Has anyone seen this deck before?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 01 Sep 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Logiatrix	01 Sep 2004
The deck/book set is simply titled Tarot, by Lars-Kristian Holmsen; it is the first listing pictured on this page: www.tarotnorge.com/books/tarotbooks I found it for a very low price at my favorite bookstore. I've also seen it listed on other bargain/outlet sites, but the site above was the one with actual pictures of the cards. The set is much like other bargain-priced 'beginner' kits, but the art in this deck really stands out for me. I'm curious to know if others here have had any experience with it. PEACE, Tauni

yve	01 Sep 2004
I personally haven't seen it before, but I agree with you, it is a nice deck for a beginner deck. I like the bright colors and the simple images give a calm peaceful feel to the cards. A very uncluttered, non-intrusive deck that wouldn't offend many. If it was available here, I would probably have been attracted to it too...it would make a nice traveling deck.

HudsonGray	02 Sep 2004
Very uncluttered & colorful. If the lwb is in Norwegian or some such, you can always go to one of the translation sites online & type the booklet in one sentence at a time to re-write it for yourself. The images seem pretty self explanatory (nice devil!), though I couldn't tell if that center card was a sun or an ace of pentacles.

lark	02 Sep 2004
www.edwardrhamilton.com has that deck for 9.95.

Logiatrix	02 Sep 2004
HudsonGray, No worries about translation... As I examine my copy, this deck was apparently first published in Norway, but the one I have is published in English, through "Chartwell Books" here in the USA, and it comes with not just a LWB, but a nicely bound hardback book, with colored pictures on glossy pages! (LOL) Lark...it does indeed look like the average going price is around $10 (US); I've also seen it listed at Walmart.com for a dollar less, and I got mine for even less than that, at $6! I'm pleasantly suprised at the low price, because I really enjoy the colors, and the overall quality is impressive. Ah, I love a good tarot bargain... ;)

Strange2	03 Sep 2004
Thanks for sharing this tarot deck bargain, Logiatrix! I just ordered this from Half.com, for $7.50 plus shipping. What are the size of the cards, and what is the card stock like? I guess I'll find out in a few days!

Logiatrix	04 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Strange2 Thanks for sharing this tarot deck bargain, Logiatrix! I just ordered this from Half.com, for $7.50 plus shipping. What are the size of the cards, and what is the card stock like? I guess I'll find out in a few days! Hi, S2! :D The cards are 2.5 inches wide by 4.5 inches long. They have a very shiny finish, but they don't stick after the first look-through. ;) The card stock is sturdy, flexible; to be honest, it's not the 'cheap' thin type of card stock I was expecting. Also, nicely finished edges; no 'nubs' from being scored and seperated (that's a slight peeve of mine). :) PEACE, Tauni

Strange2	12 Sep 2004
I received this deck, and it is a wonderful Tarot bargain and a beautiful deck and book for any price! The artwork is crisp, refreshing, and very effective. Several of the majors are very creatively done, in particular the spiraling snail-like Hermit, and Death as a ritualistic arrangement of bones. And the minors are not scenic per se, but rather are creative Marseilles-like arrangements of the suit symbols, which is my preferred approach. I have scanned 4 majors and 2 minors for your viewing pleasure: http://www.docstrange.com/tarot/hg_tarot_sampler_700.jpg The artwork is by Vaida Gasiunaite, who from my Googling searches has done illustrations for other childrens books. The book by Lars-Kristian Holmsen is also very well done, with insightful and fresh explorations of each card. It's an excellently produced book, sturdy hardcover, color illustrations of each card, with the color of the pages in each section corresponding to the color theme of the cards (purple for majors, green for wands, maroon for cups, blue for swords, olive for pentacles). This would be an excellent beginner's deck, as well as refreshing new deck for the Tarot enthusiast. The H/G Tarot (for "Holmsen/Gasiunaite") has certainly gotten me enthused!

WolfSpirit	12 Sep 2004
I like the Hanged Man :D The cards are very original. Simple artwork, but original.

Asher	16 Sep 2004
I just got this deck today from Hamilton. It's a very appealing set, somewhat akin to the Barnes & Noble Tarot gift set. The artwork is simple and attractive, the cardstock is quite decent, and the book is hardcover. The book has fullcolor pictures of all the cards, the pages are color coded to the suits: Majors = lavender, Cups = pink, Wands = green, Swords = blue and Pentacles = lime green. The Minors, though un-illustrated, are suggestive of meaning. A few simple spreads are included, and each card has a page devoted to it. A great buy, I think, for $9.95. Asher

full deck	19 Sep 2004
I'm getting a copy sent to where I'm going on vacation. It's cheap enough and the design is very spare yet a bit whimsical. Nice.

lunakasha	02 Oct 2004
These are very pretty cards.....I wonder if they might carry it at my local B & N??? Hmmm..... :) Luna

full deck	02 Oct 2004
They were waiting on me when I got to the states. I ordered them from Amazon.com. They are very nice. They have a rather slick and smooth coating which means the cards can slide around when dealt into piles. The artwork is reproduced nicely. The deck is based upon the Marsielles pattern. The one unusual deviation in this deck is the "Chariot", which is called "The Hero". It portrays a man, floating in a gondola-style hot air balloon, floating above the circle of the earth's horizon. The man in the gondola is holding a red and yellow ribbon that streams in the breeze, below the gondola. Like the chariot, the man depicted is elevated but without the opposing tension of the white and black horses. The description of this card says Quote: This represents personal fulfillment, self-confidence and courage. It represents great plans to go out and conquer the world. . . . The true hero does not perform the greatest deeds in the outer world but rather within himself. He will go on an exploratory mission in his inner self, getting to know his deepest emotions, his fears and desires. Untiring, he will seek to integrate all the different aspects of himself -- all the tensions within himself. The better he succeeds in letting sexual energy serve long-range goals, serve true love and a higher level of insight, the more power he will have at his disposal -- both in the outside world and in his interior landscape. The copy needs editing too. It seems to be an easily readable deck as well as being one of the least expensive decks that offers the most for the money. My hat is off to the author.

Kath	15 Oct 2004
This deck is really cute, but I feel like I’ve seen one very similar to it before. I thought perhaps it was the Tarot Nova, but it’s not. The bottoms of the cards just look so familiar.

The Has anyone seen this deck before? thread was originally posted on 01 Sep 2004 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.