Halloween Tarot Deck/Book Set

I LOVE Halloween and after considering this deck for several years, finding myself in a more-than-usual Halloweeny mood this year, decided to get it. I couldn't have made a better decision. This deck and I 'bonded' almost instantly. I find the cards really just opening up information and ideas to me in a way I'm really not used to with my past tarot practice. ("so THIS is what it's supposed to be like!")

Though it's drawn in a cartoon-like style, and the themes are fun (what's not to love about Halloween?) it's far from shallow! I've never owned the actual RWS deck, but I'm familiar with the 'traditional imagery.' This deck is also based on that traditional imagery, so it's not like it's so far out in left field that you have no basis to work from in reading the cards. But of course, you don't have to be familiar with RWS for this deck to be useful, either.

As a bonus, the added twist of the Halloween theme just adds more layers to it to explore. I initially thought swapping the traditional suits of Coins (or Pentacles), Swords, Wands and Cups for Pumpkins, Bats, Imps and Ghosts would just be kind of silly. Nope -- it works! It makes perfect sense when working with this deck. Sometimes, to me, more sense than the 'traditional' suits. It just seems to give me more information to work with. I've been using this deck for several days, and I've done more readings in that time than I have in the last several months -- particularly because I so enjoy working with it, and the information I am getting is so instant, spot-on, useful, intriguing, and just plain fun.

The accompanying book is very nice. Though I'm focusing on developing a more intuitive tarot practice, I still like to have the book handy for some guidance as to what the deck author had in mind, if I get really stuck (though I only use it when I'm stuck). When I first got my deck, the first thing I did was sit down and go through all the cards one at a time, without looking at the book, just to get my own intuitive feel for them. After spending a day or so on that, I read the book cover to cover, just to get an overview. The chapters on the history of Halloween are a lot of fun, and each card's description is succinct and to the point. It gives a nice background, and pointed out a few things I might not have thought of on my own, to store in the back of my mind; my theory being, they'll pop up in the future if I need that information for a particular reading.

So ... everyone is different, and decks some people love do nothing for someone else. But for me, this deck has been awesome, actually exceeding my expectations. If you love Halloween, definitely try this deck. It's not only a lot of fun, but has some rich and thought-provoking imagery, and is well worth exploring.

-- Karen Hall, on Amazon

I first saw this set sometime last year. A friend of mine owned it and I looked through it and smiled the whole way through. It's very innocent and sweet, bringing a playfulness to the spirit of Halloween that you don't really see anymore. The deck is very detailed with all 78 cards included. The book outlines each and every card, and gives a brief but very entertaining and detailed history about the traditions and origins of Halloween -- very comprehensive. This deck and its book have been a joy and makes learning the Tarot very fun for me. I recommend it to anyone who likes a little holiday in their spiritual step!

-- Angela Gregory, on Amazon

Author Karin Lee has written a wonderful introduction to this tarot, and to tarot in general. Her writing is incredibly friendly and instantly understandable. She offers a brief but comprehensive overview of the history of Halloween, and she gives us detailed meanings behind its symbols and customs through time and culture. Her approach respects Halloween's pagan past, so those who celebrate Halloween as a "religious" holiday, should not be the least bit offended. Her information on tarot is very good, and offers the beginning reader much to get started with. All the cards are given ample space in the book, with a description of details in the cards, meanings behind the symbols, comparisons to the traditional Rider-Waite images, and divinatory meanings for upright and reversed cards. Care was obviously taken to avoid sounding too negative, because in many cards the negative has been toned down, or at the very least a positive suggestion for change has been made. This makes the deck suitable for younger people, and for those who might be drawn to the deck just for the fun of it. I found all of the card meanings to be based on the traditional, with some great personal insights from the author. It only took me an hour or so to read the book, so it is a light and easy read.

-- Nellie Levine, on Illumination Tarot

The book is well written. It offers full details on the symbology of each card along with the divinatory and reverse meanings. The author also goes into the history of Halloween and how it is celebrated in different cultures. The author also tries to offer some insight as to how certain images have become associated with Halloween like jack o' lanterns and black cats. Overall, it's a heck of a lot of fun, but also very educational! Buy it!

-- Amazon customer