Victoria Regina Tarot Companion [Paperback]

Sarah Ovenall (Author), Georg Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 2002

The VICTORIA REGINA TAROT brings to life the fascinating art of engravings used in late 19th-century commercial illustration. It is the work of collage done in black and white, providing a sepia-tinted glimpse into another time, yet containing messages for our time. The accompanying guidebook includes a description of each card, its interpretation, and notes on the sources.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Destined to make an enduring contribution to the evolving identity of the Tarot. -- Tom Tadfor Little, Ph.D., Tarot Historian

Each card is not merely aesthetically pleasing, but offers new insights without diverting from traditional tarot lore. -- Diane Wilkes, Tarot Passages, 2000

Ovenall's cards tend to combine the traditional and the whimsical. The results are amazing. -- Michele Jackson, Art of Tarot, 2000

That rarest of creations, a Tarot that looks and feels instantly right... becomes only more beautiful and profound with study. -- Brian Williams, creator of the Renaissance Tarot

There is a serious take on cross-cultural influences here.... Wonderfully innovative. -- Robert O'Neill, author of Tarot Symbolism

From the Inside Flap

Long Live the Queen! The Victorian era ushered in the modern Industrial age. Railroads, electric light bulbs, typewriters, the telegraph . . . all were Victorian inventions. Along with such technological progress came a taste for lavish clothing, elaborate household decorations, and intricate architecture. The unique collage art of the Victoria Regina Tarot captures both the industrious ingenuity and elegant opulence of Queen Victoria's reign.

The Victoria Regina Tarot Companion is an in-depth guide to this intriguing and intricate Tarot deck. This illustrated companion includes an explanation of the symbolism of each card as well as an exploration of its historical context.

Tarot novices and aficionados alike will enjoy the three Tarot spreads created especially for this deck, including the Victoria's Sceptre spread designed for creative endeavors, and the Victoria's Chalice spread for questions of an emotional nature. Tarot collectors and lovers of all things

Victorian will treasure the artistic and spiritual insights provided in this glimpse of times gone by.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; Book and Access edition (March 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567185312
• ISBN-13: 978-1567185317
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 2.2 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Classic, March 10, 2002

By 

Picfactory (California, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Victoria Regina Tarot Companion (Paperback)

I'd seen pictures of this deck on-line before I bought it. It intrigued me, since I love collage and I love tarot. The line engraving-based montages reminded me a bit of Max Ernst. I wasn't sure about the pens for wands, the clocks for disks, etc, though. I'd planned to buy this mostly out of curiosity as an addition to my collection.

But when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The pens and clocks made perfect sense, and this was the first time I'd ever gotten a deck that looked better in my hands than on the web. (I've been so disappointed by so many decks before!) This is a wonderful, original contemporary deck. The aesthetic standard of so many decks is so low, it was a delight to get one in which the pictures on the cards were truly Art in their own right. But, that is not all! The whole package is beautiful. For once I got something that felt like better value than what I'd paid for. There is the nice velvet bag, and the book is substantial--well researched and informative. As well as providing little historical tidbits about Victorian society, it gives background for some of the sources of the images on some of the cards. It also has a very nice essay about collage and making your own collage deck in the back. It is obvious that the creator(s) has genuine love and passion for the medium as well as for tarot, and wants others to experience the same joy. I can't say enough good things about this one. It is intelligent and raises the level of tarot artwork to a new standard. It should become a modern classic.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deck you keep coming back to - beautiful and thoughtful, May 21, 2004

By 

K. Mahony "baba_studio" (Prague, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Victoria Regina Tarot Companion (Paperback)

The thing that everyone always tells you first about this deck is that it's black and white - which may sound less lavish than a full colour deck.

Think again.

In fact one of the many wonderful things about the Victoria Regina is the way in which the intricacy of the images feels both subdued and lush - if you thought you didn't like black and white decks try this one - it will change your mind. It manages to feel delicate and lavish at the same time. The images are fabulously well composed and have a lot of atmosphere about them.

It's also one of those rare decks with a very intelligent sense of humour - it's one of the things I most enjoy about it. The
Victoria Regina never talks down to you. Challenging to use at times - but shouldn't all good decks challenge the reader? It's also very warm, enlightening and has real depth. It's a beautifully careful, caring piece of work by someone with a great sense of artistry and the skill to realise it.

The book is also GREAT. I use it now as a general tarot book because again, it's intelligent, not too obvious - it doesn't just churn out the formulaic meanings - and it's really well thought through. It can always offer something of value to a reading - and it's a fun way to pick up some history too!

Very warmly recommended - all in all The Victoria Regina is one of my favourites and I think always will be.

- and maybe I should also just add that as a deck designer myself this is a piece of work that I very much respect - it's done with real care, skill and knowledge.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charmed..., April 8, 2002

By 

Andrea (Texas, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victoria Regina Tarot Companion (Paperback)

This wonderful new deck has it all...Beauty, quality and uniqueness that make it really stand out. This is a collage deck, created from Victorian-era clip art. Even if you are not a fan of collage, this deck will steal your heart. The artist has so seamlessly and skilfully merged these images, that it is difficult to identify as collage. The images are nostaligic and yet modern. It is based on the Rider-Waite system and very easy to read with. It comes with a wonderfully written (and interesting!) book, and a lovely and surprisingly high-quality velvet bag. I love it and can't recommend it enough!