Maxwell Miller
Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1996
Another treasure from an Estate Sale through Tarot Garden. It came in a green velveteen bag reeking of cigarette smoke.
This deck has only 74 cards. Mr. Miller felt that for the tarot court to accurately reflect the Zodiac that it should have only 12 members instead of 16. The Pages were tossed. I haven't missed them really and I can dig his reasoning.
The card stock is slippery and supple and easy to handle. It isn't bad - just different! The cards are slightly larger than normal and a bit hard to handle for my smaller hands. The backs are remarkably plain compared to what is going on on the face on nearly every one of those 74 cards.
The deck follows a Golden Dawn system. And this brings me to the thought I had not too long ago. Somewhere, I think I read that Golden Dawn members were eventually tasked with creating their own interpretation of the Tarot (using Golden Dawn criteria, of course). I ask because each Golden Dawn deck I get is vastly different from the others. Not that I have a huge collection of these (not for lack of trying, BTW). But it is just something I noticed.The esoteric symbolism used in this deck is from all over the planet (and possibly beyond). There is just so much! Too much, really, for me. I am just getting a handle on regular Golden Dawn symbolism and Thoth symbolism and here this deck tosses in everything else. For the most part, systems are restricted to one per card - there isn't a Tantric/Native American/Egyptian mixture on any cards. And I thank all that is holy for that.
As a reading deck it is a mixed review. On one hand, using it in purely intuitive (no systems, no esoterica, no religion) exercises is magical. It is easy to just try to intuit meaning from the images because for the most part, I have NO clue what the symbolism is! Yet, when I try to use it as a tarot deck, adhering to some sort of structure and system, I fall on my face. I just don't understand what I am seeing. The astrology is very heavy in this deck and important as well.
I am ambivalent about this deck, but I won't pass it on. It is part of my set and I will keep it for doing intuitive exercises at Aclectic Tarot. Please. Don't ask for a reading using this deck. I will refuse.
Rating: Collectible (Golden Dawn)
