The Illuminated Tarot: 53 Cards for Divination & Gameplay Cards – April 25, 2017

You might wonder how a "real" Tarot deck could consist of just 53 cards. That's what I wondered too, until I got the deck and began using and studying it. The author "folded" the Majors and Minors together so that some cards do double-duty as either a Minor or Major or both, depending on how the reader wishes to interpret them or where the cards fall in a layout. In other words, you can give the Major/Minor cards as much weight in a reading as you like. But all the Minors (Clubs=Wands, Spades=Swords, Diamonds=Pentacles, Hearts=Cups) and all the 22 Majors are represented and accounted for (see the attached image), along with the very appropriate addition of a Joker card for the Fool. The Pages and Knights were blended into a single Jack, and this works quite nicely with combining the qualities of those two court cards into one. Each card has its suit symbol and either a number or court indication, but no words are used.

The author based this Tarot on a traditional 52-card playing deck, and it could work for such purposes if you like. But it can also be used just as you would any other Tarot. It actually makes perfect sense that the author designed the deck this way, since one of the theories about the origins of contemporary Tarot is that it evolved from a standard deck of playing cards. So although this seems like a giant leap away from what many people have come to accept as the quintessential Tarot -- a deck of 78 cards, with 56 Minors (including four court cards and 22 Majors) -- this might be more of an "authentic" deck or perhaps a revisiting of Tarot's past. So don't let the uncommon construction of this deck put you off. It actually is a real Tarot -- just different from what you might expect.

The cards themselves are phenomenally designed. The size (3.5 x 5 inches) is perfect, despite their larger-than-normal dimensions. Because there are fewer cards in the deck, the larger size of the cards is extremely easy to handle. I have very petite hands, but I can shuffle (riffle or under/over) with ease. The finish on the cards is magnificent. There's a heavy coating with a linen-like matte finish. This keeps the cards from showing fingerprints or dirt, making them easy to keep clean. The cards stick together a bit initially, perhaps because of the vertical "linen" lines in the finish. But the more you work with and shuffle them, the less this happens and the more they "soften" up and become "loose." This is my ideal size and finish for Tarot cards, so I couldn't be more pleased with them.

The backs are gorgeous and reversible. The colors are cream, black, and white. There are no gilded edges with this deck, which I'm very happy about, since that tends to flake off and make a bit of a mess on hands and reading cloths. The edges do initially "shed" a bit from where they were cut at the print shop, but that diminishes with use. There are moderately wide borders on the cards, but some of the artwork intentionally bleeds into them, so I wouldn't suggest trimming the borders. They're perfect just as they are.

The lavish illustrations are fresh, simple, and modern, but not precious or cloying, and the images have depth and inspire intuition. The colors are clear and distinct to each suit but create a well-coordinated family. Wands/Clubs: orange, green, and blue; Diamonds/Pentacles, soft yellow, burnt orange, violet/purple, green, and light brown; Hearts/Cups: red/pink, orange, brown, and green; Swords/Spades: blue, deep purple, violet, deep brown. As with any deck, there are some cards I’m greatly drawn to and others less so, but there aren’t any that totally turn me off. The artwork incorporate a combination of animals, plants, symbols, and ethnically ambiguous humans.

It can take a little time and study to understand why the author chose certain Minors to mesh with particular Majors, but her choices mainly follow and represent traditional Tarot concepts and make sense to me. In general, they’re paired based on conventional meanings/interpretations, numerical value, or energy/suit. What's especially intriguing is that many of the cards, including the Jacks, are reversible (just like standard playing cards)!

The box is incredibly sturdy and beautiful, and it's even embossed! It has an inner "cupped" holder to keep the cards secure and a ribbon to help pull them out. If you like to store your cards in a box or bag when they aren't in use, you definitely won't have to purchase anything additional.

The LWB is actually a small, full-color booklet with key words for each card and a few simple layouts. There's not a lot of explanation of much else, which some readers might consider a good thing. I'd like to know more about the author's reasoning behind certain Minor/Major matches and her use of color and symbols, but they are nevertheless clear and consistent among the suits.

This is a very easy deck to use and learn, and it's one I'd recommend for both beginners and seasoned Tarotists. Although beginners might not get to know the customary numbers for the Majors by using this deck, it really may not matter, since all the Majors are represented here in a very unique and compelling way. It's tough to come up with original approaches to Tarot, and most contemporary decks either stick with the traditional 78 cards or even add a few extra ones. This is the first time I've come across a full deck that takes a more "condensed" approach, but I must say that I'm impressed.

When I pre-ordered this deck, I wondered how a 53 card deck could really work for tarot. How can you do a reading without the Major Arcana? The Illuminated Tarot does this by enfolding the Major Arcana meanings into their parallel Minor Arcana cards. For example, the XVI The Tower is combined with the 6 of Clubs (Wands). The Tower is represented in the illustration, as are 6 wands. The guide book, which contains full color illustrations of each card, focuses on key words and phrases. In the case of the 6 of Clubs/Tower, the guidebook says: "A revelation or a drastic shift in perspective. I think that this deck will help me to learn some of those associations between Major and Minor Arcana which have eluded me. The facts that this deck is brightly illustrated, and that it can be used as a regular deck of playing cards, might put people at ease if they are nervous about the esoteric aspects of Tarot. The cards are large, at 3.5"x5" (9x12.5 cm) and made of good quality stock. The box is well made. The illustrations are bright. I did not notice any nudity, and even the Death card, which shows a skull, is not any scarier than a decorated sugar skull.

Preordered this deck in October and it was worth the wait! I love the deck, the artwork, and how it reads! It's been a great deck to use since I got it and plan to use it often! While the cards are much larger than I thought they would be, I'm still happy. I have very long fingers so bigger cards are no issue for me. :)

The Illuminated Tarot, is an oversized deck of 53 fully illustrated and boldly colored cards resembling a standard playing card deck. The four suits have playing card indices (Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds) with the illustration influenced by the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles). But what makes this deck truly unique is that some of the cards are associated with a Major Arcana (not Minor Arcana) card. I think of these cards as having been "promoted" -- if you are of a mystical mindset, you may think of them as being "lifted to a higher vibration."

Examples:
* The Ace of Clubs depicts a lion holding a RWS-like Ace of Wands. It has been promoted to the Major Arcana card Strength.

* The Eight of Hearts has a large, reversible red face of a moon, which is suggestive of the RWS card Eight of Cups and its figure that is walking away under the light of the moon. This card has been promoted to The Moon.

* The Two of Spades is a closeup of an upside down and blindfolded face, suggesting the visual element of the "hoodwinked maiden" in a RWS deck. This card has been promoted to The Hanged Man.

* The Nine of Diamonds, with its abstract pond and garden, has been promoted to The Hermit. This is similar to the solitary garden of the woman depicted in a standard RWS Nine of Pentacles.

It is clear that the author-illustrator Caitlin Keegan has a deep understanding of the Major and Minor Arcana. She made excellent choices throughout her deck as to which cards to promote to the Major Arcana. I would not be surprised if her system becomes adopted by folks who read with playing cards. (Yes, it's that good.)

The size and presentation of the deck, with its beautiful gold embossed clamshell box and its full-color companion booklet, suggests that is a art deck. But a deck this well-designed and executed begs to be used! I look forward to working with The Illuminated Tarot and it will definitely be on my Top Ten Decks for 2017.