Hudes Tarot Deck (Cards)

by Susan Hudes (Author), A.L. Samul (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The magical, symbolic nature of medieval art is the inspiration for this beautiful tarot deck. Designs incorporate antique maps, constellation charts, and marbleized paper.

Product Details

• Cards: 78 pages
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems; Crds edition (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880791373
• ISBN-13: 978-0880791373
• Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 2.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,017,100 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, May 18, 1999

By A Customer

After searching for years for the deck that would "speak" to me, I found it in the Hudes Tarot Deck. With its beautiful Celtic/Medieval artwork, the cards are easy to understand and each card tells a story.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great deck, needs better support literature, November 14, 2000

By	TheDivineM (the big city, Texas) - See all my reviews

This deck has lovely artwork, and its symbolic imagery should be readily accessible to most people. However, the included "instructional booklet" (pub. U.S. Games) contains standard divinatory explanations that sometimes don't seem to "jibe" with the images on some of the cards, creating either uncertainty of meaning, or opportunity for extra interprative creativity and intuitive bond with this specific deck on the part of the reader, whichever way you look at it. This can be a good beginning deck, with outside resources such as teachers and other tarot books. It's my first deck, and I am enjoying getting to know it. It may not be a good choice, though, for new readers who want easy answers and hard-and-fast card meanings, although it's easier on the eyes, and has less complicated symbolism than the Rider-Waite deck. If only Hudes had produced a companion book herself, it would be a godsend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Collage Deck, June 26, 2007

By	Janet Boyer "JanetBoyer.com" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"The beauty of medieval art and symbolic nature of mythology serve as the inspiration for the creation of this tarot deck...Themes of alchemy and astrology suggest the magical nature of medieval thought, the same ideas that initiated the art of tarot reading." - From the Little White Book

When I saw the Death card from the Hudes Tarot online, I knew this was a must-have deck. It is truly one of the most beautiful Death cards that I've ever seen, incorporating an unfurled butterfly juxtaposed against the pelvic area of the skeleton--an area symbolizing conception, gestation and birth. Creative, transformative regeneration--a concept not always integrated in Death card imagery.

Susan Hudes created her namesake Tarot by combining luminous watercolors with antique maps, constellation charts and marbled paper, which adds a decidedly three-dimensional feel to this seamlessly collaged deck.

From the sky-clad lemniscate above the Magician's head to the smooth, cool marbled face of the Moon, Ms. Hudes' compositions are inviting and intriguing. I love some of the unusual perspectives, such as the bird's eye view of the boat in the 6 of Swords where we get to peek down at a man about to row while six swords lay scattered in the water.

In the Cups suit, the Court Cards show figures holding golden goblets filled with not water, but aquatic representations from maps. And the rich, raspberry-colored discs in the Pentacles suit are simple, but striking.

The cards from the Hudes Tarot measure approximately 4 ¾ x 2 ¾ inches, and while the design on the backs is attractive, it is not reversible. The suits of this deck are Cups, Swords, Wands and Pentacles while the Courts follow the Page, Knight, Queen and King ordering.

The Little White Book for this deck is unusually brief, offering only a few upright meanings for the cards, which were gleaned from Wisdom in the Cards by A.L. Samul--a commentary on the Hudes Tarot.

If you prefer well-crafted collage decks, especially ones that employ cheery hues and flowing watercolors, the Hudes Tarot will more than meet your expectations. It is a very readable deck, so it's an excellent choice for those new to Tarot. Experienced readers who favor Rider-Waite-Smith imagery will likely make fast friends with this deck, as well. Absent of nudity or darker imagery, this deck is also well suited to readings for children or those spooked by traditional renderings.

(To see 12 card images from the Hudes 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)