Customer Reviews

The Cosmic Tribe Tarot

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Cosmic Tribe Tarot breathes new life into tarot imagery. Far to many decks seem to be pale imitations of things that have come before. Some decks try to draw us into the past or mythology but most simple repeat older designs without reflecting on their meaning in our modern world. The Cosmic Tribe Tarot seeks to restore the bond between spirituality and sexuality

Initially I was struck by the beauty, the movement, the startling images of the individual cards. I enjoyed looking at them and admired the time and thought that went into their creation but I put them away thinking they were striking but most likely unreadable. I was very wrong on that point; the deck is incredibly easy to read, meaning and insight seem to flow out of the images without strain. It is now the first deck I reach for when I'm reading for myself.

Cosmic Tribe Tarot is based on designs by Alister Crowley it is a refreshing departure from the Rider Waite design that has saturated the market. The pip cards are expressed not is storyboard scenes, which limit their possible interpretations, but in abstract designs that provide feeling of the mood of the card without forcing an explanation. The Wands are rowdy and energetic; they done in are deep reds and oranges, fire and a feeling of expansion dominate. The Swords run the gambit from light to disturbingly dark, they are done in cool blues and green; the swords are all sharp and their wielders fly among the clouds. The Cups have a dream like quality are depicted in deep blues; they are fluid, magical, and merfolk abound lending a fantasy feeling. The Disks are both somber and lighthearted and decorated with flowers, trees, gemstones and even mud. The court cards all express individual and unique personalities.

The Major Arcana cards are of course magnificent. The Magician is a more playful and less serious than he is in most decks, giving this card a slightly different twist. The Hanged Man is seen from below giving the impression that he is reaching for the reader. This Hermit is one of the most evocative cards in the deck. The Hermit stands at the doorway to the underworld with Cerebus, the three headed dog at his side holding his lantern aloft, casually, but he himself is the doorway showing us that the path lies within. The Tower is a tall construct of burning televisions. Of special note is the Lovers, the deck includes three separate variations of this card, one with two men, one with two women, and one with a man and a woman. The simple acknowledgement that different people have different romantic orientations puts this deck far above any other. The reader can choose from the three versions, or use all three and assign different meanings to them.

The deck uses nudity as one of its primary elements and as a key part of its design. Nudity should not be confused with eroticism. The nudity is artistic, tasteful and within the context of the cards. All genders and body types are portrayed. The use of live models serves to make the images personal. At first glance this would seem to take away from the archetypal imagery that one expects from a good deck of cards, however in use the fact that the images are personal provides more immediate meaning. The models are of all sizes and ages and all are extraordinarily beautiful, my only complaint, and it is a small one, is the lack of racial diversity among the models.

No collection of tarot decks would be complete with out the "Cosmic Tribe Tarot."

I enjoy collecting Tarot decks and happened on this by accident. . .I'd surfed onto a wicca web page and it was the featured deck of the week or something. I bought it with no great expectation--I just thought the "Techno Pagan" theme was different than any of the themes in my collection. My first impression of the Cosmic Tribe was that the colors are extremely vibrant and beautiful, and that the art is simply phenomenal and unique. Very psychedelic. My reaction to the nudity and the use of photographs of real people was mixed. I don't mind the nudity, but at first the use of real people as opposed to drawn or painted people sort put me off. Initially this technique seemed to make the images less archtypal and more personal. Ultimately though, it's this very personalization of the deck that lends it much of its charm and power. Postman's selection of models are so apt for each particular card that they bring to life the meaning and personality of the cards in a way I've not experienced with any other decks. I'm a typical media influenced American male with certain preconceived notions of physical beauty, but despite this, Postmans choice of setting, use of light and color and choice of models makes the whole gamut of body shapes beautiful--I don't think I've ever so appreciated the nude human form. The inclusion of three Lover's cards--gay,lesbian, and hetero is a big plus. Judging on aesthetics alone, this deck is a must have--it must be seen to be appreciated. It is so beautiful you can be lost in it for hours. Above and beyond the superficial though, this deck's symbolism is so apt, so meaningful, so instantly intuitive that it has become my favorite for actual use in readings. It is very similar to Crowley's Thoth deck, but with more relevant and modern symbolism. Postman's deck is both deep AND easy to use. My only criticism is that the accompanying book is some what of the fluffy new-age self help feel good type, as opposed to Crowley's more scholarly "Book of Thoth". However, as far as fluffy new-age tarot books go, its actually pretty good, and anyway, there is nothing wrong with the occasionally fluffy sap in one's life. In the books favor, it does offer some interesting ideas for readings and meditations. All in all, this is a must have deck.

These cards are gorgeous! I love the models that are used in the cards because they're of different shapes and appearances. This is also the first deck I own that has three different Lovers' cards, which I really appreciated (you can choose one based on your own sexual preference or use all three and attach variations of meanings to the Lovers' card). I loved the dizzying perspective of the Hanged Man; I found the Queen of the Swords to be the most beautiful card in the deck.

I found the accompanying book to be helpful, but as with most Tarot decks I own, the book eventually gets pushed away as I discover what the cards mean to **me**.

I will say this: those who are offended by full frontal nudity should probably avoid this deck. If you are doing readings for other people, you may want to keep this deck for your own personal use if you're not sure what their reaction would be (just common sense stuff). The human body is such a wonderfully artistic form, and this deck proves it.

This is the perfact tarot for all us neopagan,techno shaman,tribal people out there.I always shied away from the tarot because there was really no decks out there that we could truely relate to this day and age,with our modern technology and lifestyles.And other decks are just to dull and do not make your eyes pop out and say "WOW".But this deck did that and more.Each card is a visual feast and using them in readings is not enough,they are great to meditate on, too! Whats also really great about the cards is that the images are modeled by actual people, and nude.They are not the beautiful Kate Moss type people, either.But real people ,that everyone can relate to.It gets rid of the taboos the church and other male dominated religions put on the body,and portrays it as it really is,sacred,erotic,and holy. The accompaning book is written beautifully.Each of the major arcane cards has a accompaining poem to it,which enhances the expierience and journey.The layouts and techniqies are simple and easy to follow. Like I said this a great tarot deck for all the pagans/shamans out there.Or for anyone wanting a transforming expierence.Blessed be!

This is the most beautiful tarot deck I've ever seen. The photo collages and art are exquisite. The models are all real and beautiful in natural bodies of all shapes and sizes. The 10 of disks embodies all that is wonderful and orgasmic about living fully in your natural body as a woman in a patriarchal, sexist, ageist, and plastic obssessed society. Complementing Rob Brezsney's Televisionary Oracle novel perfectly, this composite of images, symbols, and the human form has something for anyone interested in creating a progressive vision for the planet that does not involve those who only see the surface of things. Thank you Stevee for your vision.

My fear was that this would be a "politically correct" gimmick deck.
My criteria for a deck are beauty and authenticity. Some authentic decks, like "Tarot of Ceremonial Magick", are so lacking in aesthetic charm that they are, for me, unuseable.
This deck is really beautiful, true to the meaning of the cards, and very useable. They continue the tarot tradition authentically, without imitating other decks. It's truly a joy to have this deck--and I am a tarot lover and collector.

When I first encountered this deck I was working at my local Borders. A book seller came up to me and said "I see you have the porno-tarot there. We should keep this locked behind the counter." Well, needless to say this peaked my curiosity. It didnt look like porn...

I puchased a copy of this now classic and was amazed at the skill and analysis in this set. I was not impressed by previous photo collages from the past:The Voyager Tarot. It bas too busy and not skillfully done. This was not the case with this deck. I would almost say this was almost holographic in style.

Nudity is used here and I must admit the models are beautiful! There is no pornography here. If the ideal human form is considered so shameful, the negative responder should be in the 1950s or earlier! There is a post-hippy psychedilic/techno feel going on here. The artist is based in San Francisco, after all.I absolutely love it.

This is not another rewrite of the Rider-Waite deck, (how many of them are in current existence?) I found many correlations to the Crowly-Thoth deck. Bold and courageous in itself. I have yet to encounter many successful clones or tributes to this stand alone classic. Cosmic Tribe seems to pull this off and go a little further! I am sure Crowley and his fans would like this tribute.

The deck does contain many provocative images! The Lover card alone would raise hairs on many necks! There are 3 versions here-2 men,2 women and a man and woman. Ideal for diverse clients who may like to use either or. This brings me to my next issue. Reading for others. This is a deck aimed at a 12+ audience. Most Tarots are provocative already! Even the Mighty Crowly-Thoth has elements that could confuse, frighten and outright shock many! If reading for a public audience, I would keep a spare P-G rated deck around for the morally prudish.

All in all, if I had to pick the best deck to come out of the 1990s this would be it! "Locked up", indeed.

The Cosmic Tribe Tarot is a synthesis of the artistic techniques used in the Crowley Thoth Deck and the Voyager Tarot. At its best, it has used the photographic style of the Voyager, but in a less busy way, in combination with traditional Rider-Waite symbology (5 Swords, 10 Swords, 10 Wands and Emperor.) It is less effective in the minor arcana cards that most resemble the Thoth Deck where the suit symbols are arranged as "counters" in a colorful and attractive pattern. This disparity of style is prominent enough to almost give the feel of two separate decks. The Voyager and Thoth Decks provide a key word on the minor arcana cards as an aid to those of us who otherwise depend on pictorial representation for interpretation. Although the accompanying book, a well-written and rewarding resource, provides a key word for each minor arcana card, these words are not present on the deck. It was wise of the creator to use the nude human figure thereby avoiding irrelevant and unintended connotation which clothing surely would provide. I am thinking here of the Yeager Tarot twenty-two years after publication. Who painted-on those briefs, and WHY? The male and female nudity is not offensive, disturbing or erotic; it helps us place ourselves in the situations of the figures on the cards.The inclusion of three Lovers cards is a welcome and thoughtful innovation. Perhaps the talented creator might consider a second edition in which the "counter" cards would be reworked into the beautiful and powerful allegory exhibited in some of the current cards.

The artwork in this deck is stunningly beautiful, and Stevee Postman obviously spent a great deal of time on each image. The deck is based on the arrangement of the cards in the Thoth tarot deck by Aleister Crowley and Freida Harris, so if you like that deck you should like this one. Although the nude images were a bit startling at first, the symbolism of the cards matches reasonably well with the Crowleyan ideas.

The only thing which prevents me from giving this deck a full five stars is that the interpretations given for the cards are so bizarre and "bunny-huggerish" that it makes it difficult to read with this deck. As a reader, I am not inclined to use the Crowley deck anyway, and the curious meanings given in the book which accompanies the deck are utterly devoid of any practical guidelines to interpretations. Despite this shortcoming, the deck is worth the price simply for the artwork alone.

I do have to say this is one of the best decks I have ever owned.. Very detail very colorfull and full of love.. The images on the cards are really intense and the cards are fun just to stare at forever,this deck is incredible and the models for the deck are also wonderfull,I highly reccomend this deck to anyone interested in just starting the tarot or for the collector..Love,light and life..