It's taken me a while to review this deck.  I've been putting it off for a while.  Every time I wanted to work with it I just decided after two minutes that I wasn't in the mood for it.  So it kept going back onto the pile.  Tonight I decided to get a "round tuit."  The deck is based on a system of psychological study of the works of Carl Jung, and so works heavily with archetypes.  The deck is subtitled "the Great Game of the Human Heart" and indeed it can be used as a game for self-actualization, knowledge and understanding.  It can also be used for fun.

There are 40 cards in this deck, which is *not* a tarot deck in any sense of the word.  It is not, either, a divination system in any true way.  But it does go to the source of divination, the subconscious self, and so in its own way it does indeed have the ability to harness and discover the truth in any situation. Particularly since I use Jungian concepts in my tarot reading and counseling, I can see a great relevance to working with these.  I can also see ways of incorporating cards from this deck into a tarot reading (see article on Significators).

Since this is not a tarot deck, there are no Major or Minor Arcana, no suits, courts, or pip cards.  The cards are numbered one through forty, but have been sectioned off into the following sections:

one Inquirer card
four Directions cards

The cards themselves are slightly smaller than standard size and are printed on a thin flexible cardstock which has been nicely coated for protection.  The edges are polished to a smooth silky finish and are a pleasure to run your fingers along.  The corners are nicely rounded.  Shuffling and handling is a snap especially since there are only 40 of these cards.  The back design is a very attractive repeated pattern of red, gold and black, and is reversible.  The little white booklet which comes with this deck is fairly simple to work through and gives a good beginning of how to use the deck.  Three spreads are given to work with.  Mainly the user is expected to work through mental association and to develop intuition and understanding through use.
 
I recommend this deck to anyone who is a fan of Jungian psychology, who is interested in the use of tarot with psychology rather than fortunetelling, and especially in the use of those working toward self-growth.  Since it is not tarot, no previous experience is necessary to use them.  I am especially looking forward to trying them out in place of significators for readings.  They make a nice little collectible too!
 
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Review Copyright 2000 by Gina M. Pace

Psycards Deck by Maggie Kneen, 1989
published by US Games Systems, Inc.
ISBN 0-88079-401-1