Review by Rexenne Reeves for The Witches Tarot Book Rating:
Awesome-awesome-awesome illustrations! The deck has full, life-like illustrations that extend all the way to the edge of each card, unlike some decks. Illustrations are not ‘cartoonie’ like the Tarot of the Witches, which are gruesome. The only possible down-fall of this deck, is that you should read the companion book. The deck is based on Quaballa(a Jewish mixed with Wiccan tradition), and if you were like me and knew nothing of it, then you will have to read the companion book. The illustrations are based on the Quabala system and the spheres in the Tree of Life(Major Arcana only). After reading the book, the cards are more easily understood. Plus the author states once the cards start giving off another meaning other than what is in the book, to throw the book out (not literally of course), which I applaud. Some cards which are different in this deck would be: Seeker (traditionally the Hermit), High Priest (traditionally the Hierophant), Horned One (traditionally the The Devil).
Review by Scarlet Harlot for The Witches Tarot Book Rating:
I’ve been reading Tarot since I was 13, and I’ve got at least 4 dozen decks. Of all those decks, the one I love the most is this deck. There are some things about this deck which make it different then most decks, most notably that the suits that represent the Air and Fire element in most traditional decks is switched around in this deck (instead of representing Air, Swords represent Fire). If you are a Witch or a Wiccan, you will understand the change and most likely welcome it, but if not, you can easily work around this change and use the deck as you would any other deck. Another fairly large change (for me, anyway) is that when you deal a face card (a Court Card) you lay another card on top of it to clarify and add to a situation. Sometimes it is a behavior that you could expect from a person, sometimes it shows two steps to an ongoing situation, sometimes it just restates what the face card was telling you, it all depends on the reading. Either way, this is a fantastic way to read and interpret the cards. I see a lot of people complaining about how the Court Cards look the same, and to that I have to say that people are not really LOOKING at the cards. While they are similar, they very clearly express different meanings and issues. Frankly, in this day and age where it isn’t uncommon to buy a deck only to find that there is a fully illustrated Major Arcana and the cards representing the Minor Arcana strongly resemble basic playing cards, or aren’t different even in the slightest, I think to throw away the deck because the Court Cards look similar is really nitpicking. The complaints about how some of the cards look silly also shouldn’t be “complaints.” In every Tarot Deck, there are cards that are less appealing to the reader, and the cards and reasons it is less appealing vary from person to person. Most people who read cards professionally or have a lot of experience in doing so can tell you that to find a card unappealing is part of the way the Tarot works, and that should be translated into the readings, because it’s the cards way of personalizing themselves to you. So while you might find pictures to be goofy, that is actually a good thing, not a bad thing, and should be translated into your readings. That one review, where the person launches off into a diatribe against Wicca and Witchcraft totally baffles me. Why would one buy a Tarot Deck by a Wiccan, aimed at Wiccans and Witches, if they thought the whole idea of Wiccans and Wicca was a joke?? As a Wiccan, I have to say that while this deck is fantastic, it doesn’t go into the practices and beliefs of Wiccans (that belief, by the way, is not do what you want as long as it feels good), and if one were picking up this deck in hopes of becoming Wiccan or learning about Wiccan practices, they would be confused at best. Sure the Devil card is replaced by “The Horned God,” but that is because Wiccans and Witches don’t believe in the Devil. As such, the card is changed to “The Horned One” but the meaning is not changed significantly, since the Horned God is not an all good or all evil being… He represents great power and great happiness, but also the opposite of that. He represents all that is good and bad, the flow of nature. It is very easy to get the same meaning out of “The Horned One” card as one would have gotten from The Devil card; bondage to power and false happiness, upset of balance, disrupting the flow of positive by indulging in the flow of the negative. Remember, for most Wiccans, The Horned One is one half of the dualistic nature of the God and the Goddess… He by himself is not balance, and this card reflects that beautifully. I also have to wonder at what type of mentality one has when one looks at the strength card which has a nude female holding the leash of a lion and automatically assume it has anything to do with giving in to or endorsing bestiality… The card is highly symbolic and does not imply bestiality in any way, shape, or form, through the illustration on the card or its meaning.There are faults with this deck. If one were to buy the deck apart from the book, I suspect they will not be satisfied with the explanations of the cards or the deck that are in the basic booklet that comes with the deck. Some of the meanings are a little hard to understand as written, and there is an inconsistency in some of the translations are a large paragraph long, while the explanation of the another card is only two or three words long. However, as with all things, if you buy the accompanying book separately (which is only about $9), a great amount of this deck and how it functions will be cleared up.As with all Tarot Cards, if it is the deck for you or not depends on your relationship and one could find, as some on here have, that the deck is not for them. I would also go so far as to say that this deck may not be the best beginner deck, but I could be very wrong. Before buying this deck, people should venture online sites that feature samples of the decks, like Isis Books, and decide if this is a deck that they want to get to know.
Review by C. A. Matha for The Witches Tarot Book Rating:
I truly like having the book that goes with my tarot cards, as a referance. This book has very good and easy interpretations of cards and cross referances to other decks. Of course there is explicit intructions on layouts, and sample readings. However, I did find little to no interest in the Qabala section which does take up the first half of this otherwise good book. Definitely check these cards out when choosing your deck.
Review by for The Witches Tarot Book Rating:
Of all the tarot decks I’ve ever owned, this is one of the most beautiful. The artwork is gorgeous. I disagree with the other reviewers on the court cards, I find them easy to tell the difference between. I do recommend the accompanying books for the set, while it is possible to read the cards without the books-it defeats the purpose. I wouldn’t classify the books as “easy reads”, but if you are serious about learning the Quabala they are a “must have”. The cards speak to your deep spiritual questions as well as your more mundane life questions. This is my primary tarot set.
Review by Erin for The Witches Tarot Book Rating:
This is my main tarot deck. I am not Wiccan, I know nothing about the kabbalah and must admit that I haven’t even read the book. I am a Dark Celtic Pagan, (part witch, part shaman) and I bought the deck because I was drawn to it, and I find it very easy to read. One person commented about the court cards being the same, on the surface I would have to agree, but I personally find that by using the characteristics of each of the court cards, the hair colour, skin tones, the generic traits of the zodiacal signs i.e. earth = pentacles etc. I can always accurately describe the person to whom the card relates – this never ceases to amaze me! I have also had comments during readings about certain cards and them looking ‘cartoony’, as someone mentioned previously, but again, I feel the cards are just a springboard and not to be read literally, thus because they are full of different imagery and symbolism, I can always find something new jumping out at me that I’d never noticed before!I have tried various other decks but find these cards so easy to read that they are now like a dear friend.
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(out of 12 reviews)
Review by Rexenne Reeves for The Witches Tarot Book
Rating:
Awesome-awesome-awesome illustrations! The deck has full, life-like illustrations that extend all the way to the edge of each card, unlike some decks. Illustrations are not ‘cartoonie’ like the Tarot of the Witches, which are gruesome.
The only possible down-fall of this deck, is that you should read the companion book. The deck is based on Quaballa(a Jewish mixed with Wiccan tradition), and if you were like me and knew nothing of it, then you will have to read the companion book. The illustrations are based on the Quabala system and the spheres in the Tree of Life(Major Arcana only).
After reading the book, the cards are more easily understood. Plus the author states once the cards start giving off another meaning other than what is in the book, to throw the book out (not literally of course), which I applaud.
Some cards which are different in this deck would be: Seeker (traditionally the Hermit), High Priest (traditionally the Hierophant), Horned One (traditionally the The Devil).
Review by Scarlet Harlot for The Witches Tarot Book
Rating:
I’ve been reading Tarot since I was 13, and I’ve got at least 4 dozen decks. Of all those decks, the one I love the most is this deck. There are some things about this deck which make it different then most decks, most notably that the suits that represent the Air and Fire element in most traditional decks is switched around in this deck (instead of representing Air, Swords represent Fire). If you are a Witch or a Wiccan, you will understand the change and most likely welcome it, but if not, you can easily work around this change and use the deck as you would any other deck. Another fairly large change (for me, anyway) is that when you deal a face card (a Court Card) you lay another card on top of it to clarify and add to a situation. Sometimes it is a behavior that you could expect from a person, sometimes it shows two steps to an ongoing situation, sometimes it just restates what the face card was telling you, it all depends on the reading. Either way, this is a fantastic way to read and interpret the cards. I see a lot of people complaining about how the Court Cards look the same, and to that I have to say that people are not really LOOKING at the cards. While they are similar, they very clearly express different meanings and issues. Frankly, in this day and age where it isn’t uncommon to buy a deck only to find that there is a fully illustrated Major Arcana and the cards representing the Minor Arcana strongly resemble basic playing cards, or aren’t different even in the slightest, I think to throw away the deck because the Court Cards look similar is really nitpicking. The complaints about how some of the cards look silly also shouldn’t be “complaints.” In every Tarot Deck, there are cards that are less appealing to the reader, and the cards and reasons it is less appealing vary from person to person. Most people who read cards professionally or have a lot of experience in doing so can tell you that to find a card unappealing is part of the way the Tarot works, and that should be translated into the readings, because it’s the cards way of personalizing themselves to you. So while you might find pictures to be goofy, that is actually a good thing, not a bad thing, and should be translated into your readings. That one review, where the person launches off into a diatribe against Wicca and Witchcraft totally baffles me. Why would one buy a Tarot Deck by a Wiccan, aimed at Wiccans and Witches, if they thought the whole idea of Wiccans and Wicca was a joke?? As a Wiccan, I have to say that while this deck is fantastic, it doesn’t go into the practices and beliefs of Wiccans (that belief, by the way, is not do what you want as long as it feels good), and if one were picking up this deck in hopes of becoming Wiccan or learning about Wiccan practices, they would be confused at best. Sure the Devil card is replaced by “The Horned God,” but that is because Wiccans and Witches don’t believe in the Devil. As such, the card is changed to “The Horned One” but the meaning is not changed significantly, since the Horned God is not an all good or all evil being… He represents great power and great happiness, but also the opposite of that. He represents all that is good and bad, the flow of nature. It is very easy to get the same meaning out of “The Horned One” card as one would have gotten from The Devil card; bondage to power and false happiness, upset of balance, disrupting the flow of positive by indulging in the flow of the negative. Remember, for most Wiccans, The Horned One is one half of the dualistic nature of the God and the Goddess… He by himself is not balance, and this card reflects that beautifully. I also have to wonder at what type of mentality one has when one looks at the strength card which has a nude female holding the leash of a lion and automatically assume it has anything to do with giving in to or endorsing bestiality… The card is highly symbolic and does not imply bestiality in any way, shape, or form, through the illustration on the card or its meaning.There are faults with this deck. If one were to buy the deck apart from the book, I suspect they will not be satisfied with the explanations of the cards or the deck that are in the basic booklet that comes with the deck. Some of the meanings are a little hard to understand as written, and there is an inconsistency in some of the translations are a large paragraph long, while the explanation of the another card is only two or three words long. However, as with all things, if you buy the accompanying book separately (which is only about $9), a great amount of this deck and how it functions will be cleared up.As with all Tarot Cards, if it is the deck for you or not depends on your relationship and one could find, as some on here have, that the deck is not for them. I would also go so far as to say that this deck may not be the best beginner deck, but I could be very wrong. Before buying this deck, people should venture online sites that feature samples of the decks, like Isis Books, and decide if this is a deck that they want to get to know.
Review by C. A. Matha for The Witches Tarot Book
Rating:
I truly like having the book that goes with my tarot cards, as a referance. This book has very good and easy interpretations of cards and cross referances to other decks. Of course there is explicit intructions on layouts, and sample readings. However, I did find little to no interest in the Qabala section which does take up the first half of this otherwise good book. Definitely check these cards out when choosing your deck.
Review by for The Witches Tarot Book
Rating:
Of all the tarot decks I’ve ever owned, this is one of the most beautiful. The artwork is gorgeous. I disagree with the other reviewers on the court cards, I find them easy to tell the difference between. I do recommend the accompanying books for the set, while it is possible to read the cards without the books-it defeats the purpose. I wouldn’t classify the books as “easy reads”, but if you are serious about learning the Quabala they are a “must have”. The cards speak to your deep spiritual questions as well as your more mundane life questions. This is my primary tarot set.
Review by Erin for The Witches Tarot Book
Rating:
This is my main tarot deck. I am not Wiccan, I know nothing about the kabbalah and must admit that I haven’t even read the book. I am a Dark Celtic Pagan, (part witch, part shaman) and I bought the deck because I was drawn to it, and I find it very easy to read. One person commented about the court cards being the same, on the surface I would have to agree, but I personally find that by using the characteristics of each of the court cards, the hair colour, skin tones, the generic traits of the zodiacal signs i.e. earth = pentacles etc. I can always accurately describe the person to whom the card relates – this never ceases to amaze me! I have also had comments during readings about certain cards and them looking ‘cartoony’, as someone mentioned previously, but again, I feel the cards are just a springboard and not to be read literally, thus because they are full of different imagery and symbolism, I can always find something new jumping out at me that I’d never noticed before!I have tried various other decks but find these cards so easy to read that they are now like a dear friend.