Tarot of the Vampires
Charles Harrington
Illustrated by Craig Maher
Llewellyn Worldwide (July 8, 2023)
Reviewed by N. Richards
Wow! What a deck, this one feels special as soon as you lay your hands on it. A feast for the eyes, and esoteric wisdom to really sink your teeth into!
The seventy eight cards and two hundred and forty page book arrives in a sturdy full size magnetic clasp box, with a black ribbon trim. The Stunning illustration for the Queen of swords adorns the cover and the inside of the box is also richly decorated with illustrations. The back of the cards shows a classic Lily and Rose on Gothic masonry design .
The deck`s Author Charles Harrington is truly in love with the art of tarot itself and this is evident as you journey your way through the “codex of the vampires”!
Conceptually brilliant! This is C Harrington’s fourth tarot guide , previous works include , murder of crows Tarot, as well as other exciting titles, He is a long time teacher and practitioner of the art of Tarot . Even his free time is occupied with discovering the new as applied to the art. He is truly “dedicated” to the art in the old fashioned sense. not that there is anything “old fashioned” about this set on the contrary it feels fresh, modern, and vibrant.
The collaboration with Craig Maher is sublime, Craig Maher is a fantasy artist supremo! He has won best of show at GenCon and has appeared in spectrum : the best in contemporary fantastic art.
All the well loved archetypes of the vampire genre are present but they are all reimagined with that real Wow factor!
There is also healthy use and integration of occult symbolism throughout for instance the Egyptian ankh integrates with the traditional suit of wands It really works well ! as does the legend of Lilith as the Empress, and the Vesica pisces as a symbol for cups to name just a few! Thrilling stuff! Charles Expert advice includes a section for blessing, protecting and dedicating and practicing, keeping a journal, and all sorts of practical advice before working with the deck which makes you feel safe and sound.
Each card has a whole page with a full size image and a full page offering guidance for the card itself, including reversed meanings.
Six fascinating spreads are thoughtfully included including old classics like the horseshoe which is the one I tried, it was most refreshing to resurrect an old classic. As well as exciting new spreads like” Between heaven and hell” and “shadow work”
Joyous in its supernatural style. This deck is suitable from beginner to adept.
