This is a new tarot deck from US Games.  I had several requests to review it for the Collection, and so I arranged to get a copy for review.  I am very impressed with the work which went into these cards, the artist is extremely talented and the cards themselves are of a nicer quality than I have seen in the past.  Interestingly, there are no spirals featured anywhere in this deck, except on the back design.  The spiral is a symbolic term from the Celtic (as well as other cultures) which refers to the circle of life, death, rebirth.

The Major Arcana have a classic, timeless look to them which appears to be drawn out of various mythology.  I was surprised that Celtic myth and legend did not take the lead here; instead, most of the characters seem to come from the Greek.

One thing I was curious about, there is a rendering of the Tree of Life from Qabbalistic belief, and the two sephiroth which are involved in the card's meaning are highlighted as if they are little gems on the tree; yet absolutely no mention of the Qabbalah or the Tree appears in any of the descriptions in the booklet which is enclosed.  If the reader is unfamiliar with these beliefs then the renderings of the Tree will simply confuse him or her.

The Minor Arcana look like they are meant to represent figures fromAmerican life around the time period of the Civil War, up to the present.  The Two of Cups is a picture reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd.  In fact, Lincoln lookalikes appear in the deck more than once.  A ballerina, an Amish farmer, a jockey, a smith and a jester are among the figures presented.  The meanings of the cards is often quite apparent just from looking at the cards, although some of them are confusing.

The deck itself is standard sized, but handles and shuffles incredibly well due to the card stock used and the polishing of the edges.  The background colors are marbled and give the effect of motion when the deck is fanned out.  Traditional suits of Swords, Wands, Cups and Pentacles are used.  Court cards are King, Queen, Knight and Princess.

I don't think I'd recommend this deck to a beginner, although it is a lovely one for a more experienced reader to use.  Those who are familiar with Tarot symbology will readily recognize these in this deck.

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Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace