The Halloween Tarot Deck and Book Set [Paperback]

Karin Lee (Author), Kipling West (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1997

Black cats, ghosts, and jack o'lanterns offer enchantment and light-hearted perspectives in this lively tarot deck and book set. Book contains 148 pages, illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

Review

You don't have to wait until October 31 to jump into the festive, spooky world of Halloween. You can experience it all year round with Kipling West's Halloween Tarot! The 78-card Halloween Tarot deck offers both the fun and the mystery of the holiday--monsters and other creepy creatures, eager trick-or-treaters, and the ubiquitous black cat. The Minor Arcana suits are Pumpkins (Pentacles), Bats (Swords), Ghosts (Cups), and Imps (Wands).

Karin Lee's entertaining guide to the Halloween Tarot delves into the history, symbols, and traditions of All Hallow's Eve--from the story of the jack-o'-lantern to the origins of trick-or-treating to finding your true love's name in apple peelings. So grab your Halloween Tarot deck and a pillowcase to hold all the treats you'll find along the way as you explore Halloween! -- U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: United States Games Systems (July 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572810343
• ISBN-13: 978-1572810341
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.8 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful and Creative Themed Deck, July 1, 2001

By 

SeashellPoint "Nancy" (Fort Myers, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Halloween Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)

There aren't many Tarot decks that I actually make a permanent part of my deck collection; however, this is one of them. I've "passed it by" for the last several years, but decided recently to take a closer look at it. With my sister being a special lover of the Halloween season, I thought it would be ideal to use for her readings - and I was right. Because it is a deck that she closely resonates with, I've gotten my most accurate readings with her using this deck.

The theme, closely based on the standard Rider-Waite, is quite ingeniously done and is a very light-hearted deck to use, i.e. it doesn't reflect any "dark" images or interpretations. Instead, author/illustrator Karin Lee draws on an array of Halloween imagery that reminds us of our childhood trick-or-treating, using Pumpkins, Ghosts, Bats and Imps to represent the standard Minor Arcana suits of Pentacles, Cups, Swords and Wands. Lots of creativity is shown in the Major Aracana as well; for example, The Emperor card shows a Boris Karlof-type Frankenstein, with a rendition of the Bride of Frankenstein representing The Empress! This is also an excellent deck to use with anyone who has misconceptions of fears about having a Tarot reading, as it promotes a sense of childlike fun.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Halloween whimsy for the whole year through!!, May 17, 2001

By 

Chess Heart "paxbear" (Canton, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Halloween Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)

The Halloween Tarot Submitted 5/17/01

Halloween whimsy all through the year! Just like Ms. West, the creator of the Halloween tarot, I LOVE Halloween. My birthday is in October, I love dressing up in costumes, one of my favorite movies is "Nightmare Before Christmas", and I even got MARRIED on Halloween! (Hey, if you're gonna do something scary, might as well do it on the scariest nite of the year!!) So, when I found Ms. West's deck, of course I had to get it; do not pass Go, do not collect $200.

The cards are very well drawn with crisp lines and clear, bright colors. Not surprisingly, black and orange are main colors of this deck, though white, blue and red are prominently featured as well. The figures of the tarot are drawn from a number of different Halloweenish sources: costumed trick-or-treaters, movie monsters, scarecrows, and the European vegetable people of a century ago. The Empress, for example, is the Bride of Frankenstein, the Hermit, a mad scientist brewing up strange concoctions. Temperance is a young witch pouring potions and the Fool is a gleeful clown in motley. None of these images are frightening or spooky, so the overall effect is more of childhood play than of Halloween terror. In this respect, I think this makes the deck more open and playful to the querent than other more gothic or "serious" decks.

The symbolism of the cards in both Major and Minor Arcana is very similar to that of one of the most well known decks, the Rider-Waite. This makes it a good choice for the beginning-to-intermediate reader who is just learning all the symbols of the deck. The Minor Arcana have had their suits changed a bit to suit the holiday, pumpkins represent pentacles, bats represent swords, ghosts represent cups and imps (small, red devil creatures) represent wands in the more traditional decks. Still, even with these changes the symbols are very clear and easy to read. What's more, each card of both the Major and Minor Arcana have a black cat on it; he acts as a sort of touchstone or common thread through the deck that ties everything together very nicely.

I always recommend that the absolute beginner start with the Rider-Waite, simply because it's one of the most well known decks and most books about the tarot use the Rider to illustrate the cards. However, even as a beginner, I found myself able to use the Halloween tarot just as easily (if not MORE easily in my case--the Rider sometimes seems too serious for my blood) as any other deck. I've also found that people who are leery around tarot cards loosen up when they see these fun, playful cards: it seems more like a childhood game than a heavy-duty inquiry, and that allows them to relax a bit and let the reading resonate with them more than they might have otherwise allowed themselves to.

You don't have to be a nut over Halloween and collect pumpkins, skeletons and black cats like Ms. West (or me!) to enjoy these cards, nor do you have to wait until October to use them. They're great icebreakers at parties (Halloween or not!) and for people with a playful, whimsical side to their nature, this deck would be a fine choice! Highly recommended!!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Pass It Up!, August 17, 2001

By 

A. Y. Smittle (Winchester, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Halloween Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)

I kept blowing this deck off; but then I realized. Tarot. Halloween. Duh. Two favorite things in one, with a "classic" approach. I looked a bit more into this set; everyone all over the Internet has given the Halloween Tarot great reviews. When I saw such things as the Bride of Frankenstein, the Werewolf and a Hearse for the Chariot, I knew I had to have it. If you are interested in Halloween from a "Nightmare before Christmas" point of view, are just learning Tarot and/or prefer a Rider-Waite background, then this deck is for you! The book that comes with it gives a little more details to the cards and a history of Halloween. I was impressed with the History the authors gave us. It sounds like they put some thought into it than just regurgitating stuff outta books. The author and illustrator both love Halloween. I confess I found the cat on every card a bit tedious, but I know I am a bit picky---get it before it goes out of print!