Arcus Arcarnum

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Aug 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kiama	17 Aug 2001
I am seriously considering buying the Arcus Arcarnum deck soon, after seeing a couple of the cards here on the Aeclectic Tarot reviews, and I like it so far cuz of it's original views of The Lovers and the Two of Swords... But I would also like a second opinion from anyone who has used the deck, as I would like to know about the Hanged Man, Death, the Aces, and the Court cards.... And did you find the deck easy to use? Was there lots of symbolism in there? Thankyou, Kiama

truthsayer	17 Aug 2001
catlin helped me get a german version of the AA. i haven't done a reading yet but the cards are visually appealing. i would say they look more cartoony than the rws. even tho i don't speak a word of german i have no doubt i could read them b/c it's clear to me what each card is. i don't know if you have ever read the cartoon/adventure strip called prince valiant. it's loosely based on the era of king arthur. the art reminds me of that strip. the deck has more stereotypal male/female roles but it didn't offend me. the emotions of the card characters seem clearly depicted--seldom ambivalent. it's not for everyone but one i like for my collection.

RiotFemme	18 Aug 2001
I had the Arcus Arcanum deck in my tarot collection for a while. When I first opened it, I liked the comic-strip style art, but I thought the cards lacked symbolism and I didn't think I could use them. After studying them and handling the more, I realized they are quite rich in symbolism. As far as the art is concerned, the cards were done by a comic book/strip artist. I still like the art, but I felt like I was reading a comic book. I felt detached from the cards and found that I couldn't use them. It is very orginal and I really, really liked the way the artist did some of the cards, the Lovers in particular. By the way, I'm pretty sure this deck is out of print. I ended up putting mine up for auction on ebay for just $3 and, surprisingly, got more than $30 for it. So if you see it, grab it.

purplelady	19 Aug 2001
It's out of print in America,but not in Europe from what I gather. Don't have the deck , but I like it from what I've seen. I especially like the cups and water scenes.

Kiama	20 Aug 2001
Thanks alot guys! Luckily, I live in the UK, so if Purplelady is right, I can still get the deck! *Kiama does cartwheels and various other acrobatics...* Kiama

The Arcus Arcarnum thread was originally posted on 17 Aug 2001 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.