
Review by Velvet Angel The Steele Wizard Tarot is a self-published deck by artist Pamela Steele. Her work is brilliant! The art is done in watercolor with shades of pastels to create lifelike images that are very appealing and inviting. Many of the cards follow the Rider-Waite-Smith traditional Tarot, but there are some variations. It's a deck that is easy to use and relate to. I find a sense of comfort with this deck. The cards, however, are oversized, measuring at approximately 5-1/2" x 4." This makes shuffling difficult, but you can use either a side-to-side shuffling method (shuffling the cards horizontally instead of vertically), or you can just spread the cards out face down, mix them up, and choose what you feel drawn to.
The Steele Wizard Tarot is a well-presented, masterful, and beautiful Tarot deck creation! If you would like to see all the card images of this deck and learn more about the author and her art -- and how to order this deck -- just visit the website of Pamela Steele at: www.steelewizard.com. As this deck is self-published, you will naturally not get the deck at the same price as a mass-produced deck would be. You will pay a higher cost, but in consideration of the beautiful cards, the full-color companion book, and the lovely sturdy box that holds this set together . . . the author's price is more than fair. I, myself, am also a self-publisher of books, and I can relate to the need and desire to self-publish versus mass produce through a publisher. From all that I have read and heard, the author gets very little for his or her hard work, while the publisher feasts from the work and creativity of others. And thus, self-publishing has worked well for me, and it seems that it must work quite well for the author of the Steele Wizard Tarot, too. At least with self-publishing, we are more ensured of putting some food on the table, versus earning a mere dollar or two from each sale! |
|---|
Review by Bonnie CehovetThe "Steele Wizard Tarot" is an exceptionally well presented 88 card Tarot deck. The deck and companion book come in a sturdy cardboard box, which is covered in a brownish-burgundy covering. The sides of the box bear the deck name in gold script. The top of the box bears the deck and author information, in gold, and a beautiful graphic, also in gold. The bottom of the box bears a brief description of the deck, and comments from Maya Heath ("The Egyptian Oracle" & "Magical Oils by Moonlight"), Solandia, and alchemist Adam McLean. The function and meaning of the additional cards to the Major Arcana have to be intuited from the appropriate Guidelines section. The Weaver represents your destiny, and where you are on your path. The Universe speaks of the ability to access the Creative Forces of the Void. Truth speaks of the Seeker recognizing their own Life Truth. Soul Twins speaks of Self-knowing and of acknowledging Self. Evolution speaks of experiencing creation ... of knowing where and why you belong. I AM speaks of knowing the Divinity within, and being able to manifest it in outward |
Tarot Reflections by Melanie Harris, ATA interview_from the site Steele Wizard Tarot, A masterfully illustrated 88-card tarot that provides a clear concise reading for the beginning or the master reader.
|
Reviewed by: John Marani, CPTR The Steele Wizard Tarot is an 88-card tarot deck that took me by surprise, because while it can be considered a “standard” Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) derivative deck in many respects, it has several important features that make it stand out from the pack. The beautiful, hand-drawn images contain a lot of the RWS imagery, with just enough variation to keep things interesting for the reader. Many of the images have been reduced down so they are expressed more simply, but that fact doesn’t seem to take away from the power of the artwork. The major arcana have a Roman numeral at the top in the center and their title centered across the bottom, with a gorgeous rainbow crystal framing the image on the left and right. The minors have no numbers but each has the card title across the bottom in the same place as the majors, with the image bordered by a simple intertwined loop pattern of black and white. The card backs are entirely black and only adorned with two copies of the symbol on the front of the sturdy box that form the packaging, a black and white filigree drawing of two dragons intertwined. The card stock seems sturdy, yet flexible enough to allow for decent shuffling; however, the designer and illustrator of the deck, Pamela Steele, provides specific recommendations for mixing them. One of the most interesting features of this tarot deck is the addition of ten additional cards over the standard 78. Six of these are in the major arcana and are numbered 22-27 respectively after the World: the Weaver, the Universe, Truth, Soul Twins, Evolution, and I AM. But if you feel that the 22 standard major arcana don't express the breadth of meaning that you require, or even for a change of pace if your readings seem to be always going in one direction (translation: stuck in a rut), then this deck will really push you outside your comfort zone. The other four additional cards are Maidens, bringing the tarot court in this deck to five per suit. The Maidens are joined by the standard RWS court: the King, Queen, Knight, and Page. The new court cards fill a need, especially when it comes to identifying people that come up in readings. According to Steele, the Knight represents young women, the Knights young men, and the Pages messengers and children. I really like the extra balance of feminine energy in the court that the Maidens provide. The book that comes with the deck is more robust than many that I have seen. It provides some insight into the additional cards, but it would take some time for me to adjust my thinking. It was a challenge for me to understand these new major arcana cards and how they were used, simply because I use 78-card decks almost exclusively. I would have preferred some additional guidance on them, especially in the context of an actual reading. However, it was refreshing to see a Code of Ethics in the book, as well as several useful tarot spreads. This deck is perfect for those readers looking for something exceptionally rare but prefer to work with standard RWS imagery. It is also a unique addition to anyone’s tarot deck collection. |