Customer Reviews

Golden Botticelli Tarot (English, Spanish, French, German and Italian Edition)

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

 

 

Love this deck! It's my first Lo Scarabeo deck and I'm impressed. The quality of the card stock is nice and I would like to note that the Amazon picture shows the outside border of the cards in a cream color...they are actually done in black-much better in my opinion! The black gives the art a real rich quality and the gold pops out. Not only does this deck look nice it reads very accurately too! If you are a fan of Botticelli this deck is a must!

If you are a Tarot collector, you'll want to have the Botticelli Tarot. Particularly if you are inclined to appreciate the artistic element of tarot cards. These cards are beautiful.
Esthetically, the only criticism that I have to make is that there is some unevenness in the presentation because some swords have gilded lines that make them pop up while others do not. The same happens with the suit of cups, but it is more noticeable with the swords. Other than that, this set of tarot cards is gorgeous.

The cards in this sumptuous deck are gorgeous, some of them with a hauntingly beautiful dreamlike element. It is most certainly a must have deck for anyone who collects decks or for someone who just wants a splendid deck to read with. A couple of things to keep in mind though, if you are considering this deck: the Botticelli LWB (little white book) may be particularly problematic for a novice reader. Interpretations for several of the cards are very non-traditional. A novice who is trying to learn the Tarot but still wants this deck might want to skip the LWB for now, learn the basic meanings first, and then see how to make these cards work for you. For others with a good grounding in basic Tarot interpretation, working with these cards intuitively can be a joy, as most of the images will certainly prompt many insights. The 2nd issue is that while virtually all of these cards are magnificent to look at, there are a few cards that are almost void of all traditional symbolism. This was most noticable in some of the pip (minor arcana) cards. Still, these 'problems' (if you can even call them that) are not insurmountable and for sheer visual pleasure it would be hard to beat this deck. Highly recommended.

This would have to be one of the most beautiful Tarot Decks of all time!!! Not only that, but it reads incredibly well, even the LWB that comes with it is very intuitive. I am enjoying using Rachel Pollack's " 78 Degrees of Wisdom " with it for my own readings and the combination of the two make it easy to "lose oneself" in a reading. If artwork of the masters sooths your soul, you will love this deck. If you just love beautiful things you will love this deck, and if you are a Tarot Enthusiast, you will enjoy many pleasurable hours simply looking at, or reading with this deck.

"The works of the great Florentine painter, Alessandro Filipepi, known as `Botticelli' (1445-1510), inspired this magnificent deck, which allegorically describes all kinds of human feelings: material desires, fears, passions, and spiritual tensions. The painter himself went through various existential moments during his life that profoundly affected his art, suggesting characters and situations to him which, portrayed individually in 78 figures, represent a microcosm still relevant today." - From the Little White Book

With rich colors, poignant expressions and vivid scenery, Atanas Alexandrov Atanassov--artist for the DaVinci Tarot and the divine Golden Tarot of Klimt--captures the pathos so often present in Botticelli's paintings.

For added luster, the team at Lo Scarabeo incorporated golden embossment in the Botticelli, much like the gorgeous Golden Tarot of Klimt. However, unlike the Klimt deck, the gilt touches here are heavy handed.

Instead of just highlighting flowers, cups, books, garment threads, and suit symbols in gold, for example, the same extensive, intricate pattern is overlaid on each card background. This means that instead of blue or cloudy skies, we're presented with a busy gold pattern, instead--sometimes covering ¾ of the card.

This is unfortunate, because it takes away from Atanassov's exquisite artwork, not adds to it. In fact, it's downright distracting--especially so for those wanting to use the Botticelli Tarot for contemplation or divination.

Measuring approximately 2 ½ x 4 ¾ inches, the cards feature an attractive black border framing Atanassov's imagery, with a handsome reversible motif on the backings. The Little White Book provides solid, common interpretations for each card, but, sadly, fails to list the Botticelli paintings by name.

If you adore the gilt embossed decks from Lo Scarabeo, you'll no doubt love the Botticelli Tarot--especially as a collectible art deck. However, some may find the background filigree too pervasive for meditation and contemplation. If the touches were more understated as in the Golden Tarot of Klimt, the Botticelli deck would outshine that excellent deck. However, in this case, the gilding is too much of a good thing for me.

-- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book

(To see 15 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

I was thrilled when I found this deck, and even more so when it arrived. This is one of the most beautiful decks I have ever seen! It's simply stunning, especially with the gold inlay on each card. This deck is perfect for me because it has the art and symbolism I love. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I haven't done a reading with them yet. But I'm sure I'll love it. These cards aren't as large as some of my other decks, so it should work well with my smaller hands.

Well I have a few tarot decks in my collection but upon receving the Golden Botticellli .I 've feel as if it was an intant art gallery right in my hands.Lo Scarabo is well know for making artistic tarot decks of quality and for collecting.Comes with the LWB which has not much explantions about the deck is an downside.But for me this deck is a pleasure to look at!

I agree with everything the previous reviewers have said. This is a stunning set of cards - the gilding twinkles over subtle pastel scenes. At times, the backgrounds slide from one subtle colour to another. The card back is a sober pattern in rich red and blue, very fitting for the deck. Lo Scarabeo stays with their standard size and glossy finish, making the cards a pleasure to handle. This is a deck to treasure.

It's a beautiful set -- but I had to refrain to give it even an OK or three stars, because the card stock leaves a lot to be desired. It's flimsy and awful and simply does not do justice for the artwork.

I was simply disappointed. Why Llewelyn continues to support their products is beyond me.