The Pomo Tarot: A Postmodern Deck for Navigating the Next Millennium (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Postmodernism has already swept all the major artistic disciplines: art, architecture, literature, dance and music. Brian Williams offers a postmodern twist to the tarot. Each card of the Minor Arcana has been inspired by a modern artwork, while the traditional suits of the Minor Arcana (staves, cups, coins and swords) are transformed into TVs, bottles, guns and money-icons with meaning for 21st-century readers. Among the 22 cards of the major Arcana, the traditional, Jester-like Fool has become a trendy idiot, the Magician has become a scientific expert and the Empress and Emperor have become Mum and Dad. A companion guidebook is included.

From the Publisher

A spectacularly innovative, stunningly packaged new tarot unlike any existing deck--witty, ironic, and wry, The Po Mo Tarot brings to the tarot a unique contemporary sensibility based on images of modern art.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: United States Games Systems (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062509659
• ISBN-13: 978-0062509659
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,214,215 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars pomo tarot... a fun, hip deck!, June 22, 2000

By A Customer

I really liked this deck and book. Can be used as a serious reading deck, but it's all postmodern-like! ;> Perfect for readings with cynical, hipster friends.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaing but don't expect to do readings with it, January 10, 2003

By A Customer

An extraordinarily pretty, inventive, and entertaining deck. But it's not for doing readings. Worth owning though.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This was once my favorite deck., June 27, 2000

By	R. Byrd "byrdie" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Unfortunately, that was back when I had basically given up trying to understand the traditional tarot, and this system came along. The PoMo deck almost isn't tarot in the traditional sense -- a lot of the original symbolism is removed for more faithful reproduction of the artwork Williams wants to feature.

It's an excellent introduction to PostModern art and art criticsm, and a way to see that there are many different ways of interpreting the tarot. I found that once I was able to learn more traditional tarot through the "keyword" system, though, PoMo made almost no sense at all -- it's its own little universe.

The cards, btw, are both huge and flimsy: not the best combination. However, I like the art style and plan to keep my deck for its own sake.