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Reviews: Tarot Decks
Tarot & Cartomancy
Deck Reviews
by Bonnie Cehovet
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The Kabbalah Tree
A Journey Of Balance & Growth
review by Bonnie Cehovet, TM
author: Rachel Pollack
artist: Hermann Haindl
Llewellyn Worldwide
2004
ISBN #0-7387-0507-1
Rachel Pollack is a writer/lecturer/artist whose work I have long admired. I was blessed to have been able to attend the 2003 Readers Studio (co-sponsored by The Tarot School - www.thetarotschool.com), where Rachel was one of three presenters. I was as impressed by the energy of the person as I was (and am) with the energy of her work.
The Kabbalah Tree is the second project that Rachel has worked on with Hermann Haindl - the first being the Haindl Tarot, with Haindl as artist and Rachel as wordsmith. Rachel notes that the painting of Haindl's Tree of Life came after the deck itself was authored. This is an important point - because it indicates, essentially, the growth of one from the other.
My habit is to go through any book or magazine from back to front, and then proceed to read it. In doing this, one of my first discoveries was the poster of Haindl's Kabbalah Tree that Llewellyn has included with the book. (It was also the only snafu that I had with this book - in all my grace I had a hard time getting the poster out of the plastic sleeve that it was contained in!) The poster alone is well worth the price of admission - it humbles anyone who is lucky enough to view it.
Most of us, in picturing the Tree of Life, see a graphic of the ten sephiroth and the 22 connecting paths in our mind. Perhaps we see the lightening path through the 10 sephiroth, or perhaps we take it one step further, and see the 10 sephiroth superimposed on the image of an actual tree. For most of us, this now becomes largely an intellectual exercise, to understand the ten sephiroth, the twenty-two pathways and the four worlds. Hermann Haindl choose to see the Tree of Life as a living tree (which it is) - living within each of us.
Each of the ten sephiroth contain an animal image, referencing the meaning of the sephiroth. How easy this makes it for us to now look at the image of the Tree and see energy and movement - change, if you will - and to begin to see how this works in our lives. Each of the ten sephiroth also contains the Hebrew letter attribution, and the Hebrew name. The twenty-two pathways carry the names of the twenty-two cards of the Tarot Major Arcana. From this foundation, the book begins. Along the border of the poster we see the words "der baum ist der baum ist der baum ist der baum" (the tree is the tree is the tree). One cannot help but think, as Rachel did, of Gertrude Stein's words "a rose is a rose is a rose".
When one attends a seminar given by Rachel, there are no excess or lost words. Take notes from the very beginning - every word is there for a reason. And so it is with this book - pay attention from the very beginning. Do not get lost before the journey begins. Great care and respect has been taken in interpreting Haindl's work - pay the author the honor of respecting her work as well. Rachel has a diverse background, including extensive study in the fields of Tarot and Kabbalah. In The Kabbalah Tree, Rachel turns to the traditions of Tarot and the Kabbalah, shamanism, tribal culture, mythology and the bible.
Rachel does a very good job of bringing biblical references into the story of the Tree, gifting her audience with the ability to reference her words to their own lives and backgrounds. She makes an interesting point about the myth of the Tree of Life - that it occurs in different forms in different cultures, but that it is there. For instance, there is the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden; the tree that Christ was crucified on; Yggdrasil, the tree that Odin hung upside down from in Norse mythology before receiving the knowledge of the Runes; and the Bodhi tree that Buddha sat under. All trees relating to the roots of wisdom and life.
(Side note - I finally found out what the notation C.E. means! It is the term Common Era - which is used by non-Christian cultures to refer to the last two thousand years, in order to avoid using the term "anno domini" - in the year of our lord.)
If you want to learn - this is the book for you. Rachel discusses things such as gematria - the application of numbers to letters, and how this applies to the Tree of Life. She takes the word Paradise and applies it, through gematria, to the Tree of Life. Here is one of the first places that we see that there are many paths through the Tree - all equally valid. (This is one of the gifts of this book - and Rachel's writing in general: one never feels the need to defend one's beliefs. Another gift - that more than one belief, or way, is presented in a plausible manner so that the reader has much food for thought.) This to me is an important section. From the book:
"My friend Zoe Matoff, who thinks deeply about such matters, has suggested that we can actually map these four letters/levels onto the tree itself. If we place the P in Malkuth, the sephiroth that represents the physical world, and the S in Kether, the sephiroth closest to the divine, that leaves the R and the D for the two pillars on the sides. Perhaps the pillar of justice, on the left, would contain remez, the intellectual level, and mercy, on the right, contain drash, the allegorical. We can be more specific and place remez in Gevurah and drash in Chesed, for these two sephiroth, power and mercy, epitomize the two pillars. In this way, the four levels of interpreting a story or image become a means of traveling up the tree to spiritual awareness, from Malkuth to Gevurah to Chesed to Kether."
Through the eyes of Jewish Kabbalah, Christian Kabbalah and the Kabbalah of Western Hermeticism (Golden Dawn) we see differing views and understandings of the Tree of Life. The paths may differ, but the journey is the same: to understand the four worlds, the ten sephiroth and the twenty-two pathways as energies that are alive and working in our own lives on a daily basis. To know that these are archetypal energies common to us all, and, for those of us who live in the world of the Tarot, to see how the Tarot archetypes can be attributed in more than an intellectual manner to the Tree of Life.
You will find things here that you have never seen before (at least, things that I have never seen or thought of before). Those who study Kabbalah know the image of the ten sephiroth, the twenty-two pathways, the four worlds and the three pillars. Step back for a moment, and close your eyes. Now open them. Before you the sephiroth have been reconnected - one through six, in a circle. A straight line goes from the sixth sephiroth through the ninth and tenth sephiroth. Another straight line crosses from the seventh to the eighth sephiroth. The symbol taken together is that of the feminine energy of life. Taken separately, we have the circle, which represents the divine, and the cross beneath it, which signifies earth and the four directions.
There is also a short discussion of work done by Judith Laura on the sexual attributions for each sephiroth on the Tree of Life. The question posed here was whether the symbolism from the Tree of Life may have originated in the ancient goddesses of nature. Before you go off huffing, read this section. The cross-polarity shown here give another form of balance to the Tree, and is certainly one to at least consider.
In the chapter on the four worlds, Rachel manages to sneak in a wonderfully revealing and intense Tarot spread. For each of the four worlds (Atzilut, Beriah, Yetsirah and Assiyah), two cards are drawn. One card answers the question: "Who am I in this world?", while the second card answers the question: "What is my task in this world?". There are many times in my life that I could have used the understanding about myself that this spread brings. It certainly will be one that I use in the future - for myself, and for my clients.
At the end of the book, Rachel talks about ways in which readings can be done using the Tree of Life. One thing that she suggests is placing the Tarot cards on Haindl's poster. I have done this - with the result of feeling as if I were being taken into another world. I have done this before - setting the cards out in the form of the Tree of Life, but without benefit of the poster. There is learning both ways - intense wisdom coming through. An interesting thing to work with is a concept that I came across when working with the Tarot School Kabalah tapes. Aces through tens are ordered by number and suit (i.e. all four Aces, all four Two's - in the same suit order), and placed on the Tree. Study what is there with each suit in turn. It is absolutely amazing at the change in energy that you get as you work through the suits!
The Kabbalah Tree is a work of art in word form, presenting the history of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, the thoughts of various authors along the way, and the myths and stories that make up its reality. In the end, you will come to an understanding of how the energy of the Tree of Life works in your life. It will move from a concept to a living reality - as it is reflected in both our internal and external lives. I highly recommend this book as a resource for Kabbalists and Tarotists, and for students of all levels.
Ancient Mysteries Tarot Deck
review by Bonnie Cehovet, TM
author: Roger Calverley
Lotus Press
2004
ISBN #0-940985-73X
suits: Fire, Water, Air, Earth
court cards: King, Queen, Page, Knight
majors: Traditional, with the exception of Prisoner (Hanged Man), and Prophecy (Judgment)
The Ancient Mysteries Tarot is quite an interesting deck. I would advise purchasing the book and deck together, as the deck alone, while certainly usable, does little to take the reader to the depth of the cards. For the images on the Major Arcana, Calverley has referenced the ancient mystery schools of Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia and India. The images for the Minor Arcana use a background of megaliths, sacred fountains and stone temples.
The LWB (Little White Book) that accompanies the deck got a grumble from me to start with. It is not presented as a booklet, but is a single long sheet of paper, nicely folded. There is no information about the author or the background of the deck on this sheet. There is the requisite publication information, along with three paragraphs on how to use the cards.
These three short paragraphs are quite magickal - in that they open up the Tarot from the very beginning! In his first sentence, Calverley notes that each card can be used as a question, as well as an answer. How he does this is to follow the nature of the elemental qualities of the cards: Fire cards refer to will and creativity; Air cards refer to the intellect; Water cards refer to feelings and relationship issues; Stone (Earth) cards refer to the practical side of life and material issues.
He goes on to state that the Major Arcana represent both destiny and spirit. (No note is given on the Pips, or the Court Cards).
Using his process, one card is drawn to determine the nature of the question. Calverley attributes five possible levels of meaning to each card: Spirit, Fire (will and energy), Water (emotional), Air (mind) and Earth (physical). Drawing a second card lets the reader know which level of meaning is most in effect at the time of the reading.
The remainder of the LWB lists keywords for each card - one keyword for each level of meaning, in the following order: Spirit, Fire, Air, Water and Earth. From the LWB:
The Fool: Purity; Adventure; Innocence; Openness; Freedom
Ace of Fire: Opportunity; A New Cycle; Inspiration & Initiative; New Ideas; Optimism & Enthusiasm; Initiative
Five of Water: A Correction; A Challenge; Regret, Endings; Emotions re: Loss or Broken Relationship; A Dislocation
Queen of Earth: Grounding and Stabilizing; Enjoyment of Self and Nature; Practicality; Generous, Creative, Nourishing; Sensual & Pleasure-Loving
The deck itself is approximately 3 1/8" by 4 3/4" - able to be used by those with smaller hands reasonably well. The cards are good quality, glossy card stock, and will stand up well under use. The backs have a slim black border surrounding a golden inset. The inset shows a graphic that is reflected from side to side, and end to end, so that a card in the reverse position would not be evident.
The face of the card shows the same slim black border, surrounding a wider border that is reflective of stone - and the ancient origin of the graphics for this deck. Centered in each card is a 2" by 3" insert with the imagery for that card. The card number appears at the top of the card, with the suit (for the Pips) or the title (for the Major Arcana) along the bottom. The Court Cards show the title along the top and the suit along the bottom.
The text for each suit is coded by color, with Fire as red, Water as blue, Air as yellow and Earth as green. The Major Arcana text is coded in black. The imagery used for Fire is candles; the imagery used for Water is waterfalls; the imagery used for Air is open windows cut into stone, reflecting the sky behind them; the imagery used for Earth is stone.
Once I started working with this deck, I found it to be quite vibrant. (This tells me that I need to get out of my own way sometimes and just accept what is there!) One of my favorite cards is the Devil, who appears as a mask like face with mouth wide open and Medusa-like hair. This is a thought provoking, rather than a fearsome image.
Another image that caught my attention was the Page of Earth, which shows a face that appears to be cut into stone. I loved all of the Fire cards - the candles in each card are presented as a golden yellow, with bright white flames in front of a darker background. The Seven of Fire shows seven candles in front of a stone face. The Three of Fire follows the same concept, with three candles in front of a stone face that is in partial shadow. the King of Fire is an extraordinary card - showing what appears to be the head of a Pharaoh, in shadow, surrounded by Egyptian relics.
The Air suit images, while certainly appropriate, are repetitive - windows cut into stone walls, with the sky showing in back of them. The feeling here, at least for me, was stronger on the stones (which are an earth centered image) than the air that is supposed to be represented.
The suit of Earth shows imagery that is also repetitive, but strongly centered on the representative element of stone, so it does work well. The same goes for the suit of Water, which shows images of waterfalls over stone.
There are other marvelous images: the Wheel, which shows a seated God with a pentacle superimposed over it; Justice shows a golden, warrior like image; the Fool shows a joyous dancing figure. There is a slight discrepancy involving Judgment. In the LWB, the card is referred to as Judgment. On the card itself, the title is Prophecy.
I enjoyed working with this deck, which I feel can be used for any type of reading, or for meditation or ritual/ceremonial purposes. I also feel that the deck is appropriate for any level of Tarot student/practitioner. As with all decks, study the cards first to make sure that you are going to be able to work with the imagery - to make sure that the deck resonates with you. And I do recommend purchasing the deck and the book together.
Ancient Mysteries Tarot
Keys To Divination And Initiation
review by Bonnie Cehovet, TM
author: Roger Calverley
Lotus Press
2004
ISBN #0-940985-72-1
Opening the cover of Ancient Mysteries Tarot is best done with an open mind and an open heart. Roger Calverley comes from a background of over thirty years spent on the spiritual path, including doing daily meditations and working with Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. For six of those years he traveled throughout India, Southeast Asia and parts of the Middle East, painting and teaching. As with another noted Tarot author/artist, Robert M. Place (The Buddha Tarot), Mr. Calverley's journey began with an extraordinary dream.
The dream took place in early morning, in a state that Mr. Calverley terms "asleep, but not asleep". He was walking in the woods, and came upon a rocky granite hill. In the side of the hill is an opening, or grotto. In front of this opening sits a lady, wearing a veil and grey robes. As he stands silently in front of her, he hears the words "Sybilla sum" in his mind. She is telling him that she is the Sybil. She speaks again: "Intro ibo ad altari Dei" (I go into the alter of God.)
They descend into darkness - into a small, circular alcove that is dimly lit. There is an alter, with stone pillars on each of its four sides. On the alter sits a crystal orb that radiates light. The silence in the room deepens, and the realization comes that the room is lit by moonlight, not by sunlight.
Upon waking, Mr. Calverley went to look at his Tarot deck (which heretofore had not held a place of prominence in his studies). There she was - the woman in his dream was the High Priestess! His closest affinity with any of the cards in the Tarot was with that of the Fool. He understood that if he were to progress in understanding the Tarot, that it was as the Fool that he must approach the High Priestess.
Before going into the meat of the book, I want to share how Mr. Calverley defines the Tarot in this book, He defines Tarot as three things: (1) Waite's Tarot, and others like it; (2) elements that were part of the ancient Mystery School tradition; and (3) the material that he himself developed while writing the Ancient Mysteries Tarot Book and developing the Ancient Mysteries Tarot deck.
Ancient Mysteries Tarot is literally based on the ancient Mystery School traditions. Mr. Calverley does a fair job of painting a picture of the early history of Tarot - of the times and the people involved, and of how the Tarot came to be what it is today. The images that are portrayed in this deck are taken from the Mystery Schools of pre-Christian Egypt, India, Greece, Mesopotamia and Meso-America. (Aside from his background in art, Mr. Calverley is also a historian and amateur archeologist, with first hand experience of North American sites. This gives him the benefit of the "feel" of particular cultures, as well as the intellectual cultural knowledge.)
One of the first things that Mr. Calverley addresses is the people that inhabit the Tarot world. His feeling is that, for the most part, they do not understand the ancient roots of Tarot, nor its esoteric symbology. For this reason, the suits in this deck have been renamed to reflect their elemental attribution - Fire (traditionally titled Wands), Water (traditionally titled Cups), Air (traditionally titled Swords) and Earth (traditionally titled Pentacles or Disks). In this manner, the element is being addressed directly, rather than through symbolism. One of the things that bothers me about Mr. Calverley's way of thinking is that he places great import on stone - calling it the backbone of mother earth. In a sense it is - but this also lead to the imagery in the deck being heavily concentrated on the material stone, which to me did not allow the elements, with the possible exception of Fire, to come through as they should have.
An interesting note here is that Mr. Calverley was given an inner "push" to start the artwork for this deck while he was still finishing the writing for the book (yes - the book came first!). In researching the Ancient Mysteries Tarot book he had begun to collect Tarot decks that he felt to be in keeping with the earliest traditions of divination and initiation. He drew upon the resources he had gathered during his travels to illustrate the deck that would accompany his book.
One of his decisions in mapping out the Ancient Mysteries Tarot was to go back to the older tradition of not illustrating the pips - to include only the symbols for each suit. His feeling here was that Waite did the world a disservice by illustrating the pips. While it opened up Tarot for acceptance by the public, he felt that the illustrations gave only one of the meanings that each card held. In essence, this presented grave problems in interpreting the cards. Mr. Calverley feels that reading with symbols only is more demanding of the reader, that it requires them to access their full knowledge of the element represented and the esoteric quality of the card number. While there is some truth in this logic, we have to remember that when reading for others the Seeker, the person being read for, is the focus of the reading. If they do not connect with the card, if it means nothing to them, then they will have a difficult time interacting during the reading.
As to the degree of positive or negative qualities present in a card (i.e. how well or poorly dignified it is), Mr. Calverley looks at this as a function of the degree of ego involvement of the Seeker. I would say that this is a rather general statement, as our level of ego generally determines our thoughts and actions, and therefore determines t he circumstances that we find ourselves in, which is, in the end, what Tarot is all about.
For reference, Mr. Calverley has included a set of color scans of the Tarot Trumps in a separate section. The first thing that he does is take us on what he terms the "long journey", where the work of each of the Tarot archetypes is defined by the voice of the Sibyl. From the book:
"Magus! This is the work, this is the duty before you. The earth of your physical and practical life, the air of intellect, the water of creative and emotional power, and the fire of spiritual mastery, they are there before you on the table to work with. You must make yourself their master.
I will be there behind you as the seeing eye of the High Priestess, as the power of the Divine Mother. My insight, my intuitive guidance will be with you at every step. Never hesitate to enter the temple of stillness and see through my eyes and feel through my heart of tender care. Take care that you see beneath appearances to the hidden forces that shape them. Be guided by the wisdom of your heart, your feeling of what is right."
And so it goes, for each of the cards. Would that each of us have been able to have this chat with the High Priestess at the beginning of our study with the Tarot!
We are taken on a cook's tour of the Tarot Trumps, as we are given a short background on where the images on the cards were taken from (i.e. the Emperor is from a Greek statue of Poisedon). This section is titles the Twenty One Gates, and does something very interesting - it poses a question of the Seeker from the point of view of the Trump. I have seen this done once before, that I remember, and that was in Mary Greer's Tarot For Yourself, where she gives keywords, an affirmation and a question for each of the Tarot cards.
Now things become really, really interesting! Mr. Calverley has chosen personification as the vehicle through which he introduces the Tarot Trumps, and walks through their journey of enlightenment (the Hero's Journey). Each of the Trumps takes on the personality of their archetype, and they converse with the Seeker, who has taken the form of the Fool. Things can be said in this manner that would take forever to explain in a linear fashion - I truly enjoyed the journey that we are gifted with here. It acts as a wonderful template for someone wanting to craft their own personal journey. From the book:
"The Fool: Your robes tell me that you are an initiate. You are different from worldly-minded people, but that difference is one that they respect. If I had robes like your, perhaps my worth would be appreciated?
Priestess: The robes I wear signify the path I follow, and the progress I have made. Are you ready to live as I do? Have you chosen to walk the way that leads beyond all suffering, and to follow it to the very end?
The Fool: I have little practical experience in the world. I do not know my own strengths and weaknesses. I do not see or feel my full potential. What I want, and how much I am willing to sacrifice, are still a mystery to me. The best that I can say of myself is that I am open and ready to learn. But I am not yet wise. I do not feel that I am in a position to choose or to follow a way that is difficult.
Priestess: You imagine that the short direct path which leads straight to the summit of the mountain is hard. And you think that the long wandering path that moves upwards by slow degrees is easy. You are content to wander along the byways of the royal road and to take your time. You risk losing your way because you because you have not yet discovered a deep enough hunger for light and truth. But to make a good beginning, you must be radically honest with yourself. Consider whether the short, direct route is truly more demanding than the long, wandering approach."
Each of the Trumps is addressed in this way, in turn. What evolves is a marvelous story that keeps one turning the pages, looking for the next scene, the next "happening". And the connections between the "happenings", the Trumps, are concise and clear. What a wonderful book this would be to study with a group of friends - or students!
In their turn, the pips and the sacred numbers that they carry are turned into story. From the book:
"Priestess: Out of the power of One comes Two. This is the power of polarity, duality, the relation of opposites. It is the potential for both creation and destruction. The experience of otherness and individuality first comes into existence with the Power of Two."
Now we go through each of the elements, and combine the power of the numbers and the energy of the element. From the book:
"Magician: Now let us consider the Power of Five in the energy of Fire. What would you make of that?
Fool: First, I review the meaning of Five. This number brings in change, and the way that this change flows may be disruptive. There could be uncertainty and a need to adapt. There could also be stress and adversity. But it is a time to be alert and skillful in order to avoid mishaps. Challenges often teach us a great deal. Because this is situated int he energy of Fire, we could think of it as creative ferment, or artistic turmoil, or because Fire is a very energetic symbol, we could predict the possibility of a frenetic pace full of surprises and unexpected twists. Here, we have a testing of sorts. It may force one to choose how to react, what course to take, how to resolve imbalances or conflicts, or how to adapt to change. The Fire energy could make for hot tempers, so patience and discernment are called for. And the unexpected quality thickens the plot.
Priestess: We are doing well, We are halfway to the turning point of ten."
On the Court Cards:
"Fool: Can you tell me the leaning of the court cards?
Priestess: A King is destined to rule, which means to accomplish something for the common good. This general significance becomes coloured by the energy of the four elements. For example, the King of Fire will show different characteristics than the King of Water.
A Queen, in general, represents the deep and inward meaning of her symbol, in contrast to the outwardly directed activity of a King. She brings a sense of caring, intuitive insight, inspiration and aesthetic refinement to the various concerns that come before her. Reverence, healing and the power of love come from the Queen rather than the King. She is more intimate and spontaneous than her royal mate, because she brings the personal touch to her various relationships.
The Knight stands for action and responsibility to others. Knights are concerned with individual power, ability, attainment and they have great capacity for energetic action. But ego may be fairly prominent in a Knight, and his activities are often coloured by a need to exercise personal will and individual initiative. Energy and ambition characterize the Knight, and while he is courageous, he might also be headstrong.
The Page loves to explore and study, because he still has a lot to learn, and he knows it. A Page performs what is asked without question, but bringing messages is what he does much of the time (when he is not studying). He is not yet fully informed of what transpires on higher levels such as that of the Queen, because he is still only an apprentice, a novice, a trainee. Still, the Page is eager to develop himself, he wants to search for deeper wisdom and to explore higher knowledge. Innocence and good will are his basic attitude, and oftentimes, he finds himself a herald of fresh beginnings."
Included at the back of the book is an appendix with five keywords for each of the 78 Tarot cards. They represent, in order, the levels of Spirit; Fire (will and energy; Air (mental); Water (emotional) and Earth (practical). From the book:
"The Fool: Purity, Adventure, Innocence, Openness, Freedom
Ace of Fire: Opportunity, A New Cycle; Inspiration & Initiative; New Ideas; Optimism & Enthusiasm; Initiative
Queen of Water: Creative Energy; Nurturing; Psychic Insight; Love and Deep Feeling (often Motherly); Sensual & Seductive Experience"
What I would have liked to see included in this book would be specific spreads oriented to the type of spiritual insight that this deck is geared towards. I would recommend this book to those who have already begun their Tarot studies, and at least have a basic understanding of the cards. Deck and book are also best used for more spiritually oriented or meditative/ritual type experiences, as opposed to reading on a divinatory level.
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Bonnie Cehovet,
Tarot Master, and Reiki Master/Teacher.
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Bonnie Cehovet is a Tarot Master, professional Tarot reader and Reiki Master/Teacher.
Bonnie has been reading the Tarot professionally for over ten years. She has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, including Secretary and Web Assistant For Links. She is currently Certification Director and Secretary for the American Board For Tarot Certification. Bonnie is also a founding member of the World Tarot Network.
Bonnie has had her work published in the ATA newsletter, in Geraldine Amaral's "Celebrating The Tarot" print newsletter, on the World Tarot Network and other internet sites. She is editor for her own monthly newsletter "Gateway To Tarot" (Yahoo Groups).
www.tarot.
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