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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Tarot Deck With Round Cards, February 27, 2008
This review is from: Circle of Life Tarot (English and Spanish Edition) (Cards)
"Round Tarots were used to emphasize the concept of cyclicity that then evokes the concept of life. The cards, which are no longer limited to a geometry that establishes right side up or inverted figures, force the eye to focus on the centre of the figures, and therefore better understand the symbols and meanings to which they allude." - From the Circle of Life Tarot LWB
Egg and sphere, wheel and coin, circles embody the idea of containment and continuity. Through solar disks, halos and mandalas, the circle also symbolizes Divinity--the paradoxical essence of both everything and nothing. According to the L(ittle) W(hite) B(ook) of the Circle of Life Tarot, "the concave side of curves evokes feminine nature and reminds man of the nurturing protection of his mother's womb" while the convex part "evokes the concept of growth and power represented by the nature of the male."
While linked to the illusion of beginning and endings, the circular form also connects to fate and destiny--limitation and limitlessness--in mystical traditions. In his new book Transforming Fate into Destiny, author Robert Ohotto notes "that it's in honoring your Divinely designed circumference that you'll find your center, and through this that you can change the world."
It is in this spirit that the Lo Scarabeo team has created a new rounded deck, the Circle of Life Tarot. Some individuals enjoy the rare rounded deck because it takes reversals out of the reading equation, while others enjoy the shape from an aesthetic standpoint. Like other Lo Scarabeo decks, this one also features the card name in six languages.
Insectile creatures, toothy amphibians, bat-winged humanoids, hybrid animals and other strange beings populate the Circle of Life Tarot. Many of the whimsical images flow along the confines of a circular border, rendering an unusually fresh vantage point not found in most traditional rectangular decks.
The Circle of Life Tarot cards are approximately 4 ¼ inches wide with a golden reversible motif on the back. The Deluxe Editon comes with a lovely aquamarine satin pouch with a bright gold sun symbol on front. The interior is also gold satin, as are the tassels at the end of the black satin drawstrings. (The only thing separating the deck-only version from the Deluxe Edition is the sunglight satin bag.)
Many of the illustrations from the Circle of Life Tarot invite contemplation and stimulate speculation (who is the man in the 9 of Wands--and what's on the ribbony paper he's so closely inspecting? And why in the world would he have nine lit candles melting on the brim of his hat? The tiny woman in the 7 of Pentacles sitting among six colored eggs--what does she hope to catch with her beetle-baited fishing pole?), while others are just plain perplexing. What am I looking at? What could it mean?
Those who enjoy fanciful decks (e.g. fairies, elves and fantastical creatures) will likely have a predilection for the Circle of Life Tarot, as would collectors yearning for a circular deck. In my opinion, such an unusual deck begs for a full-length book rather than the fortune cookie phrases disguised as card "meanings" in the sparse LWB. I feel that Lo Scarabeo missed a great opportunity for adding a more universally appealing circular deck to the marketplace, unless they plan to produce more in the future.
(To see 13 card images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)
Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A hard to handle deck!, December 11, 2008
This review is from: Circle of Life Tarot (English and Spanish Edition) (Cards)
Circle of Life Tarot
Deck review by Hope Ballard
The Circle of Life Tarot is a round 78 card Tarot Deck by Maria Distefano (Lo Scarabeo)
I've always wanted a round tarot deck so when I heard about Circle of Life Tarot I jumped to get it and I did not do my homework first. Oops.
When the deck arrived I was surprised by the large size of the cards (4.5 x 4.5) and how awkward they felt in my hands. When stacked the cards measure a little over an inch tall so not only is the deck round but also bulky. As an overhand shuffler the cards slipped easily from my fingers and rolled willy nilly across the room. Even after much practice I still have to shuffle very carefully to prevent "jumpers."
The cards are printed on thin flexible card stock with a matte finish and have white borders. The languages written in the border on the cards are English, Italian, Spanish, French and German with Roman Numerals on the Major Arcana and written numbers on the suit cards. The card backs are a soft yellow color with a Celtic style knotted pattern throughout. You can purchase this deck with its Little White Book (LWB) or you can purchase the deluxe addition that includes a pretty velvet bag. Velvet picks up cat hair so I opted out of the deluxe addition.
The Majors are numbered 0-21 with 0 being the Fool, 8 for Justice, and 11 for Strength. The suits are titled Swords, Pentacles, Chalices, and Wands. The Court cards consist of Knaves, Knights, Queens and Kings.
The pip cards are fully illustrated although there is an odd lack of consistency throughout the deck. Some cards have very distinct bold scenes that fill the card (Knave of Wands) while others have simple pictures centered on the card (5 of Cups). While most cards are clear and distinct (6 of Wands), other cards such as the Tower are hazy and it took a while for my eye to distinguish the picture. Many cards are illustrated with rich hues of browns, reds, greens, and blues while other cards are very sparse and almost monochromatic. The images on the cards are thought provoking, for instance the Emperor is a woman; there is an infant in an egg with a baby bird, and several of the characters in the cards are either smoking from a hookah or blowing on very strange horns (3 of cups & Judgment)!
Although there are many elements of this deck that are Rider Waite style there are just as many that are not; this deck is not a Rider Waite clone. It would be good to have a working knowledge of elemental dignities since many of the cards will not reverse due to the circular nature of many of the pictures. An intuitive reader will be able to read with this deck however those who rely heavily on set meanings, or traditional Rider Waite meanings may well have difficulty.
For instance the 8 of Wands card shows a woman walking through the woods, she carries a dagger in her right hand and a man's head cradled in her left! The Little White Book written in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German by Bepi Vigna and translated by Studio RGE offers little help as it states that the meaning of the 8 of Wands is - The best future is that one faced together with others. Thus I began to understand the dichotomy of this deck! The introduction in the Little White Book discusses that the "concave side of curves evokes feminine nature and reminds man of the nurturing protection of the mother's womb." Yet the LWB itself reads like Sun Tzu's Art of War with meanings that more often than not have no connection with the images on the cards!
For instance in the LWB the card meaning for the 9 of Pentacles is -In any great undertaking, madness always plays a minor role. If madness plays a major role, the undertaking is bound to fail. And the meaning for the 9 of Swords is - Sometimes enemies appear to be more threatening and powerful, but in reality it is our fear that makes them so.
Before you toss the LWB, you may want to check out the 24 card spread called the Divining Method. I didn't like it, but I adapted it a little and I think with the adaptations it could prove useful; time will tell.
I used this deck in several readings for family and friends and was again surprised at the difference the shape of the cards made in the look of the spread and how much room the cards took up on a table. This deck definitely has curb appeal, friends and family gave the deck a thumb up, and I was pleased with the way my readings turned out.
If I knew then what I know now about this deck, I would still purchase it as it is very interesting and the round shape does force my mind to think differently about the cards but I wouldn't waste my time reading the LWB!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elegant, Elemental & LOVELY!!, September 5, 2009
This review is from: Circle of Life Tarot (English and Spanish Edition) (Cards)
I certainly understand the complaints about the little white book for this deck -- I threw mine away immediately! It doesn't do this FEAST for the eyes justice in any event! I NEVER use the booklet that comes w/the cards anyway -- I learned the basics w/Joan Bunning's Learning the Tarot & by (WOW!) the Tarot School -- so once you have the esoteric basics -- it doesn't really matter what deck you use. However, each deck does speak it's own language with unique vocabulary that adds to or modifies the basic esoteric attributions/meanings. And the language this deck speaks (to me) is strong, beautiful, fierce and lyrical.
These cards are just plain DELIGHTFUL to look at -- the backs of the cards have a delicate, not-too-busy filagree Mandala (one of the more beautiful backs I've seen); and the characters on the cards have a very elemental feel to them -- as in I believe the characters are Elementals, literally. The artwork brings a very rich and royal-feeling dignity to the Elementals as well -- and can evoke an incredibly BROAD emotional range.
I LOVE the roundness of the cards -- I often like to stare out the window & shuffle/mix cards to see what falls out -- but find the rectangular decks seem to stay together more. With these it's really sweet -- often a card (or two) will roll directly to my feet or into my lap like a special delivery! I find them VERY easy to handle -- to shuffle or mix -- MUCH more comfortable than ANY rectangular deck with the possible exception of the Osho Zen Tarot.
If you're looking for an exotic and beautiful deck with strong ties to the Earth/Elements I think you'll VERY MUCH like this magical deck!
One caveat: probably better to learn the basics with a more traditional deck like the Radiant Waite; Diamond Tarot; or Morgan Greer; but this is the most appealing round deck I've seen -- the art alone is worth the price!
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