The Bohemian Gothic Tarot [Cards]

Just to let everyone know who is viewing this page that this particular Deck is the 2010 STANDARD 2nd Edition Re-Print of the original 2007 Bohemian Gothic, (for which the bulk of these Reviews, prior to Sept 2010, are raving about).

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THE ORIGINAL 2007 BOHEMIAN GOTHIC CAME 3 WAYS:

1) a Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Silver Kit (only 500 printed), with black silk Tarot Bag, and extra 'Danse Macabre' card; but NO companion book, just an LWB (Little White Booklet); (the cards themselves were overlayed with silver paint);

2) a Deck and Companion Book Kit, (no silver overly, no tarot bag, and no 'Danse Macabre' card); and,

3) just the Deck with LWB (Little White Booklet).

The pictures in each version of the original are the same. The only difference is the silver-overlay of paint on the Silver Edition.

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THE 2010 RE-PRINT CAME TWO WAYS: (the deck on this page being the Standard 2010)

1) a 1,000-copy Special Edition Pewter-gilt-edged Deck with LWB, (that sold-out in six-weeks). 'Special Edition' means that Magic Realist Press reserves the right to re-print this deck at any time; whereas Limited Editions, such as the 500-copy Silver Kit above, will never be re-printed; and,

2) a Standard Deck, (no gilt-edging), with LWB of which this Amazon page pertains to. Alas, it's November 9-2010 and already the shipping dates listed are 2-5 months, which leads me to believe these are probably already sold-out.

The pictures in each version of the 2010 Re-Print are the same. The only difference is one has Pewter-gilt edging.

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COMMENTARY ON THE 2010 RE-PRINT

I, personally, have all versions of the Bohemian Gothic and love them all.

It is important to note that Karen Mahony, Designer & Alex Ukolov, Artist, (the husband and wife team that ARE both Baba Studios who create the decks, and Magic Realist Press who publishes them), have pretty much completely re-worked this 2nd Edition Bohemian Gothic deck.

The cards are brighter in their colouring making the detail much easier to see; and on many of the cards the main character has been brought more into the foreground giving them a more up-close and personal effect.

The box the cards come in, usually called a 'Tuck Box', is anything but standard fare for this new 2010 Re-Print. Instead of being the thin, flimsy cardboard box that opens at the top, (with the flaps ripping off in short-order), this is a strong, sturdy front-opening box that will stand the test of time. Oh, that ALL decks were packaged this way!

The 'Bohemian Gothic Tarot', (no matter what version you may get or be interested in getting), is THE standard by which all other so-called 'gothic' decks are compared. It is, in the truest sense, reflective of actual gothic literature and does not disappoint in the genre for which it was intended, like so many 'wannabe' gothic decks do.

....this deck is absolutely my personal favorite. I own over 1043 decks and I can say - this deck represents all a Gothic Tarot should be: deep, dark, mystical, and words left unspoken except by the interpreter. The netherworld never looked so enticing. This deck will forever be at the top of the Gothic Deck genre.
I have both the 1st and 2nd editions - BOTH are the jewels of my collection. Kudos to Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov. I could not wait and had to have the silver edition as well as the standard when it became available. Trust me when I say the standard deck is well worth adding to any collection.
I purchased multiple copies so as to have one for reading and to add to my collection.

This is a beautiful and interesting tarot. It is gothic and elegant.
This deck is not for everyone. You should love gothic and victorian style. It is not very optimistic but more dramatic, melancholic. I love it; the pictures are real art and it is a rare deck. A real collector's item!