A Third Shakepeare Tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Cerulean	28 Sep 2003
1. I found it at Barnes and Noble on the top shelf. Even though it says oracle--I know why, more later--it is a tarot. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2VOEZC31MC&isbn=1592330169&itm=3 I cannot find it listed on Amazon.com in the U.S., only in the UK right now. The cards are big and blocky and the book has color pictures. Majors well done, oil paintings on large, dark backgrounds with a 'wooden' frame around the painting. The courts are well illustrated with cast members from the plays, but pips have only quotes, no pictures. I believe the reason it isn't called a tarot is there are two other tarots with Shakespeare in the name. I saw some similarities to both those previous decks in choice of characters in the majors (One example: Elizabeth as the Empress, Shakespeare as Magician, down to his puppet-like manipulation of small marionnetes, clearly pictured in the earlier Romeo and Juliet tarot by Luigi Scapini) 2. The readily available other deck is the Romeo and Juliet tarot by Del Negro in Italy in large format or small format. Pasteboard Masquerade had a review and Tarotgarden.com has pictures. http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/giulnew.html NEW--a great online review: http://www.geocities.com/doctordruidphd/rj.html 3. The Shakespearean Tarot, out of print by Dolores Ashcroft Norwicki--the deck comes up periodically on Ebay and other vendor sites. The choice of Cleopatra and the use of the term Sceptres for Wands is one similarity that the Shakespeare oracle has with this deck. http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/shakesp.html What do you think? I'm still looking at this and wondering if it's a must for literature/tarot fans, or just a maybe kind of thing. Beautiful and different designs, although big.

Melvis	28 Sep 2003
I just got this one myself, Mari! I hadn't heard or seen anything about it yet either. It starts out with a very nice hardboard box that the book and cards come in. The cards have to split into two piles to fit in it, but it's still a very nice package. The cards are very thick and somewhat stiff. I think they're plastic. They shuffle nicely, though they are rather large. I like the artwork; the characters are engagingly pictured, each with a one or two appropriate symbolic props. The book shows a color picture of each card with an extended quote from the play which is depicted on it. The majors and court cards have explanations divided into "Character" and "Role", which refer to the character's part in the play and the part it plays in terms of tarot, respectively. So for a reading you would look at the "Role" section to find divination-style meanings for both upright and reversed interpretaions. The writing is clear, and the author relates the plays' themes to the various card meanings very well. The author includes seven unique spreads, such as the "Dilemma Spread" based on Hamlet. The 7 card positions in this spread are each 'named' for a character in Hamlet. Each character represents a certain thematic element from the production. For example, the position of "Polonius" represents "Unsolicited Advice", which I really find clever. This device helps you easily remember what the different positions represent. The author does not go into detail on the history of tarot, etc., but jumps right into introducing the cards. You can tell the author is 'old friends' with these characters, though, because the analysis of each card is thorough without being heady. I haven't read much about the minors yet, but I am disappointed that they're just pip cards. I like that quotes from the plays are used, but it's just too much work to translate them into traditional card meanings. I'll probably just use the majors and courts, and perhaps the pips only as "advice" cards. So, that's my review! I hope it helps. And if all else fails, go with that Tarotholic little voice inside you that says, "BUY IT ANYWAY!!!" :D Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

Cerulean	29 Sep 2003
Hope you enjoy your deck, as well.

finn	29 Sep 2003
Oh dear~ it's all your fault now that the little voice is telling me to buy it! Farewell to my money~ ~finn the blue floppy fish~

Cerulean	29 Sep 2003
It seems to be an independent publisher, so maybe it could take awhile to show up on Amazon.com or others with discounts. Huge deck, so take that into consideration! If you are looking for a "first" tarot with Shakespearean bent, the small Romeo and Juliet, published by Del Negro, is my favorite. The English and Italian book is a delight to me and translated well. Good for travel as well, if you like smaller decks. But I've since migrated to the delight of the larger Romeo and Juliet because the details and the photocopied inserts in the thick booklet.

delizt	29 Sep 2003
Hello, I was at my local Barnes & Noble this weekend and noticed that they had just gotten a large number of these decks in...they are in with the regular tarot decks. I have to say I really like the look of these cards, the art is well done and the the pips have a quote worked in to the design that's a nice touch. I haven't used them yet, but look forward to trying them out. delizt

Melissa`	30 Sep 2003
*screaming purse comes tumbling in behind amaya* Ok.. I picked this deck up tonight, and other things of course heh. It was dark on the ride home, but I didn't care. I ripped right into the box like a child at christmas. Smiled as I set the book aside and my hands dove right in for the cards. I sort of frowned when I noticed how big the cards where. Not really keen on large decks. So I held one bundle up to the window to catch a glimpse of the deck in the light of a passing card. Still I frowned. I just knew when I got home tonight I would put the deck up for trade. ....minutes after looking at the cards.. They have changed my mind. The art is lovely. and quotes interesting per card. Think I may keep it for a while.. not sure about using it yet though. ~Amaya

seneris	01 Oct 2003
Hello, I'm very interested in theatre (and Shakespeare), and I study theatre as well... All the 'Shakespeare' decks seem interesting to me. But I'm also addicted to books (really, if I see a book I like I usually buy it, although I still have tons of other books to read)... So I suppose I shouldn't look at all the descriptions of tarot decks, they make me want to buy more decks! (but it doesn't hurt to look, does it? just to look, not to buy? who am I kidding...) greets, Seneris

Cerulean	01 Oct 2003
To actually read more of Scapini Romeo and Juliet tarot. I now see that I was ''too serious" this past year about learning what people think and discuss about Shakespeare and trying to apply it to my regular preferences for the Milanese/Marseilles tarot theatre cast Forgive the silly characterization, but I'd cast the role of the Shakespearean by Ashcroft-Norwicki as friendly-to-younger audiences, the Scapini Romeo and Juliet to the pretty-minded who like light-filled Shakespeare in the park and this M. Lllewellyn's Shakespearean Oracle as a warm companion to the fireside and wintery nights. Oddly, the art is so different in all these decks, it's more a creative choice of mood, and I'd rather have them all. "Brohahaha," TarotGollum mutters, "We likes thems all, my precioussss...."

Teheuti	08 Oct 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki 1. I found it at Barnes and Noble on the top shelf. Even though it says oracle--I know why, more later--it is a tarot. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2VOEZC31MC&isbn=1592330169&itm=3 The cards are big and blocky and the book has color pictures. Majors well done, oil paintings on large, dark backgrounds with a 'wooden' frame around the painting. The courts are well illustrated with cast members from the plays, but pips have only quotes, no pictures. This is a wonderful Tarot. After seeing dozens of tacky, meaningless decks recently I believe there is still hope for humanism. Pictures aren't needed on the minors - the quotes say it all. The set is wonderfully produced. Anyone with even a passing interest in Shakespeare should get it. The colorful art work is a welcome relief - reminiscent of fine children's storybooks (modern style). I consider this a "must" for any Tarot collection. It's a great find! T

little	11 Oct 2003
I just saw these at Borders today and couldn't resist them. I was really happy with them, and thought they were some of the best cards I've picked lately. The big cards and strong colors reminded me just a little bit of the Inner Child deck. The images and characters seemed well chosen for each card, and although the pictures were simple, they were also rich. The pips were unillustrated, but with an apppropriate Shakespeare quote on each, and I REALLY, REALLY liked these pips. I can't wait to finish reading the book, which comes with color (!) pictures of the cards along with the creator's comments.

Khatruman	13 Oct 2003
I, too, have just picked up this Shakespeare deck at Borders, during teacher appreciation weekend. I must admit that I am gaining a strong liking for Borders. Mine, at least, seems to pick up some wonderful decks. Heck, they had the Da Vinci and the Tarot of New Vision long before Amazon decided to realize that the two decks were released!!! In any case, I like the knowledge of Shakespeare that this deck has, and I find the use of quotes for the pips just perfect!!! Hearkens back to the Marseilles decks, or pre-Waite decks in general, which didn't use pictures for pips. The quotes are evocative, and quite useful... moreso, I have found on first perusal, than the Norwicki deck.

Cerulean	13 Oct 2003
http://www.tarotpassages.com/shakespeareoracle.htm It seems to please many fans. It's odd to me how it just appeared out of no where and WHUMP, it seemed to be a must-have when I thought about it. After looking through my more expensive literature based decks--one being the Manzoni Tarot, based on the "Bethrothed"--I find the Shakespheare Oracle a good buy. If you could get the Scapini one as well, the small decorative pips might be a good draw. The assignments are original, from 1989, as well. I do like having the Scapini tarot to compare, as well, because the differing slants are good for me. I found this review for the Scapini version, but you could apply it to the other ones as well in terms of using classic characters: http://www.geocities.com/doctordruidphd/rj.html Mari H. ---------------------------------------------------- Somewhat related musings... This and the William Blake seem to be great examples of what famous works can inspire. But they both seem to remind me of Dante and I'm looking at it now. I'm wistful, as the Dante Tarot is just as beautiful and I pulled it out again--but it's not accessible to people because lack of a more detailed book available. I'm going to check out G. Berti's website again for his assignments. ------------------------------------------------

Lee	21 Oct 2003
I got this deck yesterday. I just love it. The artwork is superb. Strangely, I've never been interested in owning the Ashcroft-Nowicki deck, probably because that art didn't appeal to me. I like the reminders in several of the cards of the Visconti deck (the lion on Strength, the nude man holding up a sphere containing a city in the World, etc.) I'm also thoroughly enjoying the book, which so far seems very well-written. I've read several of the plays but many that are referenced in this deck I haven't read, and I'm thinking about buying a complete annotated Shakespeare (one with annotations) so I can read the rest. My only complaint is, the cards are so big that they don't fit in any of my tarot bags or boxes! The only thing big enough to hold them is the outer package that the set comes in, and even then I have to divide the deck into two piles so they'll fit. I am glad, though, that the card stock is so thick. This may become my favorite deck. -- Lee

The A Third Shakepeare Tarot thread was originally posted on 28 Sep 2003 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.