A Treasure Chest For Tarot Lovers!
343377
I have to admit, I am a sucker for kits.  I like anything that is smartly packaged with lots of parts and frills.  Naturally, any sort of tarot set makes me a very happy camper and I was giddy as could be when I recently acquired the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set.  This gorgeous box set is well done and any tarot lover will want to add this to their collection.

The contents are packaged in a sturdy double sided box that folds out to reveal many lovely treasures inside.  There are lots of tarot goodies including:

A Smith Waite Centennial Edition Tarot Deck with a baby blue organza bag for storage

Two books: The Artwork And Times of Pamela Colman Smith by Stuart R. Kaplan and The Pictorial Key To The Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite

Three 5x7 pictures of Smith's art, suitable for framing

1 black and white photo of Pamela Colman Smith

A supplemental fold out with a few tarot spreads

6 postcards picturing Smith's art work

The deck is a reprint of the original 1909 deck, with dreamy muted colors and a "vintage" finish that adds an authentic retro feel.  There are many versions of the Rider Waite deck with different color schemes (Radiant Rider Waite comes to mind with its bright, energetic colors) but there is something about this version that grabs my attention and pulls me in like no other.  Perhaps it is because the turn of the century is one of my favorite eras or maybe the softer color scheme is simply easier on the eye.  Either way, I really find this faithful reproduction quite appealing.  I especially liked the reversible image on the back of the deck  - a white rose framed by Colman Smith's signature.  There is a little blue organza bag included for storing the deck - another nice little touch that made this set very special.

"The Pictorial Key To The Tarot" by Arthur Edward Waite is a familiar book on many tarot lover's shelves - in fact, this was one of the first tarot books that I owned when I began my own journey with the tarot. I had lost my copy and was happy to be reunited with this classic!  Even more exciting was the other book, "The Artwork and Times of Pamela Colman Smith" by Stuart R. Kaplan.  This biography was small but did not lack details.  Her life and family history are thoroughly covered and many images of Colman-Smith's work are lovingly displayed throughout the book with notes that help the reader learn about the mediums that Colman-Smith worked with throughout her life (watercolor, ink, pencil, etc.) as well as all the different places where her work was featured (book illustrations, sheet music, magazines, and more). I was saddened to learn that even though she had great talent, she still struggled financially throughout her life and died penniless due to bad business decisions.  I found myself wondering if her work would have been forgotten if not for the tarot.  How grateful I am to know that at least one aspect of her artwork is still revered, recognized and treasured!

Lastly, U.S. Games included a fold out with tarot spreads as well as some postcards and pictures, making this kit a treasure trove and well worth the $35.00 price tag!  This is a bargain considering all that you get.  I highly recommend this set for any tarot lover or fan of Colman-Smith's work. This would also be a lovely gift for any of the tarot fiends in your life.

I give this boxed set an enthusiastic 2 Swords Up!

Blessings!
Theresa
4949018
I absolutely love these! This is my go-to deck for tarot readings. Other people have said this is a beginner's deck, and while this is a good introduction into the tarot, it's by no means a simple deck. The energy of the cards is strong, but has a gentle and loving quality as opposed to the more potent energy of The Gilded Tarot, another popular deck. When I do a personal reading, I like to just hold each card and feel the energy of it, and it's always loving. The artwork is also gorgeous, and while it has some different symbolism than a lot of the traditional tarot decks, it's by no means less potent. I could stare at these cards for hours!

If you're looking for a step up from oracle cards, I'd highly recommend this. It combines the best of both worlds, having an oracle-card feel with the system of the tarot. For seasoned tarot readers, you can't go wrong!
1337463
This deck has a very special place in my heart. As soon as I heard my beloved Austen was being paired with my other grand passion, Tarot, I was beside myself with pure excitement! I've had the set now almost 7 months and love it more and more each day. This is the kind of deck that the one pours more attention, study and use into intimately knowing it, it opens up it's secrets and shows you the deepest depths in it's images,intuition and stories.

The match-ups with each card with a story is truly inspired and magical. Wilkes knows her Tarot and Austen. It took someone with this kind of intimate knowledge of both subjects to pull off a creative endeavor such as this. Anything less and it would have collapsed. All the court cards are just as wisely and perfectly chosen....the characters she chose truly "are" the corresponding Tarot royal courts.

The images are just wonderful, so evocative of the books and time period. When I meditate and look closely at a card, I can feel myself within the scene/story. These cards awaken my intution and my imagination can see the before and after of each image, or even create a brand new story. The style is a bit comic book like, but in the best sense and I think lends well to the story/narrative power of the cards. The Majors are done in wonderful vibrant colour and the minors have a kind of sheen in varying shades of the corresponding suits. It's a unique and fascinating idea, but I so wish all the cards were as beautifully coloured as the Majors. I love the backs, very Regency and a soothing blue.

The book in my opinion is a must have, even if you're very knowledgeable about Austen's books, it really brings alive the connections between the cards and each relative story. Wilkes shows her mastery of Tarot with marrying the stories, cards and interpertations. I love the "What would Jane do?" sections at the end. She also includes a short sypnosis of each book, very helpful for jogging any bits if you've forgotten details or have never read any Austen. The colour and cover of the book is whimsical and delightful, reminiscent of marbled/swirled old-fashioned book covers.

This is extremely well done and useable Tarot theme, I get wonderful, intricate readings and insights. It has enriched my life in many ways. It is an excellent deck for storytelling with the Tarot and intuitive narration.

If you love Austen, get this! It just might open the doors to the magical erethral world of Tarot. If you love Austen and Tarot....then it's a given, buy this now! :)
4514841
I've bought this set for myself as well as friends.  The book that teaches you about the cards is great! My favorite set of tarot thus far!
2303444
I was hunting for a Tarot Deck that spoke to me and luckily I found this one.  Here is why:

What I love:
 The amazing artwork
 Great, clear, high resolution printing
 The book it comes with is pretty comprehensive and the paper for the pages and the glossy cardstock cover are of good quality
 The card size is perfect for Tarot cards and the images are a good size
 The artwork makes sense and is good for intuitive readings
 The minor arcana is illustrated
 The nature theme
 The great price

What I would have loved to see in the book:
 A list of the Wildwood card names translated to actual Tarot card names and the suits (would be helpful for beginners)
 Less wordy descriptions of card meanings

All in all:  I wouldn't mind paying more there was an option to purchase cards of better quality stock, maybe more like high quality playing cards.

Definitely would buy again and would recommend it to beginners and experts alike!
967225
As a beginner to learning tarot cards it is very important to go on line and review and research some of the various decks out there before purchasing.  If I had done this I would have saved myself some money on buying decks that I could not connect with or understand the imagery presented. An example would be the traditional Rider Waite decks.  I have no understanding nor am able to grasp traditional tarot symbolism.  The ultimate learning beginners deck for me personally was Crystal Visions tarot and it has opened doors and provided me a solid foundation of appreciating and studying other card decks on the market such as The Gilded Tarot. This of course is my personal path of unlocking the mystery of tarot. I hope that you to are able to find such a deck that calls to you and lights your way for better understanding of tarot meanings.

The Gilded Tarot card deck is undeniably beautiful.  Each card is vibrant with images that tell a story of love, money and creativity lost and found.  A journey that not only stimulates the imagination but also pulls your forward to learn more about each card meaning.  To help me study this deck I take my Crystal Visions cards and lay them out card for card beside The Gilded Tarot. This comparison really helps me with seeing where one deck may lag while the other may shine.  I look at The Gilded Tarot and ask myself what does this card mean just by looking at it without the book.  Sometimes the meaning is loud and clear like the 9 of Cups.  A man who looks like the owner of a bar has his cup raised with a huge smile on his face.  Before him are 8 other cups on beer barrels.  Just looking at this man I understood he was satisfied with this lot in life, he was happy and not lacking or wanting.  I think he looks like his life is complete.  Then I looked at my Crystal Visions card..confirmed I was right and then went on to read The Gilded Tarot book on the card. Looking at the 7 of Cups on The Gilded Tarot I did not immediately understand the images and needed the assistance of my other deck.  Then once I read the meaning from the book I understood the scene presented.

My favorite suit in this deck is the cups they just really speak to me easily without much aid.  My favorite card of the Major Arcana is the devil.  This guy is smoking literally and figuratively steaming.  Broad shoulders and well built muscles make the devil enticing. But then you see his eyes covered as he is blind and horns crown both sides of his head.  Yes I can see entrapment, danger of over indulgence to the point where you can't see past perceived pleasure that is not good for you.  My other favorite card is The Lovers card.  The soldier has lifted up his female lover accentuating every luscious curve of her body.  She looks like a Goddess and he looks like he is taking in this glorious being as she melds into each curve of his body.  The 2 dolphins in the background of course represent a choice that needs to be made.

I throughly enjoy this deck so that it brings me pain to say that the deck I received has one fatal flaw.  On about 12 cards the edges are frayed where there should be a solid black boarder it has white specks and after gently rubbing it to see if it was a printing issue the card edges are weak and crumbly.  It could be that I just got a bad deck but none the less I still paid money to not only study but to use it for readings.  However, I feel that it won't last with any amount of regular shuffling so as much as I love it it probably will not be my main deck to use.

I changed my rating to 3 stars after I learned that author sells much better quality version of this deck on his website although more expensive I would have spent it to get a deck that will last me through many readings.
3142744
Look no farther.  This book is a great introduction to the art and history of tarot.  Each section is approximately two pages long - open the book and read.  It might be designed for the patience-challenged reader, or the  "quick fix" audience.  Even though you could stash this book in  the cabinet for bathroom reading, you'll love it.  Each page has wonderful  full color photographs that beautifully illustrate the text and expertly  enhance the learning experience.  If you only have time to read one  section, you'll definitely want to come back for more.  Rachel Pollack has  put together a great resource for the teacher, the beginner, or the  advanced tarot enthusiast.
4498754
This deck of divination cards is excellent for anyone who is interested in goddesses from different cultures, as well as Tarot enthusiasts, alternative religions, or just in pretty artwork.  Hrana Janto, the artist who painted the deck, worked hard to make each goddess both representative of the traditional symbolism surrounding her religion, as well as the various ways women "are" in the world.  We have round, full-bodied women, young, old (the Sheila Na Gig is amazing, for example), thin, black, white, and all shades in between.  There are women in the deck who could be supermodels, and some who look like they've had (and are proud of having) a couple of children.  And all are reverence with the "goddesses in every woman" theory of all bodies and beauties being wonderful.

The deck opens itself up for a number of personalized types of readings for the person who is looking for answers.  You can use mutliple spreads or just one card.

I recommend this deck as highly as I can, and the new US Games version has more durable cards, and are smaller as well, which could work a lot better for smaller hands to shuffle.

The fine research into goddess traditions done by Marashinsky is still relevant, and I think this deck & book would make a great Christmas present.  In fact, that's how I received it, and it is a welcome member of my Tarot collection.
4557952
This is not only a beautiful book, but it's very handy to record my own tarot readings. I found the cards small, but solved it by abbreviating the card (QP for Queen of Pentacles).  The book practically encourages me to do more readings.  I used to just use a notebook.  Now I use the Tarot Journal as a meditative tool.  I'll buy more when this is filled up!
2706329
Rohit Arya, thank you so much for creating this special deck. I have been waiting for an unapologetically dharmic Tarot deck, and this deck is bathed in wisdom of Hindu and Buddhist thought. This deck is a must-have if you are Hindu and you read Tarot cards, especially if you are a Hindu mystic. It is deeply wise, full of subtle meanings that you will tease out over the years, and rewards reflection and serious study.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 stars is as follows:
- It's got giant, fat white borders. Why? Why do Tarot cards need borders, first of all, and why such wide borders? You can see little places where the portrait for that particular card was snipped or cut off due to the white border, and it's off-putting. I really appreciate the way Patrick Valenza made a borderless edition of the Deviant Moon Tarot, and I really wish all other Tarot decks followed suit. I want to see the pictures. I want to see every detail, and the details will actually be bigger if the picture has room enough to take over the entire card space.

- The cards are smaller than the Rider-Waite-Smith standard size. They're shorter and a hair narrower. So if you have white borders that are WIDER than the Rider-Waite-Smith borders, and cards that are smaller than the Rider-Waite-Smith size, how much of the card pictures are we really getting to see here?

- The artwork is beautiful, but not necessarily my favorite style (I prefer the style of artwork employed in the Wildwood Tarot, for comparison). It takes a while for me to feel like I'm immersed in the cards, and it's likely my bhakti for the Gods that helps me immerse myself in the cards, because without that strong emotional connection already existing, I think connecting to the card pictures would be more difficult.

All in all, it's still one of the most valuable Tarot decks in publication. I can't say enough good things about the theme choices (although Gautama Buddha's life story being associated with the Pentacles suit struck me as odd, at the beginning), the card portrait choices, and the way the philosophical underpinnings of the Vedas are woven into the deck. This deck was created by a yogi, and it shows.
2903768
I really really like this deck! It is beautiful.
It's a 78 card deck with paintings from Katlin's experience in, on, and from Hawaii.
Some of the majors in the deck are historical, and show actual people, buildings, and places from Hawaii's rich history.
The court cards are Boy, Warrior, Queen, King. The minors are all painted as pips, with beautiful landscape scenes from Hawaii.
In the companion book Katalin shares why she created Hawaiian tarot, some of her personal Hawaiian experience, what Aloha Spirit means, and more importantly what it taught her. The book goes on to explain a bit of what the tarot is.
The companion book then explains some of the paintings on the cards, and gives a more traditional meaning for each card. The book also includes a lesson on tarot spreads near the end.
They are a beautiful a work of art. Maybe not for a beginner...maybe? ...but for the experienced reader and the collector, absolutely. It's like taking a magical vacation even though it's a Cleveland Winter!
Well done Katalin!
28516
I love these Tarot because of the beautiful and antik-looking pictures, that are full of symbols that can help you with your reading.
971545
To say I was pleasantly suprised is an understatement. I am overjoyed. I thoroughly love every trump card except the hermit, but I like her, yes her, a lot! I am not a feminist by any means so did not buy this deck for all the feminine qualities. That said I also enjoyed seeing a female Fool card.

This deck is not only inviting but thorough as well. The symbology of old is found throughout.

Just so happens I was reading, again, Rachel Pollack's book '78 Degrees of Wisdom' when I received this deck in the mail. I was able to see in each card the symbology she was referring to. Bonus! That is hard to find these days.

I am by no means an 'old ways' snob but, again, this deck is like a unique old friend.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Whether you are a collector, reader or both I feel you will love this one.

Of note, although the symbols of RWS are there, I don't feel this deck is for beginners as the Major Arcana are only numbered; their individual names are not on each card.

Blessings.
2489260
I gave this tarot set as a gift to a friend, and she and I have both been enjoying giving each other readings with it. The colors are very rich and it is a beautiful set overall. Even though some other reviews didn't recommend it for a first tarot deck, my friend seems to like it, and it is her first. I like seeing images from the city of Prague. Would probably mean even more to someone who has actually been there.
3217503
Totally delighted with my deck. Amazing art - a real eclectic mix. A terrific present for art lovers and tarot fans everywhere.
As another reviewer said the accompanying bag is really too small for the deck but is perfect for crystals or my other tarot deck which is smaller cards.
Very privileged to be one of the Kickstarter backers - can't wait to see the next incarnation :)
4566421
I love the system and symbolism of this deck! It's really fun and produces deep, nuanced readings. The feelings evoked by the  "9 of Cups", "9 of Wands", "Judgement", or "6 of Cups"  cards alone are worth the price of the deck. I highly recommend these. The video game-style computer illustrations are really impactful to my clients, who are mainly computer professionals in their 30s and 40s.
754672
A gorgeous book!  I supported the Kickstarter on this and am so very glad I did. It's not a heavy book in the sense of lots of dense text and exposition, but is arranged with lots of gorgeous imagery and a nice, wide selection of Tarot deck photos interspersed with articles and information.  The book has multiple chapters that address a wide range of resources and topics - reading alone, reading for others, various spreads, specific card details, etc. I noted some typos here and there, but not so many as to be distracting, and the spine's a little weak, but overall it's beautifully done.

Note, this is the second in their series, after Tarot Fundamentals, which I'd also recommend as a nice desk reference. A third is also planned.