I know, I know.  I didn't believe this one either when it came out.  A glow in the dark tarot deck.  How insane can it get?  With all the different tarot decks out there, I figured that it was just one more marketing gimmick to sell more decks.  But there are legitimate benefits to a glow in the dark deck that I never thought of till I got this one to review.

For starters, this deck is essentially a black and white Major Arcana only copy of the Rider-Waite deck.  The images are reduced to black and white to better show up in the dark when lit by the phosphorescent glow.  A light greenish tint is present due to the phosphorescent coating which covers the entire card.

I'm gonna cut right to the chase here and give away the answers to this test, cause I know you all are sitting there thinking, "So what the hell *could* be a legitimate reason to use glow in the dark cards?"

As a teacher of tarot, I often counsel my students to draw one card a day and meditate on that card's meaning in order to better learn the details and the symbolism in that card.  When reading for clients, if one particular card stands out as a solution or key to a solution for that client, I often counsel that client to draw that card and meditate upon it in order to better understand how its archetypal properties can help them to grow.  Now, imagine that you have drawn the card that you need to meditate on.  Hold it up to the lamp for five minutes before bedtime, and when you turn all the lights off, the card is still glowing there in the dark, showing you its symbolism and meaning for you to meditate upon while drifting off to sleep.  How powerful a meditation that would be, when the card is the last image you see before closing your eyes for the night!

Other interesting and creative uses for these cards include store window displays (the cards glow in the dark after the store lights go out for the night), black light parties, and tarot reading in low light situations.  For those with poor vision, perhaps a card which glows gives some extra needed contrast, even if not being used in total darkness.  These would be a fun gift for children who are learning tarot; reading them in the dark under the covers would make the experience more of a game and thus making an impression that would last.

Since there are no Minor Arcana, this deck is limited somewhat in how it can be used.  The deck comes with some printed cards containing brief divinatory meanings; a few layouts are included, the Celtic Cross being one of them.  I usually don't recommend using the Celtic Cross with a majors-only deck, but there it is.  Other spreads included in the cards are appropriate for use with a majors-only deck.

The cards themselves are smaller than standard and, especially since there's only 22 of them, handle and shuffle with ease.  The phosphorescent coating makes the cards fairly thick.  Edges are smooth.  The back design is a detail lifted from The Moon card and the details of the back design also glow in the dark.  The back is reversible.  The pack comes in a small cardboard box with a hanging tab on the top for hanging display.  The box fits very tightly and getting the top open is always a challenge without ripping the box at the seams.

I definitely recommend this deck for children, students, collectors, and just about anyone with a sense of humor and an open mind.  It would make a great stocking stuffer.  I only wish my scanner could do justice to the cards in scanning them; you really need a camera that can take pictures in the dark to really show off its glow.  I even tried it with my digital camera, didn't work at all.  Oh well.  Cute, yes.  Worth buying? Yes!

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Review Copyright 1999 by Gina M. Pace

Glow in the Dark Tarot by US Games Systems, Inc. 1999
ISBN 1-57281-204-4