41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Guide to working with the Deck, September 3, 2002
The Haindl Tarot was designed by Hermann Haindl in the 1980's. Many decks have been created based on the artists vision of the tarot and it's place in the esoteric. This one was unique in its vision. Haindl incorporated various spiritual traditions into this deck along with his unique artistic vision based on his understandings. He incorporated images derived from different cultural mythologies, sacred images and sources of influence in his own life.
What emerged was a deck that Ms. Pollack describes as "a sacred Tarot, one which reaches back to ancient spiritual traditions of many cultures."
Ms. Pollack first published her companion books to this deck back in 1990, at the request of Mr. Haindl's publisher. Ms. Pollack has discussed with Mr. Haindl his vision of what the cards represent and has put together two volumes that cover each card and the symbolisms the artist was looking to achieve. These books are the reprints of the original books, revised and updated.
The deck itself is based on the Rider-Waite outline as they maintain the same number and names of the major arcane and the four numbered suites and court cards. We recognize the Fool as 0 and the Hermit as IX, so we are not totally unfamiliar with the layout of the deck. But the similarities end there. The images are purely unique and beautifully presented, and include Hebrew letters and astrological connection which are traditionally associated with those cards. The suits are still wands, cups and swords, but Mr. Haindl has substituted stones for pentacles.
The books are separated into two volumes. The Major Arcana is explored in the first volume and the numbered cards and court cards are discussed in the second volume. Ms. Pollack explains; "Hermann Haindl designed each of the three sections of the deck - the Major Arcana, the Court cards and the numbered cards - in different ways."
This deck is unique in its perspective to be all inclusive as far as spiritual content is concerned. Ms. Pollack does a tremendous job at explaining what Mr. Haindl wanted when he designed the deck, and the meanings behind the imagery.
If you own the deck or looking to purchase it, these books are essential in understanding and working with it. If you are looking for a deck that crosses the spiritual boundaries imposed by other decks, give this deck a look and see if the imagery speaks to you.
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Artistic Dreamlike Tarot Deck, September 30, 1997
I've used the Haindl Tarot for 6 years and recently performed over 33 readings at the San Francisco Whole Life Expo using the Haindl Tarot. This deck gives the querent a great deal of answers pertaining to influences around the question. The cards are beautiful, watercolor like, dreamy, and yet powerful in their images. The inclusion of American Indian, Hindu, European and Egptian influences give the reader the ability to connect with ancient energies. I love reading with this deck and it is one the highly prized decks that I use professionally.
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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The art work is beautiful, but........, January 8, 2003
What first drew me to these cards was the amazing art work. The major arcana are so full of symbolism and detail and they do give off a good vibe. They are based more on the Thoth deck then the more traditional decks, so they call the Judgement card Aeon and the Temperance card Alchemy, which is fine, but might be confusing for others just trying to learn. Also the Strength and Justice card are actually numerically switched in the deck. However, I do love that the court cards are daughter, son, mother and father instead of page, knight, queen and king, and that each suit's court cards are actual gods and goddesses from various religions; the cup cards are norse based (Brigid of Ireland and Parsival, etc.), the wands are Hindi based (Kali and Brahma, etc) the stones (penticles) are native american based (Spider Woman and Old Man, etc.) and the swords are egyptian based (Ra and Isis, etc.) And that brings a new aspect to the court cards that I haven't seen in other decks. I have used this deck for several years, however, I feel I have grown out of it and am looking for a new deck. But I do recommend this deck to people who are looking for something with beautiful art and that is not as traditional as other decks. I do not recommend it if you like the minor arcana to be as full of symbolism and art as the major arcana or if you are looking for a more traditional deck to start with.
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