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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Unique Tarot...Surreal But Not Unlovely, Sep 29 2002
Let's deal with this deck's ridiculous title first and get that out of the way. There is no reason to have called it The Tarot of the Witches because it has no more to do specifically with witches than the average Tarot deck that uses Judeo-Christian symbolism. That would be similar to the idea of calling it the Tarot of the Gypsies or the Romany because there is a stereotype that these people use Tarot so it makes the deck sound all the more mysterious. The deck was originally called the James Bond 007 Tarot because Stuart Kaplan cut a deal with the artist Fergus Hall and obtained the rights for worldwide distribution and for using it in a James Bond film. The guide book that comes with the deck does not comment on how the name changed to The Tarot of the Witches. Suffice it to say, it is a meaningless title and move forward.
My chief complaint about this deck is that the pip cards are not individually illustrated but are of the type where the suit's symbol is repeated the corresponding number of times to indicate the number of the card. There is a characteristic symbol for each suit. The meanings attributed to the suits are somewhat different from the classic and perhaps more familiar ones. Cups are said to represent happiness, gaiety, and joy as well as passion and religion. Coins are said to represent opportunity, money, material gain, and deep sensitivity and involvment. Batons are said to represent the laborer and worker, modest and humble people, progress, animation, etc. while Swords are said to represent courage, boldness, force, strength, agression and ambition. It is my feeling that since the meanings of the suits are spelled out so specifically by this deck's creator the pip cards need further illustration or how are we to decide, for example, if the Two of Swords, in this deck, means agression and ambition or if perhaps the Five of Swords is more likely to mean that, or neither or both. How are we to delineate the meanings? I see confusion of symbolism between this deck's Coins and Batons and the Pentacles and Wands of decks that I use more frequently. While the traditonal Cups certainly deal with the realm of the emotions, that is not to say that they are all about happiness and gaiety. Illustrations would be a great aid in understanding these cards if the artist and author wishes to adapt the traditional symbolism to such a degree. Of course, we are always able to adapt our own knowledge and intuition to fit the cards, but if one is trying to be true to the artist's purpose it would certainly help if the artist were less obtuse.
Last, on the subject of the appearance of the Major Arcana and the Court cards. Beauty is, as they say, in the eye of the beholder. Many people find these cards ugly. I find that description ridiculously simplistic. The style of art is a modified Surrealism and I find all of the cards interesting and many of them to be beautiful. The book that accompanies this deck is a rare one for its type in that it contains the artist's own painstaking description of each card and his personal symbolic intent for each aspect of a given card. The colors are vivid, the artistry is abundant and the symbolism is thought-provoking. At first glance they may appear simple but if you take time with this deck and read the artist's intended meanings almost as though you are dialoguing with the artist they will reveal to you some profound insights. Please do not dismiss them because they are unfamiliar. This is decidely Fergus Hall's Tarot, not yours, not Waite's, not Crowley's, not Robin Wood's. So have the courtesy to learn the rules of that universe if you presume to enter it. Hall has thoroughly enjoyed himself in creating these cards and has hidden his love of poetry in some of the cards. For example in the Hermit card, the man is holding a small book with the words to one of Hall's poems, so small that they are illegible to the naked eye. The pages read, "Never Try To Ta-Too A Butterfly. Its Lines Are Far Too Fine And Hard To Find. Never Try To Bake An Angels Birthday Cake. When You've Opened It They've Gone Leaving Their Song." Absurd? Yes, Indeed! This deck is a lot of fun, in my opinion, but one definitely needs to take time with it and one must be willing to make the aquaintance of Mr. Hall and allow him to tour you through the Fun House. Any Tarot deck is only as good as your ability to work with its symbols. I hope that you will not overlook this unusual deck simply because it takes you to unfamiliar territory.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
What a Lousy Deck, Jul 29 2002
The artwork in this deck is simplistic and childish, which isn't always a bad thing, and certainly makes for an unusual-looking deck. The minor arcana are not illustrated, which some people prefer, and some detest. However, I objected to the fact that it is titled "The 'Witches' Tarot." As a Witch, I can say that a great deal of the symbolism is just plain wrong. The Tarot was originally derived from medieval Christian mysticism, which is why decks geared toward modern pagans substitute certain traditional elements with more appropriate themes. As an example, 'The Devil' would not appear in many 'real' Witches decks. Most of us do not believe in the devil, and a substitution of a pagan god such as Osiris or the Celtic Antlered God would be prefered. Poorly done and misleadingly titled.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tarot of the Witches, Dec 21 2000
Art work isn't everything when reading a deck. This deck is very receptive and will surprise you. It also makes you rely more on your own skills than the depiction of the artist.
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