This out of print deck and book set purports to use the ancient egyptian writing system of cartouche and hieroglyphics for self-understanding and awareness.  According to the box, Hope chose the name Cartouche for the card set because after 30 years of study she felt that "it encapsulates the archetypal and powerful energies known and understood by the ancients and embodies them in identites recognizable in today's world."  Wow, that's a mouthful.  Try saying that three times fast!

This set has been pretty scarce for many years now.  I was fortunate enough to pick it up used, online.  The box had pretty much fallen apart at the seams, however the cards and book inside were in pristine condition.  There are only 25 cards in the set, which ironically is the number of rune cards in a runes deck.  One might, therefore, liken this to an Egyptian version of a runes deck.

Since this is not a tarot deck, there are no Major or Minor Arcana, no suits or courts.  The 25 cards are numbered sequentially from 1 through 25 with no subcategories of any real sort, although each card has either a fixed or a mutable quality corresponding with universal astrology.  Each card is presented with a blue border against an almost completely white card, with the exception of two cards, Set and Air.  There are scenes or symbols floated in the center of the card against the white.  The title appears underneath in a graphic form which looks like a stone carving.  The number is in the upper left corner in a matching format, and in the upper right corner, the hieroglyph for that particular deity/element/symbol.

The first ten cards are representative of various gods and goddesses within the Egyptian pantheon.  Each of these cards has several meanings and levels of nuance described in the book as they relate to the Spiritual, Psychological and Material levels of the reading.  The god/dess cards are:

1 - Osiris
2 - Isis
3 - Horus
4 - Bast
5 - Thoth
6 - Hathor
7 - Nephthys
8 - Ptah
9 - Anubis
10 - Set

Once you've passed through these ten cards, the next four represent the basic elements of life.  Fire, Air, Water and Earth have more scenery drawn on them than the rest of the deck, and are evocative of the elements' affect on the surroundings of both the ancient Egyptians and modern-day man.

The rest of the cards are a mix of various experiences and symbols that the Egyptians might have encountered in their day-to-day life.  These are:

15 - Sirius
16 - Lotus
17 - Crook and Flail
18 - Uraeus
19 - Winged Disk
20 - The Twins
21 - Sphinx
22 - Scarab
23 - Pyramid
24 - Ankh
25 - Buckle of Isis

The cards themselves are larger than standard size and printed on a thin, flexible cardstock with smooth edges and rounded corners.  It does shuffle and handle easily because of the small number of cards in the deck.  The back design is a soft, clay-colored orange with turquoise colored cartouche markings on it.  This design is reversible.  There is no little white booklet since the set comes with a hardbound book.  The book is substantial (208 pages) and lists many references, spreads and layouts which are unique to this system, divinatory meanings, explanations and keywords for each card, and much more information.  Each card is further accompanied by an explanation of the particular hieroglyph that goes with it, and the story or legend that it represents.

I recommend this set if the user is really interested in Egyptian myth and magic.  It is really not an easy set to work with and probably should be avoided by the beginner.  The images are not meant to be art collectibles but utilitarian, therefore it has little interest for the deck collector unless they are going to use it.  Still, it's a *nice* set, and not nearly as complicated as many other Egyptian systems.  Since it is relatively hard to find, this means if you like what you see here, grab it wherever you can find it!

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Review Copyright 2000 by Gina M. Pace

The Way of Cartouche by Murry Hope, 1985
published by St. Martin's Press, New York, NY
ISBN 0-312-85823-X