6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lo Scarabeo hits a home run!, Nov 3 2004
By Dionysius S. Badarian - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Liber T: Tarot of Stars Eternal (Cards)
I wasn't sure what to expect from this Tarot deck, but as the owner of more than 185 various Tarots, I was prepared to be underwhelmed, despite the Italian publisher Lo Scarabeo's reputation. I was wrong. This is a beautiful, if odd looking deck. The style of the artwork takes some getting used to, but anyone familiar with the Crowley/Thoth decks will have no trouble reading with this deck. They possess a rich symbology, wonderful colours, and a somewhat eerie atmosphere. I'm not sorry I added this beguiling tarot deck to my collection. I highly commend it. In the game of Tarot, with this deck, LS has hit a 'homer!
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice variation on the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot, Mar 26 2005
By R. Stewart - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Liber T: Tarot of Stars Eternal (Cards)
This deck is based card-for-card, image-for-image on the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot painted by Freida, Lady Harris. Serio is clearly a more professional artist than Lady Harris. The images here are more simplified and design-oriented than those of the original Thoth deck. But Lady Harris wins in the end for being sharper, more direct, and more evocative.
How the Liber T deck works best is in direct comparison with the Thoth deck. Examine the corresponding cards of each of the decks side-by-side to see what Serio did differently, what he emphasized, and what he downplayed. It is an instructive exercise that reveals much about both decks.
Be sure to check out his Dante deck as well.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best Thoth clones out there, Jan 15 2009
By W "Neko-san" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Liber T: Tarot of Stars Eternal (Cards)
This is a Thoth clone that deserves a special place along side the deck it is inspired on, Aliester Crowley's Thoth Tarot Deck. Roberto Nigrini's impressive creativity and Andre Serio's amazing artwork can only be fully appreciated when both decks are compared side by side.
The Major Arcana, Court Cards, and Aces in this deck are somewhat "abstracted" renditions of their counter part in the Thoth Tarot. The labeling on these cards follows Crowley's convention closely, albeit in true Lo Scarabeo fashion, these have been written in 6 different languages, four placed on the top and two on the bottom of the cards.
Where this deck departs from the traditional Thoth Tarot is in the numbered cards. These incorporate fully illustrated backgrounds rendered in the same abstract style as the Major Arcana. In some cases, the original art has been integrated into the new illustrations. These are rich with symbolism although some portray scenes of explicit nature, which may offend some. The only thing missing from this deck is the keywords written at the bottom of the cards in the Thoth Tarot.
In my opinion, this is a must-have deck for tarot collectors. It comes in its own fitting box and includes the usual Little White Book.
Other decks by Andrea Serio:
Dante Tarot