The Banned Books Tarot Deck by Galison

 

Earlier this month, I stumbled across The Banned Books Tarot Deck by Galison on Amazon. 

I love reading banned books. I also have a growing interest in tarot decks and learning to read tarot cards.

After a short deliberation, I decided to purchase The Banned Books Tarot Deck for myself based on my personal interests. Additionally, The Banned Books Tarot Deck was 50% off on Amazon with an additional coupon for more money off, which only made buying this deck that much sweeter.

So, what do I think of The Banned Books Tarot Deck by Galison? I am impressed with the fact that this deck comes in a hard box with magnetic closure vs the typical tuck box. This way the deck is more protected over the long haul by being stored inside a sturdy box. 

This deck also comes with a nice booklet that is way more informative than the standard 'Little White Book' (aka pamphlet) that normally comes with a tarot deck in a tuck box.

The Banned Books Tarot Deck is the standard tarot card size. It has a glossy finish and the card stock is decent. The cardstock isn't thick or thin, but has a middle of the road thickness. I love the designs on both the front and the back of each card in this tarot deck. 

My only complaint I have regarding The Banned Books Tarot Deck is that quite a few banned books are duplicated throughout the deck itself. I'm sure there are more than 78 banned books that exist. So, why not have a different banned book for each individual tarot card?

Below is a video I found on YouTube of a silent flip through for The Banned Books Tarot Deck. Check out the video if you're interesting to see what the entire deck looks like.

I am giving The Banned Books Tarot Deck by Galison a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Sylvia Plath's Tarot Deck Sold For $206,886 at Auction!

 I came across an article on Lithub's website titled, Sylvia Plath’s tarot deck just sold for $200,000 by Dan Sheehan. In the article, Dan Sheehan wrote the following:

The Tarot de Marseille deck, gifted to Plath by Ted Hughes on the occasion of her 24th birthday, sold earlier this afternoon at a much-ballyhooed online auction (somewhat creepily titled Your Own Sylvia) conducted by Sotheby’s London.

The hot ticket deck (which was expected to fetch somewhere between $6,000 and $9,000) was part of a 50-item trove that included Plath and Hughes’ gold wedding bands, which sold for nearly $38,000; more than a dozen love letters from Plath to Hughes dating from the rosy early days of their marriage; a set of recipes; and a family photo album. All in all the Plath/Hughes reliquary, sold by the poets’ daughter Frieda Hughes, netted over $1 million.

It's always interesting to discover which personal items belonging to famous authors end up at auction and what these items sell for at auction.

Food Fortunes Card Deck by Josh Lafayette

Fun Novelty Tarot/Divination Deck!!

Food Fortunes Card Deck by Josh Lafayette is a very unique divination deck/oracle deck/tarot deck... I'd call it a novelty, divination deck for the foodie lover that can also be used as a tarot deck.

The Food Fortunes Card Deck is a very creative and fun deck to play with. This deck comes in a tuck box with a booklet that gives an introductions, a few different card spreads, and a key to the cards themselves. There are 78 cards in this deck, which are divided into the major arcana and minor arcana just like in traditional tarot decks. However, this is where the similarities seems to end as this deck is entirely about food! The major arcana consists of 22 cards and features different foods, so don't expect to find traditional cards and images for the major arcana. The minor arcana consists of the remaining 56 cards with four suits - The Mains, The Sides, Sweets, and Drinks. 

I love the artwork for the Food Fortunes Card Deck and it should be noted that Josh Lafayette illustrated this food themed deck!! The cards for the Food Fortunes Card Deck are matte, not glossy, and are easy to shuffle. The card stock is sturdy and the size for this deck is the typical size found for a standard tarot deck.

I love this card deck for its uniqueness!! I am glad that I have added it to my collection of card decks... But in all honesty, I probably won't use it on a regular basis!

Below is a summary for Food Fortunes Card Deck by Josh Lafayette from Amazon:

• FOOD THEMED ORACLE CARDS: This hilarious play on oracle or classic tarot cards presents a unique play on how food and fortunes collide.
• 78 UNIQUE CARDS: Each card features a classic foodie favorite including bacon, pizza, and more!
• GREAT GIFT FOR FOODIES: The foodie in your life will get a kick out of the "readings" they get from their favorite dishes.
• FOOD IS IN YOUR FUTURE: Each set of cards comes with a set of instructions on how to read each card's meaning.
• GREAT FOR PARTIES: Entertain your friends at parties by reading their food fortunes for late night bites.

Below is a YouTube video made by Becoming Temperance, which offers an excellent review and walk through of the Food Fortunes Card Deck. This video was what made my purchase decision for Josh Lafayette's Food Fortunes Card Deck an easy one. So, check out the video to see how this deck looks!

I am giving Food Fortunes Card Deck by Josh Lafayette a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post happy reading!!!

Women of Science Tarot by Massive Science (Tarot Deck Review)

 

Women of Science Tarot by Massive Science is a relatively new tarot deck that was published by MIT Press in September 2020. 

In December 2020, I watched a wonderful live author event hosted by MIT Press, which featured the authors of Women of Science Tarot. I enjoyed watching the event so much, that I purchased the Women of Science Tarot by Massive Science deck right away for my personal collection as an early holiday gift.

Women of Science Tarot by Massive Science is a beautiful edition to any tarot collection. Like any traditional tarot deck, there are a total of 78 cards in the Women of Science Tarot deck, which breaks down to 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. There are also four suits within the minor arcana of the Women of Science Tarot deck just like any other traditional tarot deck... However, the four suits in the Women of Science Tarot deck are called; nano (cups), micro (wands), macro (pentacles), and astro (swords). These names were given to reflect the wide range of scientific fields of study. Additionally, the words in parentheses found next to nano, micro, macro, and astro, are the traditional names given to the suits in the minor arcana.

The tarot cards themselves found within the Women of Science Tarot deck are pretty much the same size you'll find in most tarot decks. The card stock for this tarot deck is also nice and sturdy, not flimsy. The card stock is matte, not glossy, and the cards shuffle easily.

I L-O-V-E the artwork for the Women of Science Tarot deck!! There's enough imagery and color on each tarot card without making each card look too busy. 

I also enjoyed the 94 page guidebook for the Women of Science Tarot deck... No useless, little white paper pamphlet that comes with many tarot decks. I also love the fact that this tarot deck doesn't come in a tuck box!! The guidebook and deck are contained within a two piece, sturdy box to protect both the deck and guidebook.

The guidebook itself gives an introduction to the Women of Science Tarot deck and discusses the following:

1. How to give a 5 minute reading with the major arcana alone

2. How to give a 20 minute reading using the entire deck or with just the major arcana

3. A very brief introduction to the major arcana and the role it plays

4. A definition of each major arcana card and how to read each card in the upright or reversed positions

5. An explanation of the minor arcana's role and the meaning of each of the suits, along with the meanings of cards 1-10 + court cards.

6. Lastly, each card in the minor arcana features a specific woman scientist. A definition of each card is given in terms of its meaning within tarot + a brief biography of the woman scientist displayed on each card.

So, in many ways the Women of Science Tarot deck follows the traditional tarot deck. However, it is a unique deck that may not resonate with many traditional tarot deck lovers (i.e. the suits are given different names, it contains all women scientists on the minor arcana, etc.)... In fact, I've read a couple of negative reviews of this deck stating that it isn't a 'real' tarot deck or there isn't enough diversity among the women scientists featured and so on. However, I feel that the Women of Science Tarot by Massive Science is very much indeed a 'real' tarot deck and can be used for tarot readings. Opinions may vary. 

I am myself a newbie to the world of tarot. I'm still trying to learn the meanings of each tarot card and also figure out how to perform accurate tarot readings. I need to be devoting more time to studying/learning the tarot to become proficient at reading various tarot spreads. I simply need to make some study goals for myself and eke out some time in the future to gain a more in depth knowledge of reading tarot cards.

Below is a short video I discovered on YouTube. It is a flip through of the Women of Science Tarot by Massive Science to give you an idea of what each card in this tarot deck looks like. Enjoy!

I am giving Women of Science Tarot by Massive Science a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!