Review by Tom LeBlanc, CTC
I'm afraid I have a bit of a confession to make.
I undertook the prospect of writing a review of The
Wonderland Tarot with the bias that I
would be deeply disappointed. To the contrary, I am
pleasantly surprised and quite impressed.
The
collaborative team of Christopher and Morgana Abbey beautifully
adapted the style and flavor of Sir John Tenniel's
illustrations of Lewis Carroll's work to fit the typical
Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) system. The Major and Minor Arcanas are
fully illustrated, facilitating the work of a reader who
is familiar with the RWS symbolism. Of course, the
replacement of the suits occasionally gives the reader pause
(The Swords, Staves, Cups, and Pentacles are now
Flamingos, Peppermills, Hats, and Oysters, respectively), but
once the reader accommodates to that alteration, this
deck is found to be quite easy with which to
work.
Printed on rather thin board, the color and style of these
cards provide a somewhat Victorianesque feel that may be
quite appealing to many readers. One of the
considerable benefits of this deck, however, is that the cards
themselves are the approximate size of a standard playing
deck. Readers who permit the querant to shuffle the
cards may appreciate this, as many non-readers (indeed,
as well as some readers!) have a difficult time
shuffling the slightly larger sized cards that are
characteristic of most Tarot decks. Individuals with more
mundane plans for this deck are additionally fortunate in
that the playing-card equivalent of the Minor Arcana is
notated in the borders of each of the appropriate cards
(e.g., the “Five of Spades” is noted in the border of the
Five of Flamingos).
Although best suited for someone
who already possesses a bit of Tarot acumen, the
little white book (LWB) included with the deck should be
particularly helpful to those not already acquainted with Alice
and her adventures. Each card is well-described in
terms of its depiction of characters and suggested
divinatory meanings. The LWB offers only the standard
description of the Celtic Cross spread, but is adequate by
most accounts.
In sum, the Wonderland Tarot is a
surprisingly pleasant deck that provides a whimsical
atmosphere, familiar symbolism, and convenience in handling.
This is a marvelous combination for any Tarot deck.
While learning to read Tarot as a young child, Tom LeBlanc had no idea what role Tarot would one day play in his life. Having grown up providing readings to family and friends, he took his trusty deck to college and discovered that he could partially support himself by reading for others. Now a Certified Tarot Consultant with over 25 years experience, a Ph.D. in Psychology, Tom enjoys providing occasional readings in addition to writing. Tom is currently involved in designing a Tarot Certification course for the College of the Sacred Mists.
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