Tarot Nova

So, one day, a wee while ago, there I was, wandering around my local Chapters (used to be an awesome book store, until they "Indigo-ed" the crap out of it!) Anyhoo, there I was, minding my own business, standing in the queue for the registers, probably with one (or more) Tarot decks in hand, when I saw this little display of small box sets, carefully positioned, as always in that type of store, to catch your attention on your way out. One of the boxes on display was this sweet, dinky Box of Tarot. So - of course - I just had to buy it! I mean, how could I not?

As it turned out, this little Tarot deck is actually called the Tarot Nova, and it is really quite a fun, yet serious deck. Sure, the cards are small, although there is an even smaller version than the one I have! The artwork is somewhat esoteric, as one would expect for a Tarot deck, but does follow the Rider-Waite tradition. It's simplistic imagery makes it an ideal and interesting deck for younger students, giving them a surreptitious introduction to the arcane aspects of Tarot in a more user-friendly form. The backgrounds are all black, making the simple, almost childish imagery standout, and the cards are finished with a high gloss cover, that makes them easy to shuffle, even thought the cardstock is quite thick and rigid.

Details of the Deck:

Tradition: RWS-Golden dawn

Major Arcana: 22 cards

Minor Arcana: 56 cards

Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen, King

Fire Suit: Wands

Air Suit: Swords

Water Suit: Cups

Earth Suit: Pentacles

Designer(s): Paul Kepple

Artist(s): Julie Paschkis

Publisher: Running Press, 1996

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So, I count it as a very happy accident the brought this deck into my collection. I couldn’t have imagined that the purchase on a whim would bring so exciting a piece of Tarot esoterica to enhance my growing collection, and I thoroughly enjoy traversing through its whimsical mysteries every once in a while, especially nowadays, as the weight of the World grows heavier by the day, and its Fate darkens moment by moment as we all await whatever terrible outcome the Powers That Be will decide for us mere mortals! Too heavy? Then nip out and buy this deck and have a little fun while you still can!

The deck I bought also came with an excellent, colourful 98 page LWB, full of the standard meanings for the cards, and a fold-out chart with instructions on how to conduct a Tarot card reading. All-in-all, an excellent package all round!

Major Arcana:

0 - The Fool

1 - The Magician

2 - The High Priestess

3 - The Empress

4 - The Emperor

5 - The Hierophant

6 - The Lovers

7 - The Chariot

8 - Justice

9 - The Hermit

10 - Wheel of Fortune

I’m not really sure if the deck is aimed at a much younger audience, although the artistry would seem to indicate so, but, to be honest, it's the joy and wonder that a deck like this can instill in youngsters that makes it such a worthwhile addition to any collection. There's nothing more satisfying than knowing you've started an acolyte on their journey into a higher plane of interest, where nothing is a given and everything is open to self-interpretation. And this is exactly the type of tongue-in-cheek deck that will inspire them along their way!

I love the touches of whimsy all throughout this deck - The Fool on a giant cat, the Rabbit for a magician, a balloon for a ship in the 6 of Swords, a boot for an Emperor, a bicycle for a Chariot, a snail shell for a Hermit’s cave, the worm in the apple on the 4 of Cups, the Page of Cups down on one knee as he proposes - to name just a few. But don’t be fooled - all of the esoteric and Kabbalistic associations are there, hidden in the cards! An Ankh under the breasts of the Empress, the sign of Cancer as the pedals to the Chariot’s bike, the Zodiac sign for Capricorn by the Devil’s foot, the sign for Mercury in the Rabbit’s hand, and on and on! This makes this more than just a toy deck for children to have fun with - it is a complete learning tool for those with keen eyes and a desire to understand the deep traditions and knowledge underlying Tarot!