The Enchanted Tarot [Paperback]

Monte Farber and Amy Zerner are the world's most renowned creators of self-help and guidance systems. One of their most overlooked titles, "The Enchanted Tarot", is a highly regarded classic within the tarot community. Released in 1992, this book and tarot deck set set the standard for the art of tarot reading, taking readers on a journey through our dual world of The Dreaming and The Awakening, finally transcending to a higher consciousness.

The book is beautifully written by Farber, whose expertise as a proven psychic is employed in helping readers to get the most out of the tarot. He covers the various methods in utilizing this unique system for gaining insight and wisdom on how to overcome adversity and solving everyday problems in today's chaotic society through the meanings of the 78 tarot cards, which each convey a message to our conscious and unconscious selves.

The manner in which the interpretations of the cards are presented is quite different from what tarot readers are most used to. Instead of the typical upright/reversed meanings practiced by most tarot schools, Farber breaks down the interpretations into three(3) separate levels: The Dream, The Awakening, and The Enchantment. The Dream gives the symbolic meaning via a story-like narrative, The Awakening a straightforward elaboration, and The Enchantment an actual exercise to infuse positive energy into the card representing your life. Of note is the omission of the "reversed" card meaning to allay any fears and negative thoughts often associated with it, which I personally thought was a sincere and nice touch by Farber; a tarot deck which can do you no harm.

Equally impressive is Amy Zerner's colorful and richly detailed artwork, expertly lending credence to Farber's prophetic vision. The cards, although a bit oversized, are sumptuous with an Edwardian flavor that evokes a more simpler, romantic period than today's frenzied pace. The cards are also cleverly color-coded based on suit and healing power: Hearts Purple, Pentacles Green, Wands Red, and Swords Blue. What really sets The Enchanted Tarot's artwork apart from most other tarot sets is that Zerner's illustrations are not merely paintings rendered on a computer. Each image is actually a 2' X 1' fabric collage tapestry painstakingly laid out, and then sewn together in her unique, exquisite style. These gorgeous, award-winning works of art are recognized as paintings by the National Endowment for the Arts. The colorful illustrations are also well represented in the glossy high-quality book, which you don't often find in most tarot/book sets these days.

The conclusion of the book includes a short section on preparing for and doing actual readings, using the three most popular layouts in tarot: The One-Card, Three-Card, and the beloved Celtic Cross spreads. All-in-all, Farber's "The Enchanted Tarot" is a benign and gentle tarot. Zerner's stunning illustrations bring Farber's words to life and vice versa, as they complement each other. "The Enchanted Tarot" may not fall in line with those who might prefer a more traditional approach to the tarot, but with one of the highest accuracy rates in the world amongst living tarot readers, Farber's system should not be taken lightly. Instead, it should be looked upon as a consummate tool for those who are looking for self-help through alternative means. "The Enchanted Tarot" is just too damn good that I'm doing to do something which I've never done before using a 5-star rating system. I'm giving this one 6 stars with the highest recommendations. WELL DONE, MONTE AND AMY!

I have to go with the majority here in praising the artwork of these cards; with their many shapes and textures, they're undeniably gorgeous. However, for me, that may be part of the problem...there's simply too much going on in each card, with the result (for me, at least) that the artwork distracts from the meaning. I own several Tarot decks, and this is the only one that I consistently have trouble reading.

Another problem (and again, this is for me...as several reviewers have noted, each person has his/her own relationship with different decks) is that with their Victorian-type styling, they're a bit too "modern" for my taste. Anyone like me who connects strongly with mythical/folkloric archetypes may miss the more traditional symbolism that I'm used to in Tarot decks. I think that is the main reason these cards don't "speak" to me like other decks do.

Many of the reviews have mentioned the positive nature of the illustrations, and I have mixed feelings about this. This positivity does make the cards more non-threatening, but sometimes we need strong warnings about possible dire situations that may lie ahead. The Ten of Swords -should- be a frightening card, but the idea is that the cards surrounding it should give advice as to how to avoid or at least lessen the impact of the situation.

I do like the format of the book, although I have to give the same caveat as another reviewer did: Readers should read from the cards, not from the book. However, I think the exercises given in the book do help novice readers to begin to associate the meanings of the cards in their minds.

Overall, most of my problems with this deck come down to personal taste. I can certainly see why the deck has drawn so many good reviews, and again, different decks speak to different people. For me, though, this deck is in my collection merely for the artwork, since for divinatory purposes I just don't connect with it.

The Enchanted Tarot is my main deck out of the dozens I now own, and it's because the symbols are both so immediately accessible and attractive to anyone I read for, plus the images are so tactile/sensual as they are made from fabric collages. None of these cards seem "scary" to the novice, and all offer hours of fun when you study them in depth...they are subtle, sensitive, but in keeping with traditional symbolism. The cards handle well and the descriptions and meanings given are beautifully written. I particularly like the way the book is formatted with the storyline, interpretative meaning and then the "enchantment" at the end - which is like a cross between a spell and an affirmation, useful to the reader to ingrain the feeling tone and positive message of the cards. I would recommend this deck to both the experienced tarot reader and to the novice, which speaks for itself. A must-have in any collection.