The Alchemical Tarot is available as a deck-and-book-set only, and with good reason.  Truly, if you did not have the book available, you would really be in the dark with this one.  Amazing as it is, it definitely requires the information in the book to work with the system.

Surprisingly, the deck is easy to understand.  I know before I opened it, I thought, "Gee, alchemy is way over MY head."  This deck and book make it useable for the common folks.  The artwork is familiar, the style is classical Renaissance from that time period when all the women were portrayed dressed in Greek costumes and all the people featured in the deck are Caucasians.  This is in keeping with the artistic style and the time period the deck represents; however, some people might not be able to work well with it.

At first glance, the Alchemical Tarot deck doesn't look as if it is much different from other tarot decks, but when you actually look at each card individually, you will see there is a vast departure from the traditional.  Gone are the Qabbalistic symbols.  Gone are all the traditional elements of the tarot as you know them.  In their place is a system which utilizes and explains the alchemical beliefs of the fluids and elixirs which make up the substance of life.  In a way, it might be better for someone who is not too well learned in the ways of the Qabbalah, etc, for they will need to "unlearn" them in order to work with this deck.

All cards have full scenes, including the Minor Arcana.  The suits are Swords, Staffs, Vessels (which are chemist's glass bottles), and Coins.  The deck is stiff and a little wider than standard, which made them a bit difficult for me to shuffle and handle.  There is a substantive amount of nudity and graphic display in these cards.  However, it shouldn't be offensive except to the really conservative crowd, since the type of nudity is tasteful and well within the artistic parameters defined by the style.

For someone who is looking for something really different but not too weird, this might be it.  The deck would be good to teach someone about alchemy, as well.  It doesn't seem to delve too deeply into that, however, so I don't believe this deck would be suitable for the serious alchemist or magician.  Of course, most magicians use Golden Dawn type decks anyway, so that's irrelevant.  Collectors will love to add this deck to their collections.

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also see Robert Place's website:
http://www.crosswinds.net/~alchemicalegg/

also by Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Robert Michael Place:
The Angels Tarot

Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace