Alchemical tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Dec 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

hexadecimal	14 Dec 2003
I Alchemical tarot deck at a closing sale bookstore it was $30 (U.S.)!! Seems like a great deal :D But i had no money left from shopping for Christmas present for friends and family. But i did put the deck between two books (hidden) in the store. Might wanna come back to get it... Is this deck worth the money? The pictures from the box looks good!! :D

Diana	14 Dec 2003
hexadecimal: I traded this deck because I am not interested in Rider Waite based decks. But if I was interested in such decks, this is the one I would probably use. It's extremely intelligent. Robert Place is no fool. It's a deck also for one's intellect - not only for one's heart. (Can't you go back to the shop and give them a few dollars deposit so that they keep the deck for you?) It's an out-of-print deck and helluva difficult to find. If I were you, and if you like Rider Waite stuff, then jump for it immediately. (edited due to typos)

Scorpion	14 Dec 2003
Hi, Hexadecimal! I've got this deck but haven't got round to using it yet - I'm waiting until I've got time to read the book. But yes, I believe the cards are as good as they appear. If you'd like to e-mail me (loui_q@yahoo.co.uk) I can scan some in for you. I also recently acquired the Minchiate deck and am having trouble putting the book down so I'm anticipating that the book with the Alchemical will be as well-written. I note Diana's comment that this deck is OOP (which I have heard before), but I saw a new copy on my the shelves in my local Borders just this week - maybe they're reprinting?

Jewel-ry	14 Dec 2003
I have seen this deck locally (South England) for around £10. Is it any cheaper on Amazon? J :)

baba-prague	14 Dec 2003
It's a great deck, but definitely for the mind more than the emotions. The artwork is beautiful but for some people has a certain coldness I think - although personally I like it very much and appreciate the fact that technically it is well drawn. But the main thing is that the whole system of the deck is very carefully thought through, and the book is well written and substantial enough to add a lot of value. It has recently been possible to get the set quite cheaply in the UK (I actually bought one and an extra from ebay uk - I do think that one day I'll be very glad I snapped them up). But it's like everything, once it's gone it's gone and I would imagine that this set will be really sought after before long. With postage I'd guess it's not worth your while buying in the UK - and $30 doesn't sound a bad deal.

Woof	14 Dec 2003
I agree with all that everyone else has said. Again, if you find it is not for you you will be able to trade it or sell it on e-bay as it is now out of print. I have the deck and like it very much. This is the Robet Place's web site with images from this deck and some of his others: http://thealchemicalegg.com Buy it, you won't be sorry. Woof

Astraea	14 Dec 2003
The Alchemical Tarot is beautiful and absorbing and reads easier than one might imagine. It is highly collectible and I think that it would be in your best interest in pick this one up at $30 -- as Woof says, you will be able to trade it away with no trouble whatsoever if you find it's not to your taste.

Cerulean	25 Jan 2004
and revived this thread, because I'm enjoying looking at my deck again pending a short trip...I may want to just take this one with me... In the first link, among, wandering poetry, the writer uses the Alchemical. I'm not certain you like poetic ravings of the first, but the second link has a good collection of reviews http://www.drexel.edu/doj/archives/2002/poetry/lazydog1.asp http://www.advancenet.net/~jscole/tarotpostmodab.htm And I'm glad to have given one copy away, but I'm keeping my first--I'm glad I found it again recently and held on to it. Mari H.

jema	20 Mar 2004
I got this deck as a set with the book for really not much money at all at a sale on the town square one day last year. I haven't really picked it up until this week though. It is a calm deck, very clean in the lines and beautiful and surprisingly easy to read. What little details there are speaks loud and clear. the book is also quite good, the card descriptions a bit short but to the point. I think I will keep it by my desk a few weeks and use it for a while.

Jewel-ry	20 Mar 2004
As I said in my earlier post, this deck can be bought locally for less than £10 so when I was in the shop a couple of weeks ago I picked it up. I havn't even opened it yet as I have too many other things on the go right now, but I am glad to read so many good write-ups of it. J :)

The Alchemical tarot thread was originally posted on 14 Dec 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.