The Charles Dickens Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: The Charles Dickens Tarot by Chris Leech. Boxed set of 78 cards and companion book. Published by Schiffer Books £31.99

Quality presentation box with magnetic lid. The full colour book and cards are well produced with gold edged cards. The deck describes the Dickensian era and reflects the life and history of Charles Dickens through the Major Arcana, so we have real people, such as his family members and these are mixed in with the fictional characters from his books. 

The computer graphic illustrated cards are presented in landscape to suggest an open book. The 4 suits are Fire, Water, Air and Earth, and the Court Cards are Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter to give a Victorian family energy to the readings. We are given the card image, and each card carries a new title and the book to which they refer. Dickens taught himself as a young man to write in shorthand, and this is stylised in the deck with keywords. 

The Majors are well explained, and the personalities of both Arcanas are well chosen. Charles Dickens would be proud of this deck! I got to know Dickens and his works better through working with this novelty Tarot deck. Of course, it can be used traditionally as a regular Rider Waite deck. There are several suggestions for spreads, The Bleak House of 13 cards, The Martin Chuzzlewit, a jokey selection, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, another card deck is suggested for this, The Tale of Two Cities, just one card, The Barnaby Rudge, using all 78 cards, The Oliver! just one card, The Little Nell / Oscar Wilde, just one card chosen, The Plornishmaroontigoonter, ten cards! 

Canadian Chris Leech is an interesting character. He designed and did the artwork om this unusual deck. He is also a musician with the band Printer’s Bloc. 

I found some of the Victorian card settings were in darkness and some facial expressions were difficult to see. Is the meaning easier to discern when performing a reading with these cards if you know the life of Charles Dickens and have read his books? I found it a bit tongue in cheek sometimes! 

Reviewer Wendy Stokes https://wendystokes.co.uk