Tell-Me Tarot [Cards]

The Tell-Me Tarot, conceived by Arik Eyal and illustrated by Nir Cassuto, is a straightforward deck that not only depicts fully illustrated imagery, but also key words and divinatory meanings right on the card.

In addition, most cards either have a positive designation (+) or a negative designation (-), with several neutral (no symbol).

Designed with the beginner in mind, the keyword shortcuts and meanings printed on the card serve as a great memory aid and intuitive prompt. The imagery is colorful, pleasing, non-threatening, and dynamic.

The Tell-Me Tarot cards measure approximately 4 ¾ x 2 ¾ inches with an almost reversible, stylized sun/moon/stars motif on the backs (if you look closely, you can see that the pattern isn't entirely reversible).

This deck doesn't come with a Little White Book, but instead contains four cards that explain how to word questions and use several spreads.

Here are several examples of keywords, designations, and meanings printed on the cards:

* The Empress = Abundance (+) - Abundance, prosperity and success in response to your inquiry. Fertility and possibility for pregnancy.

* The Hierophant = The Healer (+) - Ability to teach, advise, and heal. Signifies a calling to help people or seek expert advice.

* The Devil = Fears (-) - Desires and fears could overcome you. Think positively and have faith in yourself.

* Death = Termination and Renewal - Let go of past patterns, people, or activities in order to allow renewal and personal growth.

* Six of Swords = Assistance - Your receive help and assistance to solve a problem. Your situation changes from stormy to calm.

* Two of Wands = Mid-Phase - You re between accomplishments and future goals. It's time to pause to consider future ventures.

* Four of Cups = Open Up (-) - You are emotionally closed and ignore all the love that surrounds you and is offered to you. Open up.

* Queen of Pentacles = Stability (+) - You establish long term security. You are practical, stable, and enjoy comforts. No need for changes.

Most of the divinatory meanings are quite good, but I feel that the negative and plus designations are not only confusing and unnecessary, but could become a roadblock to learning the cards and remaining open to the energetic continuum that exists within each.

For example, The Tower equates with Positive Changes (+), but experienced Tarot readers will tell you that while the *result* of The Tower can bring renewal and wonderful changes, the process of getting there via the lightning bolt is usually anything *but*. It would have been much better to call this card "Drastic Change", and leave off the (+) entirely.

Another confusing example is the Two of Pentacles compared to the Seven of Cups. The Two of Pentacles equates to Indecisiveness (neutral designation), advising "You are indecisive and have difficulty making commitments. Decide and commit in order to find fulfillment." I could buy this interpretation (although I think the Two of Swords would have been more appropriate).

But in a similar card, the Seven of Cups (equating with Confusion), the advice states "You are multi-talented, with too many options. In order to succeed, you need to focus on one choice". Yet, for some reason, this card has a negative (-) designation.

While a great idea with an admirable presentation, I feel that the Tell-Me Tarot deck would have been better served had the negative and positive designation symbols been left off altogether. This way, whether a card's energy--or the actions taken in light of its appearance in a reading--ends up being beneficial or hindering, constructive or destructive, could be determined by the querent (or deck user).

This deck would be great for those interested in learning the Tarot, including children, making the Tell-Me Tarot a nice adjunct to beginner books. The expressive imagery alone invites speculation, storytelling and intuitive insight. However, one risk in this type of deck is that the student will find it difficult to create his/her own interpretations down the road because the ones provided have been cemented in their consciousness.

(To see 15 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at [...])

-- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book

I have always loved tarot cards. There's something just so delightfully arcane and occulty about them. I have loads of decks that I love to thumb through but never use. I own "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tarot and Fortune-Telling" by Arlene Tognetti and Lisa Lenard and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tarot Spreads" by Arlene Tognetti and Carolyn Flynn, and I still don't read tarot. Why? I can never remember the basic fundamental meanings of the cards. Now I know there is this whole school of intuitive tarot reading where you define the cards yourself based on what they seem to mean to you, and I get that, I really do. However my respect for the old school will not allow me to do that without first knowing exactly what Arthur Edward Waite said they meant first...by memory. What is a slave to tradition like me supposed to do? Turn to the "Tell-Me Tarot" created by Arik Eyal and illustrated by Nir Cassuto.

The "Tell-Me Tarot" is a traditional 78-card tarot deck that features whimsical art that plays off the traditional "Universal Waite Tarot Deck" artwork. The big difference between the "Tell-Me Tarot" and other decks is the inclusion on each card of a brief meaning for the card. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? It's so clever!

For instance, a favorite card of mine, Death is explained in Waite's "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot" as "The veil or mask of life is perpetuated in change, transformation and passage from lower to higher, and this is more fitly represented in the rectified Tarot by one of the apocalyptic visions than by the crude notion of the reaping skeleton. Behind it lies the whole ascent in the spirit. The mysterious horseman moves slowly, bearing a banner emblazoned with the Mystic Rose, which signifies life. Between two pillars on the verge of the horizon there shines the sun of immortality. The horseman carries no visible weapon, but king and child and maiden fall before him, while a prelate with clasped hands awaits his end.

There should be no need to point out that the suggestion of death which I have made in connection with the previous card is, of course, to be understood mystically, but this is not the case in the present instance. The natural transit of man to the next stage of his being either is or may be one form of his progress, but the exotic and almost unknown entrance, while still in this life, into the state of mystical death is a change in the form of consciousness and the passage into a state to which ordinary death is neither the path nor gate. The existing of occult explanations of the 13th card are, on the whole, better than usual, rebirth, creation, destination, renewal, and the rest."

Obviously the previous definition is describing the art and symbolism of the Waite deck, but still, pretty long and involved. What happens when you draw Death in the "Tell-Me Tarot"? You get the delightful variant art by Nir Cassuto and at the bottom of the card it says "DEATH=TERMINATION & RENEWAL Let go of past patterns, people, or activities in order to allow renewal and personal growth." How simple is that?

Thanks to the on card definitions, there is no need for the little booklet that comes with most tarot decks. Instead, there are four cards that briefly explain a few spreads and different ways to use the cards.

The "Tell-Me Tarot" is the perfect starter deck for anyone interested in tarot.

I saw this tarot at Janet Boyer.com and on Youtube. I have been trying to learn tarot for years but trying to memorize multiple meanings and correspondences has always gotten in the way. This is the first deck that has made it simple for me to love tarot and hasn't been relegated to the dusty bookshelf. The pictures look like a block print- but this isn't a bad thing. I find them charming. They make sense with what meanings they are trying to convey. I also like the meanings. For example I have also thought of the Knight of Swords as "rushing" and the eight of wands as "speed". There is subtle difference but enough to trip me up. The Tell-me-tarot has the Knight as "rushing" and the eight as "rain of activity", it makes me look at it from a whole different angle. If there is a danger here, its in getting to bogged down with these over other meanings, but as long as you keep an open mind that other meanings for the cards are possible then you shouldn't get into any trouble.

As for the nuts and bolts, this deck is illustrated throughout. There is a picture on each card that matches its meaning, as I said before. The backs have a sun and moon pattern on a light blue background that is just as whimsical as the arcanas. The set also comes with two instruction cards and two cards with sample spreads to get you started. There is no little white book (LWB) but since the meanings are printed on each card you don't need one.

Bright Blessings,
Witchy Kid