About this item
- Easy for beginners and tarot newcomers to use with its Rider-Waite foundation, Robin Wood's self-titled Tarot deck is
- also rich in Pagan symbolism. The illustrations in this popular deck are attractive, and brightly but not harshly coloured.
Specifications
Name
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Robin Wood Tarot
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Creators
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Robin Wood
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Publisher
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Llewellyn 1991
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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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Major Arcana
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22
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Minor Arcana
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56
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Deck Tradition
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Rider-Waite-Smith
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Minor Arcana Style
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RWS-Based Scenes
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Cups, Swords, Wands, Pentacles
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Court Cards
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Page, Knight, Queen, King
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Major Titles
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The Fool
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is 00
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Strength
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is 8
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Justice
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is 11
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Card Size
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2.76 x 4.61 in. = 7.00cm x 11.70cm
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Card Language
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English
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Card Back
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Reversible
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Back Design
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Celtic knotwork design in green, white and black.
|
Reviews
For many years, Robin Wood has earned a
well-deserved reputation as one of the most beloved illustrators
of fantasy literature and Pagan art. As such, the
Robin Wood Tarot was an inevitable favorite among readers with an eye
toward Pagan symbolism.
In this deck, she appears to
attempt a complex meld of modern images, Pagan symbolism,
and the well-known Rider-Waite-Smith orientation to
create a very unique deck. However, Wood seems to
accomplish this without alienating non-Pagans or violating
the sensibilities of those who enjoy the RWS system.
Many of the adaptations include quite subtle changes.
For example, close examination of the battlers on the
Five of Wands will reveal that the combatants’ staves
form a pentacle, and the Ace of Wands contains a DNA
strand, possibly indicating this cards’ propensity for
representing creation and synthesis. Other changes, however,
are more obvious. The Magician, now wearing an
antlered headdress, somewhat resembles a shamanistic
priest. The Devil is noticeably absent in the card by
that name, and is replaced by a pair of slaves to
materialism, each vainly trying to pull a treasure hoard to
their own end of a dark tunnel. For those who find the
absence of a goat-headed Baphomet in this card to be
remiss, Wood makes a concession in the form of an inverted
pentacle created from the chains that bind the treasure to
its spot.
Printed on strong, plastic-coated board,
this deck is approximately the same size as most
standard Tarot decks, which facilitate shuffling for those
who are accustomed to the “slightly longer than
playing cards” size. Naturally, Wood’s artwork is quite
vivid in color, rich in detail and—most obviously—quite
dynamic in movement. Her use of color and texture also
highlights the traditional elemental associations with the
suits. For example each of the wands appears “fiery,”
while the pentacles exude a very terrestrial quality.
The accompanying little white book (LWB) is adequate
in that it provides a basic interpretation of each
card and offers a fifteen, ten, and five card spread
description.
In sum, it is quite obvious why the Robin Wood
Tarot is a first-choice for Pagan and non-Pagan readers
alike. The scenes in each card are quite lively and rich
in interpretive potential. Both beginning and
seasoned readers are likely to find considerable benefit
from this deck.
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