Shakespearian Tarot?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kellinator	14 Jun 2002
I love both Shakespeare and tarot, so I've obviously been wanting this deck for a long time! I got it yesterday in a trade with klshelley123 (thanks Karen!) and I'm not sure what I think of it. The art, in most cases, doesn't excite me very much. There are a few cards I really like; my favorites in the Major Arcana are Temperance and the Star because they both feature Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing, my favorite of Shakespeare's characters, and I really like the art on them. And the 7 of Crowns, with Cleopatra, is breathtaking. But I'm less than thrilled with the book and many of the choices. Each card includes a line from one of Shakespeare's plays, and I think the deck's creator was more focused on finding numbers of objects in the lines and less concerned with the plays and characters. Imagine my shock when Lady Macbeth wasn't the Queen of Swords! And I can't find the "Is this a dagger I see before me" line anywhere, though I may have missed it. The court cards are generally little-known figures from the least-celebrated of the history plays rather than the major figures we would expect, and some cards seem to have little to do with their traditional meanings. The book is short on analysis and long on the author's opinions on the plays, which often seem to lack passion. I'll probably keep this deck as a collector's item, but I doubt I'll ever read with it. Has anyone else ever worked with it? Kelly

Starfish	14 Jun 2002
Kelly - I haven't seen this deck in person, much less worked with it, but considering it's theme - I'm truly amazed the Lady MacBeth ISN'T the Queen of Swords! :TQS Starfish

Kiama	14 Jun 2002
I worked with this deck from the age of 14 to 16ish... It worked pretty well for me, although I agree that some of Shakey's one-liners did nt fit with the meaning of he cards. For instance, the Ace of Scpetres, had the line: 'This sceptr'd isle'... Doesn't mean a thing to me!!! Whilst the pictures do have lots of meaning in thm, I found the quotes not helpful at all. The quote for the Star card is: 'A star daced, and under that I was born'. Again, pretty meaningless... And the Empress card as Nowicki says herself, was chosen as that woman from a Winters Tale simply cuz she's the only pregnant motherly woman in any of Shakespeare's plays! Oh dear indeed! The Court Cards were pretty poorly chosen too, and I was amongst the majoriy to be disappointed to find that Lady Macbeth wasn't Queen of Swords.. Although her madness in the 9 of Swords was so brilliant: It spoke the world to me! I think this deck is lovely all the same y'know! It makes a great collector's deck, but to work with it you need to know the backgroud behind all the quotes and images in this deck. The 9 of Swords would not have had as much affect on me if I hadn't known how Lady Macbeth descended into her madness in the first place... Kiama

fairyhedgehog	14 Jun 2002
I love the backs of the cards and the size and feel of them. I love some of the pictures - for me the major arcana I most love are Temperance and the Tower. Trouble is, I got too many new decks at once, and this deck will take a lot of learning. What kind of readings would it be best for, do you think?

HOLMES	14 Jun 2002
that deck i couldnt' get into the groove with it. the artwork is good but small cards, and the writing wrecked the pictures in this regard i felt. not the pictures themselves but tryin to get into the energery. it wasn't bad now in retrospect i was probaly not ready for it.

Phoenix	14 Jun 2002
I just got that one in trade, and I love it!!

Jeannette	14 Jun 2002
Quote: ...Imagine my shock when Lady Macbeth wasn't the Queen of Swords!... Kellinator: In his Shakespeare Tarot (a.k.a. "Tarocchi di Giulietta e Romeo," or "Romeo and Juliet Tarot"), Luigi Scapini did select Lady MacBeth to represent his Queen of Swords. Actually, the entire deck makes for an interesting "compare-and-contrast" piece to Ashcroft-Nowicki & Hardy's cards -- it's quite a different approach that incorporates a bit more of Shakespeare's life-and-times into the cards, as well as his volumunous works. The artwork is largely inspired by classical paintings -- a common "trademark" of Scapini's tarots. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Violet Gargoyle	14 Jun 2002
I still want to get a Shakepearian Tarot, either one (or preferably both) I keep losing my opportunities. I saw one on ebay not too long ago but I had already gone over my weekly budget :(

catlin	17 Jun 2002
Shakespeare decks are still on my wishlist. I wonder if it will take as long as it took me to get the Greenwood deck, lol.

Kellinator	17 Jun 2002
Jeanette, that's a beautiful deck. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford it! :)

Jewel	17 Jun 2002
I have the Juliet & Romeo Tarot and it is beautiful! It is gorgeous all the way to the casing it comes in! If you are a Shakespear fan you will definetly want to get a copy of this deck.

The Shakespearian Tarot? thread was originally posted on 14 Jun 2002 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.