Tarot Gothica
By Janne Koivuniemi
Published by Schiffer Publishing. US $24.99 : UK £16.99
Reviewed by Wendy Stokes
“Light to lighter – darker to darker!”
A 78-card deck and a guidebook are contained in this black and blue magnetic box. This Tarot is fashion conscious, modern and unusual. It’s the young goth’s party tarot reading deck—and ideal for Halloween! Unusually, the card backs are obviously showing which way they have been dealt. I would think no reversal readings, only upright.
Booklet information: The Majors have an enigmatic poem of 30 words plus an unusual text for understanding the card of 80 words each. The Minors have 30 words of text. The Suits are Batons, Chalices, Swords and Coins, and the Court Cards are Princess, Prince, Queen and King. Draw 3 cards for a reading of Past, Now and Future.
The creator, Janne Koivuniemi is a professional photographer and graphic artist with a Theosophy and Freemasonic background. There are lots of slim, young naked girls, or buxom ones dressed in red velvet or black lace, in haunting and dark settings.
Sample: For Death, the image shows an open tomb with a Celtic cross headstone. We also see a slim, naked young woman with long black hair. She is literally picked off the ground by her neck by a man with a black top hat and long black coat. He holds in his hand a scythe as though he is about to cut her to pieces. Neither have attractive faces. A raven sits atop the grave stone with a red rose in its beak. The book states for the Death card: “The time of emptiness, the night’s desolation, the silence of morning, the passing thought of yesterday, no future, no past, only the present, only the wind crosses the land that no longer knows its trekker, the birds beak holds a reminder of the future. Balance is unnecessary. Nature has taken control. Scythe has done the work separating life and death, the temporal and eternal. The body will be given to the Earth that once led it into being. The raven will carry life to its next form. The black figure slides over the empty ground and will find you every time which is the only comfort there is. Life does not vanish, but the change is necessary. Advice: This is the end of an era. Take it or not, chances will appear. Clear your mind. New things will fill you.”
I would say these cards are for a reader with knowledge of traditional tarot, in case you don’t remember what the Gothica interpretation suggests. Go with your intuition and take a look at the card in case the image provides a storyline to inspire you. Great party readings for Halloween!
Reviewed by Wendy Stokes
