Customer Reviews

The Pagan Tarot

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The Pagan Tarot brings a fresh and unique approach to the tarot in general, and specifically to many of the individual cards. While based on the Rider-Waite-Smith template as far as structure is concerned, that's where the similarity ends. The imagery is totally new and often features scenes of modern daily life, yet is rich with symbolism and interpretive potential. The trump cards bear little resemblance to the historical counterparts, bringing a contemporary vision that I found curiously enticing. The court cards are renamed from pages, knights, queens, and kings to elementals, novices, initiates, and elders; another change I found that offers new insight into arguably the most difficult cards to interpret. The suits are named in a traditional fashion as pentacles, swords, wands, and chalices, corresponding respectively to earth (physical), air (mental), fire (spiritual), and water (emotional), but again with distinctively inventive scenes, familiar yet suggestive of a deeper meaning, beyond the conventional.

As its name suggests, much of the symbolism and imagery is pagan in nature, with scenes ranging from traditional Wiccan ritual to shopping at ones favorite metaphysical boutique. There is little nudity however, and I would feel comfortable using this deck to read for all but the most prudish. The religiously conservative may also find exception to a variety of the scenes, but for most typical tarot readings, this deck would suit both querent and reader quite well, regardless of background.

The standard-sized 78 card deck features a thin, white border on which the card name, number and/or suit appear at the top in English, and in Italian, French, Spanish, and German at the bottom, leaving the greater part of the card for the illustration. And illustrated they are, with sometimes totally new perspectives, or familiar symbols in different surroundings or situations.

On the familiar side, the three of swords depicts the traditional heart in which three swords are inserted. Yet below, a woman is seated at the foot of a couch on a hard, polished and tiled floor, arms wrapped around bended knees, head bowed and eyes looking down. A clear picture of an ending, a cycle's completion - in this case causing the pictured woman some amount of thoughtful introspection.

Somewhat less familiar is the Empress, depicting a child, a young woman, and an older woman all casually attired, apparently working in a home garden, planting the seeds of fruition. Maiden, Mother, and Crone, working in concert, bringing to pass the fruits of their labor. A refreshing and meaningful change from the traditional "queen" figure, seated in a throne.

Totally new is the nine of wands, depicting a scene in which a tow truck prepares to tow what would appear to be a disabled car, with the apparent owners, a young couple, paying the tow-truck driver. Quite a change from the traditional "man behind cell block nine" scene.

For me, the most unique aspect of this deck is the clear recognition of the blend of elemental energies in all of the cards. The six of swords with fire in the background, the thick gray smoke churning up through the air, as the canoe is paddled quickly and quietly through the waters. A cleansing indeed, as the couple lets go of the past, and heads into the future. Or the eight of wands, where a woman is seated at the foot of her couch, bills stacked about her, cash in hand, wands in front, books in back, all on a blue carpet. Or the nine of chalices, where a woman is shopping, looking at the chalices neatly displayed behind the clerk, with swords, wands, and jars of liquid in the foreground, shadowed yet evident.

At first, I though the accompanying "lwb" (little white book) was somewhat sparse. It crams 5 languages of meaning into 63 little pages, only 12 of which are in English. While each of the major arcana have their own paragraph of interpretation, the court cards and minors are grouped by suit and/or number, and have no individual meanings outlined. After a short time, I found the wisdom in this approach - no preconceived notions to interfere with my interpretations of each cards appearance. Only the gentle guidance of a general direction of energy to bring the meaning forth.

Every tarot I own had at least several cards that don't work at all for me. This deck has none of that. Every card is a "good one", every card speaks clearly and enunciates its meaning with vigor. And unlike some of my other decks that spoke loudly at first, only to lose their energy after no more than a second glance, this deck endures. Each use brings greater detail, new discoveries, and deeper insight. I look forward to each and every reading.

I bought this deck on the review alone and I am quite pleased with it. This deck depicts modern settings as well as Pagan rituals. The artwork is great and the little white book that comes with the deck is informative when you get stuck regarding the meaning of a card.

The only perplexing card in the deck was Key #16 The Tower, which depicts a young woman dressed in ceremonial robes turning away from two nude couples engaged in sexual activity. I was stunned by the overt sexuality in this card and wondered how it related to the conventional meaning of the Tower card. I took this deck to my Pagan/Wiccan circle and passed it around. Every person there generally liked the deck but also questioned the Tower card.

The little white booklet said of the Tower card, "If we do not relinquish the path of baser nature, if we continue to act in ways that are not in our greatest good, the Tower tears down those things that are dangerous to us, and forces us to confront the reality before us." Ok so is it saying that sex is "base"? I don't buy into that. But I do like they way the booklet explained. I just don't think the meaning presented in the booklet goes along very well with the actual picture on the card. And why was it pictured like that anyway? I just have questions.

If this doesn't bother you then I suggest you buy this deck. I actually really like it but I just wanted to give you a clear picture of this issue as I wasn't the only one perplexed by the Tower card in my circle. It could just be a message for me that I need to figure out. After all, this was the first card I drew from this deck in my daily Tarot card drawing. :-)

*I'm adding/editing this to say that with the input of the artist/creator of the Pagan tarot I have discovered the meaning behind the picture in the Tower card. The young robed woman depicted turning away is the seeker who has decided that this coven she has joined is not for her. They are about having sex, not spirituality, and she is searching for a deeper meaning. She has had an epiphany which is what the tower is all about. She is then able to turn to the "right" path which is shown in the next card, The Star. She is being led by the Goddess. As I lay out the Major arcana, side by side in sequence, I can see the story of the seeker developing, changing, and coming to a conclusion. I didn't quite see this before. (Guess I had an epiphany too!) Now I would like to have a book to accompany this deck. The more I look at it the more I would love to read about it and all the stories each card presents! The cards are very detailed and I see several stories at once. I can now recommend this deck 100% Thanks for reading this far. End of edit*


Blessings
Wildaseel ForestMoon

"This entirely new tarot deck is illustrated with scenes from the life of a modern pagan or Wiccan. Neopaganism and Wicca/Witchcraft are growing spiritual influences in America as well as the rest of the world..." - From the L(ittle) W(hite) B(ook) of the Pagan Tarot

The Pagan Tarot, designed by Gina Pace and illustrated by Luca Raimondo and Cristiano Spadoni, intends to mirror the religious journey of Wicca. This modern deck takes a page from both everyday living as well as religious ritual, depicting the life of a Witch whose spirituality and daily life flow in harmony. Computers, shopping carts, telephones, armoires and cars meld with robes, ritual tools, and elementals for a most unusual deck.

The Major Arcana follows Tarot tradition, as does the suits of Wands, Chalices, Pentacles, and Swords. However, Gina changes the Court Cards to reflect the energy inherent in the Pagan and Wiccan spiritual system: Pages become Elementals (Fire=Salamander, Earth=Gnome, Air=Sylph, Water=Undine), Novice replaces Knight, Queens convert to Initiate, and Elder replaces King.

Brief and basic, the contents of the LWB are in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German as is customary with Lo Scarabeo companion booklets. A brief overview of Major and Minor Arcana functions are given, as well as a paragraph on each of the Majors. Gina describes the symbolism of the four Minor suits and the numbers one through ten. As such, there isn't a breakdown of each card meaning or reversed positions.

Being non-Wiccan, I was not optimistic regarding meaningful readings with the Pagan Tarot-especially with the Court cards or those featuring robed figures. Yet, I performed two readings for myself and found them quite insightful. Most of the images are a snapshot of individuals in action, so they're very inviting in terms of extrapolating meaning and applying personal symbolism. (Note: the last card of my 3-card reading was the Novice of Pentacles and I said to myself "I'm going to be getting some unexpected money". Turns out that my husband *just* came home from work having stopped at the Post Office before he arrived. Guess what was in the mail? A very unexpected and surprising check from our bank for $66.10!)

While the card imagery is quite animated, some of them prove problematic. For example, The Tower depicts two nude couples groping at one another in the moonlight while a fully clothed young woman has her back to them. Because the traditional meanings of the cards are given in the LWB as opposed to Gina's take on the design choices, I'm left in the dark as to what this depiction could possibly mean. It's my understanding, though, that she's working on a companion book to the deck, so it will be interesting to see what she had in mind for several of the images.

Unfortunately, the card backing is non-reversible, portraying The World and a framed design in an unattractive green. In addition, some of the illustrations appear dated: cars, telephones, and office furniture seem snatched out of the 1980's.

As soon as I opened the Pagan Tarot, the images intrigued me. I especially liked The Hermit, shown as a woman surrounded by books, burning the proverbial midnight oil. Because I'm not Wiccan, I can't predict how adherents to this religion will receive this deck. However, as a non-Wiccan, I found most images easy to relate to; more importantly, they provided accurate insights when reading for myself (no small feat!). Despite its readability, this deck won't be one I read with on a regular basis.

(To see 9 card images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Beautifully illustraited and thoughtfully executed, I am proud to say that I now own this deck! A day in the life/world of a modern day neo-pagan these cards exemplify the spirituality of day to day life and craft.

I was excited at the idea of a "pagan tarot". My thought was that this would be a very generic deck that would appeal to any pagan on any path. I should not have thought; it is not good for me to think.

The deck comes with a tiny little booklet. The first line in the tiny little booklet reads: "This entirely new tarot deck is illustrated with scenes from the life of a modern pagan or Wiccan." Looking at the deck... more Wiccan than pagan I'd say.

But, a closer examination suggests "Wiccanish" more than anything else. However, I get ahead of myself. Let's start with the look and feel of the deck.

The reverse of the deck is the "World" card from the deck. Interresting. Shades of green. Subdued is the word that comes to mind. The deck is "hand size" making it easy to handle.

The cards themselves are... bland. The color scheme might have been called "earth tones" except for the overuse of black, grey and sepia tone. No bold, bright colors here. Very little color at all. Sometimes a touch of a dull maroon. Or a dirty lavender. I hope this was not a printing error, and the deck I got was a mistake.

The artwork itself is nicely drawn. The actual art is nice. Just wish it could have been a bit more "happier" in color and appeal. Our spiritual paths are happy, not sullen and monotone. Take a look at any pagan festival, the key word is color, no matter how loud or garish. We revel in color. We celebrate color. Yet, this artwork is colorless in my opinion, thus rendering the lovely artwork lifeless.

The tiny little booklet explains how to read the deck:"Overall, you, the reader, are asked to look at each scene and ask yourself "What is happening here? What is s/he feeling here? How does this work with the other cards around it?" OK, so we look at the pictures and decide what the picture tells us and how it interplays with the various cards around it in the reading. Simple enough.

The cards themselves have the name of the card and the card number at the top of the card. At the bottom the name is in four other languages. I get this: a universal feel to the deck. That's good.

The first card is the Fool. It shows a person stumbling in the darkness, with stars, kind of a universal or space theme and there is a cat at her feet. The woman is wearing a robe. I thought this was interesting for the Fool and moved on.

The Magician. Hmm... While all the parts/pieces are there, the Magician does not look very magical. Actually, he looks like he's not succeeding at his art at all. No magic there. Nothing magical going on, this person looks like he might be praying or something.

Then there is the High Priestess. This one gave it all away to me. At first, it looked like the High Priestess was invoking the Goddess in a circle, but upon actually looking at the card, the group is not in circle, they appear to be just hanging about. The position of the High Priestess seems to be between the group and the Goddess. It gives more of a separation here, rather than the connection a High Priestess is supposed to give. If the Goddess form was above the High Priestess and the group was in circle around her, it would have been the correct Wiccan form. But this card seems to be saying that the High Priestess is the point between ourselves and the Goddess, rather than the point of connection between the Goddess and ourselves.

Wait, the images up to now are all wearing robes. Nothing pagan here, but again very "Wiccanish". Like someone who was not familiar with Wiccan rites and beliefs had heard or read a few things and was drawing the images based on second hand knowledge. At least, that's how it appears. I moved to the next card.

The Empress, traditionally the mother figure pregnant with the world, is broken into images of a child, a young girl and an older woman. That didn't seem to fit right. The Empress is a mother, not a crone, nor is she a young girl, but sometimes shown as a young woman. She is usually pregnant, not shown with a child. I got mixed feelings here.

And the colors, so bland. This was getting monotonous. I skipped through the deck some more.

The Lovers. What was this? Where is the usual young couple entwined with each other? Instead we have a young girl (?) looking at two paths, one with a person with a child and a house, the other with what appears to be a coven. What kind of lovers is this? Does she have to make a choice between family and religion? That doesn't make sense.

Not all the cards were questionable in content. I liked The Hermit, as it suggested more learning and reflecting. Strength was an interesting concept, with a very earthy setting, a stronger green color than used in most of the other cards, and the animal totems around. At least, that's how it appeared to me.

The Devil... hmmm. I'm afraid I didn't get that one at all. Some robed figures behind a sitting young lady, who is writing by a candle light, and has a sword. There are two ethereal figures, one male and one female, in front of her.

The Tower, two couples, naked, passionately entwined with each other while a robed female who looks very dejected, walks away from the scene. I'm sure there is something suggested here, but I've always like the reference to the Tower being "House of falsehood", from the Rider-Waite explanation. I didn't get anything like that here, but what is suggested I didn't like.

I skipped to the Lesser Archana cards. While swords is usually associated with Fire and Wands with air, the reverse is held in this deck. Swords are given air attributes, wands are associated with fire. I found myself referencing the tiny little booklet for these cards. Again, not very clear. I found myself fishing.

The Court cards are changed a bit as well. The page is now the "Elemental" of the suite. So swords is a fairy, ok... that works. Wands is a fire lizard. Water is sprite. And earth is, oh my goodness, a leprechaun. What? That nasty looking creature is associated with Earth? Where did this come from? I'm sure they could have picked something more "earthy" in feel than a leprechaun.

The knight, queen and king become Novice, Initiate and Elder. In cups and pentacles they are female, in wands and swords they are male. Balanced, in a way, if nothing more.

To say I am disappointed with this deck is an understatement. To say I don't like it personally is to be honest. As a Wiccan Priestess, I have to say the images are overwrought, and do not address actual Wiccan practices or beliefs, but merely suggest from an outsiders point of view.

As a Tarot reader, the images are strained, not suggestive of anything traditional, nor are they easily interpreted from the images presented. I also do not feel my clients would find the deck attractive. I certainly do not. It has to appeal to the client, or the client loses interest. As a pagan, it feels very specific to something "Wiccanish" rather than embracing the earth aspects and freedoms we hold dear.

Overall, I would recommend you give this deck a good looking at before you decide to order it. Based on the name alone it may spark some interest, but I found it lacking in appeal and questionable in content. boudica

The disclaimers: I am very new to the tarot, I am neither Pagan, nor Wiccan. That said, let me go forward.

I was drawn to this deck in my local shop, and chose it over all the other decks. I must admit it was the Hermit card that pulled me in. After reading loads of online reviews of this deck (at Amazon and multiple tarot sites), this card seems to be a big draw for a lot of people. I also didn't yet know about looking at decks online, so I had to figure it out based on a more-colorful seeming binder in the shop, which had only six cards pictured, and the outside of the box.

When I opened the deck, I will admit I was initially let down. The colors were a lot more bland than I had been lead to believe (Hello Lo Scarabeo! If you re-print, up your saturation levels!), and the back of the card I also found disappointing. It's a pretty unattractive green, and simply shows The World card as the back. Not terribly artistic or imaginative.

However, I had paid full price for this deck, and it being non-returnable, I persevered. I started shuffling the cards, getting accustomed to them in my hands. It is a very workable sized deck. The great thing about this artwork, is that to me, it is all very meaningfully, purposefully chosen. There are enough symbols to meditate on, pick up, and construct a story around the card, and within spreads, but not so many that the art overwhelms the size of the card. (I bring to mind the Shadowscapes deck and the Paulina Tarot - both beautiful, but so much going on, with such tiny, intricate detail that it's hard to get a general sweep overview. I don't like having to squint to see the details in my cards.)

To continue - I was able to immerse myself in each card, and really FOCUS on what is being presented. I started brainstorming aloud, and writing, and in my head, verbally describing what I was seeing, and constructing the stories based on the visuals. I found that the cards did a great job of portraying what they are supposed to (I'm doing a lot of reading on meanings and interpretations, and using what I pick up and intuit) and I find that the cards are good for getting across what they mean to do.

There are definitely some twists on traditional meanings. But I don't think that's a bad thing at all. It's the same subject matter, and the same essential meaning, but maybe invoking a meaning you hadn't thought of before. I think as tarot readers, that's just an advantage we can use to add additional layers and meanings to our catalog of knowledge, and it might really click and come through for us in a particular reading, while using a different set of cards. I think if there's one thing that's certain, it's that there are so many levels of interpretation available to every reader and every querent - this deck is just using that advantage in a slightly less traditional manner.

So, after 15 days of reading and working with these cards, I have forgiven the lack of color saturation. I enjoy yummy color, but I think it's also nice in a way, that the colors are still there, but they take a back-seat to the images. I can really stay with a card and focus and sink in to it for a long while. I'm not saying I couldn't do that with a deeper saturation level, but having cards with a higher gray scale makes it easy for me to look at an overall spread, and pick up points of color here and there, and I can still get an overall tone of a spread, it's just not screaming-in-your-face bright, like with some other decks. I also think it's an advantage in some ways, to have more quiet, yet still subject-focused artwork. It makes you work a little to get the meaning and feeling and intuition of a card, and you might come to some very different conclusions after working through your feelings of confusion and being stumped.

I honestly don't really focus on the backs anymore. It doesn't matter. I could see it turning off a client if you offer deck choices, but heck, place the pack face-up to a card you find interesting and see what happens.

One of the reasons I picked this deck is that I was really drawn to scenes of modern life. I find it a really important point, using magic and intuition and intention in today's modern life, and how all of that works together. I have found how it works for me, and I'm adding to it all of the time, straightening out the kinks, learning loads, and I liked that I could relate to the modern scenes. I loved seeing a woman at her desk, fiddling with her pencils, her wands, her gem-stones, her light, all while at a computer. That's what I could relate to, and I think if there are other modern, practical people around, they will relate to this deck and its imagery as well.

I would recommend the companion book only to gain insight on what the creator envisioned for her cards. I read the card descriptions, and then I put it away, because for me it works best to read this deck a more intuitively, with Pace's ideas in the very back of my mind, than as definitions that are set in stone.

I think, regarding Boudica's confusion about the card meanings and situations - that if one opens the deck and is simply confused by what they see - take some time, some deep breaths, and take the cards one by one, giving them each at least a few minutes. I love what Kim Huggen's Tarot 101 has to say about approaching the cards - her book is obviously targeted toward the newbie, but her introduction to the cards, and how she has you think about them is a great way of also going about getting acquainted with new decks.

All in all, I think if you are a woman (or man) of a very practical, modern bent, you will be able to enjoy this deck as it might relate to your life and the lives of those around you. The cards are just a tool anyhow, so really, it's just what appeals to you on a personal level. I find this set of cards very enjoyable, of the moment, and readable.

I also like the Morgan-Greer and the Thoth decks. But the Pagan and the Thoth decks are what get slipped into my purse and read with every day.

These cards keep me grounded and functioning properly! I love so many of my decks, but this deck, so far, is the one that really speaks to me and helps me answer many dilemmas. I purchased the companion book separately and there are some editing issues, but The Pagan Tarot is so right on for me that those issues are not an issue! This is the deck I keep close at hand all the time.

When I first received the Pagan Tarot, I was skeptical. Would modern images serve to trivialize the tarot? To my great relief, however, I found that this deck works well as a tarot, despite its modern-day images. In addition, I've found that this deck lends itself beautifully to reading for myself. Rev. Pace's meanings serve as a great reality check with a side of pithy, and always apposite, advice. It's refreshing that she does not rely solely, or even mostly, upon the Waite-Smith deck's meanings. Her twists on The Devil and The Tower, for example, take some getting used to, but they work. The Lovers card expresses "choice" better than any other deck I've seen, also. The deck is more Wiccan than pagan, in my opinion, but I think it would work well for any pagan seeking a deck that will help her to be more objective in self-reading.