About this item
- The unique artwork in the Enchanted Tarot is made with fabric, by quilting and applique. The cards are intricate and
- highly patterned, in soft greens, purples and pinks, and the effect is quite attractive.
Specifications
Name
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Enchanted Tarot
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Creators
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Amy Zerner
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Publisher
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St Martins Press
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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
This deck came to me in a
bit of an unusual manner. I have wanted it for a long
time, but never bought it. Then I had the chance to
purchase two decks, brand new, at a very reduced price from
an internet friend - and proceeded to do so. I will
be ever grateful that my friend did not resonate with
this deck - because I certainly do!
Where to start -
with the book or the deck? They are both top quality,
outstanding products. The book is hard cover, with full page,
full color illustrations of each card. I was amazed
when I saw this - and did not want to put the book
down! The text is gently written by Monty Farber, and
addresses both of our worlds - that of Dreamtime and that of
waking time, and the Higher Self that each of us carries
with us through both of these worlds.
Monty goes on
to talk about the methods that people have used to
access Dreamtime, while remaining in the waking state. He
states that the Tarot is a unique tool in that each of
the 78 cards carry messages to both our conscious and
unconscious selves. Tarot and the visual arts take us beyond
cultural differences into another world.
The
interpretation of the cards for the Enchanted Tarot is done in a
manner that I ahve nto seen elsewhere. The approach is
threefold: levels of consciousness terned "The Dream", "The
Awakening" and "The Enchantment". In The Dream, Monty
presents a gentle fable that shows us the allegorical
meaning of the card (very similar to the Inner Child
cards).The Dream is such that each time you interpret the
meaning, deeper knowledge comes to you.
In The Awakening,
the same information is brought into the conscious
realm through a straight forward discussion of the card
(which would be the interpretation section, in most
books).
In The Enchantment, we see the connection between our
waking world and Dreamtime. The Enchantment is actually
an exercise that will allow you to put the energy of
t he card to use in your life.
At the end of the
book is a short section on how to prepare for a
reading, including tips on how to formulate a question in
the best manner possible. Templates are presented for
doing one and three card spreads, as well as for doing
the Celtic Cross spread.
The cards themselves are a
bit "over-size" at 3" by 5 1/2". They are difficult
for small hands to manuver with - but - where there is
a will, there is a way! The backs are white, with a
narrow gold border about 1/4" in from the outer edge. In
the center we see two solid gold hearts,
eachsurrounded by a thin gold outline of a heart. Surrounding the
hearts are two swords and two wands, with a solid gold
star at each of the four directions.
The face of the
card has a white border of approximatley 1/4", followed
by a dark orange border, a slightly wider light
orange border and another dark orange border. The
pictures themselves are of a collage nature, done in
multiple mediums, including oils and fabric. The card title
appears in black on top of the card.
One of the first
things that I noted when going through the deck was the
lovely use of lace. Sure enough - Amy Zerner thanks a
specific person and store in the beginning of the book as a
resource for her lace. I liked the lace so much that I
ventured into Victorian lace land online - which, one of my
friends pointed out, could be dangerous!
Each of the
suits is color coded: Wands are red, Hearts are purple,
Swords are blue and Pentacles are green. In general, the
color scheme used throughout this deck represents the
healing qualities for each element and card.
The
Enchanted Tarot is exactly that - a gentle, enchanting deck.
The Three of Hearts (Cups) shows a ballerina reflected
in a series of mirrors, holding a gold heart over her
head. The Princess of Swords shows a lovely Victorian
type lady standing in nature reading a letter. The Two
of Wands shows a male figure, alone on a mountaintop,
leaning on his staff. Above him are two crossed swords,
with a butterfly over them. One of my favorite cards in
this deck is Death, which is depicted as a skeleton
standing up, with his hands in his pockets and his legs
crossed. Clearly, you expect him to start dancing at any
moment!
I am into masks lately, so the Devil in this deck is
another favorite. Here we see a mask, with dark horns and
slitted eyes, looking down with obsession at the material
world. From the book:
The Dream
This us the face of
evil. Blinded to his spiritual The Devil looks down on
his treasures, his slitted eyes in complete obsession
with and surrender to the material world. His
ill-gotten gains are of no real use to him though, because
his fraud and trickery have driven all companionship
away. The Devil expresses the worst side of human
nature; following decadent impulses blindly and judging
things only for their surface value. This is the dark
side of the soul, ignorant of what is real and
valuable. The Devil, with his scarlet lips and black horns,
is the creature of nightmares and paranoia. Under his
influence, fear of the unknown becomes daunting. Restless
undercurrents flow, irritating the appetites adn demanding
instant gratification. All love is lacking in the Devil,
for he views it as a sign of weakness. Though he may
simply be mischievous at times, he will try to take
advantage of any situation and cannot be trusted. He sets
free only those who choose to see beyond t heir own
material desires.
The Awakening
If you need material
objects to make you feel good about yourself, then you
must feel empty and afraid that you will be recognized
as such. You need to change the emphasis from
physical concerns, to those of spirit. Your bondage is the
result of your limited beliefs about the world. You have
within you the power to change your beliefs, using
visualization, affirmation and actions in harmony with the
natural law. You don't have to resort to deceit.
The Enchantment
You may need some spiritual cleansing
now. Crystals have the power to help heal and balance
us. Choose either clear quartz or amethyst. Purify the
crystal by washing it with salt water. Wipe it dry with a
silk cloth. Hold it to your lips and chant: "I wish to
transcend my obsession. Help me to see love where I see
temptation." Place the crystal on the Devil card.
I highly
recommend this deck to all levels of Tarot practitioners. It
can be used by anyone, in any setting, and very much
opens up the meaning of the cards for both the reader
and the Seeker.
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