Customer Reviews

The Halloween Tarot Deck

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

 

 

This is a real Tarot deck with carefully thought out imagery based on the familiar Rider-Waite pack. It has been delightfully "twisted, turned, and tweaked" to create a colorful, humorous, and fun-filled Halloween deck. The brief little pamphlet that comes inside the box with the "deck only" set explains that the imagery chosen by artist Kipling West encorporates not only old-tome Halloween archetypes but characters from old horror movies, circus images and from the German-made Vegetable People that were popular decorations in America in the 1920s and can be seen on vintage Halloween postcards. Mixed in with the Halloween symbols is a blend of ancient Greek, Egyptian, Hindu, Chaldean and biblical imagery. Kipling West knows her Tarot and she clearly loves Halloween as I do. This deck is so much fun, the illustrations so bright and colorful and detailed that I think most any Tarot lover will find it enjoyable. It is perfect for light-hearted, less serious readings that might be done at parties but can also be used by the serious student to broaden one's understanding of the traditional Tarot symbols.
The black cat that appears on each card is so true to life that a cat-lover will spot their own cat's behavior right away. The suits are Bats for Swords, Imps for Wands, Pumpkins for Pentacles, and Ghosts for Cups. While the symbolism on the Court cards and the Major Arcana is very faithful to the Rider-Waite vision it is at the same time enormously creative in working the Halloween symbolism into the cards. The images are all fun and so they are useful for working with people that are merely curious because they do not frighten, however, an experienced reader can easily transpose their own deeper knowledge of the cards onto these loosely veiled images and the deck is satisfactory for serious divination.
If you love the fun-filled and slightly freaky American holiday of Halloween with it's orange and black cornucopia of characters and symbols you will adore this deck as I do. Amazon carries the deck separately or sold as part of a set that includes a detailed book on The Halloween Tarot. Both are excellent depending on your needs. Don't miss this. It's so much fun.

(Although this review is about the BOX SET rather than the deck only, the observations about the cards themselves are still relevant).

"Successful Tarot readings are based on insight into what you *do* see, and whatever flashes of insight into your own life the pictures may offer you. In fact, think of yourself as the black cat that appears in every card of the Halloween deck. He is your touchstone, and travels through the deck with you as your companion." - From the companion book

For quite some time, I've had my eye on The Halloween Tarot deck and book set by Kipling West (illustrator) and Karin Lee (companion book and LWB author). Although I assumed I'd be pleased when I eventually bought them, I had no idea just how thrilling it would be to actually SEE the deck!

While the outstanding cartoon-like artwork of The Halloween Tarot is colorful and clever, I wasn't prepared for the intuitive and symbolic richness of the cards. Designing many of the cards based on Rider-Waite iconography--but tweaked and twisted to incorporate themes from Halloween, old monster movies, circus images, and the German-made "Vegetable People" that were popular Halloween toys/decorations in 1920's America--Kipling West has given Tarot an influx of fresh perspective--while still paying homage to ancient esoteric symbolism.

As I went through the deck one card at a time, I noticed how certain phrases popped into my head--a silent commentary to the arresting depictions--and a very good sign that this is a deck that would "speak" to me.

From the terrified man strapped to the ever-turning Wheel (and the target of knife-throwing!), to the experimenting mad scientist in The Hermit--the jolly Pumpkin Man careening through paved cemetery roads in a hearse (The Chariot) to a chained Frankenstein fixed on his cement throne (The Emperor), associations both practical and divine made themselves known.

Reading the delightful illustrated 137-page companion book was more than just a treat: it provided solid, yet innovative, ways to see and interpret the cards (including upright and reversed meanings). While you *can* buy The Halloween Tarot by itself--and it *does* include a LWB by Karin Lee--the companion book found in the box set is a not-to-be-missed traveling companion through this particular deck. The LWB only provides brief meanings, and doesn't elaborate on actual images (which is why I prefer the box set which comes with the companion book.)

The suits of the Minor Arcana are Ghosts (Cups), Imps (Wands), Bats (Swords) and Pumpkins (Coins)--and the Court Cards follow the Page, Knight, Queen, and King rendering. The whimsical orange and black card backings are fully reversible, depicting a black cat, spider, smiling skulls, bats, vines, stars, full moon, and an all-seeing eye in the center.

There is no nudity in The Halloween Tarot, nor are the images gruesome or threatening--making it a *wonderful* for deck for children. (My 8-year-old son is enraptured with both the cards and book!) But make no mistake: the light-hearted appearance of the cards belies the abundant symbolism nestled within the images, as well as the rich repository for intuitive insights.

I was blown away by a three card reading I performed with this deck, mostly because two of the cards contained specific (to me) references about a book I was reading--a direct answer to my unspoken query about my spiritual path. So if you're tempted to think that The Halloween Tarot is only for holiday readings or as a quirky, light-weight addition to a deck collection, think again: this is a great reading deck than can also speak to weightier matters!

If you're a huge fan of Halloween, there's no question you'll love this deck. However, even for those who *aren't* rabid for this particular holiday or its accoutrements, a charming, readable deck awaits you--no matter *what* time of the year!

(To see 10 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)

Terrie Reese sums up The Halloween Tarot extremely well in her own review, but for those who may have overlooked this factor I would like to iterate that this isn't one of those 'cute but unusable' novelty decks that will sit in the box for years on end (goodness knows most of us have purchased enough of those, lol). Quite the contrary, this is a legitimate tarot deck that as a professional tarot reader I use sometimes throughout the year when 'in the mood' and doing online readings for clients who can't see the cards, and I am also certain to pull this deck out every October when doing in-person consultations because clients are absolutely tickled by the whimsical pictures and storytelling. Since you have the option between using the more jocular interpretations of the cards found in the booklet that's included with the deck, or if you are an advanced tarotist you can use your own 'graver' interpretations (akin to any other Rider-Waite type deck), then this is one of those ideal decks for me. These cards are wonderful for casting Halloween tarot spells, too, if you are familiar with how to do said! Either way, The Halloween Tarot both entertains and provides accurate, insightful readings. Happy Samhain!

This deck is a total delight for anyone who like myself loves Halloween. The symbolism is marvelous in it's own whimsical setting. A Rider-Waite clone yet unique. There's not a scary sight in this deck, great to read with for people who get easily put off by morbid tarot imagery. Suits are Ghosts/Cups, Bats/Swords, Pumpkins/Pentacles and Imps/Wands. Comes with the little booklet with meanings, two spreads, introduction and some other fun information. Not to miss the cute black cat that witnesses each scene in the deck. I give it 5 stars!

I have to admit, although Halloween is my favorite holiday, I held off on this deck for a long time. Now I wonder why! It is so fun, and so full of energy. The artist has done a fabulous job celebrating all of the best parts of Halloween while presenting a deck that is surprisingly serious under the surface. Since it's based on the Rider-Waite, beginners as well as those who prefer to use the RWS system will feel right at home with it. But rather than just offering the same stale images that many RWS clones do, this deck has some delightful reworkings of the cards. Among my favorites are Temperance: a witch mixing her brew while a black cat looks on, and the Lovers which shows Dracula climbing into Mina Murray's room, letters and pictures from Jonathan Harker are spilled across her bedspread. In this deck pumpkins have been chosen to represent pentacles because of their connection to the earth, ghosts for cups because of their watery and dreamlike nature, bats for air because these winged creatures often strike fear in the hearts of individuals, and imps for wands because of their fiery energy. This easy to read deck, chock full of images of broomsticks, ghouls, tricks and treats will make you laugh out loud. And the best part is you don't have to wait all year to celebrate Halloween!

This deck is lovely. The artwork is nostalgic wiithout becoming sickening. At first glance, this deck seems like a cute novelty but it actually reads very well. And it is very non-threatening for parties and other places where those not familiar with tarot might be. West is knowledgable about Tarot and a highly competant artist.

When I finally found a way to learn tarot that worked for me, I looked at all the pretty decks I'd collected over the years very critically. I purged my collection because I found that I was simply not drawn to some of them for anything other than the cute art, if that. One of the tests I used to decide what would stay was to lay out all of the cards from each deck side by side, and compare each member of the arcana and court with those of the other decks.

The "Halloween Tarot" had enough fascinating ideas to be worth keeping. It fit the keyword system of learning Rider-Waite I'd grasped, has adorable art and seemed to be a very agonized-over deck. The descriptions of the Pages as being logistics mavens really opened my eyes, and the execution of those cards reflects the meaning almost perfectly. This deck has, hands down, the best "Lovers" card I've ever seen: it mixes the literal idea of the card, the idea of Halloween *and* the Rider-Waite meaning altogether. And I'm just ashamed to admit how long it took me to get the pun of "The Devil" card.

Unfortunately, this ability to mix all three concepts together doesn't seem spread evenly throughout the deck. And because of that, I haven't used is as much as I'd like to. I have hopes that I'll get it eventually, but not having it click immediately keeps me from giving it a full five stars. (Yes, I'm picky. :)

The deck I bought did not come with the full, hard-back book, but with a carefully written pamphlet, complete with the occasional character from the deck, some sample spreads, the origin of the deck and some history of Halloween. The cards measure approximately 4.75" x 2.75" and have a fairly elaborate orange and black mirror-image on the back. They are coated like standard playing cards but a tad thinner and more flexible. And yes, as per the pamphlet, the black cat appears in each one. :)

Whether for yourself or as a gift, I think the "Halloween Tarot" is worthwhile. Who knows, it may click with you a bit faster than it did with me.

This deck doesn't just have a cute theme, the art is extremely well done with a sly wit and attention to detail. Probably not the best deck for absolute beginners, but not bad for a second or third.

This is a wonderful Rider-Waite-style deck which combines wit and fun with serious symbolism and a deep understanding of the Tarot. I see something new (either a joke or a piece of esoteric symbolism) every time I use my copy. It might not be the best deck for absolute beginners, since it is actually very complex, and be sure not to use it around the Tarot/Occult-nervous people in your life (the suit of Imps will have people of that sort running from the room screaming "Satan worship!" in a heartbeat). Also, the very fact that so many images *are* humorous may make people unfamiliar with the Tarot disrespect the deck without understanding that something can be funny *and* serious at the same time. Still, for someone (like me) who loves Halloween, black cats, the Tarot, and humor combining all three will love this deck. What's not to like about a Major Arcana where The Devil really *is* wearing a blue dress?

Basically a rider waite clone, this deck would be excellent for a beginner. The imagery is fun and would also be excellent when reading for those not familiar with tarot. I don't think this deck would be good as a main deck, I find it hard to relate with the cartoon characters used in the illustrations. But it is beautiful, and for those who love halloween as much as I do, it's a great pick.