To even things out re: cats and dogs (see Tangelo the Cat reading the Phantasmagoric Tarot,) here’s another deck review from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection …
It’s for The Original Dog Tarot: Your Key to Divine the Canine Mind by Heidi Schulman, and illustrated by Mary Blake. This deck was published in 2012 by Potter Style, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group
5 Points About The Deck …
- The Arcanas: They’re not Arcanas at all, but rather, Barkanas … the hidden expressions of the canine spirit …
Minor Barcana: 4 Minor Suits of three cards each: Bones, Bowls, Leashes, and Biscuits … not as many cards as is traditional, but probably all that you need if you’re talking with your dog.
Major Barcana: There are 18 Major cards. Some have familiar names, like The Fool, The Magician, and The Chariot, though their numbers are different than you might expect, and of course, they’re much more dog-centric than usual. Oh, and the Magician’s name is Nostradogus.
Also in the Major Barcana are a group of cards that are very dog specific … for instance: The Kibble, The Hydrant, The Couch, and The Cat. You won’t find these in your everyday RWS deck. - Readability: Though The Original Dog Tarot has the word Tarot in the name, and is made up of cards, it has virtually no connection to any Tarot system I recognize, but that’s okay. The pictures tell a clear dog-involved story, and with or without the instruction booklet, you and your dog can toss some cards and get some answers. The booklet, however, is quite helpful.
- The Booklet: The instruction booklet is much more comprehensive than many LWBs (little white books that come with decks). It includes instructions on how to formulate questions, has suggested spreads, with example readings, a history of the deck, and of course, card definitions. It’s very helpful. Though there is one thing …. In the ‘How To Prepare For A Reading’ section, it says that cats should be removed from the room. That might not be bad advice, as cats do walk all over the cards and have a sense of entitled authority over the entire process, but they are cats, and cats are in charge, so …
- Card Mandate: The Original Dog Tarot is meant to be used for questions relating to dogs, specifically your dog. But in the booklet, under each Major Barkana definition, there’s a message for humans too. Since humans are most likely the ones doing the actual readings, it’s a positive and inclusive gesture.
- Final Thoughts: I like this deck. Given it’s mandate, it’s likely more interesting for dog owners, than those with cats or birds, or just some wild squirrels in the tree in front of their house, but it’s definitely fun, and I’ve very much enjoyed playing with it for this review. And I think my dog friend, Walter did too. We asked a lot of questions, and sorted through some issues. It was a good afternoon.