After much anticipation, arriving on the doorstep this week was Eros: The Garden of Love, the third offering from the design team at Uusi. While BRuT may have been their first deck, it was last year’s Pagan Otherworlds, that truly made them a force in the tarot world. Both decks proved that there are still new and fresh ways of seeing the cards in art. That also can be said of the new offering. BRuT was sleek and contemporary and Pagan Otherworld a neoclassical gem and now Eros is a whimsical treat that is both decadent, as well as, satisfying.
I should start off with the note that if you are on the prudish side this deck may not be the one for you. It’s not exactly a sexual tarot but it is on the naughty side. Also if you are looking for a sex magic type deck this deck may not be the right deck for you either.
Eros is the deck you bring out when you want a fun, cheeky evening of reading. Artistically it’s a departure from the stark beauty of their other decks and more of a frolic into the world of burlesque and Pop Art with a dash of Benny Hill going in the background. Be warned that you will see your most uptight archetypes in the deck let their hair down and shoulder straps slip all in the names of Fun, Love and Art.
Production wise the deck is up to the very high standards that Uusi has become known for. One of the stand out things that I loved from their last deck was the attention to detail on the packaging. While not as ornate as PoW, Eros’s box is sill very sumptuous. The embossed sides just beg to be touched. Clever collectors will open the deck from the bottom as to not break the special seals on the top of the box. Not to be outdone the card stock is a linen texture marvel, sturdy, shuffle-able and with just enough luster.
They chose to use a more limited color palate as is usual with at TDM and it works to make the deck a readable one. The Majors and court cards are all colorful, curvy and thoughtfully imagined. The deck is a TdM with the minors being done very traditionally but with a bit of a sexual overtone. The wands and swords are very, erect and the cups and coins are very lush and inviting. The addition of moon cards began with the PoW deck and continues here where we have 5 different lunar cards some with reversible faces. I have worked with them in their last deck and they are a good tool for timing.
Also for those completists out there the “Tarot Naughty Notes From Eros: The Garden of Love” is more then just a well presented ‘adult coloring book’ it also has a clever limerick worked out for each of the Majors, Courts, Aces and Moon cards.
III The Empress
Earth Mother, such a sweet Venus star,
Girl, what a clever Empress you are!
Working with pleasure,
You find the treasure,
Whose delights are never afar.
Overall another beautiful offering from Uusi. Because it’s a TdM it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is such a fun and artistic romp though the tarot that I would hate for people to miss it. Lace up the corset, rouge the cheeks and let your hair down for a romp in the ‘Card-en” of Love.