This is one of the more
interesting independently published decks that I've seen in a while, though
retaining its traditional style. Reproduced from oil paintings by
Stone, the deck relies on a melange of tarot symbolic traditions focusing
on use of *color* to evoke feelings about each card and about tarot in
general. I have to admit to being biased in favor of oils, as painting
techniques go, oils are by far my favorite. There is a luminous quality
to the images on these cards, as a result, that stands out in your memory
even after putting the deck away. Many of the images have a gentle,
childlike look and feel to them, but it is soft and draws you in rather
than being irritating. There are very few "daylight" looking cards;
generally there is a feeling of dreamy nighttime imagery like something
from a dream state or trance.
The Major Arcana
are highly faithful to the Rider-Waite tradition and are titled and numbered
accordingly. Strength is 8 and Justice 11. The images are large
and glowing and are offset by white borders. Titles and Roman numerals
appear in the white border underneath the image. All of the symbolism
is typically Rider-Waite except The Sun, with its inclusion of two children
instead of a child on a pony. This is more typical of the Marseille
style. Whole fields of color in each card draw your attention to
various details, and then you will focus right in on one very specially
drawn detail in particular. For example, the Hermit card, which in
most decks just shows the Hermit standing atop his mountain looking down
from above, holding his lantern high. Here in the Stone Tarot, you
can't help but be drawn to the way the lamplight shines off his craggy
profile. It's just a really compelling small detail in an otherwise
normal card. Most if not all of the cards in this set are like this,
where one special detail will really affix itself in your mind's eye.
The Minor Arcana are
treated differently, because most of the numbered cards are more like special
pips rather than scenes. They remind me of the Crowley Thoth cards,
not because of an overt similarity, but more like there is an underlying
philosophical similarity, the approach is inspired by the same type of
treatment. You can't really say that they are pips, though, either,
because while the main focus may be on the number of icons shown, there
is always a sense of something more in the picture. Like the 8 of
Wands, where you see the wands flying through the air, but there is a soft
landscape underneath, with a city in the distance, that again, like the
Hermit, is compelling in nature. Some of my most favorite cards in
this deck are Minor Arcana cards.
The Suits used in this
deck are the traditional Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. The Aces
are the only cards which feature bright sunshine and daylight and you know
it really stands out among the dreamy darkness of the other 74 cards in
the deck. Then you get to the Court cards. Something very interesting
happens here, so pay attention! LOL In the "male" oriented
suits of Wands and Swords, the titles are Page, Knight, Queen and King.
But the Pages are drawn as young female figures. At least I feel
they are female. In the "female" oriented suits of Cups and Pentacles,
the court titles are Page, Amazon, Queen and King, and the Amazons are
female, as opposed to the Knights, but the Pages are male, as opposed to
the female pages in the Swords and Wands. The effect of this is that
in each suit, there is a Yin/Yang balance struck with the four cards which
is maintained no matter which way the energies are juggled.
The cards themselves
are larger and wider than standard size, but not so large that they are
cumbersome. There is a good heft to the cardstock which makes you
handle the cards carefully. The edges are cut to an even finish and
the corners are rounded. The back
design is a pretty celestial type pattern which is not technically reversible
but looks like it could be if you weren't paying attention since it's a
pretty busy design. There is a folded sheet of instructions printed
front and back instead of a little white booklet. I was happy to
see that the history that is mentioned is brief but correct. The
only spread used is the Celtic Cross but it is ever so slightly different
from others I have seen. Meanings for the cards are given in both
upright and reversed positions. I'd love to see a full book done
with this deck eventually.
I can definitely recommend
this deck for anyone who has learned how to read tarot using a Rider-Waite
deck and wants something more personal and imaginative. The imagery
is recognizable enough but encourages more contemplation. Its rich
use of color is a big difference from the flat look most cards have.
Collectors will want to add this one as a must-have. I really liked
this deck a lot. I also feel really strongly about supporting independently
published artists and can honestly say this one is worth picking up.
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Stone
Tarot
Review Copyright 2000 by Gina M. Pace
The Stone Tarot by Alison
Stone, 2000
self-published; purchase
information follows
For more information:
(212) 904-0534 or newtarotdeck@aol.com
Send money order
or check made out to Stone for $20 plus $3 postage and
handling per deck
to:
Stone Tarot
10 Nancy Lane
Framingham, MA
01701
