Tarot Review - Victoria Regina Tarot

Hello! Have you ever just looked at a deck and knew you had to have it? Well that was the case with this deck. I was watching a lovely YouTube video by Tarot by Arwen, and she used the Victoria Regina deck. I knew I needed it.    And then she said the dreaded words...Out of Print - Hard to Find. My heart sank. I pined after this deck, coming back to it over and over again. I searched high and low for about a year until I found (and won!) and Ebay listing that wasn't ridiculous. Still pricey...but not ridiculous for an OOP deck. This deck came out by Llewellyn in 2002 in a boxed set. I've found the book isn't hard to find, but the deck itself is rare (unless you want to pay upwards of $200, and I did not).   Now about this deck. Just look at it! The black and white images are stunning. The authors George Patterson and Sarah Ovenall did a masterful job. Ovenall used mixed media collage work from vintage Victorian engravings to create the card's images. Knowing that these images are period works of art elevates this deck for me. If you enjoy the Victorian (and even Edwardian era) this deck will speak to you. This has a really interesting steampunk quality, as each suite has an interesting theme.    Swords = Guns, Cups = Mason Jars, Pentacles = Watches (or Clocks),  Wands = Fountain Pens  

 Minor Arcana  

 Minor Arcana - Court Cards   Don't they make a handsome profile. The Queen of Cups is perfect. The Major Arcana are equally as lovely. I always have to check my "favorites": The Moon and The Star. I picked a few others to give you an idea. How creepy is The Devil? Although usually a card of inner power, Temperance shows some real outward energy. And my beloved Moon and Star are gorgeous.  

 Major Arcana

   Even the card backs are superb. Not really reversible, and usually that annoys me, but in this case I love it.

Now the book. This is really well done, nice and big with lots of info. The cards follow a RWS, its not an exact clone, but someone with a little tarot knowledge can just pick these up and use them right away. The book is full of good stuff, so even advanced readers should give it a skim. The authors put the sources of the images, which is a great touch. They also point out who is on the card, perfect for someone who isn't terribly familiar with royal family's portraits.

  I really don't have anything bad to say about this deck. But honestly, why would I? I've done my research and knew what to expect. If you need lots of colorful images, this isn't the deck for you. If you are an Anglophile with love of the Victorian era, this is a perfect deck to add to your collection. Don't give up if you can't find it right away, keep on looking. It took me over a year to find one.   I'm going to spend a lot of time working with this beauty.    Until next time, Jenny