Halloween TarotKipling West
US Games, 1996
This deck was received as a gift as part of the 2011 Halloween Exchange at Aeclectic Tarot. It is one that I have wanted, but had not been able to get - I didn’t know which version I wanted! This is the smaller version in the tin. THIS is the one I wanted! I am glad my exchange partner new that.
The size is perfect for my small hands. It is the same size, but a bit narrower, as a deck of playing cards. The card stock is light and supple. This is the kind of deck that encourages riffling. I can sit and just shuffle like that for hours - but very rarely with a tarot deck as most are much too large (or too stiff). The tin is absolutely precious and makes me think that ALL decks should come in their own custom tins.
The suits have been renamed in this deck to fit the Halloween theme. First, this is not a “witchy,” or pagan Samhain themed deck. No, this is good old fashioned American styled Halloween. The commercial kind with candy and lots of stereotypes. I love it.
Back to the suits. The suit of wands has been renamed imps. As imps are often considered to be a fire creature, this fits. They look like wee devils and are not scary at all. The suit of cups has been renamed ghosts. This one took a bit. But really, a ghost is just a person without a vessel. And emotions are often invisible and flow. We put them in cups so we can hold them and keep them close. A ghost is like emotion that has been able to flow without the confines of a vessel. A stretch? Perhaps. But it works for me.
The suit of swords are represented by bats. Bats, like critical thinking, instill fear in the uninformed. I feel the fit the suit well. People seem to have an irrational fear of bats. Swords as representatives of thought and logic are just as strange as Bats. And besides, Bats are more related to Air than Swords. This, I believe, is called rationalization. But once again, this logic works for me. The suit of disks are renamed pumpkins. This is an obvious choice, in my opinion.
As a working deck, I think it has its niche. It is wonderful for the Halloween season. For everyday use, I think it would get cloying after awhile. I found it easy to work with and look forward to using it again next Halloween.
Rating: Keeper
