Aeclectic Tarot Forum - Sharman-Caselli Tarot

Lee

11-05-2002, 22:34

Hey, everybody, there's a new tarot deck out there -- the Sharman-Caselli deck. It's conceived by Juliet Sharman-Burke, co-author of the Mythic Tarot, and illustrated by Giovanni Caselli.

It's a little confusing, because the deck comes packaged with a book, "Beginner's Guide to Tarot" by Sharman-Burke, and the whole package is called "Beginner's Guide to Tarot," so if you look at it, for example, at Amazon.com, you wouldn't know that there's a deck that comes with it.

The deck is similar a bit in style to the Lo Scarabeo Universal Tarot by Roberto De Angelis. It's very Waite-derived, although there are other influences to the cards. For example, the standard Marseille image is used for the Lovers, while the Visconti image is used for the Wheel of Fortune. I think it's superior, though, to the De Angelis deck, because more thought was put into the symbols on the pictures. For example, the Minor cards all contain lots of animals appropriate to their suit: birds and butterflies for Swords, rabbits, mice and dogs for Pentacles, etc.

The quality of the illustrations is really excellent. The cards have an open, airy look, with lots of sky and far perspectives. The Minors are very much based on the Rider-Waite Minors, but there's lots of new little touches in them.

The book is a pretty good beginner's book. It studies each suit in turn, then recommends reading spreads with just that one suit, then moving on to the next suit, and after all the suits are done, doing layouts with all the Minors. Then she moves on the Majors, then has a sample layout with just the Majors, and finally puts the whole deck together with a sample reading with Majors and Minors.

This is a really, really good deck. I could see this deck becoming a favorite of mine. The whole package is $19.99, pretty good for a deck and book. I recommend it! :)

-- Lee

Kaz

12-05-2002, 04:54

any place we can see some cards lee?

kaz

Liliana

12-05-2002, 09:23

I wantto seeeeee it it sounds like i may neeeeeed it lol

:THP

Lee

12-05-2002, 12:47

There's no scans that I know of. I tried to scan a few and post them, but the files are too big. I'll probably be writing a review for Tarot Passages that will include scans, but that may not appear for several weeks. If you e-mail me privately, I'll send you the scans (4 cards) that I made.

-- Lee

Kaz

12-05-2002, 12:52

i can put them up on my webspace if you want me to.

kaz

Diana

12-05-2002, 14:27

edited

Lee

12-05-2002, 14:48

Hi, Diana -- as in Sharman-Burke's Mythic Tarot, the Majors are unnumbered.

Hey, Kaz, thanks for the offer -- I can't send attachments through the vBulletin e-mail, so if you'd like to e-mail or P.M. me with your e-mail address, I'll send you the scans I made.

-- Lee :)

faunabay

12-05-2002, 16:53

Lee,
I just saw this yesterday at Hasting Bookstore!!
Of course it wasn't opened but the cards they showed on the cover did look very similar to the Mythic tarot.
I almost bought it - for the book and deck set at Hastings it's only $17.99!!!!

dolphingirl

12-05-2002, 21:54

Hi Everyone

I have a scan of the cards, don't have any web space right now but if you want to send me a e-mail I would be happy to send a copy :)

Sam

Phoenix

12-05-2002, 22:14

I can get it here in Canada for 12.99 for the deck and book set. That is like 7.99 american I think. Anyone want it??

The cards look rather flimsy though.

Kitty

12-05-2002, 22:58

That's the first deck I bought and I am using everyday for my daily readings

It is really good for beginners, I like it better than RW

Kaz

13-05-2002, 01:05

Lee sendt me the scans, they are here, have a look:

http://home.hccnet.nl/k.van.rijn/images/sharman_lee.htm

kaz

Liliana

13-05-2002, 11:02

I kind of like it, but i just dont know, the High Priestess is my card and i just dont like that High Priestess. But the Fool and Hermit are nice, maybe Ill get it for the collection as soon as i have some money to do so :)

:THP

Jewel

13-05-2002, 13:17

Originally posted by Kaz
Lee sendt me the scans, they are here, have a look:
kaz

~shakes head~ why did you have to do this to me Kaz? ... now I have to go to Hastings *ROFLMAO*. It really is so much more attractive than the Raider Waite. Well guess I know where I'll be going later today. Lee, do the cards have their own box within the packaging?

Kaz

13-05-2002, 13:38

jewel, lol, you would have gotten it anyway :-) , you don't need me to point it out for you LOL

liliana, what is wrong with the high priestess?

kaz

Jewel

13-05-2002, 13:53

Originally posted by Kaz
jewel, lol, you would have gotten it anyway :-)
kaz

Yeah ... but it would have taken me longer if I had not seen the pictures *LOL*.

Lee

13-05-2002, 19:28

Originally posted by Jewel
Lee, do the cards have their own box within the packaging?

The packaging is very similar to the new edition of the Elemental tarot, if you've seen that. The book is paperback but the cover is thicker cardboard than usual, and it's like a giant mutant back cover which folds around the front of the book, and the cards are in two piles inside that cover. It's hard to describe, but it all makes a nice compact package. It's not a large package, it basically looks like a paperback-sized book on the shelf. It's got the 2 of Swords picture on the cover, so you'll know it when you see it. So there's no separate box for the cards. In fact once you open the set, you really need to take a scissors and cut off that back cover or it will be impossible to read.

I agree the High Priestess is different, but I kind of like it. It's real bright and sunny, when we're used to dark and watery High Priestesses.

-- Lee

Liliana

14-05-2002, 10:01

I dont know, maybe that outfit reminds me of the ku klux klan lol, and her envirnoment isnt quite as detailed as the others. Also some of her traditional symbols are missing, like the scroll

:THP

Jewel

14-05-2002, 11:58

Originally posted by Lee
In fact once you open the set, you really need to take a scissors and cut off that back cover or it will be impossible to read.
The book or the cards? As you can see I did not make it there yesterday ... I had an emergency, the Inner Child cards are apparently going OOP so they took precedence yesterday *ROFLMAO* ... I am so hopless ...

Zhritza

15-05-2002, 00:14

This really looks like a lovely deck. We just got it in at my job. If I wasn't swimming in new decks (and close to broke as a result) I'd snap it up... It seems like it would be an excellent beginning deck.

Cerulean

15-05-2002, 20:13

I enjoy Caselli's illustrations in some other myth books. One thing I saw in a review of another Sharman-Burke deck, the Mythic Tarot, is the choice of which raised arm of the magician. It's directly opposite of the standard Rider Waite. The explanation offered in the Sharman Caselli tarot is fine---it's just a variation that might mean something significant to Rider-Waite-Smith-deck style fans. Astroamerica has reviews of the Mythic that has the commentary on which arm the Magician raises---so it might be of concern.
Another variation is that Justice/Strength follows the Marseilles order of Justice as eight and Strength as 11.
For Comparative Tarot, an online group, I noted that Sharman Caselli seems to draw from various decks depicted in Sharman-Burke's book Mastering the Tarot. I see influences from Miranda Gray's lighter scenic hues in the Arthurian Tarot, the softer pastels of Brian William A Renaissance Tarot and the simple, open feel of the Mythic.
The price and packaging is inexpensive as a travel kit tarot---if you have additional insights, I'm all ears.

Lee

15-05-2002, 21:38

Hi, Mari, welcome to Aeclectic Tarot! :)

I found your comments both here and in your Amazon reader's review to be very insightful.

By the way, I'm a little confused about the Justice/Strength thing. I'm probably missing something obvious, but why do you say that Justice is 8 and Strength 11? The cards themselves are unnumbered, and in the book she discusses the Majors in her own preferred order which is rather different and difficult to compare to the Marseilles order (for instance, Strength comes before the Hermit, suggesting that Strength is 8, but before Strength is Temperance, at which point it seems there really is no correlation that makes sense).

Welcome again!

-- Lee

Cerulean

16-05-2002, 14:04

Whoops...you are right, un-numbered.

I was looking at the order of appearance and also referring to her examples in Mastering the Tarot. I'm going to check my Sharman-Caselli Tarot book to check the order that they list the majors...I think what was also hanging me up is I did a card by card comparison last night with the Universal Tarots by DeAngelis as well.

The colors in DeAngelis are brighter and the lines more lively against high-contrast or mid-tone backgrounds. The Sharman-Caselli deck is much more subtle in details...except the suit of Wands cries out yellow and orange-red in Sharman Caselli. I changed my spreadcloth background because the yellow in the suit of Wands is quite dominant.

It turns out if I compare Sharman-Caselli to G. Trevisan's (excuse the spelling) Tarot of the Rebirth (Renaissance), I get a better match in color, softness and delicacy. If I ever get Trevisan's Tarot of the Romantic/Romance through Alidastore.com, I'm thinking the Sharman Caselli would also do a great match there.

Thanks for your note.

Mari H.

truthsayer

19-05-2002, 12:29

does the sharman-caselli tarot happen to go by any other name? i can't seem to find it in any reviews or sites that sell decks. i live so far from good tarot stores i'd like to see if i can get it from amazon.

Lee

19-05-2002, 16:42

The set it comes in is called "Beginner's Guide to Tarot" by Juliet Sharman-Burke.

-- Lee

Cocobird55

19-05-2002, 16:42

I like this deck a lot. I think it is a great deck for learning tarot.

One question -- it looks like the Fool is sunburned. His face and hands are definitely more red than anyone else's in the deck. Do you think he is sunburned on purpose, since getting sunburned is kind of a foolish thing to do?

Sue

Cerulean

19-05-2002, 17:55

It's a little confusing, because the deck comes packaged with a book, "Beginner's Guide to Tarot" by Sharman-Burke, and the whole package is called "Beginner's Guide to Tarot," so if you look at it, for example, at Amazon.com, you wouldn't know that there's a deck that comes with it.

I'm quoting from message one---hope this helps you. It's a pretty deck.

I'm enjoying comparing it with Trevisan's Tarot of the Renaissance and the book by Sharman-Burke called Mastering the Tarot.

truthsayer

19-05-2002, 18:14

i found it at amazon. it's not but like $14 there-of course, youve got to add in shipping and handling but that comes out to about what it would be at a bookstore. i may need it... :p

truthsayer

02-08-2002, 17:13

i just got this deck today and wanted to share my positive impressions of it. first, all the good things said about it are all true. if you want a pretty, gentle deck w/ noncomplex symbolism to start learning tarot then this is the one. i really like the book that comes w/ the deck. there are arrows pointing out symbols and explaining the meaning. i wish i had started on one like this. i do like recommending hanson roberts and universal waite to beginners but i think this one is going to be my first choice. it's obviously patterned after waite smith but ppl look happier. the art is very good. the deck is full of light and sunshine yet isn't devoid of negativity like the connolly deck.

i don't think i'll be giving up my hanson roberts anytime soon but i'll be using this one, too. this deck's strength over hanson-roberts decks is that this one is light but the ppl look like adults. they aren't made to look cutesy as some ppl have complained about HR decks. i like cutesy but there are adults i wouldn't be comfortable using that kind of deck w/. in that situation, the SBC is perfect.

Cocobird55

05-08-2002, 19:33

I like this set a lot. I've been involved with tarot for years, but only recently began trying to seriously learn it. This deck is great for learning. I've gotten some great readings from it. It isn't pushy, but there's a very strong "why don't you look at it this way" kind of feel that was very helpful.

The book is good, too. As someone else pointed out, the symbols are clear, and explained quite well.

All in all, while I have about 30 other decks (definitely a TA member), I use this one the most for reading and learning.

Sue

augursWell

18-08-2002, 02:06

I also purchased this deck/book set one day when I wanted a new deck and this was the only one they had in the store, a place I don't frequent very often. I figured I'd be wasting my money but the illustrations on the outside intrigued me. I was very pleasantly surprised when I got it home. I also had to cut off the back cover with a pair of scissors. That wrap around cover must have been a manufacturing nightmare so it mystifies me why they did it that way.

Personally I would like to see an "advanced" version of this deck using the same illustrations. I'd like to see a larger card size, a nice illustrated card back instead of the plain purple, and maybe a border around the images with some "advanced" symbols(maybe kabbalah). I think it would make a great advanced deck with those additions.

It does make a great starter deck, clear and straight to the point.

BlueLotus

12-07-2004, 01:23

I just ordered this deck/book set from innerself marketplace. I have no idea how this deck had escaped my perpetual searching for new decks to date :confused:

Anyway I am glad I am adding it to my collection. Better late than never.
})

Ravenswing

12-07-2004, 08:32

Well...

This one I'm getting to know well.

The book is good for pointing out the little details, though there are others to find here and there.

The suits are "color coded" . If you are color oriented, this'll be a big plus (something I had thought of for my own deck...)

I like the idea of unnumbered Majors-- pick your order. (This'll make you happy Diana... maybe)

And the book has an order that I'm unfamilar with.
Justice is the eighth, Temperance the ninth, Strength the tenth and the Hermit the eleventh. The four virtues... From there the Wheel and straight through (skipping over Temperence of course) Interesting order to work with.

The suit are considered in an order I've not come up against either. She starts with cups, then wands, swords and pentacles.

All in all a very nice deck.

fly well
Raven

... I've recently removed the boarders on this one too. The images blend together more than any other deck I've work with. Probably because each suit has its own particular coloring.

Shy Priestess

12-07-2004, 08:55

This is my second deck - and I love the interpretations in the book. Lovely and clear for a novice like me! :)

The cards are pleasing on the eye... softer than the original RW somehow. Even the tower seems less threatening but the message is just as clear.

I've had some good readings with it too...

SP :)

Lianne

12-07-2004, 15:17

I happen to love this deck. Rider Waite (and Enchanted Tarot) was my first deck, and RWS is indeed, imo, a very effective deck, but I haven't used it for years. I keep buying decks, and Sharman Caselli arrived after I built up my collection a bit, but that, Tarot Sutra and Spiral are my standbys. My only quibble with this deck is the backs are reversible, and since I can use reversals with this deck (I can't with some others), it's a little inconvenient (because of the sort of complicated way I happen to shuffle). But I have plenty of RWS clones, and I find this one to be one of the best. The book is very good too for beginners who aren't familiar with the symbolism in Tarot, as it explains various elements of each card quite well. The packaging is ridiculous, you actually have to cut the book off from the rest of the set, but since I own 3 copies of it (my all time record for one particular deck), I've obviously found a way to overlook it. ;)

This is a wonderful deck for both total beginners as well as others looking for an excellent RWS clone. I have some new additions that are interesting (Ancient Egyptian, Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg, and am also reacquainting myself with Robin Wood), but Sharman Caselli is always one of my "permanent" ones.

Emily

03-09-2004, 17:34

I've just took delivery of this deck and book set and I was very surprised. I'm not sure what I thought the cards would be like but from the few scans I saw I was sure i would like it and I do. :)

The artword is gorgeous, it wouldn't look out of place on LS or US Games decks - Its very well drawn and coloured. The card stock although not as thin or flexible as say LS decks is still sturdy enough to take years of shuffling. And the book is no nonsense and very informative. I know that its a beginners deck but I think a more experienced user would get a good deal from it. I can't put the book down.

Although I had cut the back piece off the book within 5 mins of opening it lol

For the price I think this set is a bargain. :)

The 78th Fool

04-09-2004, 10:59

I learned to read properly with this set. I thought I'd outgrow it but it hasn't happened yet and I still turn to both the deck and the book regularly. This is much more than a package just for beginners.

Chris. xx

Cerulean

04-09-2004, 15:55

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/sharman-caselli/review.shtml

I did like your review, Chris! The simple illustrations are effective. I think I still prefer a softer color palette during certain bright-light seasons...still in soft lighting, the brighter and simpler palette (compared to Giorgio Trevisan or Luigi Scapini or Giorgio Tavaglione's tarot paintings) would be a crisp advantage.

When I wrote about it, I think I was comparing it with the feel that I had with other Italian decks done in the RWS style. I cut off the borders of this deck as well a few years ago.

I'm going to pull this out again to compare to my favorite childhood book illustrations by an Italian painter/sculpture. The use of reds in the Sharman Caselli are very memorable to me...strong impressions and yet delicate line quality.

Good excerpts and scans:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0312284829/ref=sib_rdr_ex/102-8395661-2128160?%5Fencoding=UTF8&p=S00C#reader-page

Cerulean

P.S. I did an archive search and this was the third thread I replied to when I first came on Aeclectic.net! How neat, Lee welcomed me to the forum in this thread.

Cerulean

29-05-2005, 12:24

http://www.connections-publishing.com/product_list.asp?department_id=3

I thought I'd post to people who are fans of the deck-book--I had replaced my older trade copy. Nothing wrong with my original that I removed the borders--I had traded it a few years ago and now replaced it...but this time, I didn't remove the borders.

Maybe of interest to fans of this deck.

Regards,

Cerulean

sunflowr

29-05-2005, 20:30

I like this deck, but the backs are horrible. Isnt anyone else having this issue, where the color of the backs sort of bleed into the white borders on the front? I am. I wish they hadnt painted it like that. Why not just a simple white background with a simple design on it? Oh well.

And why does the girl on the 6 of cups look so sad? Maybe it's just me?

Emeraldgirl

30-05-2005, 02:05

Ohhhhhhhhhh looks pretty another one to add to the list of decks to buy :)

bublee_tweety

26-07-2005, 00:24

My 3rd card atlas was given by my cousin's aunt last sunday, and am really amazed by how these cards really appears in person. I fell in love with the cards in the net and was totally stun when I already have them in my possession. I love the color and by how some of the symbols were added and change in difference with RWS. I can feel the energy to read and explore more my tarot cards. Two thumbs up for me....

Cocobird55

26-07-2005, 00:30

There is a new workbok available for this deck. I picked it up yesterday at Border's.

I think I will enjoy using it. She begins with all the Aces, then twos, etc, and does the majors at the end. Each card has a couple of pages, and there is a larger size drawing of the card for you to color.

Has anyone else gotten it?

Sue

Emily

26-07-2005, 19:04

Hi Sue,

I've seen the book but not at close quarters. I wondered what kind of book it was but I was looking at the Sharman Caselli deck that the shop had - it's the first time I've seen the deck in its own proper box without the attached book.

The deck box seemed large but it was all sealed so I couldn't get to see if the cards were the same, ie pink backs and on the small size.

I like the Sharman Caselli - maybe when I go back to the shop I can get a closer look at the workbook too. :)