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Reviews: Tarot Decks
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Deck & Book Reviews
by Bonnie Cehovet
Tarot Master
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author: Louis Martinié
illustrator: Sallie Ann Glassman
Destiny Books
1992
ISBN #0-89281-363-6
suits: Petro (Fire/Wands), Congo (Water/Cups), Rada (Air/Swords), Santeria (Earth/Pentacles)
Temple cards (court cards): Houngan (King), Mambo (Queen), La Place (Prince, Knight), Hounsis (Princess)
Temple cards (Court cards)/Earth: Santero (King), Santera (Queen), Oriaté (Knight/Prince), Yaguó (Page/Princess)
Roads (Major Arcana):
0 World Egg (The Fool)
I Dr. John (The Magician)
II Marie Laveau (The High Priestess)
III Ayizan (The Empress)
IV Loco (The Emperor)
V Master of the Head (The Hierophant)
VI Marassa (The Lovers)
VII Dance (The Chariot)
VIII Possession (Strength)
IX Couché (The Hermit)
X The Market (The Wheel of Fortune)
XI Secret Societies (Justice)
XII Zombi (The Hanged Man)
XIII Les Morts (Death)
XIV Ti Bon Ange (Temperance)
XV Courir Le Mardi Gras (The Devil)
XVI Deluge (The Tower)
XVII Z'Étoile (The Star)
XVIII Magick Mirror (Moon)
XIX Gros Bon Ange (The Sun)
XX Ancestors (Judgment)
XXI Carnival (The World)
Wild Card - Les Barons
The introduction to The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot companion book starts things off on a less than stellar note, by stating that Tarot images found their way through Europe under the stewardship of the Gypsies, who themselves carried the knowledge of the great mystery schools of Egypt. This is supposedly what the Western Mystery Tradition maintains. Not a good beginning for setting the foundation for a Tarot deck. What does seem plausible is the claim that Egypt is an African country whose advanced culture and tradition are based on African theology.
The claim is made that the spirits from African theology are the echo's of the human race's creation, and that they carry the how and why of our existence. In this book, the terms Spirits, mysteries, and loa are used interchangeably to these spirits. In New Orleans, the loa functioned under the general auspices of Voodoo. The Voodoo Tarot then is an invocation of the Mysteries or Spirits that are Voodoo. Through the Tarot, the loa can teach, advise and initiate humanity into their deep and ancient wisdom. What does this come down to? The Tarot carries archetypal energy, pure and simple.
This deck honors two traditions - the tradition of Voodoo, and the tradition of the city that acts as the home ground for Voodoo, the city of New Orleans. Martiné begins with a working definition of Voodoo, noting the necessity for "sacrifice" in this tradition. He presents a very interesting chart associating what he terms the Twenty-two Roads (the twenty-two Major Arcana cards) with their positions on the Tree of Life and with the types of things that are appropriate sacrifices for each. For instance, an appropriate sacrifice for Dr. John (The Magician) would be the playing of a drum, while an appropriate sacrifice for Deluge (The Tower) would be running water. The sacrifices go on into the Minor Arcana. For the Guedeh (Three of Swords), an appropriate sacrifice would be Rum and Cigars. For the Erzulie La Flambeau (Seven of Wands), the appropriate sacrifice would be jewelry dusted with gunpowder!
Martiné also brings in the topic of possession. That jolted me sharply! (Yes, I watch far too much late night TV!) In this case we are looking at how the loa, or spirits, work through the Tarot practitioner. It is most easily done through the hands - in other words, the loa take part in the choice of the cards for the reading. the use of the hands, then, is seen as temporary. Specific loas are summoned through the use of their ritual drawing, or vévé, that appears with the text (in the accompanying book) describing each card. From the book: "The vévé represents a path that can be traveled by both the loa and the practitioner." Vévé's can also be drawn on open ground, using cornmeal, to call the loa and allow for their sure passage.
The presentation of the companion book for The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot is heavily dependent on Qaballah and the Tree of Life. Martiné does a credible job of going into the background of the Tree of Life, and presents something that I had really not run across before, and that is the three crosspaths, which he equates to the rungs of the ladder of the Tree of Life. I have to admit that I am a chart and graphic junkie, and Martiné presents on of the most in depth graphics of the Tree of Life that I have ever seen in this section.
Hebrew Letter:Daleth (Door)
Number: 4
Thelemic card: Empress
Voodoo card: Ayizan
Hebrew letter: Teth (Serpent)
Number: 9
Thelemic card: Lust
Voodoo card: Possession
Hebrew Letter: Pé (Mouth)
Number: 80
Thelemic card: Tower
Voodoo card: Deluge
The foundation of this deck is heavily Qabbalistic, as seen in not only the Roads (Major Arcana), but in the use of the Tetragrammaton for the schematics for the Spirit (Pip) and Temple (Court) cards. The four letters of the unspoken name of God (JHVH, or Yod Hé Vav Hé) correspond to the four elements (Fire, Water, Air, and Earth). In the Voodoo Tarot, the four Nations, or Voodoo traditions, roughly correspond to the four elements of the Western Hermetic Tradition. Petro, a form of worship found in Haiti, is equated with the element of Fire. From the Congo nation, we have Congo, which equates with the element of Water. Rada (coming from the traditional kingdom of Dahomey and its strict religious structure) equates with the element of Air. Santería, a sister religion to Voodoo, is the Nation that equates with the element of Earth.
In his notes on reading the cards, on thing that Martiné emphasizes is that the reader needs to trust their own intuitive feelings. He also makes a good point in that if a reader is not comfortable reading with these cards, they need to honor that and not use them. Nothing good will come of doing something that you do not feel comfortable with.
The presentation of the cards in the companion book is a black and white scan (with no text whatsoever on it), the symbol for the vévé (spirit represented by the card), a discussion of the card, a contemplation for the card, and the divinatory meaning. The Spirits (Pips) are grouped together by number (i.e. all four Aces, all four Two's), and associated with their placement on the Tree of Life. The Temple (Court) cards are defined by physical and psychological characteristics drawn from Robert Wang's The Qabalistic Tarot.
Martiné includes a short section on ritual in connection with the use of the Tarot. There is a ritual to honor the Voodoo, to honor ones ancestors, to work with the ritual of sacrifice, to bring a blessing and ... to affect the outcome of an event. To his credit, Martiné suggests using caution when making the decision to affect an event.
There are several spreads presented at the end of the book, including the traditional Celtic Cross. There is also an index of quick references to card meanings.
The 79 cards (remember that Wild Card!) and 276 page book come packaged in a sleeve type box. The cards themselves are approximately 2 3/4" by 4", high quality, glossy cardstock. Excellent for smaller hands! The backs have a 1/4" white border surrounding a dark purple background. Overlaying the dark background we see various figures done in gold. The card faces have the same 1/4" white border, surrounding the illustration. The Road cards (Major Arcana) The Spirits (Pips/numbered cards) have the element symbol and name in black text on the upper left hand side of the card, with the number in black on the upper right hand side, and the suit name across the bottom of the card in black text. The Temple (Court) cards show the elemental symbol and card title in black centered across the top of the card in black text, with the suit name in black text across the bottom of the card. The Road cards (Major Arcana) show the card number in Roman numerals in black type across the top of the card, and the card title in black text along the bottom of the card.
The style of the artwork is very loose and flowing, with some cards having a very "comic" feel. The coloring is flat, and heavily into greens, blues and oranges, with no use of red.
My favorite card from the whole deck may well be Magick Mirror (The Moon). We see white stars against a deep blue sky, with lighter blue swirling on the bottom third of the card. From the swirling blue, three (yes, three) hands hold up a mirror edged in green, featuring a pair of intense eyes.
In Erzulie Freda Dahomey (Seven of Swords/Air) we see a very dissatisfied looking woman seated before a mirror, and holding a mirror in her right hand. She is dressed in a lovely pink party dress, and there is a pink hat hanging from the mirror. However - the look on her face reminds me of a wicked stepsister!
In Azaka (Ten of Words/Air) we see a figure tilling his field with his hoe, carrying his wisdom in his straw bag. in the background we see a beautiful rainbow.
In Gran Bois (Ten of Cups/Water) we see a very surrealistic stand of trees, reaching their branches into the blue sky and their roots deep into the earth to the source of all water.
In Rada Houngan (King of Swords/Air) we see a figure that I find quite compelling. The background is light purple, with a yellow/orange "splash" in the upper right hand corner, but the figure itself is what I immediately focus on. The figure, wearing a light colored shirt, is seated and playing a rada drum. The look on his face is one of intensity, focus, and serenity.
In the Petro Hounsis (Page/Princess of Fire) we see the type of figure that we associate with the intensity of Voodoo. Done in bright orange, against a black background, we see the figure of a woman, her eyes looking straight out at us with ferocity and intensity. In her hands she holds a flaming zin, or ritual pot.
Masa (Nine of Swords/Air) shows a female figure facing out from the card, holding what a teapot with steam coming out of the spout and rising to the night sky. From the book: 'Masa is spinning the star web that reaches between the worlds."
Ochosi (Ten of Pentacles/Earth) shows a golden arrow rising from lush green vegetation into the night sky. This is the orisha of hunters and animals of the forest.
I find most interesting the depiction of the World Egg (The Fool). Coming from the night sky we see the Great Snake in its mouth the World Egg (representing focused or directed possibility). The World Egg forms the center of the Crossroads, the point from which all creation takes its measure.
Aside from its references to Egypt and Gypsies, the foundation of this deck is not too badly done. Not being schooled in Voodoo, I cannot speak for that part of the book, but it does conform with other things that I have read. This deck would be useful for reading only to those that truly understood its religious and Hermetic background. For those that understand the background, or for collectors, this would be an interesting deck to have.
© May 2005
Animals Divine
~ ~ Companion ~ ~
review by Bonnie Cehovet
author: Lisa Hunt
Llewellyn Worldwide
2005
ISBN #0-7387-0321-4
Animals Divine Companion is the companion book for a soon to be released (August, 2005) Tarot deck by the same name. While I am not fond of reviewing companion books without the decks they are referencing, I was certainly intrigued by this one. I am an avid fan of Lisa Hunt's work (The Celtic Dragon Tarot, Shapeshifter Tarot), and an equally avid fan of the work of artist/author Kris Waldherr (The Lovers Tarot), who wrote the foreword to Animals Divine Companion.
In her foreword, Waldherr speaks of the Animal Divine Tarot as combining the symbolism found in the natural world with the mythos that each culture holds within its people. The mythos that Waldherr speaks of is represented directly in the Tarot through its archetypal nature. She sees the Animal Divine Tarot as a tool that can be used to raise the collective consciousness of humanity. Each card combines myth from diverse cultures with the world of animals. It is easy to see that the animals carry knowledge, and act as gateways for humankind to connect with not only the natural world around them, but with the world of ancient voices, the archetypal world.
In her preface, Hunt describes how she researched the animal world - through visits to wildlife sanctuaries, zoos, parks, and an animal farm. In this way she got to see the animals in various habitats, to see how they interacted, and to see how they moved. The idea for this deck came not only from her respect for the animal world, but her joy in this world, a joy that has been there since childhood. This is true grace, when our happy childhood memories can be evoked in our somewhat chaotic adult world/work.
Hunt connects the importance of animals in our lives with their appearance in the art, stories, and ritual that make up our various world cultures. She points out that when we choose to use animal Tarot cards, whether in reading, or in meditation (and I have to add ritual to the list!), that we have a profound tool for communicating with the animals (this is easier than you might think!), accessing the animal energies within each of us, and establishing a true connection with the animal world. One of the most important things that the animal world does for humankind is to act as a bridge (or gateway) to other realms of consciousness. They act to connect us with our own unconscious selves.
She asks us to be aware that information that we receive from the animal world is a mirroring of the world within ourselves. We need to be receptive to these messages, and to connect to the animals that we find in our own inner landscape. Each of us carry animal guides/mentors/companions, from which we can gain strength and knowledge. I was intrigued by the cards that Hunt found difficult to work with: The Moon, with its hidden, sometimes dark nature; and the Page of Pentacles, which is symbolized by the sacred monkey Hanuman.
Hunt also bring out something that I would never have thought of, and that is that before we can begin to work with animal energy, we need to understand/overcome any potential fears that we may have regarding specific animals. Part of the manner in which this might be done lies in respecting their space, and realizing that their actions are based on survival instincts - they are not really out to get us! She also suggests that simply observing animals will help us to understand, appreciate, and respect them. I really like something else that she talks about here - that studying and communicating with animals will accelerate our creative growth and imaginative thought.
Each card is presented with a black and white scan, the name of the card, the animal on the card, the culture the myth is from, the card meaning, a discussion of the symbols found within the card, and a description of the energies represented. I am a huge fan of Coyote, so I am going to share his card. From the book:
The Fool
Coyote, Native American
Meaning: setting upon a journey; adventurer; inexperience
Symbols: The coyote's journey takes him on a rocky path covered with entwined roots. The roots represent the obstacles that the unwary traveler will most likely encounter. The rocks contrast the roots with their stabilizing properties - but one must be careful not to trip on these earthly protrusions. The six birds flying overhead represent changes and impermanence. The raven in the foreground id beckoning the coyote to continue. The coyote must pass by the bones, symbolic of stagnation, in order to explore new opportunities of self-awareness. The dead trees are reminders that all things must pass and new paths should be made in order to promote new growth. The spirals on the rocks are reminders that life is a continual journey to be explored. The dragonfly represents our goals and dreams and the penetration of veils of deception. The necklace of feathers and heads represents flight and the continuous pursuit of truth. The subtle winding snake is ever changing and merging with the tree roots, a reminder that we have to activate all of our senses while traveling on the path.
Description: In Native American tradition Coyote is the fool, the teacher, the traveler, the transformer, and the trickster. Stories about Coyote are varied and sometimes complex. But the essence of his character as culture hero can be found throughout the Native American cultures. He often travels with other animal companions and engages in all manner of wily behavior. His curious nature exemplifies his tendency to be adventurous and even careless. In one Navajo story he used his trickery to defeat a child-eating monster. In this story his brazen self-confidence has a positive outcome. But in another story his impetuous behavior causes death to come to the world. Coyote argued over Wolf's decision to allow people to be rejuvenated after they died. Coyote convinced Wolf that this would lead to overpopulation. Wolf agreed but caused Coyote's son to be the first to die. The grieving Coyote realized his foolishness and learned to accept the consequences of his actions.
Coyote represents a zest for life. He is both the lighthearted traveler imbued with optimism and the dark shadow of the psyche that may pose conflict as we proceed down the path. Before we embark on our journey's, it is important to remain optimistic and adventurous, but it is equally important to be aware of the possible dark forces that may arise along the way. These shadows of the psyche will provide important ingredients towards the attainment of wholeness. The coyote as a fool is also a teacher. With his guidance we can learn to adapt, change and grow as new situations present themselves to us.
At the end of the book comes my favorite part of any companion book, and that is the spreads that have been developed for specific use with each deck. Hunt presents several spreads, each with a sample reading: a Four-Car Spread, based on the traditional three card past/present/future spread; a five card Animal Journey Spread (inspired by Barbara Moore); and a seven card Animal Wheel Spread.
Hunt also includes a short section on connecting with the card images through meditation. As she points out, "the artwork is the vehicle for delivering the message". Her advice is to allow the emotions that the imagery elicits to come through, to not be overly cognizant of what the symbols "stand for". Excellent advice!
I am impressed with this book, and with the manner in which Hunt has combined myth and the animal world to present a "whole" picture of the archetypal energy of each card. Although any deck can be used without its companion deck for guidance, I find that in making best use of the companion book, one gets a better understanding of the foundation for the deck, and how to access its wisdom. A definite thumbs up to this gracious author/illustrator!
© May 2005 |
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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).
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