This is a new publication
of a deck that was previously published; I have a review of it listed as
Osho Neo Tarot. I have also seen it listed as Rajneesh Neo Tarot,
and other various combinations of Osho, Rajneesh, Neo, and so on and so
forth. The deck, as published before, came with a small white paper
booklet, but now it is published in a grand new boxed set complete with
an excellent book and nicer card quality. Even the box is gorgeous.
It's made so when you hold it in your hands it is like two halves which
fit together in the center; you lift off the one half to open it.
The cards nest tightly inside in two stacks with the book behind them.
You have to be careful putting them back in, or they won't all fit inside;
but this guarantees that they won't slide around or get crushed or anything,
and sometimes taking your time to put something away is a good thing.
I had to look inside
the book cover to even find out who did the deck; obviously, the writings
in the book are either BY Osho himself or based upon his writings, but
since the credit is only given to the Osho International Foundation, I
cannot be certain which it is. I believe this is done because of
vows of modesty/poverty etc, denying the ego and not taking personal credit
for spiritual writings which are meant to generously benefit all.
The cards are done in
beautiful vivid colors and illustrate a wide variety of parables and stories
from several different spiritual cultures from around the world.
I see Jesus Christ on some of these cards; he is included as Osho's faith
holds him among the highest of teachers, but he is not the only one, and
many other teachers and wonderful examples of spiritual enlightenment grace
the cards with their images. Gautama Buddha is also here, as is Bodhidharma;
Junnaid, who is a great Sufi Master; Lao Tzu; St. Francis of Assisi, and
many more.
This deck is not a true
tarot deck, in that it has no Major or Minor Arcana, but rather, simply
60 cards numbered from 1 through 60, each illustrated with a scene which
emphasizes a particular moment of spiritual truth and enlightenment.
The by-line on the deck offers that there are "Insights & Parables
for Renewal in Everyday Life" and that's exactly what they are. The
cards are bordered in a light grey pattern with the Arabic numeral in black
at the top of the card, and the title at the bottom. Titles in this
deck bear no connection with traditional tarot, but are each indicative
of a truth or lesson in regards to spiritual renewal. Examples are:
Ego, Worth, Living Totally, No-Mind, and so on.
The cards are more or
less standard size; they are slightly wider than standard tarot decks,
but since there are fewer cards, the deck is still manageable quite easily.
Good card stock has been used, and is flexible, and has a thin protective
coating on it. The back design
matches the box and is a painting done in orange monochromatic shades,
a painting done by the master, Osho. It looks reversible if you don't
look too closely, but a close inspection shows that it is not true when
reversed.
The book that comes with
this set is a real gem and can be enjoyed just by reading it straight through;
I know it is meant to be used with the deck, but I found myself unable
to stop reading just a few cards, and pored over the entire book with joy
and understanding as I was trying to write this review; I did not want
to put it down! 144 pages include at least two pages for each card,
with a picture in black and white, and then the story or parable for that
card; 4 different spreads, and instructions for use, are also included.
The book is finished up with a listing of Osho International Foundation
Retreat centers and more information on other publications that are available.
I thoroughly enjoyed
this deck and highly recommend it for any kind of spiritual path; everyone
can get something from this. It's not as much geared towards reading
for others as it is for your own enrichment; however, I could see a variety
of ways to use this deck just from looking it over for review. Since
it does not require any previous tarot experience (because it is totally
unique) a beginner can use this just as easily as someone with years of
reading expertise. Definitely a great deck and book set!
Click here
for pictures
or here to purchase this deck
or here
to return
also see
Osho
International Foundation website
also available:
Osho
Zen Tarot
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Review Copyright 2001 by Gina M. Pace
Osho Transformation Tarot
by Osho International Foundation, 1999
published by St. Martin's
Press, New York
ISBN 0-312-24530-0