to use and conveys the meanings of the cards very eloquently.
These cards are approximately 5.25 x 2.75 inches.
The African-American Tarot
The African-American Tarot is yet another deck from Lo Scarabeo.
The Minor Arcana in this deck is fully illustrated and many of these cards would easily stand alone as artworks. The illustrations certainly do justice to the meanings of the cards in divination.
A beautiful deck of cards measuring c 2.5 by 4.75 inches, very comfortable to handle.
The Tarot of the Gnomes
The Tarot of the Gnomes is a fun deck with some surprising imagery amongst its cards.
I would not recommend this deck for a beginner as I feel it would be hard work for a novice to understand and follow the story the cards tell.
The size is comfortable in this Lo Scarabeo deck, c 2.5 by 4.75 inches.
This lens belongs to ...
Please feel free to leave your comments
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DaveHiggsVis May 18, 2011 @ 5:58 am | delete
- No Crowley-Thoth?
I love the look of The Bosch Tarot. It feels like a ridiculously powerful deck, at least from where I am.
Bravo on a fantastic lens!
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0ctavias0fferings
May 18, 2011 @ 6:12 am | delete
- The Thoth Tarot is on another of my Tarot lenses :) I didn't want to duplicate too many of the decks and I consider the Crowley deck is one of the best for study, rather than for readings, as the depth to the cards is still unrivalled.
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KDimmick
Jan 20, 2011 @ 3:52 pm | delete
- Wow I like the look of the Bosch Deck and the Merlin Deck. Never seen those before and they look very easy to understand
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LadyJasmine
Jan 15, 2011 @ 9:38 pm | delete
- Wow. The pictures are great. Awesome lens, guess I'm just going to have to lensroll and bless you twice! :-)
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theraggededge
Jan 12, 2011 @ 4:22 pm | delete
- Oooh, I have lots of those. Have you ever tried to work out the Shakespearian Tarot? Extremely unconventional and virtually impossible to read with unless you are an intuitive. Have you got Songs for the Journey Home? Quite advanced but stunning in its simplicity. Fabulous lens!
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