Customer Reviews

Ibis Tarot Deck

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I've uploaded some of the pictures so you can see how the previous reviewer is wrong. The Majors while renamed to match Egyptiana, are wholly numbered so there is never a confusion.

You can also go to this site and view the whole thing and see whether you like it or not. Beware the scans aren't the best and are not true to a deep vibrant colour. The only thing I do agree with is the lack of a solid lwb is really daunting here as you haven't a clue what's going unless you are familiar with Egypt myth and lore and I am not. Also the pips are relatively unadorned though tend to be Golden Dawn or Thoth based, still some of the layouts needs some explanation as to why.

Nice deck beautifully done and well priced but some flaws stop it from being a winner.

Unfortunately, product is of very low quality. Graphics on box is bad. Colour saturation of cards is very low. Obviously a low quality reproduction of original product. I suspect images have been scanned, a cheap rip off. Also, box arrived sellotaped and there is also a rip down the side of the box. I am now on the hunt for a legitimate print of this product.

The Ibis Tarot suffers from flat, stiff images, albeit rich and beautifully coloured ones. The deck is heavy on esoteric symbolism, such as planetary and astrological symbols, and the "Alphabet of the Magi". Many of the trump cards are renamed; the High Priestess is "The Gate of the Sanctuary", the Hierophant is "The Master of the Arcanas" [sic], and so on. Some of the choices don't entirely work--Isis-Urania is the Empress, although Hathor or Isis as the mother of Horus would have made more sense as a symbol of feminine fertility. The images are stately Egyptian-style line drawings, with magnificent colouring, which gives the cards a nice air of otherworldly mystery and beauty. Minor Arcana are pips (i.e., not scenes), with attractive backgrounds and more esoteric symbols. Overall, though, the artwork has no movement or emotion, even within the restrictions of the Egyptian style. Good art deck, perhaps useful for fans of obscure alphabets and correspondence systems, but not great for personal readings and terrible for beginners.

I had this deck sitting around for some time, and decided to give it a second glance. It is a nice production as far as the craftsmanship is concerned and stands out among other "Egyptian"
themed decks. I would love to believe that the deck came from some recently discovered treasury beneath the sands. Historically this cannot be proven, rendering the credibility of the deck a mere fantasy.

It is interesting to see so many connections to Egypt and the Tarot. I am sure if this were the case, the Ibis Tarot would be probably what the cards looked like. The scribe god is on the back of each card. Students of Egyptology, Egyptian mythology/religion and serious Tarot collectors would really enjoy the cards.

Now the downside. All of the minor cards are not illustrated making it difficult to read from. All of the major trumps have their own name, other than the Magician. This can totally confuse a new learner. There are many other resources to learn from. In other words, poor for beginners. If one feels an attraction to Egypt or Thoth, then by all means pick up a copy this beautiful deck