A Review of Angel Tarot Cards

Angel Tarot Cards
Doreen Virtue, Radleigh Valentine, Steve A. Roberts
Published by Hay House
Review by Christiana Gaudet

After a few months of fussing and fuming about the disingenuous promotions Hay House has used for the new Doreen Virtue Angel Tarot Cards, I am finally holding the deck in my hands. No, I didn’t break down and make the purchase. If you are wondering why, see my blog post on the topic. 

However, I do believe the Doreen Virtue Angel Tarot is a legitimate contribution to the tarot corpus, and I am glad a friend lent me her copy so I could give it a legitimate review.

Angel Tarot Cards (yes, that is the official title) looks like a typical Doreen Virtue oracle. It is oversized, printed on very sturdy stock and packaged in a lovely box with a small but substantial booklet. Because of their size and sturdiness, the cards are a bit hard to handle, but lovely to behold.

The deck is a standard 78-card tarot deck in many respects. The artwork is gorgeous, but there are few visual clues in each picture about what the card might actually mean. Never fear, there are interpretations written on each card. There is no need to actually intuit or study anything. This is a boon for new tarot readers or for those who want to use the deck as a simple, easy oracle. 

I like many of the written interpretations on the cards and in the booklet. Virtue and I agree that every tarot card can have an uplifting meaning. The punctuation on some of the interpretations summons my inner grammar police. The interpretations are a mishmash of full sentences and key words, but each thought is punctuated with a full stop. Apparently, angels find no need for complete sentences or proper punctuation. We can’t really blame the deck designers for this; many other oracle creators are guilty of the same lazy crime against the English language.

The Major Arcana cards are each illustrated with an archangel. The cards bear the traditional number at the top. Each Major Arcana has a name, although many of the names have been changed from the traditional Major Arcana designations. Under the Major Arcana name is the name of the angel, then the illustration. The written interpretations are at the bottom.

In this deck, Justice is card eight, and Strength is card eleven.  The Fool has been renamed as “The Dreamer.” Major Arcana five (Hierophant) is called “Unity,” twelve (Hanged Man) is called “Awakening,” thirteen (Death) is “Release,” fourteen (Temperance) is “Balance,” fifteen (Devil) is “Ego”, sixteen (Tower) is “Life Experience” and twenty (Judgment) is “Renewal.” The rest retain their traditional names.

I am comfortable with changing the traditional names of Major Arcana cards. In the five hundred year history of tarot some have already been changed. The Hierophant was once the Pope, for instance. I like Lisa Hunt’s replacement of “Chains” for the Devil, and Eileen Connolly’s “Transition” for Death.

I think Virtue’s “Release” for Death is brilliant. I also like “Ego” for the Devil. I think “Life Experience” for the Tower is shallow, and “Unity” for the Hierophant is simply wishful thinking.

The assignment of an archangel for each Major Arcana is very interesting, and will be helpful to those who work with archangels, or want to learn more about them. Following in the footsteps of Kris Waldherr and some other modern tarot designers, this is a great example of what I like to call “archetypal assignment tarot.” The question is, how well do the archangel choices reflect the standard Major Arcana archetypes?

The “Unity” card (Hierophant), is represented by Archangel Sandalphon. Sandalphon is one of the few archangels who was once a mortal man. This makes sense for the “Pope” archetype of Major Arcana five. The Pope is a mortal man who is also God, or God’s representative on Earth. Sandalphon’s responsibilities include prayers, personal ascension and Earth. To me, this seems like a very good fit.

The High Priestess is represented by Archangel Haniel. Haniel is feminine, and associated with grace, intuitive development, and finding our divine essence. Again, this seems a perfect fit.

After studying the archangels and the Major Arcana cards with which they are assigned, I feel the designers of this deck really did their homework. One problem with archetypal assignment decks is the assignments sometimes feel forced. In Angel Tarot Cards, the assignments make sense, and feel natural.

My only real complaint with the Major Arcana in this deck is the loss of the “Fool’s Journey.” I would be fine with the “Dreamer’s Journey.” But here, there is no journey at all. Instead, there are simply twenty-two archangels, each with a beautiful picture, a strong archetypal association and a powerful message. For many, this will be enough.

For me, the concept of card zero (Fool or Dreamer) as the star of the show and the representation of each of us on our journey through life is critical to developing a full archetypal and allegorical understanding of tarot.

The Minor Arcana of Angel Tarot Cards uses the elements instead of the icons. This is not an unusual switch in modern tarot. The Earth cards have green borders and are illustrated with faeries. The Water cards have dark blue borders and are illustrated with mermaids. The Fire cards have dark red borders and are illustrated with dragons. The Air cards have light blue borders and are illustrated with unicorns.

The Court of the Minor Arcana is quite traditional, with ranks of Page, Knight, Queen and King. The interpretations include the possibility of the cards representing people, energies or predictions.

I have a problem with mixing archangels with unicorns, mermaids, dragons and faeries, especially since Virtue has made a living of presenting the angels as actual beings rather than mythological beings. Does this mean she thinks unicorns and mermaids are actual beings as well? Many people do, but for me this demotes the archangels to mere mythical beasts.

Clearly, Angel Tarot Cards would not be my first choice for a personal or professional tarot deck. However, the artwork and deck quality are stunning. The deck honors tarot tradition in many ways, and will be a great tool for folks who want to learn tarot, or who want to learn about the archangels. It is evident that a great deal of work went into producing this deck. That work has resulting in a strong tarot deck that many people will cherish and enjoy. Angel Tarot Cards is a valuable offering to the tarot community, and may serve to bring new tarot enthusiasts into our community. 

A Review of Ghosts & Spirits Tarot

Ghosts & Spirits Tarot
Deck by Lisa Hunt
Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Review by Christiana Gaudet

Few tarot artists have created as many tarot decks as the incomparable Lisa Hunt.  I often credit Hunt, as well as tarot artists Kris Walderr and Julie Cuccia-Watts, with bringing to life a new tarot tradition, one I refer to as “archetypal assignment.”

Hunt has worked on joint projects with famed Pagan writer D.J. Conway.  Hunt’s new deck, Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, from U.S. Games Systems, Inc., is another of her solo projects.  As much as I love her Celtic Dragon Tarot, I have to say I enjoy Hunt’s solo projects better than her collaborations.  The reason is this.  Lisa Hunt seems to be a relentless perfectionist.  Few people have her stamina, dedication and talent.  Hunt is multi-talented.  She is an accomplished musician, hard-working parent and even excels at martial arts.  While those talents don’t specifically translate into the creation of a tarot deck, they are a testament to her dedication to excellence.  I think that excellence shines through best when she is allowed to take a project and run with it on her own.

One talent that does translate to the creation of a tarot deck is Hunt’s skill as a writer.  Ghosts & Spirits Tarot comes with a standard “Little White Book” that is anything but standard.  In the introduction, Hunt writes about her beliefs about the spirit world, her motivation to create this deck and her hopes for its use, in a way that is nothing short of inspiring. 

Her card descriptions are equally evocative, and evidence of another of Hunt’s talents.  Hunt is a phenomenal researcher.  She has illustrated each card of Ghosts & Spirits Tarot with a myth, story or legend about the spirit word.  These stories come from all over the world.  The Little White Book gives us enough detail of each story to understand not only the interpretation of the card, but also why Hunt chose a particular story to illustrate a particular card.

Archetypal assignment tarot decks offer a great opportunity for tarot education.  While the card images of this deck, and decks like it, do not follow traditional tarot images, they help us to understand the archetype of each card, and the archetypal nature of tarot.  In this deck, we see how those archetypes are expressed by the stories told around the world about death, the afterlife, and how spirits might interact with the world of the living.

Some of the stories used in this deck are obviously fiction, such as Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” used skillfully to depict Major Arcana 16, The Tower.  Others come from ancient spiritual beliefs, such as the Egyptian Judgment of the Dead, used to illustrate Major Arcana 20, Judgment.

One of my favorites is Major Arcana 19, The Sun, which is illustrated by the story of the Grateful Dead.  Yes, I love this myth because it lent its name to my favorite band of all time.  But I also love it because of the spiritual truth it tells; a truth appropriate for both the cultural phenomenon of the Grateful Dead band, and the traditional meaning of the Sun card.

Ghosts & Spirits Tarot is standard sized.  The Minor Arcana suit and Court designations are traditional.  The Minor Arcana is as brilliantly detailed as the Major.  The suit icons appear in their correct number in each Minor Arcana card, but you might have to hunt to see them.  The elemental associations of the Minor Arcana are not a focus.

The Devil card has been renamed “Chains,” as it is in some others of Hunt’s decks.  It is ironic that Hunt did not choose to use the Christian myth of Hell to illustrate the Devil card, but overall I am comfortable with the new tradition of the “Chains” card.

There is a 79^th card. This is becoming a new tarot tradition, one of which I don’t entirely approve. The 79^th card of Ghosts & Spirits Tarot has no name, and seemingly no place in the deck.  In her introduction, Hunt tells us this card “is for questions that require deeper reflection.  Let the ghosts and spirits talk to you and help you dissolve the barrier between conscious constraint and objective inner reflection.”  Hmmm…I thought that was what all the tarot cards were supposed to do.

However, in defense of the 79^th card tradition, I will say this.  I have chosen to leave the “Unknown Card” in my Crystal Visions Tarot deck, and it does come up in amazingly appropriate ways.  I am sure the 79^th card in Ghosts and Spirit Tarot will do the same.  Beyond that, if you don’t like the 79^th card, you can always leave it in the box.

Artists such as Lisa Hunt have elevated tarot art to a completely new level.  Let’s face it; quite a number of symbolic and useful tarot decks are not as skillfully illustrated as the decks produced by Lisa Hunt and some of her contemporaries.

How we should use Ghosts & Spirits Tarot is an interesting question.  It is not a great deck for a beginner looking to learn basic tarot tradition.  It will be a fine oracle for a tarot reader of any level of experience willing to read the Little White Book and learn the cards as Hunt has created them.  For a serious student of tarot, an advanced reader or a collector, this deck is a must-have.

Here’s what I am thinking, though.  I often use tarot as a way of communicating with those who have passed on.  For me, tarot is a true tool of mediumship.  I also often use tarot to bring comfort and understanding to the bereaved.  Sometimes I am called to “read a house” whose owner is disturbed by the suspicion of a ghostly presence.  Dealing with death, dying, and the spirit world is certainly a job for traditional tarot.  Is it possible that, because of its subject matter, Ghosts & Spirits Tarot could be an even more potent tool for these pursuits?  Could this deck be a specific fit to aid in ghost-hunting, house-clearing and spirit communication?

As with all my decks, only time will tell how this one wants to be used.  I am stunned by the possibilities.

The Fine Art of Living Life: A Review of Art of Life Tarot

Art of Life Tarot
Charlene Livingstone
Published by US Games
Review by Christiana Gaudet

With her new Art of Life tarot deck, Charlene Livingstone is not the first to use existing works of art to illustrate a tarot deck.  Kat Black’s Golden Tarot used digital collage of medieval art to create a tarot deck very true to the Rider Waite Smith images.

Neither is Charlene Livingstone the first deck creator to ascribe famous quotations to each card of divination; Ciro Marchetti’s Oracle of Visions companion book includes a quotation for each card.

Nevertheless, Art of Life Tarot from U.S. Games is a truly unique and valuable deck.  It easily teaches two important concepts with which tarot students often struggle.  First is the concept of archetypes.  That the deck creator illustrates each card with a famous work of art and famous quotation drives home the concept of archetypes; the idea that each tarot card portrays a universal theme that is repeated many times over in art, music and literature.

The second concept is that tarot is more than a simple device for fortune telling.  Tarot cards offer inspiration and bear spiritual wisdom, just as art and literature can.  The box in which the oversized cards are packaged actually turns into a standing frame wherein we are encouraged to place one card each day for inspiration.

The accompanying Little White Book is written in the first person by the deck creator, and tells the poignant story of her own tarot journey.  The card descriptions are based on key words for suits, numbers and rank.  No mention is made of elemental associations.

The cards themselves are large, with a white background.  The traditional name of the card is at the top.  The top half of the card is a reproduction of a work of art.  Under that, in small italics, is the name of the work and the artist.  Under that, in large italics, is a quotation.  The works of art and quotations are classic.  They span several centuries and come from many cultures, although many will be familiar to those of even modest education.  There are no ultra-modern works – no album art or wise quotations from Bart Simpson.

I identify Lisa Hunt and Kris Waldherr as the primary innovators of this kind of archetypal assignment tarot deck.  What is true for their decks is also true for Art of Life.  At the end of the day, artists’ choices are their own, and completely subjective.  It is very easy for an experienced tarotist to go through this deck and say, “Why did she choose this painting for that card?” or “I could think of several quotations that would illustrate this card much better!”

The important point is that even if we don’t agree with every choice, this deck gets us thinking about the archetypes of tarot, and how they are expressed in art and words.  In this way, Art of Life is engaging and educational.

Some of the cards are particular apt, or at least they speak to me very personally.  For instance, the Wheel of Fortune is Mucha’s Zodiac accompanied by the famous passage from Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

Another I really like is The Moon, which is Rousseau’s The Sleeping Gypsy.  Its quotation is from Thoreau.  “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.”

Art of Life is a wonderful teaching deck, and a wonderful deck to inspire us about tarot, and about life.  As a workable reading deck, some may see it more as an oracle than a standard tarot.  Because of the quotations, a novice could easily pull cards at random, or lay them in the simple Creativity Spread included in the LWB, and get a meaningful reading.

I took Art of Life Tarot on a test drive with a simple two-card “This or That” decision making spread, and was shocked by the clarity of the answer.  As an experienced reader, I could read blank cards with only the card names on them.  But the quotations and the images were particularly striking, and added depth to the standard interpretation of each card.

Art of Life Tarot will serve well as a companion for the tarot journey, rather than as a primary learning or reading deck.  Those who are not tarot-centric can use this deck simply as cards of inspiration, divination and meditation.  Art of Life Tarot will be especially appealing to lovers of art and literature.

On a side note, this deck is good news for those of us who don’t want to draw but might want to design a tarot deck someday.  There are many ways to be creative with tarot, and many ways to illustrate a deck.  Charlene Livingstone has done an exemplary job illustrating a tarot deck with the art and words of the masters.

Art of Life Tarot by Charlene Livingstone is a welcome addition to the body of tarot, and will be a welcome addition to most tarotists’ collections.  Its title is more descriptive than we might first realize.  In meditation and divination, it will most certainly inspire us with counsel from the ages in the fine art of living life.

Tarot Book Review: Rachel Pollack's Tarot for Magickal Times

Tarot for Magical Times
Book by Rachel Pollack and Johannes Fiebig
Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Review by Christiana Gaudet

A Magical Tarot Book

From one of tarot’s greatest voices comes Tarot for Magical Times.  Along with German tarotist Johannes Fiebig and German astrologer and tarotist Ernst Ott, Rachel Pollack has created a unique tarot book designed specifically for the interesting times in which we currently live.

Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Tarot for Magical Times is 159 pages of tarot joy.  I love the look and feel of the book itself.  The layout is spectacular, and the quality of the paper and ink color is above average.

The cover features our beloved Fool, superimposed on the Mayan calendar.

The book divides into sections.  The first is entitled Tarot – Tool of Change, and features a chapter from each author, and one from contributor Ernst Ott.

While reading these three chapters, I found myself nodding my head in agreement – Yes, yes, that is exactly what I had suspected.

In this section, the authors discuss the history of tarot from the perspective of world history.  They are less concerned with specific dates and didactic pronouncements regarding tarot’s much-debated history.  Their assertion is that tarot came in to being during tumultuous times, and, over the years, has been shaped by tumultuous times.  Therefore, tarot is a tool to help us navigate our current global challenges.

Each writer discusses Major Arcana 16, The Tower, at length.  Apparently, each writer chose this card independently.  Pollack discusses a point I know to be true – that many tarotists found The Tower to be increasingly present in tarot readings in the time leading up to the September 11th attacks.

Interesting, The Tarot Guild is currently working on a project to see if multiple readers across the world pull similar cards at similar times.  That project fits neatly with the discussion in this exciting new book.

Pollack looks at each section of tarot (Major Arcana, Minor Arcana and Court) as ways of describing not only the Fool’s spiritual journey, but also our journey through these dangerous times.

Feibig’s chapter in this section includes a personal story of his experiences during the 9/11 attacks.  There are insightful thoughts about the Tower card, the recent history of tarot, and about how tarot can help us face an uncertain future.

Contributor Ott’s chapter tells us of the important astrological fact that Pollack discusses in her foreword.  From the year 2008 to the year 2024, Pluto is to be found in Capricorn.  He takes us through this time in three phases: Destruction of Walls, New Life Blossoms in the Ruins, and, finally, Resurrection of all that is Buried.  Ott gives practical tarot-based advice on how each of us can survive, process and grow during these troubled times.

The next section is Readings and Practical Advices.  Yes, that’s a plural on the word advice.  It’s unusual, and fitting, just like the book itself.  This section includes some great tarot spreads.  The day I received the book I took it to a tarot study group where we played with the spreads and found them workable and insightful.

Fiebig’s contribution to this section is a piece that describes how we can interpret each card in a positive or negative way.  This is such a modern, expansive way of looking at the cards, versus the earlier way of mentally dividing the cards into “good cards” and “bad cards.”

Next, we see a comprehensive treatment of each of the seventy-eight cards, illustrated with the Waite Rider Smith images.  Each card treatment includes a discussion of the image and symbolism, upright and reversed divinatory meanings, and an “Action,” that is, what this card might advise us to do, especially in difficult times.

Finally, we have a section that uses astrology to assign and interpret one card to each decan (ten-day cycle) in a year.  These interpretations are useful throughout Pluto’s stay in Capricorn, that is, until the end of 2024.

Tarot for Magical Times is the best sort of modern tarot book in that is has enough new meaty information to make it interesting to an advanced tarotist, and enough practical instruction to make it appropriate for even the most nervous tarot novice.

That the authors refer to times of difficult global upheaval as “magical times” captures the essence of the book itself.  While sugar-coating nothing, this book presents tarot as a useful tool of positive perspectives and helpful advice during times of personal and planetary difficulty.