Customer Reviews

Touchstone Tarot

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I got this deck early last week and am blown away by the beauty of the images. Kat Black has done a stunning job collaging together old paintings by the masters. It is just so beautiful to look it, I never want to put the cards away after a reading. The little box they come in is wonderfully done, too. Kunati did a stunning job with this. Finally a deck that is as beautiful as I'd hoped for. I can't say enough about it, Kat, there's nothing else in my collection of over 50 decks that even comes close to this. I may have to buy another one just to look at, or frame some of the cards.

Kat Black has designed a new Tarot deck - all hail the Queen! Truly one of the most beautiful and unique tarot decks I have ever used. Using this deck is like taking a trip to an art gallery, each card is a painting within a painting. I now use this deck in all my professional readings as well as with my students due to the intuitive nature in which they were created - they literally open a doorway to greater intuitive understanding of the Tarot. My students love this deck because they can begin to read for themselves instantly. The mesmerising faces found within The Touchstone Tarot are extremely expressive and literally feel like familiar friends as they urge you to look deeper into the patterns and relationships of your life. The heavy gold gilt edged cards feel solid and reassuring in your hands. A beautiful job Kat, a satisfying Tarot deck in every way.

I just received my new Touchstone Tarot Deck and am very impressed! Kat Black has done it again! I also have her Golden Tarot Deck which I recommend highly for rich, colorful, & easy to recognize Tarot images for beginners and the more experienced devotee alike. The new Touchstone Tarot is a bit more for the advanced reader, but well worth buying. Each image has been carefully selected to convey the meaning of the card through the eyes of the master portraits. I find it a more personal deck, many of these Mediveal portraits are people you feel you know. The cards are large, and trimmed in gold, a bit more challenging to handle since they are sized larger than typical playing cards. But if you want a thoughtful and inspiring Tarot experience you can't find a better deck. For the collectors: I think these are frame-able art cards and intend to buy another deck to display in my study. I still love my Golden Tarot which has more reds and golds, but this darker Touchstone Tarot may be my new favorite! Thank you Kat Black!

I've been taunted by this deck since I first saw some of the pictures online. Ordering the deck was easy, but what wasn't easy on my heart was the anticipation of whether this deck and I were going to get along. I've been disappointed too many times in the past but this time I was hoping for a miracle.

What I liked about the Touchstone Tarot online was the focus of the cards. The cards were more focused on the individual, and not so much the actions of what was going on. With the individual as the focal point one gets a better idea of the emotions of the card, which for me, leads to a more connected reading.

Kat Black calls these cards the 78 friends and this is so true. As I was on my way back home with these cards The first card was the Fool and this person looked exactly like the young man who was wandering the parking lot with a large red gasoline can, a small 30's style cap, and a bag in his hand asking people for some type of handout. Either he was mistaking me for a Fool when he attempted to approach me but failed, or he was so Foolish not to know better than to beg a perfect stranger for a ride to a gas station or money for gas. But the people in this deck look like strangers and friends you have or will come across in your life.

The LWB is your average length, sparse in explanation yet concise and precise. She's taken the traditional RW meanings and simplified it into a modern language appropriate and most likely to occur in this day and age. She also gives really great tips for those who are not familiar with Tarot about the frequency and predominance of certain suites or numbers in a reading.

Usually I hate the preface/introductions to decks but this one was relevant and highly worth the read before even touching your cards. It will give you more of an insight into the world of deck creation and the mission of this deck.

The box which stores the card is nice, its not hard to open, but it may be tricky in storing your cards safely as the top lid doesn't securely stay in place. One might want to place a rubber band around the box.

When I unwrapped the deck and went through the cards I found I had the hardest of times relating to the Coins suite. The Swords suite has a theme of butterflies/moths along with the swords. My favorite aspect of the decks is that you really get a sense of what the court cards are all about. My favorite of cards would be Strength (as what is on the cover) and Queen of Cups/Queen of Swords. Queen of Cups reminds me of a spoiled woman who is judgmental with that slight turned up nose and pucker mouth... you can see the positive and negative sides of all the court cards which has been hard to do with just the traditional RW drawing.

I did my first 3 card spread question, one that related to me and it gave me an answer that I was used to getting with other decks. But then I turned and asked a question pertaining to an associate. It was a 5 card spread this time and it was an-out-of-this-world-reading in terms of accuracy. Never have I had a deck that was so accurately specific. Finally a deck that, at least for me, throws in not only the nouns and verbs but also modifiers and and other words to help fill in the gaps that are so common with other decks. This deck doesn't just "speak" to me, it pretty much screams the answers out to me, but manages to still have a fluid two way conversation.

The cards are of an unusual shape but still easy to handle once shuffled a few times (they bend a little after a few shuffles). The cards are thinner than the Golden Tarot deck, but did not affect the shuffling or how the gilded edges maintained its integrity on the cards. Unfortunately these are not glossy cards (I love glossy cards) but they do nicely.

I was not disappointed with this deck or the LWB included. I think this deck will be the first of decks I resort to for readings from now on, tying with the Mythical Goddess Tarot with my Inner Child cards as a close second or third. By the way, I compared the Touchstone Deck with my two other favorite decks when inquiring about my friend and each deck gave the same cards or similar cards to support the verdict of the Touchstone, with each deck giving its own way of delivering the message. The Touchstone gives you a detailed story, rarely is the story broken up and it tends to gives you insight behind an individual's motive. The Mythical Goddess Tarot throws out pieces of information that might be hidden from the querent. The Inner Child cards tend to provide positive suggestions for situations, no matter how bad this situation might be.

Anyway, I love this deck. Its truly my last deck.

The Touchstone tarot is a pleasure to use aesthetically and a great tarot deck as well. I think its a bargain considering the obvious amount of research and effort in creating the cards, the beautifully coloured cards with gorgeous gold edging, the book is friendly and accessible and I like using the spread that Kat Black has specifically created for this pack.
The box works well and all in all I tnink this whole package is very well thought through and designed with care and love.Although I have emphasised the aesthetics because it was such a pleasure to receive in the mail, I have also found it very useful when I have posed my questions ! I have also used the 78 friends website which is another bonus. thanks Kat Black and to the benefactor who made it possible.

I Love this deck! although I'm not surprised Kat Black is amazing and has a way of creating an image that speaks! Fabulous Fabulous

Touchstone Tarot

Author: Kat Black
Artist: Kat Black
Kunati
2009
ISBN #978-1-60164-190-8

This review is for the mass market version of the "Touchstone Tarot" - the full 78 card deck plus the additional "Happy Squirrel" and artist cards, accompanied by a 197 page companion book. I want to take a moment here to thank Kunati for being willing to allow a Limited Edition version of this deck to be published before the mass market version came out. (The Limited Edition version was published by Leisa ReFalo of The Tarot Connection.) This was very gracious - and I am sure that there are many people like myself that "had to" have both versions!

This is a very elegant deck - gilt edged, and presented in a sturdy cigar-style box. This is Kat Black's second deck - her first deck being the stunning "Golden Tarot". It is a digital collage deck, composed of works from European masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The tagline for this deck is "78 friends that you hold in your hand". It is definitely a user friendly deck, but it goes beyond that. The figures in this deck look straight out at the reader - straight into their soul. When you read with them, it is as if you are having a conversation with a good friend over a cup of coffee (or tea).

The cards are 3 ½" by 5", of sturdy, good quality card stock. The backs have a brown and tan floral pattern that is a bit "busy", and could be just a tad distracting. The card faces show a ¼" brown border, with the card name and number at the bottom, against a gold background. The structure of the deck is traditional, using traditional titles for the Major Arcana, suit titles of Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins, and Court titles of King, Queen, Knight and Page. Traditional imagery is used throughout the deck.

The coloring in this deck is very soft, yet detailed. You can feel the question in the dog's mind as he gazes up at the Fool. The Magician carries the wisdom of the owl that sits over his left shoulder, peering down at him. The Empress is in a state of grace with the flowers in her hand, and on her head. The Emperor is very determined, and takes his responsibilities seriously.

The Hermit walks with his animal allies, while Judgement shows a woman in dark clothing, hands held in prayer, with an angel playing a trumpet in the background, and mountains behind her.

The Aces in this deck are quite interesting, as they show winged angels along with the suit icon. I found myself fascinated by the card backgrounds - the globe sitting behind the figure in the Two of Coins, the books on the shelf behind the figure in the Six of Coins, the scholar looking up from his work in the Ten of Coins, and the draperies behind the figures in the Three of Cups.

The family in the Ten of Cups is shown against green fields, while a tiger stands with the figure in the Ace of Swords. The Six of Swords shows a male figure rowing a female figure, holding a baby in her arms. The costumes are rich and elegant, conveying a sense of good living.

The companion book carries mini-reviews of the "Touchstone Tarot", done by "That Dan Guy" (Dan Pelletier) and myself. At the end of the book are sample readings contributed by members of the Aeclectic Tarot forum (myself included). The spread used was the Love Knot Spread - a signature spread developed by Kat Black for this deck.

In her dedication, Mary Greer notes the excellent job that Kat Black did in incorporating historical portraits and backgrounds into easily recognizable Tarot scenes. Greer notes that the personalities of the characters in this deck dominate each card. I have to agree - the energy is palpable. Note: Study the faces closely, and you will find people from the Tarot community looking back at you.

The foreword was written by a very special person - the Secret Benefactor that made this deck possible in the first place. Aside from being the Patron of this deck, I was impressed with her very quiet note in passing on the use of Tarot in business and investment decisions.

In her introduction, Kat Black talks about the wonderful feeling of being able to share her deck in progress with her benefactor - with someone who had, well, not a vested interest, but certainly a strong personal interest in the deck. Kat intended this book to be a companion to her deck, to give the reader insights into "this" deck, and to share the background for each of the cards.

I loved the fact that Kat included an FAQ section at the beginning of the book. There are so many half-truths, or quasi-truths in the Tarot world, that it is refreshing to see them put to rest. Amongst the questions discussed are: "Should a deck be a gift?", "Should you let other people touch your cards?" and "Is it wrong to read cards for a third party?" Very good background information here!

The spreads presented include a One Card spread, Three Card spreads, the traditional Celtic Cross spread, and the Love Knot spread, a spread that was specifically designed for this deck by Kat.

The cards are presented with a black and white scan, a short discussion of the card, upright and reversed meanings, and a listing of the painting sources (remember - this is a collage deck!). There is one card that is unique to this deck (much as the Artist card is to the Sakki Sakki Tarot), and that is the Happy Squirrel. The card originated in an episode of the Simpson's, and was never intended to be left in the deck for reading purposes. However, as Kat noted, many of us do leave this lovely, light-hearted card in the deck when we do readings. To me, if it comes up, it is a special gift to the Seeker.

I love working with the Limited Edition version of this deck, and know that the same magickal feeling will carry over into this stunning edition. May we all carry a little of the energy of the Happy Squirrel away with us!

© April 2009

This is one of my favorite decks currently. Recommended for those who enjoy working with the interpretation of people, faces and expressions. The images look realistic with a touch of surrealism at times. The deck speaks easily to me in readings. Plus, it's a joy to shuffle with the gold gilt edges. Very smooth to the touch. Highly recommended.

I love this set of cards. I also have The Golden Tarot by Kat Black. This set is absolutely stunning and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the beauty of historical art. At first I was creeped out by all the faces looking at me-- they are so realistic! I started using this set of cards more and more just to get used to them and found that they are just incredible. I started seeing faces of people I know in them. I showed my neighbors, who I was doing readings for, and they started just looking at all the cards and found people they knew in them also. I am now starting to look up the original pieces of art that these cards came from. They are big cards that make it hard for some people to shuffle but I just love them and I think this is a good set of cards for anyone whether a beginner or an expert student of the tarot. After I submitted this review, I realized these cards were out of print! What a shame!! I sure hope Kat Black will work her magic again and come up with another great deck--or maybe these will become available again. I am just glad I bought this set of cards when I did.

Kat Black is amazing! I bought her Golden Tarot and immediately connected with it. When this 'Touchstone' was released as a Limited Edition I had to get it because I could not wait. I had to have this edition to add to my Kat Black collection. It is beautifully done - with fabulous art work that Kat blends and collages as beautiful renderings. You will no be disappointed in purchasing this gorgeous, powerful deck!