Book
Reviews:
It's All In The Cards
by Dawn Baumann
Brunke
While divination cards were used in
ancient Egypt and India, the earliest Tarot Cards did not appear in
Europe until the late Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, Tarot
became immensely popular and some of the most beautiful decks were
hand-painted during this time. Although occasionally banned for
their mistaken association with dark forces, Tarot decks were
periodically refashioned with updated images and alternative
perspectives, and it is our luck that we have so many different
versions of Tarot available to us today.
While many still
associate Tarot cards with fortune telling, the remarkable set of
images that make up the deck actually describe the soul's journey
through the world. Tarot speaks to us through visual metaphor,
multileveled meanings, and the power of archetype, myth and symbol.
In this sense, Tarot cards offer us myriad reflections of our many
selves -- of who we are, and the changes, transformations and growth
potentials that surround us.
The following
reviews look at one modern version of Tarot cards as well as other
decks that aid in self-discovery.
Inner
Child Cards
by Isha Lerner and Mark Lerner; illustrations by Christopher
Guilfoil
(Bear & Company, 1992, 34.95)
Includes: 78 oversized cards, hardcover book, matching box.
Adapted from traditional Tarot format (with 22 major arcana and
four suits of minor arcana -- in this case, wands, hearts, swords and
crystals), the bright, vividly illustrated images on these lovely
cards are drawn from a wide variety of children's fairy tales, myths
and fables. As such, these are one of the few Tarot decks that might
be used with children (instructions included). At basic levels, the
cards encourage storytelling, though older children may learn to
discern pattern levels and meanings within each card.
For adults, the cards are designed to reawaken the child within via
some of the most potent archetypes of our inner world -- from
Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother to Aladdin, the Big Bad Wolf, and a
host of enchanting animals, fairies, elves, plants and other
messengers of nature.
I was fascinated by the imaginative transformation of traditional
Tarot images to Inner Child archetypes. Death, for example, becomes
Sleeping Beauty; the Hanged Man is Jack in the Beanstalk; and The
Wheel of Fortune is Alice in Wonderland riding on a merry go round.
While these may not seem immediately apparent, Isha and Mark Lerner's
text is perceptive and wonderfully insightful in clarifying how the
pieces do fit together.
Also included are some interesting layouts, many based on
children's games, along with some intriguing analogies (how, for
example, the ten squares of hopscotch parallel the ten energy centers
in the Hebrew Tree of Life.) The playful, reflective images rendered
so beautifully by Guilfoil's illustrations yield a Tarot deck that is
fun, elegant, and powerful.
The Card and Rumi Book Pack
Eryk Hanut and Michele Wetherbee
(Journey Editions, 2000, $27.95)
Includes: 54 cards, hardcover book, matching box.
The 13th-century Sufi mystic and spiritual adventurer, Jellaludin
Rumi left behind immense volumes of letters and poetry, all expounding
the revelations he had found on his spiritual path to God.
These high-quality cards have a soft, silky finish and, along with
the book and box, are very attractively designed. Divided into six
color-coded 'families' (birth, love, ordeal, transformation, warning
and reward), each card illuminates a different aspect of our journey
through life with one of Rumi's penetrating insights. The cards can be
used in a variety of ways -- to begin daily meditations to considering
new viewpoints or even as answers to troubling questions.
Hanut's accompanying book is lively and well-written. He includes
short reveries on each card, along with directions for various spreads
and guidelines for "polishing the heart," or meditating as a
vehicle for working with the cards and the insights we receive. As
Rumi reminds us, "Whatever you look for, you are."
OH
Cards
By (Eos Interactive Cards, $39.95)
Includes: Two decks of cards and instructions in matching box.
The OH deck features 88 word cards and 88 picture cards (when used
together, picture cards may be framed by the larger word cards,
allowing for over 7,500 combinations). Designed to increase intuition,
imagination, insight and inner visions, these cards can be used in
numerous ways.
At simple levels, the juxtaposition of picture cards with word
cards encourage new ideas to unfold. While a few pictures may not be
appropriate for young children (though easily removed from the deck),
most are effective aids to storytelling. My 7-year-old and I designed
several games using the picture cards to tell our own stories, then
alternated our cards to create shared stories.
The cards may also be used alone to stimulate creativity and
further self-awareness, or with small groups to enhance communication
and encourage expression. Basic outlines and rules for different types
of games are also included with the OH set.
