The Tarot Room – Georgianna

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is another new one. It’s I Tarocchi Dei Gatti Bianchi, or The Tarot of White Cats, by Sofia di Vincenzo and Severino Baraldi. It was published by Lo Scarabeo in 2023.

5 Points About This Deck

1. Theme: It’s a cat themed deck, and as a Leo I approve. You might catch a glimpse of a few other species, but this is definitely a deck of cats, most of them white.
2. 8/11: The Tarot of White Cats numbers Justice as #8, and Strength as #11 following the Thoth and Marseille sequencing.
3. Tarot Style: Other than the 8/11 numbering mentioned above, The Tarot of White Cats is very much a Rider-Waite-Smith clone. The images each tell their own clear story, and if you’re familiar with the RWS deck, you’ll have no trouble understanding the main concepts in this one.
4. Languages: My copy is from Italy, so that’s why it’s titled I Tarocchi Dei Gatti Bianchi, but being a Lo Scarabo release, the guide book has instructions in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. The titles on the cards are also in all six languages.
5. Artwork: Adorable, bright, cheery, and cute. It’s an RWS clone, but it’s sweeter, pinker, and has a lot more cats.

If you like cats, you’ll probably like this deck. I sure do.

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is brand new to me. It was a gift from a friend who just got back from Italy and a visit to Niki de Saint Phalle’s Tarot Garden. As you may have guessed, it’s the Niki de Saint Phalle Tarot.

Seven Points About This Deck

1. Majors Only Deck – The Niki de Saint Phalle Tarot has only 22 cards, the Major Arcana from 0 to 21. But that’s for good reason … see the next point
2. Tarot Garden – Each card is based on the Major Arcana figures created by artist Niki de Saint Phalle for her magical Tarot Garden, otherwise known as Il Giardino Dei Tarocchi. It’s a real place with giant sculptures of all the Major Arcana. The garden is located about an hour outside of Rome.
3. Card Stock – The actual cards are beautiful to touch and to shuffle. They’re shiny, bright, and not too big, but big enough to show off the gorgeous artwork.
4. Artwork – Speaking of artwork – the images are bright, bold, and colourful renditions of the sculptures from the Tarot Garden on a white background … and did I mention they were embossed? Or at least parts of the images are, and all of the titles. It appropriately adds a little sculptural texture to the deck.
5. Titles – Some of the titles break from RWS tradition … #6 is called The Choice instead of the more common Lovers. And The Tower is called The Tower of Babel, thus putting more focus on communication then some other Towers might .
6. Emperor – The Emperor is a castle, a foundation rather than a man.
7. Instruction Booklet – And last but not least, the Little White Book includes notes from Niki herself.

Overall, I love this deck. Its clear, fun, and wise. I know it’s no substitute for actually visiting The Tarot Garden itself, but it’s as close as I can get while sitting in The Tarot Room in Toronto.

…And don’t be surprised if I post some pictures of The Tarot Garden soon, courtesy of my travelling Tarot friend.

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is the Rock Art Tarot created by Jerry Reopen, and published back in 1996/97 by US Games Systems, Inc.

6 Points About This Deck:

1. Concept: Jerry Roelen depicts and adapts rock art images found in petroglyphs, pictographs, and intaglios from around the world and associates them with Tarot archetypes.
2. Artwork: If you appreciate the raw energy of rock art, you’ll probably like the images in this deck – I find them mesmerizing … and the bold, bright colouring really brings them to life (and adds a little fun.)
3. Major Arcana: Many of the names of the Major Arcana are different than most decks, though they do follow basic tradition. Some examples – The Fool is Innocence, the Magician is Illusion, the Hermit is Meditation, and the Devil is Deception
4. Minor Arcana: Suits of the Minor Arcana are different than most decks as well … instead of the Suits of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles, there are the Suits of Intellect, Intuition, Emotion, and Sensation
5. Court Cards: Instead of King, Queen, Knight, and Page, there’s Mankind, Womankind, Defender, and Peacemaker
6. Readability: Despite the non-traditional elements of the Rock Tarot, between the evocative imagery, key words written on each card, and the comprehensive guide book (or even the little white book if there isn’t a full guide book), these cards are pretty easy to read. Or at least they make clear the energies and emotions around any spread you might pull.

All in all, I really like this deck. If you come across a copy, take a look.

For today’s draw from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection, we’ll be looking at The Wild Unknown Pocket Tarot by Kim Krans, published in 2021 by Harper One.

6 Points About This Deck

1. Artwork – The artwork in The Wild Unknown is hand drawn natural imagery made with no tools, ie. rulers and such. It’s gorgeous, and feels very personal. Colours are sparse, making their impact even more powerful when they do appear. As Krans says in the accompanying book, “I wanted the imagery to speak to a world of wild nature and mystery … a place where the darks are truly dark, and the lights are bright and expansive.” She succeeded.
2. Booklet – For a pocket-size deck, this fully illustrated 207 page (also pocket-sized) booklet is impressive, with a description of each card, as well as an explanation as to how the deck came to be, some general info on Tarot, and a number of spreads to get you started.
3. Court Cards – Instead of Page, Knight, King, and Queen, the Wild Unknown names its Court Cards Daughter, Son, Father, and Mother, again, creating a more personal feel to the deck.
4. Tarot System – This deck follows the Marseille or Thoth ordering of the Major Arcana with Strength being #11 and Justice #8. And though the card descriptions basically follow the Tarot ideas of the Golden Dawn, the Wild Unknown is not a clone deck. What’s most striking about it is that there are no humans in any of the cards. Oddly, I find that refreshing.
5. Readability – Despite there being no humans pictured in this deck, the Wild Unknown is quite readable, and offers very human advice. Even without looking at the definitions in the booklet (which are very helpful, by the way), with the darks being dark, and the lights being bright, all the trees and animals in each card make clear what it is they’re trying to say.
6. Pocket-Size – There’s a full-size version of the Wild Unknown deck as well, first published in 2012. I have that deck too, and have always really liked it … but I’m very much enjoying this pocket size version. It fits so nicely in my palm, it’s easy to shuffle, doesn’t take up much space, and I love the tin box it comes in. This little version has reignited my love for this deck.

All in all, the Wild Unknown is a beautiful set of Tarot cards, whatever size you choose.

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is the Learning Tarot Deck from Witchy Cauldron. My copy was published in 2022.

6 or So Points About This Deck

1. Learning Tarot – This Rider-Waite-Smith styled deck is appropriately named Learning Tarot, as it’s definitely meant to help new readers learn the cards. It’s available in multiple different languages.
2. Key Words – A rather lengthy set of key words for both upright and reversed positions is printed on the front of each card.
3. Affirmations – Each of the Major Arcana cards has an appropriate affirmation printed on the front.
4. Chakras and Astrology – Each card identifies both its astrological associations and affiliated chakras.
5. Yes/No – Also on each card, is the word – Yes, No, or Maybe … just in case you’re looking for something definitive (or definitivish).
6. Image – The images for Learning Tarot are from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, but are relatively small as they share space on each card with all of the above listed descriptors.

For someone new to Tarot, this deck would be great for practising and getting to know the cards. It allows you to throw them down without having to have a book with you to look things up each time. Eventually, you’ll probably want to move on to a deck that highlights the images more … but who knows. To each their own.

I kind of like this deck. The cards are hearty, the messages are clear, and it comes in two fantastic boxes. As a new reader, I would have loved it. As someone more seasoned, I don’t really need all the notes, and the images are a little small, but it’s fun anyway, and I’m happy I have it.

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is extra special to me. It’s a copy of my first Tarot deck … The Thoth Tarot designed by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Freida Harris. It’s published by US Games in association with AGM AGMuller.

8 Points About This Deck

1. Deck Size – there are a number of different versions of the Thoth Tarot, varying in size and colouring
   •small version – 5X9 cm
   •medium version – 8X11 cm (my copy printed in 1983)
   •medium version – 7X11 cm (my copy printed in 2023)
   •large version – 9X14 cm
   There might be more, but these are the ones I have and know about. The small deck is fabulous for carrying around. It fits nicely in my hands and I just love it … but I have to say that the words printed at the bottom of each card are a little fuzzy (or at least mine are). The large deck is beautiful!! But it is a little big for regular readings, and is difficult to shuffle. For me, at least for regular readings, the medium size is just right.
2. Colours – There’s been colour corrections done on the 2023 deck to apparently bring the images closer in line to those of the original watercolours by Frieda Harris. This change startled me at first, but I’ve grown accustomed to it now, and think the new (or should I say original) version is beautiful.
3. Court Cards – After thirty years, and many other decks, I’m still blown away by how dynamic and gorgeous the Court Cards are in this deck … every one of them.
4. Card Names – If you’re accustomed to the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, you’ll find some differences in the Thoth Tarot. First off, the Suit of Disks replaces the Suit of Pentacles. As well …
   • •Knights replace Kings
   • •Princes replace Knights
   • •Princesses replace Pages
   • •The Magus replaces The Magician
   • •Adjustment replaces Justice
   • •Lust replaces Strength
   • •Art replaces Temperance
   • •The Aeon replaces Judgement
   • •The Universe replaces The World
5. Ordering – The Thoth Tarot identifies Adjustment/Justice as #8, and Lust/Strength as #11 (opposite to the RWS Tarot).
6. Non-Tarot Associations – There are astrological and kabbalistic associations noted on each of the relevant cards.
7. Keywords – There are keywords noted at the bottom of each of the Minor Arcana (excluding the Aces and Court Cards).
8. Symbology – The Thoth Tarot highlights symbolism from all around the world and multiple spiritual/religious paths. Crowley intended it to be a compendium of the world’s spiritual and magical ideas.

There’s so much to say about this deck that 8 points is just not nearly enough, but that’s where I’m going to leave it for now. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about The Thoth Tarot. It was my first deck, and after all these years, it’s still my favourite.

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is a Halloween treat … The Halloween Tarot by Karin Lee with artwork by Kipling West. My copy was published way back in 1996 by US Games, but there’s plenty of copies around today.

5 Points About This Deck

1. Theme: You may have guessed … Halloween is the theme of The Halloween Tarot. It’s a delightful celebration of monsters and goblins and vampires and ghosts and all kinds of tricks and treats,
2. Suits: Following with the Halloween theme, instead of Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles, The Halloween Tarot brings us Imps, Bats, Ghosts, and Pumpkins.
3. Artwork: Adorable. Bright. Cheerful. Spooky. But not at all scary.
4. Readability: The Halloween Tarot follows the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot structure, so if you’re comfortable with that, you’ll have no trouble with this deck. Not to mention, the pictures tell a great story on their own. It’s a pretty easy deck to read.
5. Black Cat: There’s a wonderful big eye’d black cat in every single card. Having a black cat angel ghost in my own life … this only makes me love this deck more.

The Halloween Tarot is fantastic – fun and sweet and full of spirits … I recommend it to all.

Today’s pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is the Magic Mirrors of Kitty Kahane’s Tarot. It was created by Kitty Kahane, with the instruction manual written by Lilo Schwartz. My copy was published in 2006 by AGM.

5 Points About This Deck

1. Artwork: The images in the Kitty Kahane Tarot are delightful … or at least I think so. Cartoon style line drawings in dark, rich pastels. The images are quirky for sure, and that’s exactly what I like about them.
2. Tarot Structure: The Kitty Kahane Tarot basically follows the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) concepts, but of course, with a twist. The key elements of the RWS imagery are represented, but with something extra in most … like a bird man in the Empress card, or the additional people walking in the Tower, or the shouting heads on the 7 of Wands … all sorts of little extras that I just love.
3. #8 / #11: Though it mostly follows the RWS structure, the Kitty Kahane Tarot associates #8 with Justice and #11 with Strength as per the Thoth and Marseille Tarots.
4. Readability: Since it follows the RWS system, anyone familiar with those concepts is likely to feel comfortable with the Kitty Kahane Tarot … but even without knowing any Tarot system, between the images on the cards, and the instruction manual, it’s a fairly easy deck to read. The pictures tell a great story and there are plenty of symbols to work with.
5. Instruction Manual: Lilo Schwartz’s instruction book is excellent, with not only evocative descriptions for each card, but also a key phrase, and a quote from each central character in each card. She’s also included some basic reading instructions and some fun spreads.

I like the Kitty Kahane deck a lot. Looking at it now reminds me that I should be using it more.

The next pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is the Tarot of the New Vision, created by Pietro Allego with artwork by Raul Cestaro and Gianluca Cestaro. My copies (I’ve got two – one standard, one mini) were published by Lo Scarabeo in 2003.

5 Points About This Deck

1. New Vision: If you jumped into the standard Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck and looked around at what you don’t see pictured in the regular cards … what’s off camera so to speak, that’s the ‘new vision’ of the Tarot of the New Vision. It shows us what might be behind the scenes, a 180 degree spin on what’s familiar.
2. Artwork: As might be expected, given the new vision, the artwork of the Tarot of the New Vision is very RWSesque, though perhaps a little more moody, slightly darker, with a bit of a sombre feel.
3. Readability: If you’re familiar with the RWS deck, you’ll have no trouble at all with the Tarot of the New Vision. It incorporates all of the traditional meanings from RWS, but just adds a few new elements – people, situations, and symbols. Each new piece adds a new perspective for your readings.
4. Twins: This next point is not really about the deck, so much as it is about the deck making. The Tarot of the New Vision is sort of like a non-identical twin of the RWS Tarot … and it was drawn/painted by twins!! Raul and Gianluca Cestaro are not only brothers, but twin brothers!! It’s silly, I know, but I just love that.
5. Plays Well With Others: Specifically, I mean the Tarot of the New Vision is a fabulous companion to the RWS Tarot when doing readings. Mixing both decks together, and pulling from the new merged deck is really fun. (NB. Since the two decks have different backs, if you try this at home, you’ll have to close your eyes while pulling your cards).

If you’re a fan of the RWS Tarot, the Tarot of the New Vision might seem a little disconcerting at first (or at least it was for me) … but with just a little play, I came to really like it. Maybe you will too.

The next pull from Georgie’s Magic Card Collection is Morgan’s Tarot, created by Morgan Robbins, and illustrated by Darshan Chorpash. It was first released in 1970, but my copy is from 2009, and published by US Games. It’s one of my favourite decks ever.

5 Points About This Deck

1. Artwork: Late 60’s, early 70’s style black and white line drawings. Clean, clear, and somewhat psychedelic. The cards most often include card names or phrases below the images.
2. Tarot Structure: There is no Tarot structure. Despite the name, Morgan’s Tarot is not a Tarot deck, though it is oracular. Instead of 78 cards, there are 88. There are no Major or Minor Arcana divisions, and no Court Cards. There are no numbers on the cards, or on the card descriptions in the Little White Book (LWB). In fact, the cards aren’t even alphabetized in the LWB. You’ve gotta just keep looking around for the card description you’re interested in. But it’s worth the hunt.
3. Theme: I guess the theme is what it says on the publisher’s card: Transmutation through Union of Opposites. As you may have surmised, Morgan’s Tarot was influenced by the late 60’s new age movement, and various spiritual traditions, especially Tibetan Buddhism.
4. Readability: Despite lack of clear structure, the cards in Morgan’s Tarot are quite practical and straightforward in their messaging. Some card examples: If There’s a Judge, it’s You, or; Your Mission is Not Yet Complete, or; Always Remember This; … or simply Boo!!!. The LWB describes them all (kind of).
5. Let George Do It: One card in particular sticks out to me (given my name is Georgianna, aka George) … Let George Do It … not sure I like the message, but I do like having a specifically George-card in the deck.

Go visit the Morgan’s Tarot webpages to see the various cards, and pull a free auto reading for yourself while you’re there. I love this deck.