The Gilded Tarot

This deck is visually stunning and one of the friendliest decks I own. Some decks just seem to have an aura of negativity or bad vibes surrounding them. Sounds strange, I know, but I had one deck that I actually threw away because it just never felt right to me and the readings seemed skewered somehow. But I use this deck most often next to my trusty old Rider-Waite deck and the readings are always right on and magnificent to look upon. I would recommend this deck to both art lovers and to Tarot readers. You won't be disappointed.

The Gilded Tarot is a visual treat. I dont think anyone doubts that, and a quick google will show you enough images to convince you. Personally I think it's simply the most beautifal deck in my collection. Look at the Lovely Strength card on the box cover. Some reviewers have stated it lacks symbolic depth, not true. The symbols however come in the form of Animal/ Astrological references. The deck is very true to the intent of the Waite, but is not tied down by the Waite's hermetic symbolism. My only small complaint is that being true to the Waite, it has a traditional court, and I prefer a Gender Balanced Court like the Robin Wood. The book is a very good full sized tarot book,with plenty of room for personal notes. Nothing like the LWB you get with most other decks. This is a wonderful set to get started with, and as an experienced and very active reader, I can tell you, the readings are very elegant. The Waite is the Standard Tarot deck today, because it had a huge head start. Thus most of the literature refers to that bug ugly deck. The Illustrations in the Guilded Tarot are true to the intent of the Waite, and you should have no problem using the Gilded Tarot, with the available literature. 100 years from now, the Gilded Tarot may well be the standard.

This deck is visually stunning, and is currently my favorite deck. Symbolically it has depth, without being overbearing, or "guiding" too much. Since I am fairly eclectic in my reading style, I go much more for with the feel of a card and my gut, rather than any traditional meanings. Yet, this deck can please both types of readers. Everyone (highly traditional and not) who has seen this deck has wanted their own copy.

This deck is the most beautiful on the market. It's dazzling. You'll get more compliments on this deck than any other you own. Its beauty lures people like a magnet and you might be tempted to treat it like the good china and rarely use it. I had to buy two decks - one to use and one to relish.

Although I have long been interested in the tarot, this is the first deck I've ever bought, and it was the deck itself which was responsible. It really drew me to it, from the first moment I saw it. It's visually rich and stunning, yet at the same time, for me at least, warm and welcoming. Looking at the individual cards, I can get lost in them. For whatever reason, they speak to me, and that is apparently the most important criteria for choosing a deck, or rather, letting a deck choose you. This one really did. For some odd reason, although the faces are computer-generated, they seem more real and 'human' to me than in many other traditionally created decks I've seen. They seem like real people, which I find fascinating. I almost expect some of them to pop off the page and come to life. To me,the 'machineries' the artist includes do not disrupt the intricate warmth of the figures and symbolism, but meld seamlessly and charmingly. I in no way felt this was a 'cold' or 'technological' deck because of the artist's inclusion of this aspect. I was also glad that the illustrations are based on the Rider-Waite deck, because whatever books I might buy to help me learn to interpret the cards will be easily relatable to this deck's illustrations. I am VERY pleased with the accompanying book. I had thought to buy several "Tarot for beginners" books right away, but there is a lot of wonderful, very thoughtful exercise material for rank beginners (which is certainly what I am) which seems to me to be excellent grounding not only in this deck but any deck. I'm sure I will buy other books eventually, but this one seems perfect for me right now, especially in terms of getting in touch with the cards on a very personal level, which of course is the basis for successful readings. Simply memorizing a lot of information, as tarot beginners must do, has seemed pretty daunting to me, but the exercises in the books are geared to making your associations personal and intuitive rather than simply rote, hence more logical and easier to retain. This deck and its accompanying book have made me eager to get started learning!