Gummy Bear Tarot [Cards]

I really like this deck for a numer of reason. I can relate to bears and the cute candy figures are irresistable. While I haven't done any readings with this deck of cards as of yet I was impressed how they retained the Original Rider Waite Smith format. Other's I've discussed the deck with like the Little White Book and have found the "Tasks" section for each card useful.

I'd reccomend this deck for people who want a cheery deck that still retains much of the more meaningful symbolism.

These tarot cards are wonderful! Great illustrations and meanings. The colorful tin container keeps them from getting bent. Can't say enough nice things about these cards.

Ah, ya gotta love the Gummy Bear Tarot. I don't like eating gummy bears, but as tarot characters, they are simply irresistible! First of all, it's one of the decks US Games has packaged in a tin, which is such a brilliant idea. And like the other tarot-in-a-tin decks (Vanessa and Halloween), the deck is pocket sized and printed on matte card stock. So right out of the gate, it's got three things going for it. And we haven't even gotten to the reading of the cards yet.

The Gummy Bear Tarot follows the traditional RWS imagery so it is ready to read right out of the box. The vibrant colors and G-rated illustrations make it ideal for children or those less comfortable with the "scarier" images in traditional tarot. It's also a great deck for when you want truthful readings, but you want them presented in a more light-hearted manner. For example, I had a particularly difficult week, and I wanted to use a deck that would lift my spirits, while not necessarily sugar coating the readings. This was the perfect choice, and it did just that.

You would think that with such a silly premise, this feel-good deck wouldn't be able to provide serious readings. You would be mistaken. This deck speaks in a very easy manner, and is very straightforward in its messages. I can see it easily being used for every day reading.

The LWB is great too. It is deck-specific and provides interesting insights into the cards. What I love about it is that they don't give the usual "upright" and "reversed" meanings. Instead, they provide "strengths" and "weaknesses" for each card, so if you don't read reversals you can still get a full, balanced sense of each card. Also, each strength and weakness is accompanied by a wise (and often humorous) saying and a task.

Here's an example excerpt:

TEN OF WANDS
A bear carries ten wands through a lovely landscape to his home. he has difficulties holding onto the wands; they might fall at any moment.

*STRENGTHS: Courage. Willingness to take on responsibility and risks. Not afraid of big tasks. Enjoys testing limits. Willingness to start over. Only by risking failure do we learn the secret of success.

*WEAKNESSES: Pressuring yourself High expectations. Unwilling to say no. Unable to see past problems. Overwhelmed. Not knowing where to start. No one is useless. You can always serve as a bad example to others.

*TASK: To set priorities.

I love the simplicity of many of the cards, such as the Hanged Man. You get the idea behind the card with none of the excess frivolity. A hanged gummy bear with a none-too-pleased expression on his face. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Ten of Swords, which is sometimes a bloody card in other decks, is depicted here in a true manner so that you understand what is going on, but it's not overly graphic. Knowing the texture of a gummy bear, you know firsthand just how the swords feel, punctured in its mushy body. You get the effect without the gore.

I think the Gummy Bear Tarot is a great all-purpose deck. It has surprised me by sneaking into my list of favorite reading decks. It's kid-friendly, it's adult-friendly, what more could you want?

Suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, Pentacles
Court Titles: Page, Knight, Queen, King
Justice/Strength: Strength 8, Justice 11
Cards: 78
Card Size: 2 3/8" x 3 3/4"
Card stock: Matte
Backs: Reversible
Deck-specific LWB: Yes

To see images of the cards and readings I've done with the deck, visit my blog under "Categories: Deck: Gummy Bear".

~Kiki (TarotDame.com)