Fairy Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Fairy Tarot by Antonio Lupatelli Published by Lo Scarabeo 1997 UK £15

Please note: There is another Tarot deck with a similar title ‘Fairy Tarot Cards’ published by Hay House.

Other decks exist with this title, so make sure you get this one, it's such a joy! These are based on the Rider-Waite deck and feature the fairy traditions of pixies, gnomes, etc. This, by Italian Antonio Lupatelli is whimsical with non standard hearts, leaves, bells and acorns. The Elf is the Fool, The Dryad is Justice, The Oread is the Wheel of Fortune, etc. Strength and Justice are reversed. 

Antonio Lupatelli, a children’s book illustrator, was known as Tony Wolf and produced several card decks, such as Tarot of the Gnomes, and Tarot of the Druids. Elements are: Bells - Pentacles; Leaves - Swords; Acorns - Wands; Hearts - Cups. There is a little bit of nudity to spice up the reading. Court cards are: Knave, Knight, Queen, King. 

Enjoyable! I like a deck that has fairy energies to draw on. Of course, it can be used as a normal Tarot. The Elf for The Fool, The Dryad for Justice, The Oread for The Wheel of Fortune, The Troll for the devil are some name changes. It has been around for 20 years, but doesn’t go out of date. Fairies never do!

Medieval Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Card Deck Review: Medieval Tarot by Guido Ziborde Marchesi, pack of 78 cards by Lo Scarabeo in the Total Tarot Course Collection, numbers 50 and 51

The beauty of medieval fine art and computer graphics takes us back to the Middle Ages when moral virtues and spiritual qualities, sensitivity, deep perceptions, the nobles of the royal court, clergy, courtiers, battles, Crusaders, theological and philosophical discussions are all present alongside daily lives and beliefs. 

This is a classic deck, created in 2005, but a fascinating deck to provide new perspectives. Guido Ziborde Marchesi has produced a masterful deck. He also produced The Giotto Tarot. Beautiful images. You can get some rather wonderful readings from this deck. 

Liber T aka Tarot of the Stars Eternal

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Liber T by Roberto Negrini and Andrea Serio. Published by Lo Scarabeo. RRP UK £22  EU €25

This is a tribute to the Thoth Tarot written by Aleister Crowley with art by Frieda Harris (1938-1943). Crowley was influenced by Samuel Liddell Mathers and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This stylish, art deco style, published in 2007, is a complex esoteric deck, fully illustrated, and ideal for experienced readers. There are astrological and Kabbalistic influences. 

Some Majors have the titles, I Magus, VIII Adjustment, XI lust, XIV Art, XX Aeon, XXI Universe. Justice is VIII and Strength is XXI 

Universal Goddess Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Universal Goddess Tarot by Maria Caratti, Antonella Platano, published by Lo Scarabeo. 5 inches by 3 inches card size. £22.95 

This card is 'Angerona' Goddess of the Winter Solstice and represents 'silence' - the mother who never asks questions but welcomes you into her benevolent arms when you are tired or uncertain. This is a delightful deck, the paintings are of highest quality and are convincing as deities. The information in the insert is adequate and concise. There is a paperback by Antonela Platano to accompany the deck and a deluxe edition. This is a deck which will deliver a valuable reading every time, without fail! 

This card on the right is the card of Justice, here numbered VIII. She is the Egyptian Goddess of Truth and Justice and she speaks to us directly. Do you hear her voice say with great power and authority: "Bow down before me, for I am Ma'at, the Goddess of Truth, Justice and Order. Obey my commands and you will be rewarded by the same coin, or disobey me, and be condemned by the 42 judges. 

Harmonious Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Harmonious Tarot by Ernest Fitzpatrick, based on artwork by Walter Crane, published by Lo Scarabeo. The pack contains 78 cards plus explanatory leaflet. £17.99

Advice: The object of readings is: To be sincere, honest and to try not to say what the Querent would like to hear!

The brief information leaflet is in 5 European languages and the deck comprises of 78 delicately drawn, delightful artworks by Walter Crane, an associate of William Morris. The card definitions follow traditional tarot card meanings, but the images lend themselves to creative readings with free interpretation.

Egyptian Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck a review: Egyptian Tarot by Silvana Alasia Published by Lo Scarabeo  1996. €25 : £22 card size : 120mm x 66mm.

Based on Marseilles Tarot coupled with the enigmatic magic of ancient Egyptian inspired art by Otto Wegener and the art of French esotericist, Jean Baptiste Pitois aka Paul Christian (1811-1877), who told a story of having been given a manuscript by a Benedictine monk. During an ‘initiation’ in Egypt, he imagined the Tarot trumps which were created into cards in 1896 by Wegener.

Rods, Owls, Seords and Pentacles are the four suits. Each card has an interesting and meaningful image by Silvana Alasia who painted using tempera on papyrus. She also created the Tarot of Nefertiti, and the Tarot of Cleopatra. 

There are other decks of this title. This deck is by Silvana Alesia and pubished by Lo Scarabeo. It is  also featured in the Total Tarot Course, magazines 26 and 27 Visit: https://totaltarotcollection.com

Tarot Draconis

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot Draconis, by Davide Corsi published by Lo Scarabeo

“My armour is like ten-fold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws are spears, the shock of my tail is a thunderbolt, my wings are a hurricane, and my breath is death.” Smaug, the dragon who terrorised Bilbo Baggins in JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit. 

There are Green Earth (Pentacles), Red Fire (Wands), Blue Water (Cups), and Grey Air (Swords) Dragons, each with special powers invested in their respective element. Davide Corsi is the artist and has also been involved in Vampire Tarot, Tarot of Eternal Night, Tarot of the Elves, and The Pictoral Key Tarot. 

Tarot of the Angels

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot of the Angels by Giordano Berti. Published by Lo Scarabeo 2007. RRP £29.99 60mm x 120mm. 

Angels take precedent in the artwork and the philosophy of this very interesting Tarot deck which teaches us of forgiveness and mercy. It also helps us to develop an awareness of goodness and beauty and provides a warning of wrongdoing and other evils. So focus your mind on angels when preparing and shuffling and look for the angels’ messages in the cards. In every circumstance, we can choose to take a caring or uncaring path. The right and best decision is the most loving for both self and others. 

Tarot of the 78 Doors

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Tarot of the 78 Doors by Lo Scarabeo 

So often in life, we feel a path is closed to us, and further movement in the direction we wish to go is blocked, therefore we are prevented from the particular development that we desire.

This is a fantastic deck for recognising where obstacles occur, and how we can open those areas - or stay where we are! A door, gate, bridge or other transitional space provides opportunities to move in many directions. If we decide to move forward, we will sometimes find the door is open, sometimes we need to seek help to open a closed door, and sometimes we need a key. Who might the guardian be that supervises the threshold and who might warn, challenge, invite or support us on the new path and its difficulties should we wish to take it.  

Viceversa Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Viceversa Tarot by Massimiliano Filadoro and Lunaea Weatherstone, artwork by Davide Corsi, first published in 2017 by Lo Scarabeo, pack contains 78 double sided cards with booklet instructions in 4 languages including English.

"The world is always in movement, turning in circles, and starting with, and returning, to itself" Microbius.

The word ‘viceversa’ means ‘the other way round’: one could say ‘on the one hand… ‘ and ‘on the other hand’. Janus, Roman God of Doorways is the inspiration for this deck. He guaranteed passage between the worlds and is an insightful introduction to the entire area of tarot and divination. He is one of the oldest and most mysterious of deities. He has two faces, one which looks to the past, the other to the future. One is self reflective, the other looks to the outer world. He protects the invisible and what is hidden.

Tarot of the Elves

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review - Tarot of the Elves by Mark McElroy and designer, Davide Corsi. Published by Lo Scarabeo

Elves are mythological spirits that, like fairies, can be harbingers of change. This Tarot deck tells the complex story of the hero of the elfen folk, Prince Alberich and his extraordinary quest. The story is about those he meets along the way, and their part in the narrative. His is a search for four relics, a sword, a cup, a wand, and a pentacle as these precious objects lie at the heart of the Elfen kingdom. Each Major card has a new title, a named persona, and their part in the storyline. There is a lot to learn about these cards and a story to apply to the Querent. 

The Elf Oracle has a recommended 3 card spread to discover what an upcoming change might mean for you. You lay out 3 Major Arcana cards face down, turning each one face up. The first card represents the current situation which is interpreted literally, emotionally and metaphorically. The middle card is the most important. The numerical value of this card is its only relevance. Starting at 0, the number shows little or slow change up to 21 which is considerable, and possibly sudden and unexpected change. If the number is an even number, the change will be auspicious, if an odd number, it could be an averse situation. The third card reveals what is likely to happen and then the three cards are assed altogether at the end of the reading. If another card is required to clarify the reading, for the lesson to be learnt, one can be drawn from the major Arcana only. 

Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Card Deck Review: Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot Published by Lo Scarabeo. 2019 re-coloured. 

This is a first ever, intuitive style Tarot deck, and is easily accessible and suitable for all levels, from expert to beginners. It was being developed during the Victorian era. All cards are illustrated individually and are easy to read.  The Rider-Waite Smith Tarot was created by Arthur Waite who wrote a foundational book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. He produced a tarot deck and requested in 1909 the line artist, Pamela Colman Smith fully illustrate with line drawings and full colour each of the 78 cards. They were members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. 

In this deck, we see Strength at VIII and Justice at XI as a change from previous tarot decks, such as the Marseilles deck. We can view the 22 Major Arcana as stages on our life path, the Court Cards as individual people and the Minors as daily events. 

This deck is featured in the Total Tarot Course Collection in magazine numbers, 2 & 3.

 Visit: https://totaltarotcollection.com

Visconti Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck review : Visconti Tarot - An Extraordinary example of Renaissance Art, published by Lo Scarabeo. 

From the distinguished specialist card publisher, Lo Scarabeo, this is the perfect gift for a tarot enthusiast! These are most beautiful images from the earliest known tarot decks (1300s) - known as Visconti-Sforza. They are displayed in museums across the world or owned by privileged private collectors. Tarot experts think that the tarot was probably designed for education purposes, not for divination: this was a development that occurred later, most likely in the 18th century. These cards offer beautiful works of art which can be appreciated by using a jeweller's eye glass to see the detail. 

Before Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine card deck review: Before Tarot by Corrine Kenner with artwork by Eon and Simona Rossi, published by Lo Scarabeo. 

Based on the images of the traditional Rider Waite Smith deck, Before Tarot anticipates the time beforehand, the circumstances, situations, actions and behaviours, and even the possible conversations that are taking place. 

John Bauer Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: John Bauer Tarot. Published by Lo Scarabeo and Llewellyn. 78 cards with multilingual lwb. RRP £25 

Based on paintings by prolific Swedish artist John Bauer (1882-1918) whose fantasy art of nature, fairies, sprites, trolls, and other magical forest and landscape enchantments has an Art Nouveau influence. He studied art while a teenager and was quickly accepted into the Royal Academy. His wife was a model for several cards, such as the High Priestess, the Hermit, and others. Elements are Chalices, Pentacles Wands and Swords! John Bauer, his wife and son all died in a boating accident. 

Both Majors and Minors have full artwork. Ask open questions, with what and how. I love these cards, the art is ornate and magical. My readings with this deck are laced with all kinds of wonders! You will be transported! The deck is marvellous for the artwork alone. Be aware of the light and dark within the energies. These cards are included in the Total Tarot Course Collection which gives a clear and meaningful write up for Major Arcana especially.

Thelema Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Thelema Tarot by Renata Lechner and Jaymi Elford, published by Lo Scarabeo. Card size: 7cm x 12cm. 

These cards have no white border. The artwork is fantastic, enjoyable and highly stylised. They have a New Age and Renaissance style, with slimline pretty young females with long flowing hair and long flowing dresses, and romantic males, good looking and sexy! 

I think it appeals to a young set. The cards speak, each card will state 20 words about who they are and what they represent. Each image is evocative and could tell a story, but what story would it be? I think a fairy story! Contemporary re-interpretation, based on Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

The word ‘thelema’ originates in the Greek meaning ‘intention’. The insert is in English, Italian, French, German and Spanish. A 6 pointed star on a soft green backing does not reveal which way the cards are laid. 

Golden Art Nouveau Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Golden Art Nouveau Tarot by Giulia F Massaglia. Artwork by Pietro Alligo. Published by Lo Scarabeo.

This is a very elegant luxury Tarot card deck production with golden engraved style embossing on the card images. It is based on the Rider Waite Tarot deck but I think it is of greater beauty and has a more modern influence. The Art Nouveau style was a late Victorian school of art that featured elegant swirls. It had great artistic merit and is very sought after. 

All cards are individually illustrated and are easy to read. The deck is suitable for all levels, and for any client who appreciates being offered a ‘classy’ looking tarot card reading. Glamorous! Fab, fab, fab! 

The Total Tarot Course Collection profiles this card deck in its monthly packs, part 1 visit: https://totaltarotcollection.com

Arcanum Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Arcanum Tarot by Renata Lechner, published by Lo Scarabeo (also Llewellyn) 78 cards and multi-lingual lwb. 2018 12cm x 7cm. 

From the word ‘arcanum’, meaning mystery or secret, this Tarot deck has been named. The images are digitally produced photos, ideal for modern, young, readers and enquirers, created by Renata Lechner, with author, Jaymi Elford who authored the Steampunk, the Art Nouveau, Thelma Tarot and the Runic Tarot decks. 

Based on Rider Waite Tarot, Court Cards are traditional King, Queen, Knight, and Page. Cups are blue, Pentacles are green, Wands are gold, and Swords are blue/grey. 

This full colour Tarot deck is included in the Total Tarot Collection course, Magazine numbers 18 & 19. 

Pre-Raphelite Tarot Review

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: Pre-Raphelite Tarot with art by Giuliano Costa published by Lo Scarabeo. 78 full colour cards with multilingual lwb. 6.5cm x 12cm. RRP £25

The inspiration for this deck comes from the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, who were an artistic group who signed the paintings with the initials PRB, and had as their emphasis “ Beauty as the defined essence intrinsic in every aspect of creation.” Here we see the divine embodied in nature, in romance, and in the mystique of this beautiful and enchanting Tarot deck. Card backs are not mirrored so you know which way the cards have fallen in the layout. 

In Between Tarot

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Card Deck Review: In Between Tarot by Janine Worthington and Art by Franco Rivoli. Published by Lo Scarabeo. 

We have the Before Tarot and the After Tarot which add to the understanding of the RWS deck. This one focuses on the energies between the cards and how they link together, and relate to the cards either side of the one chosen. They are idea, for single card readings, and for single card meditation. There are zodiac, numerology alchemical and pagan hints. Wands are fire, Pentacles are Earth, Swords are Air and Cups are Water.