Review - Decode Tarot

Decode Tarot: Master Meanings, Reversals and Combinations

Author: Debra Zachau

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, September 2024 

Description: 176-page paperback book

Book Size: 6 x 9

"One single card is not a complete reading because each card you lay down tells more of the story."

"Decode Tarot takes you from reading upright only along with traditional meanings into specific combinations, crosses, and reversals that have proved accurate by testing them over thousands of readings and client feedback."

Master the Minors, Master the Courts, and Master the Majors.

After a short introduction, Part One: Mastering the Minors begins with a brief look at the Tarot cards as a whole, separating them into sections, and a glance at the different suits.

The Suits And Their Personalities is very revealing, although I would have liked to have a little more on this topic. The Celtic cross is covered briefly, along with reversals, combinations, and timing.

Timing: "I never waiver from a one-month format and assign 30 days to each card."

As you begin the journey through the Minors, you'll see the number/element, main keyword(s), an image from the Rider-Waite Deck, information about the card, combinations and reversals. This is not the typical list of combinations. The author explains the reasoning for the combinations and gives examples. 

There are reading examples throughout, but also full readings.  Within the Master the Minors, there are two full readings. One is "I Just Lost My Job!". The author explains what she sees within the cards and then explains how she presents the reading to the client. She also gives a gem of information about the last card of the Celtic Cross. 

"If the last card is not a Major Arcana, I keep laying down cards, each representing 30 days, to see how long this phase will last."

Part Two: Master the Courts starts with a Traditional Overview Of The Court Cards, followed by Here Are My Exceptions to These Rules That Have Served Me Well. 

"Pages are dependent people, whether they are under 18 of age or an adult, with limited capacity to support themselves."

Each Court is presented with images, a brief overview, a list of people and characters who fit within the family, and a deeper dive into the family, with combinations and reversals. There is another full reading in this section, along with other gems of knowledge. 

"Generally, I read Kings and Queens as people first and energy second."

Mastering the Majors begins with an introduction to the Divine Councils: Guardians, Teachers and Mentors, Guides, and Angels.

The Journey of the Fool opens the door to the Major Arcana. After each card's name and an image, the text walks you through a summary of the card, including meanings, reversals and combinations.

"The World completes the road from the young novice with the heroic Fool's heart to a well-rounded and wise conclusion described by the World."

"If this life's journey was expressed in a straight line, it would look like this:" Debra Zachau shares her thoughts on the Fool's Journey through each of the Major cards.

A short conclusion page wraps up the guide.

I did a few personal readings, using the Decode Tarot. The overall readings did not change, but I felt they went a little deeper because of the added knowledge of the cards. 

There was only one thing in this whole book I found a little off-putting. The author does not believe one should read for themselves; therefore, the text refers to the client as a reference point. 

I, personally, have never had trouble reading for myself. I've reached out to others on occasion to confirm to myself I wasn't mis-reading because of my closeness to the situation. They've always come back with very similar readings. I believe you can determine whether reading for yourself results in good readings. 

I highly recommend Decode Tarot by Debra Zachau to anyone, and everyone, interesting in learning or diving deeper into the Tarot.

Grab your copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: Lisboa Tarot

Lisboa Tarot - Tarot through the Streets of Lisbon

Author: Beth Seilonen

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2023

Description: 78 cards, 128-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 3 x 5

"The Lisboa Tarot was inspired predominantly by a summer visit to the city of Lisbon, Portugal."

The Lisboa Tarot is printed on thick card stock. The deck measures 1 1/2 inches thick. They shuffle fairly well hand over hand. The images have a slightly blurred effect. The colors blue and yellow are predominate in this deck, a little too much for my taste. The images are simple, yet in a way complex. 

"The people that are showcased in the cards are statues found throughout the city." 

The King of Cups - "This King card was inspired by the statue that stands in the small plaza outside the Santa Casa da Misericordia." 

The Four of Wands - "This card was inspired by the gazebo that sits in the Jardim da Estrela. One can find impromptu dancing there in the evenings, with lots of positive vibes."

XI Justice - "This card was inspired by the central figure found in the pediment of the Assembly of the Republic, the Parliament."

The Guidebook, after a short preface and introduction to the deck, dives straight into the cards. Each Major Arcana is presented with its number, name, and a small image. The upright and reversed meanings are given, followed by the details about the image.

The Minor Arcana cards are first presented with an explanation of the overall suit. Each individual card has its name, a small image, the upright and reversed meanings, and details about the image.

The author ends the journey by sharing two spreads, a 5-card (for making choices) and a 7-card (for planning). A short conclusion and about the author section completes the small guide.

Overall, I enjoyed exploring this deck. I wasn't exactly captivated by the images, but the guidebook presentation is worth exploring. Based on the Rider-Waite system, this deck would make a nice addition to the shelf. The readings I did were accurate. I just didn't feel much of a vibe with them.

Grab a copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: the Fool's New Journey Tarot

The Fool's New Journey Tarot 

Sixty Triumphs for a New Dawn

Author: John Matthews

Artist: Charles Newington

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2024

Description: 60 Cards, 248-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid, and cardboard slipcase.

Card Size: 2 3/4 by 4

"John Matthews's idea to reinvent Tarot is, to put the matter in simple terms, sublime." ~ Andrea Aste

After a praising foreword by Andrea Aste, the author gives an introduction of the history of the past and present tarot and explains why he felt the need to create this deck.

"The Fool's New Journey Tarot avoids misreadings of its symbolic language by representing recognizable aspects of the human condition without losing the resonance of traditional Tarot."

Part One of the Guidebook covers the Sixty Triumphs. "The less you compare these with the older traditions, the better, though there will be some overlaps and references that you will recognize." Each card is covered in two pages - a small card image, number/name, card description and meaning, reversed meaning, upright keywords, and reversal keywords.

Part Two of the Guidebook the author tells two fables which follows the Fool's journey through the traditional Major Arcana Cards and then the New Journey Tarot Cards. "These are designed to illustrate the differences between the traditional Tarot sequence and this wholly new sequence of The Fool's New Journey Tarot."

Part Three of the Guidebook covers working with the deck - questions, sample readings, interpreting, dealing with reversals and other techniques. Three spreads are offered to use specifically for this deck.

Overall, I was very impressed by the guidebook. I enjoyed both stories of the Fool's journey. The card descriptions were interesting. The only issue was the guidebook doesn't open fully. I tried bending the bind, but I couldn't get it to flatten out for easier reading.

The cards are easy to shuffle. The card backs allow for reversals. The images are simple, and somewhat cartoonish.   The card box is very tight and makes it hard to get the cards in and out.

The cardboard slipcase fits tightly over the box, which makes it difficult to pull off and back on. Not sure if it would be worth the trouble, unless its plan is to sit on the shelf.

Although I saw glimpses of the traditional Tarot throughout this deck, I would have to call this a Tarot Oracle. In my opinion, this deck could not take the place of the Tarot deck. But, I'm not sure if it's meant to. The author states, "literally a new journey for The Fool, resetting the style and purpose of the deck more or less back to zero, then taking it to places it has never been before."

While working with the deck, The Wasteland became my stalker card.

"The Wasteland is the place we make when we forget the meaning of life and take up the dark path of warfare and destruction." 

Keywords include: Desolation. Destruction. Stagnation. Loss of direction. Loss of purpose. Abandonment. Environmental failure. Old wounds. Madness.

As I read through the description of the card, the image of the 5 of Swords popped into my mind, but also the 9 of Swords, and a few other cards. "In the individual this speaks of a deeply hidden sorrow for which there seems no cure; yet, we have hope, and if our will allows us, we can search for healing for ourselves."

For a deeper look into this deck, here's a sample three card reading. Past, Present, Future position. Question: an overview of where I am, and where I'm going. 

44 The Star - "Here we have chosen to show a dancer in the spotlight, symbolically representing you in your desire for success and clearer insight." As a representation of the past, The Star suggests you had an expectation of where you might be at this moment in your life. "-literally the star of your own life."

41 The Clown - "When this card comes up in a reading, you should be wary of your own actions, as well as those of others, being careful not to use mockery as a weapon, which may all too easily turn against you." The Clown, representing the present, may suggest feelings of imposter syndrome. "The face may be painted on in the form of a smile, but beneath this The Clown may be angry, sad, or vindictive." You may feel like you haven't fulfilled your expectations.

47 Judgement - "For most readers today, it is more likely to be seen as a call to rise, not to heaven but to a new direction or purpose in life." As representation of the future, Judgement suggests a time of change, of redirection. "In most readings, depending on the adjacent cards, Judgement reflects a need for change-" If you currently feel you're not where you want to be in life, a change will be necessary to redirect your path. "The card often appears at a time when you may be at a crossroads and need to make the appropriate decision as to which path to take, on the basis of your own judgement."

Overview - Your hopes and expectations may have failed to come to fruition. Instead of sitting with the disappointment, a much-needed change needs to occur in order to redirect your energies toward your dreams. It's never too late to accomplish what you may have strayed from. Take some time to sort out your thoughts and expectations. Make a plan and follow your chosen path.

I was impressed by the resulting readings of this deck. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new type of reading. The Tarot messages are here, just in a different form. The Fool's New Journey Tarot would make a good deck to any collector, or reader. 

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)