[.ca] Tarot with Cards (ISBN 0785819053)

It has its charms:
I bought this because I was deceived by the attractive pictures of the BACK of the cards (a lovely green "snowflake" on deep blue). The cards and accompanying deck are enclosed in a very attractive folding cardboard case that ties shut. The cards themselves have very simple, brightly coloured diagram-like pictures with absolutely no esoteric content. The pip cards are simply illustrated, with little or no connection to the standard Rider-Waite sort of meanings, so you'd have to have their meanings already memorized. The accompanying book, a well made 114-page hardback, is similarly slick; a page per card, with small picture, simple meaning, brief reversed meaning, and a "reflection"--for the High Priestess, it's "Am I able to see other people's true character or just their facade?" A few spreads and a little history are described. The Chariot becomes The Hero, and shows a little guy in a balloon. Those who cut their teeth on the Thoth deck will consider this the sort of deck that the folks at Aeclectic.net contemptuously dismiss as "a gift shop tarot". Real beginners will do better with a Rider Waite clone until they learn the minors. Having said all this, I really like the deck. The slick cards, though sturdy, are easy to shuffle, and the art is the kind I find appealing. For those who dislike gooey sentiment, this is a fine choice.