 |
 |
| |
| Departments |
Home
Columns, Special
Topics & Features:
The Columns:
Angels, Guides, &
Loving Spirits:
Angel Blessings:
with Dr. Doreen Virtue
Ask Valerie Morrison,
Internationally
Acclaimed Psychic
Trust Your Vibes
By Dr. Sonia Choquette, PhD.
Internationally Acclaimed Psychic Healer & Author
Astrologer's Notes:
Carin Martin,
Astrologer
Donna Cunningham, MSW, Astrologer
Basil Fearrington,
Astrologer
Diana Stone,
Astrologer &
Huna Shaman
Jeff Jawer
Astrologer
Glenn Perry,
Astrologer
Ray Merriman,
Financial Astrology:
MMA Market Week
Noel Tyl,
Astrologer
Daily Aspect Calendar
by Care
MoonWatching with Dana Gerhardt and Friends
Creating Bridges:
The Spiritual &
Philosophical
Act of Power
Discovering the Key to Living Your Sacred Dream
by Lynn Andrews
Avant-Gardening:
Insights
by Frank & Vicky
Giannangelo
From The Heart:
Alan Cohen
Teachings from the Western Mystery Traditions: The Esoteric "Paths of Return"
by Jacquelyn Small, Eupsychia
Spirituality in Daily Life: by Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron
The Conscious Column
by David Ault
Spiritual Mastery
for the 21st Century
Dr. Gwen MacGregor
Pearls of Wisdom:
with Care & Aeon
Encounters on the
Shaman's Path with
Dr. Hank Wesselman, PhD.
Anthropologist, Zoologist, Author, Shamanic Healer & Teacher
The Divine Human
by Ornesha De Paoli
Awakenings
by Karen Johnson
Worshipping by Wondering with
Sankara Saranam, MA Founder of the Pranayama Institute
A Woman's Beauty
by Robin Rice,
Shaman & Author
Wisdom Walks
In Circles
Margaret Lewis,
Shamanic Practitioner
The Awakening Generation
by Ann Marie Judge
Crystals, Minerals
& Gemstones
My Love of Crystals, Minerals & Gemstones
by Raven,
Raven Crystals
Divination Systems:
Be Your Own Oracle
By James Wanless, Ph.D.
Creator of the Voyager Tarot Deck
In Practice:
Juliet's Marketing Wisdom
by Juliet Austin, MA Marketing Coach, Author & Consultant
Kabbalah:
Kabbalah Revealed:
Rav Michael Laitman, PhD, Kabbalalist
"Letters from Heaven:" Spiritual Guidance from
the Hebrew Alphabet
by Avigayil Landsman
Numberscope Forecast
by Vincent J. Barra
Pet Care:
Dr. Carson's Holistic Animal Care
by Dr. Kathleen Carson, D.V.M.
Tarot:
Moment to Moment
by Gigi Miner
Author, Tarot Consultant, & Teacher
Reviews:
Tarot, Cartomancy,
Oracle Decks,
Books, & Software.
by Bonnie Cehovet,
Tarot Master
Humor:
Wake Up Laughing.Com:
Swami Beyondananda
Features:
Blessings & Messages
Event Calendar
Historical Notes & Data
The MetaPersonals
Opinion-Editorial
News Briefs
Symbols, Seals,
Amulets & Talismans
The What in the
World Department
Trivia & Life's Other
Novel Moments
Interviews:
Watch for Upcoming Announcements
Healing & Alternative
Health:
"Spirit and Practice
of the Wise Woman
Tradition"
By Susun Weed
Tai Chi & Qigong
by Bill Douglas
The Holistic Mystic,
by Lonny Brown
Medical Intuition: Tune
in to Your Body and Improve Your Health
by Caroline Sutherland, Sutherland Communications
Transformational Healing through the Violet Flame!
by Eva Kettles
Herbs for Health
with Kami McBride
Lose Weight Permanently: Stop the Endless Cycle of Dieting
Rena Greenberg,
Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming & Hypnotherapist
The Directory
The Book Nook
Archives:
Past Issues
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reviews: Tarot Decks
Tarot & Cartomancy
Deck & Book Reviews
by Bonnie Cehovet, TE
Tarot Master
|
|
|
The Halloween Tarot
Review by Bonnie Cehovet, TE
author: Karin Lee
artist: Kipling West
U. S. Games Systems, inc.
1996
ISBN #0-88079-965-X
The Halloween Tarot is an exciting meld of two traditions: the traditional Waite-Smith Tarot and one of my all time favorite holidays - Halloween. The box comes appropriately decked out in orange and black, with black cats, pumpkins, ghosts, a witch handing out treats, and other scary creatures. The excitement is there with this deck before the cards are even out of the box!
The fifteen page LWB (Little White Book) begins with Kippling West's story of the evolution of this deck. Having already done a cat Tarot, and a children's Tarot, and considering that she is an aficionado of gargoyles, this really was her logical "next step", don't you think? I love people who are attracted to the same holidays that I am - and I definitely love Halloween. For holidays within any given month, I decorate on the first day of the month, so I see a lot of Halloween each year! I also love giving out candy - chocolate candy, the same thing that I would want if I were out trick-or-treating!
Kipling goes into some of the background of Halloween, and how fortune telling was at one time a much stronger part of the process than it is today. In the Celtic tradition, this is the last night of the old year, and acts to bring in the new year. It is also when the veil is thinnest between the physical and the spiritual worlds.
Kipling based the Halloween Tarot on the traditional images of the Rider-Waite Tarot, and tweaked them into Halloween mode. A. E. Waite had enough of the devil in him that perhaps he would appreciate the honor being given here. Halloween images are mixed in with images from ancient Greek, Egyptian and Hindu mythology. Kipling also tossed in imagery from Chaldean astrology, biblical references, and images from the far east and Europe.
There is a short section on reading the cards, with a sample three card spread, and the traditional Celtic Cross spread.
The Major Arcana retain their traditional titling, with Strength as VIII and Justice as XI. the Minor Arcana suits have been renamed: Pumpkins (Pentacles), Ghosts (Cups), Bats (Swords), and Imps (Fire). The Court Cards are Page, Knight, Queen and King. The suit of Pumpkins is defined as the suit of the element Earth, describing all things that are physical and tangible. The suit of Ghosts is defined as being "haunted" by the ancient element of Water, symbol of the unconscious, of dreams, instincts and emotions. The suit of Bats is defined as the suit of the element of Air, reflecting the intellect, and the ability to cut through confusion and deception. The suit of Imps is defined as the suit of the element Fire, representing creativity, passion and vision.
The LWB presents the cards without scans, using a short description of the card, along with keywords for the Major Arcana, and keywords alone for the Minor Arcana and Court Cards. From the LWB:
0 Fool (Clown)
A clown juggles happily, oblivious to the precipice before him. Playful, childlike innocence. Pure potential. Freedom from preconceptions. Gaining wisdom through experience.
Ace of Pumpkins
A fresh start. Good news. Abundance, wealth, accomplishment.
Knight of Bats
A capable, bold, righteous person. A fearless defender of justice.
The cards themselves are 2 3/4" by 4 3/4", on good quality, sturdy, coated card stock. The backs show a white border, with an orange and black inset of a black cat against an orange background, with a black spider dangling above him. Upright and reversed versions of this image are back to back, with a glyph of an eye between them. It would not be possible to tell if a card was drawn in the reversed position or not.
The major Arcana show a white border, with an orange block across the bottom of the card. The title of the card, along with the card number in Roman numerals (inset into a quadrangle) run across the orange inset in black letters.
For me, every one of the Major Arcana cards are worth mentioning! However, I will limit the text to a few of them, to leave something to the imagination! The Fool is an outstanding card, showing a clown juggling balls against a night sky, with a full moon behind him. He has a black cat at his feet, and his costume is white with orange pumpkin faces on one side, and orange with black cat faces on the other. And yes - he is about to walk off of a cliff!
The Magician shows a stage magician pulling the proverbial rabbit out of his hat, while in the background we see glyphs of the four suits. The Empress (the Bride of Frankenstein) is seated in her garden with a black cat on her lap, while the Emperor (Frankenstein himself) sits chained to his chair, with a black cat on the top of the chair to his right, and a chemical flask holding white flowers on the top of his char to his left.
The Hierophant is portrayed as a mummy, bound by religion and society. The Wheel of Fortune has become a roulette wheel, with the Seeker at the center! The Tower is the proverbial haunted house - done in a not so scary manner. Judgment shows a not so devilish figure in a cloak lined with vivid read holding his hands over three figures standing in coffins.
The Minor Arcana show a white border, with an orange block across the bottom of the card. The card number and suit title appear in black across the orange block. For the Court Cards, the title of the card and the suit appear in black letters across the orange block on the bottom of the card.
The Court Cards are quite interesting, with the Kings and Queens seated, the Knights on a horse, and the Pages standing. The King of Pumpkins makes quite a statement, seated on his throne, one hand on a pumpkin that sits in his lap, the other hand holding a green scepter. He wears a light orange robe with pumpkins on it, as has a black cat at his feet. Skulls of an animal with horns sit on the top of either side of the throne.
The Ten of Pumpkins shows a tree with nine pumpkins, one of which is in the form of a piñata, with a blindfolded imp-like figure out to break it with his stick. The tenth pumpkin resides in the lower right hand side of the picture.
The Five of Pumpkins shows a church-like window with five pumpkins on it, with two figures walking in front of it - one dressed in a devils suit and carrying a black cat, with a smaller figure dressed in a clowns suit with a bat on the front of it. The smaller figure is looking, with a very unhappy face, at what appears to be the corner of a spilled sack in the left hand corner of the picture.
The Ten of Ghosts shows a family - father, mother, and two children, dressed for Halloween and admiring the night sky, which shows a full moon, bright stars, and ten ghosts!
I love the little Bat people! The Six of Bats shows the traditional boat taking two figures across the water. In this case, the boatman wears a pumpkin head, an orange cape, and bright green shoes. One figure is dressed in brown with a pink scarf, the other in gray with an orange scarf. A black cat sits in the bow of the boat, and bats fly freely around them.
The suit of Imps is the scariest thing in this deck - Imps dressed all in red, with horns and tails. Are we talking nightmares here or what! Kipling has done a good job, however, of toning them down. The Six of Imps shows six Imps riding a horse, with the last Imp holding a black cat, which one of the other Imps is reaching out to pet. They can't be all that bad!
The colors in this deck are bold and bright, with the artwork being slightly "cartoonish". There is enough of a connection with traditional Tarot imagery that this is a working deck, which Kipling points out can be used any time during the year, not just on Halloween. I think this would be good as a comparative deck, for barnstorming ideas, or as an aid in breaking through something like writer's block, and, of course, as a reading deck.
© September 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bonnie Cehovet,
Tarot Educator, Reiki Master/Teacher
|
 |
Bonnie Cehovet is a Tarot Educator, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Hawaii, Manoa campus, and is certified as a Tarot Educator with the American Board For Tarot Certification.
She has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, to include Secretary on the ATA Board. She is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification.
Her articles and reviews currently appear in the World Tarot Network newsletter (www.worldtarot.com),
The Meta Arts Magazine (www.themetaarts.com),
the Aeclectic Tarot site (www.aeclectic.
net/tarot),
and on her own site,
www.tarot.
thecrystalgate.com.
For the past three years she has edited her own monthly Tarot newsletter - Gateway to Tarot. She also has articles appearing in the 2004 and 2005 "Llewellyn Tarot Reader".
www.americanboard
fortarot certification.org
www.tarot.
thecrystalgate. com |
 |
You'll find it in
The
Directory! |
|
|
|
|
