Review by Bonnie Cehovet
Suits: Air, Water, Earth, Fire
Court Cards: none
I absolutely love
this deck - the energy level is tremendous, the
graphics have a soft, fairy tale quality to them. (Lovely
pastel coloring.) The deal is - despite its name - this
is not a Tarot deck! It is a wonderful oracle - just
not a Tarot deck. :)
There are 25 cards that roughly
correspond to the Major Arcana (see below) and 52 cards
assigned to the four elements - 13 cards to each element.
The 25 Major cards are unnumbered, and represent
Orishas (Orixas/Orichas), which roughly translate to
saints, supernatural beings or superhuman beings. They are
the pure energy of the Divine - i.e. Yemaya is the
Orixa of saltwater, of the sea, and would represent
that force in nature.
The 25 Major cards, and their
Tarot correspondents, are as follows:
Eleggua - no Tarot correspondence
Eshu - no Tarot correspondence
Pomba Gira - no Tarot correspondence
Ogun - The Chariot
Iansa u Oya - no Tarot correspondence
Chango o Xango - Justice
Xapana Babalualle Omulu - The Hermit
Oba - no Tarot correspondence
Oxumare - Wheel Of Fortune
Oshun - The Priestess
Yemaya - The Empress
Obatala u Oxala - The Emperor/The Master
The Babalocha or Babalorixa - The Magician
The Guardian Angel - Temperance
The Couple - The Lovers
The Man - The Star
The Village - The Tower
The Earth - The World
The Sun - The Sun
The Moon - The Moon
The Expelled - The Fool
Iku - Death
Karma - Judgment
The Devil - The Devil
The Enslaved Prisoner - The Hanged Man
The cards are
3 1/8" by 5 1/4" - a nice size, but a slight problem
for those of us with small hands. The cardstock is
good quality glossy - something that I definitely
appreciate. The backs are purple, with a silver circle in the
center, surrounded by gold stars. Understated and very
nice looking. The 25 Major cards have the titles on the
border in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The cards for
the Elemental suits have the same borders, with the
addition of astrological symbols at the bottom of the
cards. Each Elemental suit contains cards for Ace's
through Ten's, an Element card and a Message card. Each
Element also has a card with a mythological figure: Air
has Fairies and Sylphs, Water is Undines and Mermaids,
Fire is Salamanders and Earth is Dwarfs and
Gnomes.
From the book:
"Ace of Earth: Fine conclusion on
economic and material level with benefits and profits as a
result. Profit producing undertakings. Beneficient
influences. Delicacy, fineness and beauty. Moments of
pleasure. Reversed: Stubbornness, persistence. Greed and
lack of altruism." pg 30 LWB
"Earth Message: You will
rewarded and benefited in monetary and valuable things. You
will be favored by activities linked with earth:
farming, cattle raising, mining etc. Careers: engineer,
agronomist, small farmer, geologist etc. All projects and
wishes are rewarded with fertility. Reversed: Likely to
suffer significant economic losses. Obstructions to
studies and career - mainly the latter. Loss of memory.
Poor soils. Thin and ill cattle. Loss of crops etc.
morbid humor."pg 43 LWB
One of the stated purposes for
this deck was to share the mysteries and myths of
Africa. From the book:
"For those who are interested in
paranormal phenomenology, for folklorists, psychologists,
philosophers and anthropologists, for students and researchers
on Afro-American cultures, this book will be of real
interest." pg 2 LWB
There are several interesting sections
in this book - one of which is a chart comparing the
Orishas and Roman Catholic Saints. Another wonderful
section is the presentation of spreads - including the
Celtic Cross, a very imaginative five layer spread called
the Paxoro layout, a chakra layout (I am always on the
lookout for ways to combine chakra work and the Tarot),
and the Gizeh Pyramids layout.
I personally recommend
this deck to anyone who wants to expand their horizons
and work on their spiritual growth. I made the mistake
of only getting the deck - there is a book that goes
with this deck that goes in depth into the cards, which
would allow the cards to be understood on a deeper
level. The deck/book set is the best bet here.
Tarot Of The Orishas, even though it is technically not a Tarot deck, certainly resonates with me!
Bonnie Cehovet is Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.
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