I don't know very many people who use this tarot, and I believe the reason is at least partly due to the stigma which VooDoo has in this country.  In the south, it is accepted a lot more as fact, and yet more people fear it there than in the north.  Proves that realities of daily life can be more frightening than any fantasy.

At any rate, upon looking at this tarot more closely I see that it is not so much a strictly VooDoo based system, as based upon several cultures which are related to the VooDoo cults.  There is also Santeria, Rada, Congo and Petro, which are called the four "nations" of VooDoo.  Instead of the traditional suits the Minor Arcana are broken into the four nations.

The Major Arcana cards represent many celebrated figures in the history of VooDoo, as well as spiritual moments and rituals which are used in the religion.  These cards are called "Roads."  The court cards are called "Temple Cards" and with the exception of the nation of Santeria, are titled Houngan, La Place, Mambo, and Hounsis.  In the Santeria nation, they are Santero, Santera, Oriate, and Yaguo.

The artwork in this deck is vivid and moving, with a fluid feeling to it reminiscent of artwork I have seen in African American literature in the 70's.  Incredibly evocative and intuitive at times, the cards really inspire the reader to learn more about the systems of belief behind the deck.  The cards themselves are slightly smaller than standard, making them easy to handle and shuffle.  The book in the set is a valuable resource in that, aside from divinatory meanings provided, it also offers a full list of reading materials as well as resources in New Orleans that the visitor can investigate for further study.

The New Orleans VooDoo Tarot is available only as a deck-and-book set, which in my opinion is wise since the cards would make very little sense without the proper knowledge to use them.  I believe this deck would be an excellent divinatory tool in the hands of the right person, that being someone who was willing to do the legwork and actually learn the system involved.  You wouldn't want to jump into this set halfway.  The artwork would make it an excellent choice for collectors as well.

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also by Sallie Ann Glassman:
The Enochian Tarot

Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace