Monday 17 September 2007

Simply tarot.

Tarot Review
Simply Tarot by Amanda Hall

This is the first of many card reviews I have planned over time, and this one has been chosen first as it one we bought for the workshops.

I first saw this one a few weeks back being used by one of our students in a tarot workshop and at first thought it was a really colourful version of the rider waite deck, well in fact in a way it is, but that said felt it was something we should have as a workshop set.

I checked the internet shops, Amazon and a few other places with no luck so gave up on the idea not knowing the pack details, then out of the blue on of our centres members found some on Ebay of all places, in fact the seller said they could get more than one set.

So he ordered me some too, the arrived at the centre Thurday night packed in a box with a book and a DVD.















After unpacking the cards and looking though them, the thing that struck me the most was how similar they were to the rider waite cards, but far better, the images were more like pictures and photo's than drawings with far more colour and detail.

As a tarot student from years back I started with rider waite but after my initial learning I changed to the Aquarian Tarot and have used them ever since, these on the other hand if they had been around 25 years ago, I could of happily used them.
















For a beginner with tarot, you couldn't go far wrong with this set, the book is simple and explains each card without going into great detail, the trouble with many books when you are just starting out is far to much information to absorb at once.

The down side is the spreads in this book seem somewhat daunting for a first time student as Amanda has used far more cards than strictly needed for a basic spread, although I can see why, the more cards you have the more information you can give out in your reading.
The spread below is taken from the book showing a 26 card celtic cross (I use 10) so the detail is greater for a first timer with a layout such as this
















If you do try out this set, before you watch the DVD, read the book cover to cover and get used to the cards, the DVD is very fast paced and, to be honest if I was a beginner would of lost the plot quite early on, I do think the dvd could of been at a slower pace making it a far better and useful learning tool, everything on the dvd is in the book away so at least if you have read the book the film will just back up what you have learnt already.


Amanda Hall's Website

The publisher is Hinkler Books, ISBN Number 1-7415-7535-4 published in 2005

Amanda Hall is a clairvoyant from Australia and has been teaching tarot herself since the early eighties, and although I don't agree with all her meanings on the cards the set is a good starting point to the world of tarot.




2 comments:

Roswila said...

Whew! That 26 card Celtic Cross would daunt me and I've been reading over 30 years.

I can see how the cards themselves might be a bit easier for beginners to read. From the two you share they do seem pleasing and clear.

Nice, helpful review!

Scruffyhippo said...

Thankyou Roswilla, yes I agree, I doubt I will doing an 'extended' cletic cross anytime soon :)