Customer Reviews

Pictorial Key Tarot

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2 star:		(1)
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"The deck designed by Davide Corsi, under the supervision of Lo Scarabeo editorial team is the most recent and highly evolved representation of the Pictorial Key. Even though it is ostensibly simple and essential, the images, realized with modern painting techniques, are brimming with real and relevant symbolism, ideas, and intuitions that can be applied to various existential levels: ethical, meditative, divinatory and metaphysical." - From the L(ittle) W(hite) B(ook) to the Pictorial Key Tarot

From the Italian artist who illustrated the Tarot of the Elves emerges a vibrant CGI deck firmly planted in Rider-Waite-Smith imagery--the Pictorial Key Tarot. Gleaming metal and pockmarked stone, smooth marble and rough-hewn wood interplay with luxurious fabrics, star-studded skies, rippling waters and billowy clouds, but at the center remains the familiar RWS cast of characters and symbols.

At first blush, the Pictorial Key Tarot resembles another black-bordered CGI deck: the Gilded Tarot. However, there are several differences between the two decks. In the Pictorial Key Tarot, no card names or suits grace the borders, only Roman numerals for the Major Arcana, numbers and suit symbols for the Minor Arcana, and emblems for the Court cards (i.e. a helmet for Knaves, horse head for Knights, and crowns for the Kings and Queens).

The Pictorial Key Tarot takes less interpretive risks than the Gilded Tarot with its conformity to RWS imagery, and thus lacks the unnecessary frills, filigrees and random planetary placement of the Gilded Tarot. Yet, stark it is not because although the Pictorial Key deck stays faithful to the RWS, there is enough fresh artistry to make this an interesting and appealing deck even to veteran Tarotists (for example, there is a menacing sea monster in the foreground of the Moon card rather than the traditional benign crustacean).

Absolute Tarot beginners may have trouble with the Pictorial Key Tarot only because there are no names on the cards. However, in conjunction with a solid beginner book like Learning the Tarot by Joan Bunning or the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tarot by Mark McElroy this would make a fine deck for those starting their Tarot journey.

Although some of the faces appear slightly mannequin-like upon closer inspection, there is enough detail and character in the imagery to paint a well-rounded intuitive picture despite this drawback. There is full frontal nudity in the Lovers and The Star, so if you're uncomfortable with anatomically correct renderings or if you read for children, you may want to consider those elements.

The cards measure approximately 4 ¾ x 2 ½ inches with an attractive rose-cross emblem on back that is reversible. In addition to the deck-only version, you can order the Pictorial Key Deluxe which comes with a tan velvet ororubus bag embroidered with red accents and satin tassels.

Personally, I'm enjoying working with the Pictorial Key Tarot and have had great success with it for spiritual contemplation. I find it familiar, comforting and clear--a wonderful deck for obtaining lucid insights and encouraging personal growth.

(To see 12 images from the Pictorial Key Tarot, 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)

The PK Tarot is ideally suited for tarotists who are looking for another RWS clone though the nudity on cards such as the Lovers and the Star is sufficiently graphic to turn off some people. Many of the figures look cast in stone. Since it is based on Arthur Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot, most of the cards adhere quite closely to familiar RWS imagery.

Typical of a Lo Scarabeo deck, however, there are a few befuddling oddities. Death looks like a Hierophant from hell with two attendants bowing in worship or fear. The Moon has a nasty octopus in place of the crawfish, somewhat limiting itself to danger-related meanings. The 4 of Swords figure is cradling his head on the tomb, apparently in sorrow, rather than resting in peace. Though not completely matching Waite's Pictorial Key, it's still a good deck to have and work with, especially for those wishing to tap into Octopus Power.

This is a beautiful deck of Tarot cards. The artwork is amazing. The colors and images really speak to me. My only complaint is that the cards are a bit on the thin side. Handling the deck as a whole isn't too bad, but when handling individual cards, they feel somewhat flimsy. Make the cards a touch thicker and sturdier and this would be a perfect deck.

I have been enjoying this deck, which is in the Rider Waite tradition. The colors are vibrant and the art is generally pleasing. The artist seems to have simplified the RW symbolism, often leaving out what I have been accustomed to as important parts of the scene. For example, there is no dog in the Fool card. The Hermit looks like a marble statue rather than a person. The faces on some of the figures look too computer-graphic. The Magician seems to have an angry face. The man in the 10 of Wands appears totally unburdened by his load. Many of the women look like Barbie dolls, a look that I don't care for. Trump III should look like a regal earth mother rather than Empress Barbie. The Page of Swords looks like a robotic warrior, perhaps inspired by Robo-Cop. As I read this over, I realize it sounds a bit negative. Nonetheless, this is quite an attractive deck and I think it is worth owning and experimenting with. I did a one-card reading with the deck with the question, "What advice should I give the potential buyer?" and the response was Trump I, the Magus or Magician, which I take to mean that you should use the tools provided by the deck to discover its usefulness.

I've just received my tarot deck. I must say that I was looking forward to this deck with great anticipation. Viewed on the computer screen, these images are fresh, colorful, and lush. However, once I had unwrapped the deck and held the cards in my hand I noticed a few things.

1. The cards are printed on very thin paper. This deck is not a professional grade deck, and will not be able to be used for client readings. It just won't last, sadly.

2. While the images themselves are quite lush and colorful, the figures on the images seem somewhat more static than they did on screen. In other words, there is not a lot of motion in this art. The pictures seem flat, the figures static. If you are looking at the card, you can tell that it is very obviously photography washed thru photoshop. There are a few parts of images that may be either primitive drawings or highly processed photos, but the energy and life of a drawn or painted image is not to be seen here.

3. There are important elements of symbolism left out of the pictures. It is not that the cards need to look like the Rider Waite deck. They certainly don't. But if you are going to make a Tarot deck, rather than another kind of oracle deck, you need to understand the symbolism of what you are doing. For example, the very first card of the Major Arcana, the Fool, is missing the dog. In addition, both the Fools feet are on the ground. Without going into too much, I'll just say that this misses the point of the card entirely. The dog doesn't need to be small and terrier-like, or even wolf-like as in the Cicero's Golden Dawn Magical deck, but to take that symbol out without replacing it with one of similar meaning, changes the overall intention of the card. Similarly, restraining the Fool's path so that he seems to be standing rather than moving forward, is another change in symbolism.

Yet another example would be the heavily fanged, menacing octopus that has replaced the crab on the Moon card. The obvious symbolism here of course, is that the Moon rules Cancer, and the attributes of cancer and the moon and the quality of that rulership are part of the card. A sea monster just doesn't cut it, sorry. It doesn't mean the same thing, nor does the change of the wolves howling at the moon to your pet lab playing on the lawn.

There is nothing wrong with Divination Decks of alternate symbolism. BUT, if you are going to do a Tarot Deck, and at least pretend that it is a deck of traditional symbolism, as is implied if you model it after the Rider-Waite, then at the very least get the symbolism right. There are reasons for the symbols to be there. You can't successfully change a structure if you don't understand how it is built. And each of these Tarot images or Paths is a structure unto itself.

The really great Tarot decks had one thing in common. They had an occultist who understood the symbols working with the artist who created the images. If you think about the Crowley Deck, the Golden Dawn deck, the Rider Waite deck, all of them had accomplished magicians who knew their Qabbala and the paths between the spheres on the Tree. It is these paths that the Tarot represents, after all. So unless you know the Tree very very well, it makes no sense to start changing things.

On his Website, the artist has a rant about the 'tarot-police'. I surmise from this that he has been given some negative feedback for his altering of the images. Oh well, too bad. If he had taken the advice of someone who knew the subject, he might have made a fabulous deck. Unfortunately for me, I cannot use these due to their thin card stock and incorrect imagery. I'll be sending them back.

And yes, I do have several decks that have unconventional or non-traditional imagery. I enjoy them and use many of them to read clients, as the need calls for. But they have a couple of things in common. they are all on good solid card stock from US Games, and they are sophisticated enough that if the creators change symbols, they end up replacing the absent symbol with something else that makes sense. This leads me to believe that there was a knowledgeable occultist involved somewhere in their creation.

I'd advise looking at the Haindle Deck for a real avante-garde set of images, the Hanson-Roberts for a very gentle traditional deck which is good to use for clients who are timid or not familiar with the Tarot, or who are emotional (I've gone thru three of these decks in my professional life); the Thoth deck from Crowley for obvious reasons; the Rider Waite for ritual; the Tarot of Marseille, if you can find an older one on better card stock; Godfrey Dowson's Hermetic Tarot; the old Qabbalistic Tarot (you might find one used on eBay); the Voyager Tarot, for really amazing non-traditional collage imagery that opens up subconscious doorways like mad. I also love the Cicero's Golden Dawn Magical tarot, and will go out on a limb and also recommend the Golden Dawn deck that carried Robert Wang's name. I don't particularly like the art, however Israel Regardie's name is also on the deck, and the images I've seen reflect that level of mastery and scholarship.

Lastly, I've seen many of the decks that Lo Scarabo has produced, and in the past have been willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. It seems, however, that they are producing decks as quickly as they can, on very cheap paper stock, so as to make sales. This is simply business. They are not interested in the quality of the scholarship. For that reason, the paper and the greed and ignorance, I'd advise staying away from their decks if possible.

The computer generated images adhere to the Rider Waite system, making it easy for RWS users to follow, even if words are not written on the cards. In fact, this is the one trait that makes the cards stand out. Amateurs may struggle with the card meanings initially though.

After hearing so many bad stuff about The Gilded Tarot cards, This Pictorial Key Tarot have got to be one of the best tarot cads LS have ever relased and done.

Its a good product, which has a good price. Anyway, the only thing i didnt like was that the material which the one they were done is too soft and easy to broke, and the size is too small for the work they are supossed to do: be mixed with hands and tell things.

Anyway, its a good product. You should have it!