Boniface's Tarot Deck Review of

The Witches Tarot

by Ellen Cannon Reed & Martin Cannon

(If you still want to purchase this tarot deck,
after reading this review, then click on its title.)

LIST PRICE: 19.95

ISBN: 0-87542-669-7

TYPE OF DECK: Modern original designs; at least not reminiscent of any other decks I've seen.

ARTISTIC STYLE: I will call this style by what it reminds of; "Conversion Van Airbrush."

DECK BOOKLET: Illustrates two layouts: the Celtic Cross and the Four Seasons. Also gives the bare minimum of interpretations, for each of the cards, and then there are some ads at the back. If you're new to reading Tarot, then don't depend on this booklet to help you (32 pages).

BOOKS:

  • The Witches Tarot (Llewellyn's Modern Witchcraft) -- Martin Cannon(Illustrator), Ellen Cannon Reed; Paperback
  • The Witches Tarot : The Witches Qabala Book 2 (Llewellyn's Modern Witchcraft Series) -- Ellen Cannon Reed, Martin Cannon (Illustrator); Paperback

    • SHUFFLE-ABILITY: Fairly easy to shuffle; a nice intermediate size (7 X 11.8 cm).

    QUALITY OF PRINTING: The quality of the printing is excellent, with a good heavy coating for protection. There is a drawback though, the cards have no border on them. Not a big deal, but it makes them look a little unfinished. Like having an unframed picture laying around.

    ADDITIONAL SYMBOL SYSTEM: The deck tries to stick to a Pagan/Witches' theme, but misses in a couple of places. The court cards all seem European except the king which is Arabic, turban and all. The "Strength" card is Egyptian, but there is no other Egyptian material anywhere else in the cards, the "two of pentacles" has modern American paper money on it, and then the REAL clinker: the "four of pentacles" has a Southern styled mansion on it; right out of "Gone with the Wind."

    ACCESSORIES / PACKAGE: The package is a very flimsy flap styled box and the cards are too small for it. Because of this it gets all bent out of shaped very easily.

    BEST POINTS: Original designs; a big point in its favor. Also, the nice silver pentacle on a black field, on the reverse side of the cards.

    WORST POINTS: The court cards; they're all the SAME going from one suit to another. The only difference is that the color of the clothes on the figures change according to the suit's element.

    REVIEWER'S COMMENTS: This deck could have been a good deck, if there hadn't been so many "minor things" wrong with it. There is always something minor in any deck that a reader doesn't like; BUT THIS MANY! Putting a Tarot deck out is difficult, but it feels here, as if the creators of this deck just got impatient and marketed it before it was ready. Amazingly, this deck seems to be very popular. I think this points to a need for more Pagan decks, than its saying anything about this deck in particular.

    STARS 1 TO 5:
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