This long-awaited project combines Wiccan traditions with modern lifestyles. Based on elemental dignities and the traditional Tarot structure, it portrays the experiences of the modern Witch and pagan priestess. We see the challenging but successful mixing of mundane life and problems with spiritual life and inner growth. This deck is a must for those following the Wiccan path.
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Since 1987, Art Publisher Lo Scarabeo has published over 100 Tarot decks that have been acclaimed all over the world for originality and quality. Only the best Italian and International artists are selected for our new decks, and the result is that Lo Scarabeo's decks are all recognizable as an exceptional artistic value.TraditionOne of Lo Scarabeo's goals is the preservation of traditional Tarot decks.DevelopmentNew decks and ideas are continually gathered from all over the world. This allows Lo Scarabeo to produce some of the most innovative decks available today.QualityLo Scarabeo is committed to ever increasing quality and beauty of their products.Distribution*Llewellyn is the exclusive distributor of Lo Scarabeo products in North America.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By nexy jo
Format:Cards
The Pagan Tarot brings a fresh and unique approach to the tarot in general, and specifically to many of the individual cards. While based on the Rider-Waite-Smith template as far as structure is concerned, that's where the similarity ends. The imagery is totally new and often features scenes of modern daily life, yet is rich with symbolism and interpretive potential. The trump cards bear little resemblance to the historical counterparts, bringing a contemporary vision that I found curiously enticing. The court cards are renamed from pages, knights, queens, and kings to elementals, novices, initiates, and elders; another change I found that offers new insight into arguably the most difficult cards to interpret. The suits are named in a traditional fashion as pentacles, swords, wands, and chalices, corresponding respectively to earth (physical), air (mental), fire (spiritual), and water (emotional), but again with distinctively inventive scenes, familiar yet suggestive of a deeper meaning, beyond the conventional.
As its name suggests, much of the symbolism and imagery is pagan in nature, with scenes ranging from traditional Wiccan ritual to shopping at ones favorite metaphysical boutique. There is little nudity however, and I would feel comfortable using this deck to read for all but the most prudish. The religiously conservative may also find exception to a variety of the scenes, but for most typical tarot readings, this deck would suit both querent and reader quite well, regardless of background.
The standard-sized 78 card deck features a thin, white border on which the card name, number and/or suit appear at the top in English, and in Italian, French, Spanish, and German at the bottom, leaving the greater part of the card for the illustration. And illustrated they are, with sometimes totally new perspectives, or familiar symbols in different surroundings or situations.
On the familiar side, the three of swords depicts the traditional heart in which three swords are inserted. Yet below, a woman is seated at the foot of a couch on a hard, polished and tiled floor, arms wrapped around bended knees, head bowed and eyes looking down. A clear picture of an ending, a cycle's completion - in this case causing the pictured woman some amount of thoughtful introspection.
Somewhat less familiar is the Empress, depicting a child, a young woman, and an older woman all casually attired, apparently working in a home garden, planting the seeds of fruition. Maiden, Mother, and Crone, working in concert, bringing to pass the fruits of their labor. A refreshing and meaningful change from the traditional "queen" figure, seated in a throne.
Totally new is the nine of wands, depicting a scene in which a tow truck prepares to tow what would appear to be a disabled car, with the apparent owners, a young couple, paying the tow-truck driver. Quite a change from the traditional "man behind cell block nine" scene.
For me, the most unique aspect of this deck is the clear recognition of the blend of elemental energies in all of the cards. The six of swords with fire in the background, the thick gray smoke churning up through the air, as the canoe is paddled quickly and quietly through the waters. A cleansing indeed, as the couple lets go of the past, and heads into the future. Or the eight of wands, where a woman is seated at the foot of her couch, bills stacked about her, cash in hand, wands in front, books in back, all on a blue carpet. Or the nine of chalices, where a woman is shopping, looking at the chalices neatly displayed behind the clerk, with swords, wands, and jars of liquid in the foreground, shadowed yet evident.
At first, I though the accompanying "lwb" (little white book) was somewhat sparse. It crams 5 languages of meaning into 63 little pages, only 12 of which are in English. While each of the major arcana have their own paragraph of interpretation, the court cards and minors are grouped by suit and/or number, and have no individual meanings outlined. After a short time, I found the wisdom in this approach - no preconceived notions to interfere with my interpretations of each cards appearance. Only the gentle guidance of a general direction of energy to bring the meaning forth.
Every tarot I own had at least several cards that don't work at all for me. This deck has none of that. Every card is a "good one", every card speaks clearly and enunciates its meaning with vigor. And unlike some of my other decks that spoke loudly at first, only to lose their energy after no more than a second glance, this deck endures. Each use brings greater detail, new discoveries, and deeper insight. I look forward to each and every reading.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.9 out of 5 stars
8 reviews
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Pagan Tarot
May 14 2004
By nexy jo
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Cards
The Pagan Tarot brings a fresh and unique approach to the tarot in general, and specifically to many of the individual cards. While based on the Rider-Waite-Smith template as far as structure is concerned, that's where the similarity ends. The imagery is totally new and often features scenes of modern daily life, yet is rich with symbolism and interpretive potential. The trump cards bear little resemblance to the historical counterparts, bringing a contemporary vision that I found curiously enticing. The court cards are renamed from pages, knights, queens, and kings to elementals, novices, initiates, and elders; another change I found that offers new insight into arguably the most difficult cards to interpret. The suits are named in a traditional fashion as pentacles, swords, wands, and chalices, corresponding respectively to earth (physical), air (mental), fire (spiritual), and water (emotional), but again with distinctively inventive scenes, familiar yet suggestive of a deeper meaning, beyond the conventional.
As its name suggests, much of the symbolism and imagery is pagan in nature, with scenes ranging from traditional Wiccan ritual to shopping at ones favorite metaphysical boutique. There is little nudity however, and I would feel comfortable using this deck to read for all but the most prudish. The religiously conservative may also find exception to a variety of the scenes, but for most typical tarot readings, this deck would suit both querent and reader quite well, regardless of background.
The standard-sized 78 card deck features a thin, white border on which the card name, number and/or suit appear at the top in English, and in Italian, French, Spanish, and German at the bottom, leaving the greater part of the card for the illustration. And illustrated they are, with sometimes totally new perspectives, or familiar symbols in different surroundings or situations.
On the familiar side, the three of swords depicts the traditional heart in which three swords are inserted. Yet below, a woman is seated at the foot of a couch on a hard, polished and tiled floor, arms wrapped around bended knees, head bowed and eyes looking down. A clear picture of an ending, a cycle's completion - in this case causing the pictured woman some amount of thoughtful introspection.
Somewhat less familiar is the Empress, depicting a child, a young woman, and an older woman all casually attired, apparently working in a home garden, planting the seeds of fruition. Maiden, Mother, and Crone, working in concert, bringing to pass the fruits of their labor. A refreshing and meaningful change from the traditional "queen" figure, seated in a throne.
Totally new is the nine of wands, depicting a scene in which a tow truck prepares to tow what would appear to be a disabled car, with the apparent owners, a young couple, paying the tow-truck driver. Quite a change from the traditional "man behind cell block nine" scene.
For me, the most unique aspect of this deck is the clear recognition of the blend of elemental energies in all of the cards. The six of swords with fire in the background, the thick gray smoke churning up through the air, as the canoe is paddled quickly and quietly through the waters. A cleansing indeed, as the couple lets go of the past, and heads into the future. Or the eight of wands, where a woman is seated at the foot of her couch, bills stacked about her, cash in hand, wands in front, books in back, all on a blue carpet. Or the nine of chalices, where a woman is shopping, looking at the chalices neatly displayed behind the clerk, with swords, wands, and jars of liquid in the foreground, shadowed yet evident.
At first, I though the accompanying "lwb" (little white book) was somewhat sparse. It crams 5 languages of meaning into 63 little pages, only 12 of which are in English. While each of the major arcana have their own paragraph of interpretation, the court cards and minors are grouped by suit and/or number, and have no individual meanings outlined. After a short time, I found the wisdom in this approach - no preconceived notions to interfere with my interpretations of each cards appearance. Only the gentle guidance of a general direction of energy to bring the meaning forth.
Every tarot I own had at least several cards that don't work at all for me. This deck has none of that. Every card is a "good one", every card speaks clearly and enunciates its meaning with vigor. And unlike some of my other decks that spoke loudly at first, only to lose their energy after no more than a second glance, this deck endures. Each use brings greater detail, new discoveries, and deeper insight. I look forward to each and every reading.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
New and Interesting
Oct 5 2004
By Wildaseel
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Cards|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this deck on the review alone and I am quite pleased with it. This deck depicts modern settings as well as Pagan rituals. The artwork is great and the little white book that comes with the deck is informative when you get stuck regarding the meaning of a card.
The only perplexing card in the deck was Key #16 The Tower, which depicts a young woman dressed in ceremonial robes turning away from two nude couples engaged in sexual activity. I was stunned by the overt sexuality in this card and wondered how it related to the conventional meaning of the Tower card. I took this deck to my Pagan/Wiccan circle and passed it around. Every person there generally liked the deck but also questioned the Tower card.
The little white booklet said of the Tower card, "If we do not relinquish the path of baser nature, if we continue to act in ways that are not in our greatest good, the Tower tears down those things that are dangerous to us, and forces us to confront the reality before us." Ok so is it saying that sex is "base"? I don't buy into that. But I do like they way the booklet explained. I just don't think the meaning presented in the booklet goes along very well with the actual picture on the card. And why was it pictured like that anyway? I just have questions.
If this doesn't bother you then I suggest you buy this deck. I actually really like it but I just wanted to give you a clear picture of this issue as I wasn't the only one perplexed by the Tower card in my circle. It could just be a message for me that I need to figure out. After all, this was the first card I drew from this deck in my daily Tarot card drawing. :-)
*I'm adding/editing this to say that with the input of the artist/creator of the Pagan tarot I have discovered the meaning behind the picture in the Tower card. The young robed woman depicted turning away is the seeker who has decided that this coven she has joined is not for her. They are about having sex, not spirituality, and she is searching for a deeper meaning. She has had an epiphany which is what the tower is all about. She is then able to turn to the "right" path which is shown in the next card, The Star. She is being led by the Goddess. As I lay out the Major arcana, side by side in sequence, I can see the story of the seeker developing, changing, and coming to a conclusion. I didn't quite see this before. (Guess I had an epiphany too!) Now I would like to have a book to accompany this deck. The more I look at it the more I would love to read about it and all the stories each card presents! The cards are very detailed and I see several stories at once. I can now recommend this deck 100% Thanks for reading this far. End of edit*
Blessings
Wildaseel ForestMoon
The only perplexing card in the deck was Key #16 The Tower, which depicts a young woman dressed in ceremonial robes turning away from two nude couples engaged in sexual activity. I was stunned by the overt sexuality in this card and wondered how it related to the conventional meaning of the Tower card. I took this deck to my Pagan/Wiccan circle and passed it around. Every person there generally liked the deck but also questioned the Tower card.
The little white booklet said of the Tower card, "If we do not relinquish the path of baser nature, if we continue to act in ways that are not in our greatest good, the Tower tears down those things that are dangerous to us, and forces us to confront the reality before us." Ok so is it saying that sex is "base"? I don't buy into that. But I do like they way the booklet explained. I just don't think the meaning presented in the booklet goes along very well with the actual picture on the card. And why was it pictured like that anyway? I just have questions.
If this doesn't bother you then I suggest you buy this deck. I actually really like it but I just wanted to give you a clear picture of this issue as I wasn't the only one perplexed by the Tower card in my circle. It could just be a message for me that I need to figure out. After all, this was the first card I drew from this deck in my daily Tarot card drawing. :-)
*I'm adding/editing this to say that with the input of the artist/creator of the Pagan tarot I have discovered the meaning behind the picture in the Tower card. The young robed woman depicted turning away is the seeker who has decided that this coven she has joined is not for her. They are about having sex, not spirituality, and she is searching for a deeper meaning. She has had an epiphany which is what the tower is all about. She is then able to turn to the "right" path which is shown in the next card, The Star. She is being led by the Goddess. As I lay out the Major arcana, side by side in sequence, I can see the story of the seeker developing, changing, and coming to a conclusion. I didn't quite see this before. (Guess I had an epiphany too!) Now I would like to have a book to accompany this deck. The more I look at it the more I would love to read about it and all the stories each card presents! The cards are very detailed and I see several stories at once. I can now recommend this deck 100% Thanks for reading this far. End of edit*
Blessings
Wildaseel ForestMoon
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unusual Modern Deck
Nov 9 2005
By Janet Boyer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Cards
"This entirely new tarot deck is illustrated with scenes from the life of a modern pagan or Wiccan. Neopaganism and Wicca/Witchcraft are growing spiritual influences in America as well as the rest of the world..." - From the L(ittle) W(hite) B(ook) of the Pagan Tarot
The Pagan Tarot, designed by Gina Pace and illustrated by Luca Raimondo and Cristiano Spadoni, intends to mirror the religious journey of Wicca. This modern deck takes a page from both everyday living as well as religious ritual, depicting the life of a Witch whose spirituality and daily life flow in harmony. Computers, shopping carts, telephones, armoires and cars meld with robes, ritual tools, and elementals for a most unusual deck.
The Major Arcana follows Tarot tradition, as does the suits of Wands, Chalices, Pentacles, and Swords. However, Gina changes the Court Cards to reflect the energy inherent in the Pagan and Wiccan spiritual system: Pages become Elementals (Fire=Salamander, Earth=Gnome, Air=Sylph, Water=Undine), Novice replaces Knight, Queens convert to Initiate, and Elder replaces King.
Brief and basic, the contents of the LWB are in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German as is customary with Lo Scarabeo companion booklets. A brief overview of Major and Minor Arcana functions are given, as well as a paragraph on each of the Majors. Gina describes the symbolism of the four Minor suits and the numbers one through ten. As such, there isn't a breakdown of each card meaning or reversed positions.
Being non-Wiccan, I was not optimistic regarding meaningful readings with the Pagan Tarot-especially with the Court cards or those featuring robed figures. Yet, I performed two readings for myself and found them quite insightful. Most of the images are a snapshot of individuals in action, so they're very inviting in terms of extrapolating meaning and applying personal symbolism. (Note: the last card of my 3-card reading was the Novice of Pentacles and I said to myself "I'm going to be getting some unexpected money". Turns out that my husband *just* came home from work having stopped at the Post Office before he arrived. Guess what was in the mail? A very unexpected and surprising check from our bank for $66.10!)
While the card imagery is quite animated, some of them prove problematic. For example, The Tower depicts two nude couples groping at one another in the moonlight while a fully clothed young woman has her back to them. Because the traditional meanings of the cards are given in the LWB as opposed to Gina's take on the design choices, I'm left in the dark as to what this depiction could possibly mean. It's my understanding, though, that she's working on a companion book to the deck, so it will be interesting to see what she had in mind for several of the images.
Unfortunately, the card backing is non-reversible, portraying The World and a framed design in an unattractive green. In addition, some of the illustrations appear dated: cars, telephones, and office furniture seem snatched out of the 1980's.
As soon as I opened the Pagan Tarot, the images intrigued me. I especially liked The Hermit, shown as a woman surrounded by books, burning the proverbial midnight oil. Because I'm not Wiccan, I can't predict how adherents to this religion will receive this deck. However, as a non-Wiccan, I found most images easy to relate to; more importantly, they provided accurate insights when reading for myself (no small feat!). Despite its readability, this deck won't be one I read with on a regular basis.
(To see 9 card images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at [...])
The Pagan Tarot, designed by Gina Pace and illustrated by Luca Raimondo and Cristiano Spadoni, intends to mirror the religious journey of Wicca. This modern deck takes a page from both everyday living as well as religious ritual, depicting the life of a Witch whose spirituality and daily life flow in harmony. Computers, shopping carts, telephones, armoires and cars meld with robes, ritual tools, and elementals for a most unusual deck.
The Major Arcana follows Tarot tradition, as does the suits of Wands, Chalices, Pentacles, and Swords. However, Gina changes the Court Cards to reflect the energy inherent in the Pagan and Wiccan spiritual system: Pages become Elementals (Fire=Salamander, Earth=Gnome, Air=Sylph, Water=Undine), Novice replaces Knight, Queens convert to Initiate, and Elder replaces King.
Brief and basic, the contents of the LWB are in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German as is customary with Lo Scarabeo companion booklets. A brief overview of Major and Minor Arcana functions are given, as well as a paragraph on each of the Majors. Gina describes the symbolism of the four Minor suits and the numbers one through ten. As such, there isn't a breakdown of each card meaning or reversed positions.
Being non-Wiccan, I was not optimistic regarding meaningful readings with the Pagan Tarot-especially with the Court cards or those featuring robed figures. Yet, I performed two readings for myself and found them quite insightful. Most of the images are a snapshot of individuals in action, so they're very inviting in terms of extrapolating meaning and applying personal symbolism. (Note: the last card of my 3-card reading was the Novice of Pentacles and I said to myself "I'm going to be getting some unexpected money". Turns out that my husband *just* came home from work having stopped at the Post Office before he arrived. Guess what was in the mail? A very unexpected and surprising check from our bank for $66.10!)
While the card imagery is quite animated, some of them prove problematic. For example, The Tower depicts two nude couples groping at one another in the moonlight while a fully clothed young woman has her back to them. Because the traditional meanings of the cards are given in the LWB as opposed to Gina's take on the design choices, I'm left in the dark as to what this depiction could possibly mean. It's my understanding, though, that she's working on a companion book to the deck, so it will be interesting to see what she had in mind for several of the images.
Unfortunately, the card backing is non-reversible, portraying The World and a framed design in an unattractive green. In addition, some of the illustrations appear dated: cars, telephones, and office furniture seem snatched out of the 1980's.
As soon as I opened the Pagan Tarot, the images intrigued me. I especially liked The Hermit, shown as a woman surrounded by books, burning the proverbial midnight oil. Because I'm not Wiccan, I can't predict how adherents to this religion will receive this deck. However, as a non-Wiccan, I found most images easy to relate to; more importantly, they provided accurate insights when reading for myself (no small feat!). Despite its readability, this deck won't be one I read with on a regular basis.
(To see 9 card images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at [...])
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4.9 out of 5 stars
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