Beautiful, clean, slightly "tribal" images adorn Smith and Astrop's frequently and sadly underrated Elemental Tarot. There is a subtle symbolic brilliance woven into the illustrations that reveals itself to those who take the time to study and meditate upon these cartomantic tapestries. Astrological and alchemical symbolism, while not uncommonly found in tarot, are better executed here than in many by-the-book correspondences. The inclusion of keywords within the card borders, while often an irritant for experienced readers, are tastefully executed here and may actually prove more food-for-thought than distractions. Out of print as of this posting (January 2018), several editions were released, via assorted publishers, between the 1980s and the early 2000s. As a general rule, the earlier editions were of better print/packaging/cardstock quality; value on the collector's market of this title depends not only on condition, but edition.
3 Reviews Hide Reviews Show Reviews
-
Powerful images and layers of meanings
I purchased this deck because the comments mentioned it is under appreciated. I wanted artwork that was starkly different from my current decks, I wanted a distinct, unique voice. It delivers. The artwork on these large cards is powerful and rich in layers of symbolism. This deck can basically be read right away as an RWS type deck, but had a lot more to offer. Additional information packed in symbols on these cards: astrology, planets, verses, Eqyptian symbols and Egyptian Gods. The book is excellent and aside from being beautiful, it breaks each of these additional symbol elements into easy to understand charts. So it will be easy to grow with this deck to keep adding these layers to readings to grow deeper and fuller. This deck really surprised me. Knowing that it has all this additional information, I found it a little intimidating, but it is easy to read with. I could easily see this becoming one of my main decks, which I really didn’t expect. Did I mention that the major arcana have lines from a poem? So many ways to approach and use these cards.
-
Elemental Tarot Review
The Divine/Source/God/Divine Feminine called me to these cards. Pros: Unique symbolism and imagery different from other decks, Ties to the Elements, Cultural Expression Cons: Wish there was Hebrew Lettering to understand Esoteric Meaning, Less Figures and More Image Symbolism (no human figures) to gaze more at nature to understand more of the elements.
-
Rare find
Awesome deal! I had been looking for months, but as these were out of print, the only set I could find were used and $900. Couldn't be happier. Great quality and arrived sooner than expected. Thank you tarot garden!
