Customer Reviews

The Nigel Jackson Tarot

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me start by saying that I don't consider a "retelling of the Waite deck" to be in any way a criticism. The Waite/Coleman-Smith tarot informs all of our perspectives, at this point. I appreciate tarot decks that are highly original, but I don't exactly see the point of a deck that creates entirely new meanings for the cards. Tarot cards are potent, in part, because they draw upon shared meanings that have been carried through time. All the decks that I personally use (as opposed to only collect) have fairly similar basic meanings to each card. I consider this a plus.

What is really special about this deck is, as other reviewers have pointed out, the quality. You really feel that focus and loving attention was paid to every step of the creation of this deck, from the luminous, colorful paintings, to the thorough discussion of the deck in the accompaning book, to the excellent quality of the cards themselves. To be truthful, I haven't yet plowed through the author's philosophy about his deck; the beautiful cards speak for themselves.

The art is an interesting combination of renaissance painterly tradition, Tibetan decorations, William Morris' English influence, and slightly cartoonish (but quite tolerable) figures. You get the feeling that Jackson, and especially his wife, are represented over and over in both the trumps and the minors! The minors have quite similar symobolism to the Waite deck, but not always. There are lots of unique cards. Only several of these do I not personally care for. For instance, the 9 of Swords pictures a nightmare: a nude women with a frightful beast's head. The traditional picture of someone in their own private nightmare of despair, doubt, fear, torment, guilt, or whatever, seems more powerful than this kind of silly, scary lady. And I found the Moon to be rather dark: very much the ominous, malignant side of the Moon, without the deep, holy and benevolent aspect of the Lunar Orb. But these are really the only cards I didn't care for.

The Trumps, in particular, are very powerful. The backgrounds radiate energy, intention, and serenity, and the figures themselves are very effectively brought to life. This deck has already leaped into my very favorite top five or six for regular use. By the way, the cover illustration of Temperance is not, in my opinion, the strongest or lovliest, by any means. Don't hesitate to invest in this stunning and user-friendly new addition to the world of Tarot.

I own several tarot decks, and with all certainty, this is the crowning glory of my collection. The deck's unique art, a combination of line-drawing and watercolor, is some of the best I've ever seen. The colors are luminous and harmonious...The artist pulled off a rare feat in creating a truly colorful deck, but one that defies syrupy sweetness or garishness. The symbols and images of the deck are familliar (derived largely from the Waite deck I believe), yet presented in a very fresh, new way. The deck is very "user friendly". The cards are of large size, but not awkward, and are easily shuffled right out of the box. I have not yet had the opportunity to completely read the accompanying booklet, but my first impressions are that it is intelligently written and useful. Even the packaging of this deck reflects quality. The "kit" is very compact and portable. This deck/book set gets my complete approval. I absolutely love it and highly recommend it.

Nigel Jackson's Tarot is beautiful craftsmanship. Not just eye-candy, anyone with good taste who enjoys medieval and renaissance art will enjoy this deck. If you know the tarot you will find it a great divination tool, as the illustrations depict the meaning of the major arcana archetypes quite well. The minor arcana also does its job, depicting everyday people and life's situations. If you're a novice, you can benefit as well because the artwork allows you to determine what the cards mean to YOU without constantly groping for the book. The deck is somewhat over-sized compared to a standard deck, but it handles easy and allows you to fully realize its beauty. The book is also the size of the deck and offers concise, meaningful interpretations; a glossary that defines many greek terms, a bibliography, and meditative exercises, plus five spreads. This book has more to offer than the miniature booklet that comes with standard decks.

It is not clear to me what Mr. Jackson is trying to convey in his explanation of tarot origin. His philosophy on the Pythagorean Method is a bit convoluted, but in no way detracts from the deck.

For me, a deck must be appealing, handles with ease, and I must be able to interpret the cards, as well as connect. I was able to diffuse my energy witht this deck immediately. I am a collector and this deck symbolizes quality.

Very nicely executed deck, with strong Rider-Waite influence but more interesting and unique style. I love the major arcana: I have decided to use them for the 'initial test' for the people new to the tarot who want me to read cards for them ('choose three cards that you like and three cards you don't like' procedure). The symbols are clear, traditional (in a good sense), not too dark, so the cards do not cause bias or prejudice during first-time contact. The only thing that still bothers me is attribution of elements to minor arcana suits: for somebody learning the tarot within the Golden Dawn tradition it is hard to accept Swords=Fire, Wands=Air association. Fortunately it is striking only in case of Ace cards, and does not prevent me from using the deck for divination. One of my Big Favorites, together with the Robin Wood, Cosmic Tribe and Arthurian (the Hallowquest version).

A beautiful deck full of bright pen and watercolor images that grab the imagination. It has become my deck of choice. The cards are larger than most decks, which I like, and the packaging is well done. This deck makes its home in my best tarot bag... I like it that much. The art is soothing to the eye, unlike the familure Waite/Smith images. The book that comes with the deck is interesting reading but for the beginner this deck and Joan Bunning's workbook are a very good match (even though Joan uses Wait, the images translate nicely... for the most part). This is Llewellyn's best deck in my opinion and you cannot help but come away from this deck anything but a fan of Nigel Jackson's talents. Highly recommended.

This is definitely one of the most visually attractive tarot decks I've seen, with luminous pastel coloration and excellent drawing. The images belong to the modern fairytale school, a sort of update to the generic medieval flavor of Waite and the neo-Waite decks.

That's the good; now, the bad. The author (who supplies 140+ page book) makes amazing and unsubstantiated claims for the origins of the tarot, the history of his images, and for his training in various secret schools. This last, he says, has provided a number of esoteric, hitherto-unrevealed teachings which he will show in his deck. Unfortunately, most of the deck cards mirror either Waite's tarot or the various Marseilles decks in their symbolism and arrangement of objects, while the few cards that venture out on their own merely provide a new image to one of Waite's previously established definitions. In short, a lot of wind, but precious little new thought blowing by.

This deck was love at first sight for me. I own several, but this one instantly has become one of my favorites. The artwork is original and fresh, yet retains much of the traditional symbolism. The artist adds some of his own original touches -- I liked that the Fool has a cat instead of the usual dog.

I have been using Nigel Jackson's Medieval Enchantment tarot for a couple of years now. Nigel has stayed true to the traditional deck, following the earlier symbolism before modernism attempted to rework everything. There is no lack of originality here. In faith, it is closer to the original by far than any modern reinterpretation.

The little book accompanying the deck is a trove of information. It is appropriate for beginners, being well referenced and inferring much that cannot be put into words. Folks more familiar with the philosophy will find it enchantingly succinct, yet echoing profundity.

This is a no nonesense presentation. Don't be afraid of the big words.

He has not 'switched' the elementals of Swords and Staves (as a former reveiwer of his mini kit has complained), rather has stayed true to the original designations. While the Golden Dawn receives much attention, it should be remembered that Mathers compiled many systems into one. This undoubtedly led to many changes. (Users of his Enochian tablets should notice this, if they are familiar with Dee to any degree.)

If you're looking for a purer Tarot, unclouded by human ego and the need for reinvention--one that faithfully captures the earliest renderings of the potent symbolism--Nigel Jackson's deck is it.

Stay tuned. Another one is being prepared and will be available sometime soon--maybe as early as next year. [...]

Beautifully illustrated cards that holds a treasure for the occult interested, full of medieval, and renaissance Occult symbolism. I would reccomend this deck aswell to the newcomer as to the more advanced user. The book following the deck is an absolute gem, containing much more info then its small size seems to contain. One of Llewellyn's best deck in my opinion. Highly recommended!

These cards are very beautiful on the surface with soothing colors and elaborate, detailed dress and backgrounds. A closer look reveals for the most part vapid, expressionless faces. The faces only seem to differ via hair styles and facial hair and do not even possess inscrutable expressions with possibilities. The figures are nicely proportioned and attractive but appropriately expressive body language is missing from most of the tableaux. From one perspective it allows for infinite possibilities by the reader with a vivid imagination to embroider a reading. However, if you are a beginner or not a very intuitive reader the cards offer little to inspire connection.