Transformational Tarot Cards [Cards]

Before Transformational Tarot came out, the only really well-known collage deck was the Voyager, which depicts cards with a plethora of different images. I thought I didn't like collage decks based on my response to that one--too busy for me.

Ando's self-published version of Transformational was totally different--filled with exquisite and cohesive images that allowed you to enter each card wholly. As a lover of Pre-Raphaelite art, I was delighted with the beauty of the deck and bought it for that reason.

But the evocative imagery took my readings to a new level--I was constantly seeing something new, an insight-filled detail, that held just the right message for querents--and myself. Within a month, this deck became my favorite of the hundreds that I owned.

Sadly, it went out of print quickly and went for obscene sums on eBay. US Games has finally come to the rescue and reprinted it. Several of the cards have been completely re-done, and the once-playing-card-sized deck has grown to standard dimensions. There is a more cohesive feel to the deck, and the new cards are even more beautiful in some ways, because you can see them more clearly and Ando re-did each one in Photoshop in order for us to receive that clarity.

While this is definitely not a beginner's deck, I recommend it to those with an eye for beauty and anyone whose vision is fluid enough to move beyond simplistic, mundane regurgitations of traditional iconography. I know this is judgmental of me, but I believe those who can't read with this deck are lacking something pivotal that I personally require in an experienced reader--flexibility, depth, and a willingness to see beyond the rote.

Of course, I say that because this, along with the Blue Rose Tarot by Paula Gibby, are the two mainstays in my 600+ tarot collection. Transformational Tarot opened me up to collage decks and they are now my favorite kind to work with--I love fresh perspectives and the best collage decks--like this one--offer them in abundance.

I even like the Voyager Tarot more now! Transformational Tarot will open the world for you--if you let it.

A deeper appreciation of the essential spirit of this deck may very well begin with a comprehension of the defining contribution it has made toward the development of Tarot deck artistry. Arnell Ando is among a group of creatively inspired people who have taken familiar iconography, from art history to present society, and combined it in ways that manage to mainline our subconsciousness. If that weren't impressive enough, keep in mind that these collage decks were created using tangible images, cut with a sharp eye and a steady hand prior to the emerging availability and affordability of digital technology.

Openly sharing such individually personal explorations of the Tarot arcana and establishing internet presence through self-publication and various collaborative contributions, the Tarot collage work of artists such as Ando, Alexandra Genetti, Lunaea Weatherstone and Michele Jackson continues to pave the way for others to connect with the cards via an accessible means of artistic self expression.

In bringing the Transformational Tarot to a larger audience through a second and more mass-market publication, US Games has given those who missed out on the first round a great opportunity to sing along with the Tarot community's equivalent of an "Indie Alt-Rock Classic". Arnell's art dances a cool groove - confident enough to balance the pretty with the gritty and wise enough to present it's viewpoint in such a manner that consistently compels the reader to reach into their own collective experience for further interpretation of the cards.

I have discovered though my extended personal use of the first edition, the Transformational Tarot has become a special friend who never presumes to tell me what to think yet offers her invaluable support in the trust that I will learn the answer by arriving at it on my own terms. This new edition gives you a slightly bigger, slightly bolder chance to realize the Transformational power of being at peace within your own piece of mind.

The many facets of Arnell's Tarot art have long been of great inspiration for my own journey of creating Tarot imagery.

Finally, the Transformational Tarot is back in print, re-mastered by Arnell Ando and re-printed by U.S. Games. I am thrilled to have this hauntingly beautiful deck in my possession. The cards elicit uncanny synchronicities for me, I just enjoy holding them in my hands and viewing them one by one - picking up fresh details each time and marveling at the interplay of color, darkness and light in the compositions.

No `run of the mill' symbology here. Three of my favorites? If I `simply `had to' pick: `The Dreamer' (Fool) I love the movement in this card: floating bubble, circling owl, the child's soft steps in the swaying ferns. Another is `The World, this card makes me want to get out of just my `head' and into my whole body, which is often not an easy task. The golden goddess open and peaceful against the night sky - signifies for me that `all is well'. And also, one of my personal cards, `Introspection' (The Hermit). This version more than many others comes close to echoing my hermit tendencies. I especially love the white bear on this card - a hermit familiar and (synchronicity again) one of my dream totem animals! This is an altogether gorgeous and thought provoking deck.