15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Must Own' for Jane Austen fans and Tarot aficionados, March 2, 2007
This review is from: Jane Austen Kit (Paperback)
I usually recommend tarot decks based on their art but this deck is a "must own" because of the book which accompanies the deck. Author Diane Wilkes, a world renowned tarot reader, and a brilliant lecturer, demonstrates the versatility of the tarot by applying its archetypes to the works of Jane Austen. Like Jane, the book is written with wit and wisdom, and when I finished it, I was no longer intimidated by the tarot. (How I wish this book had been available when I first discovered the tarot.)
In addition to descriptions and analyses of the 76 traditional tarot cards, based on characters and scenes from the novels, each card ends with a section entitled, "What would Jane do?"- how Jane Austen can help you live a life of equipoise and balance. The book also includes instructions and spreads on how to use the cards, and how to make card connections. And- for those of us who haven't read Jane Austen, there are detailed synopses of all her books. My knowledge of Jane Austen comes primarily from film and TV, but reading the Jane Austen Tarot has inspired me to tackle the entire oeuvre.
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oh wow! Oh Darn!, March 23, 2007
This review is from: Jane Austen Kit (Paperback)
I am both very pleased and somewhat disappointed in this Tarot card set.
The Good:
1. The book is very good including for each card:
a. complete description of each card
b. an outline of the relevant part of the storyline
c. a tarot interpretation
d. a unique "What would Jane Do?" note for each card
2. The Minor Arcana suits are quite fitting to Jane Austen's time and works. Each one also has a color scheme or palette
a. Quills - mostly in shades of blue, and mightier than the sword ;-)
b. Candlesticks - uses a reddish palette
c. Coins - primarily brown and green
d. Teacups - in shades of green and gray
3. With some notable exceptions the drawings are all very appropriate illustrations of scenes in the books
4. Minor Arcana are not based on numbers - you won't find Mr. Darcy with 3 quill pens on the 3 of Quills rather Jane Bennett crying over a letter with no actual quill pictured.
5. Court cards as appropriate as the suits
a. Lord
b. Lady
c. Knight
d. Maiden
6. Major Arcana are all full color which sometimes makes them seem more cartoonish than the more monochromatic minor arcana. I list this as an asset, however because it makes them easier to identify. See #4
7. It has enough similarity to a Rider-Waite Tarot set to assist an experienced reader in picking it up, but is specific to Jane Austen making it a truly unique Tarot set that will be a joy to anyone who appreciates the author.
The Bad:
1. Non-Austen and inconsistent imagery - Pride and Prejudice cards continually portray Eliza Bennett from the 1940 Greer Garson film version which used costumes that might have walked off the set of the "Gone with the Wind" set instead of the authentic Regency styles that she might have worn. This continues on each card that depicts her even when she is pictured with other women wearing the Regency high waist Elizabeth is in a gown that could not possibly have been made before 1832. The Fool card is the worst.
2. Complex imagery and meaning heavily associated to Austen books. This is a good thing if you simply want to add to your collection of Austen related items, but makes learning to give readings with this deck incredibly challenging! It's not a good deck for an inexperienced Tarot reader, or someone who expects to leverage their knowledge of Rider-Waite, etc. to learn this deck over night. It takes some study to become familiar enough to do a reading.
3. Tarot meanings depend heavily on Austen books and analogies drawn from them, this can be great fun, but only when both reader and querant are both familiar with all the books represented in the reading.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Labor of Love, May 19, 2007
This review is from: Jane Austen Kit (Paperback)
I love "The Jane Austen Tarot'.
Another reviewer has already given a clear and accurate description of what you can expect from this kit (thank you) so I will not repeat that information.
If you like this deck but some things about it do not work for you then I offer this suggestion. Realize that the cards cannot be changed but you can challenge yourself to find a different way to look at them so they DO work for you. Lizzie Bennett is dressed differently than the other women. I see her style of dress as a metaphor for a woman who is way ahead of her time, a woman who feels the 'fullness' of life.
I recommend "21 Ways To Read a Tarot Card" by Mary Greer. It shows ways of reading cards that could enrich your experience with "The Tarot of Jane Austen" and encourage you to use it with people who are not familiar with the books. Your enthusiasm could inspire others to read her books or watch movies based on them.
Sample Images of the cards are available at the Aeclectic Tarot website.
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