Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the effort to find., August 14, 2006
Arcus Arcanum Tarot a rare deck, not only in that it is hard to find, but also rare in its style: the bold, masculine energy that is not found as often as the feminine or gender-neutral decks, of which there are dozens readily available. Yet, it is not only bold, but subtle, beautiful, and clear in form and meaning. The first glance is deceptive - leaving the impression of a caricature of only the most obvious meanings, yet when one looks deeper, really studies and meditates on the images, the plethora of nuances stand forward. The coloring is truly masterful.
There is a significant Nordic feel to the deck as well. `The Chariot', for instance, features a figure resembling Thor in a chariot pulled by two goats... `The Three of Cups' displays a man standing between two women, all three holding large golden goblets, and both woman looking towards the man, obviously highly entertained by a story he is relating... but there is also the undercurrent of loving feelings between the three people, as in close friends... it could be a celebratory reunion after returning from a Viking trip. `The Wheel' might seem simplistic at first, featuring three white-clad blonde women around a wooden wheel, but it is reminiscent of the three fates, and the wheel a spinning wheel, on which the threads of life are spun before being woven into the tapestry of time.
The backs of the cards are not reversible, which I find to be a minor detracting point, but only minor. I was lucky to find a twenty-year-old deck in nearly new condition, and I can guarantee I won't be letting it go. You can check out plenty of card images by doing a google image search for `Arcus Arcanum'.
The Arcus Arcanum deck is worth the effort to find. The fact that it does take a bit more effort to find would suggest that this deck will most likely end up with those who it truly fits. But who knows, it might be re-printed again some day.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Tarot Deck With Comic Book Appeal, August 20, 1998
I personally know several people who read using this deck,all of whom get excellent readings from it. The style of the artwork is that of the Prince Valiant-type comic books. Hansrudi Wascher is an internationally known comic book artist, and under the direction of Gunter Hager, an expert in tarot and occult systems, he crafted a terrific deck with a lot of visual interest. These cards seem to especially appeal to men, which makes a nice change from all the "feminist" or "women's spirituality" offerings out there. It is nice to see something with a more masculine appeal, while not completely turning away any feminine readers. Overall, this is an excellent deck, and I highly recommend it, especially for men and for those who wish to escape the "feminist" styles which are so prevalent today.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful soothing images!, November 2, 2005
I was fortunate to find this deck used on E-Bay in the Russian language. I am familiar with the alphabet, but dont ask me to translate them! The cards are very thin and smaller than I expected. I dont think I will read for others with this particular deck.
As for the deck itself, I really like its fantasy-like quality! It feels like Prince Valiant or some other grown-up legend. The colors are vibrant, with soft imagery. Very nice in artistic execution. The intention of the artists was to take the "occult symbols" out of the cards. This is done for the most part. The trumps and suits are occult in their own right. This is hard to do, considering the history of modern tarot. The least occult would be to revert back to the Marseille version.
There are Northern mythology references on various cards.The backs are blue and not meant for reversals. The cards reinvent occultism in their own way. The mysterious arc on the Magician repeats itself on the Sun. These are nice features of the deck. Hence its name-sake "bow of mysteries".
The court cards and minors are all handsome and for the most part, loyal to traditional Rider-Waite symbology. I found it easy to figure out without instructions. This may be a problem to many, as most booklets are in continental European languages. Mine is in Russian. This is the only problem with the deck, So it doesnt count! Language should not be a barrier to a good tarot reader.
Unfortuantely, this deck has gone out of print in American distribution. One must try to obtain it through international cardsellers or pick a copy of it up when travelling on the continent. It is worth the effort.
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