About this item
- The African Tarot is a cute revision of the standard Rider-Waite with an African theme. Thick black outlines surround bright colours in the simple and two-dimensional art on small-size cards.
Specifications
Name
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African Tarot
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Creators
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Denese Palm,
Marina Romito
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Publisher
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US Games
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Deck Type
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Tarot Deck
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Cards
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78
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Reviews
ical" decks out there with "childlike" art, but so help
me, the art on the African Tarot is something I'd be
*proud* to display on my 'fridge. It's childlike, but
also of good quality and seems very secure in itself, a
rarity in many homegrown "whimsical" decks.
The cards
are approximately 3" x 2.5" and covered with what I
assume is a standard, slick coating. This makes them easy
to shuffle, but I have a habit of dropping some cards
if I'm just going through them while holding them in
my hands. The design on the back is as charming as
each individual card design -- two spotted tortoises in
the sun, reversed from each other so you can see
either of them upright as long as you're holding the card
lengthwise. According to the South African author, the
Shangaan culture considers the tortoise a symbol of "the
slow coming of justice". Appropriate, no?
The deck
comes in a brown, corregated cardboard container which,
after a few years of ownership, still seems quite
sturdy. Both sides of
the box are decorated with the same
cardstock as the deck, with hints of the art style and
relevant information printed on them. It gives the box a
very environmental feel that goes with the deck very
well.
This deck's only failing is that it's a little too cute
for general-purpose readings. I would not want to use
this deck to read for someone asking about an illness
in the family. However, I feel that this is a fair
assessement: the authors tend to shun reversals and have
subtitled the deck "Journey Into the Self." It is meant to
be a lighter deck, and a loved deck.
For me, it is.
Very much loved, in fact. However, don't let the
"lighter" aspect fool you. One of the spookiest tarot
experiences I've ever had, involving a lost -- and later
recovered -- card and some odd correspondences, happened
involving this deck. It's not a *fluff* tarot. I would
consider it more of a powerful specialty deck.
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