The Sharman-Caselli Tarot Deck

5 Comments

1. Jenny says:

   November 29, 2009 at 8:26 am

   I truly love these cards and the accompanying book. The illustrations on the cards are inspiring and the explanations in the book are fantastic. I highly recommend these for any tarot reader who is very visual. The real problem is with the actual quality of the cards, which is why I only gave the deck 3 stars. The cards are very flimsy and do not stand up to use. They almost seem like someone printed them off of a computer on light cardstock. I shuffled my deck once after opening it, and the cards were immediately damaged. The sides of some of the cards curled up and some of the backing started peeling off which is problematic on many levels: if you can recognize which card is which from the damage pattern on the back, it kind of inhibits synchronicity and cards being picked randomly for a reading.

   Again, this is one of my favorite decks but I am afraid to use it because I fear the cards will literally disintegrate. If only the publishers could print this deck on the kind of quality, laminated cardstock US Games uses for their decks, I would be a happy camper.

   I would still highly recommend this deck and book for anyone who wants to learn the tarot. The cards are so straightforward and easy to read, yet they contain all of the necessary symbolism for in-depth understanding and the illustration really “speaks” to you. I would just caution people against handling their deck too much. This particular deck might best be used for studying and meditating but probably not for readings and certainly not too much shuffling.
   Rating: 3 / 5
2. W says:

   November 29, 2009 at 10:17 am

   In the creation of the Sharman-Caselli Tarot, Juliet Sharman-Burke and Giovanni Caselli combined the best features of the popular Rider-Waite Tarot, and elements of classic decks such as the Visconti-Sforza Tarot and Marseilles Tarot. The result is a fully illustrated tarot deck that is accessible to everyone, and a must-have for Tarot collectors.

   Caselli’s imagery throughout the Sharman-Caselli Tarot evokes a sense of a renaissance era. The depiction of this era is done with seemingly realistic art, filled with soft colors. Predominant are yellows, reds, light blues, light greens, and whites.

   Since the Visconti-Sforza Tarot and Marseilles Tarot lack illustrated numbered cards in the Minor Arcana, the Sharman-Caselli Tarot draws inspiration only from the Rider-Waite Tarot on this area. However, the Major Arcana draw inspiration from both tarots, although most of these cards imagery leans toward the Rider-Waite Tarot. There are a few exceptions. The Wheel of Fortune shows a wheel with four people at the top, bottom and sides and a blind-folded women in its center, definitely drawing inspiration from the Visconti-Sforza Tarot, while The Lovers shows a finely dressed man deciding between two women with cupid floating over his head, an imagery more akin to the Marseilles Tarot.

   Another interesting fact about the Major Arcana is that they are deprived of numbers. This is another nod toward older tarot decks such as the Visconti-Sforza Tarot. In this way, Sharman-Burke was able to reorder the Major Arcana to make the Fool’s story of psychological development easier to follow. Pay careful attention to the order of the Major Arcana when you open the Sharman-Caselli Tarot and you will find the following ordering: The Fool, The Magician, The Empress, The Emperor, The High Priestess, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Justice, Temperance, Strength, The Hermit, The Wheel of Fortune, The Hanged Man, Death, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, and The World. Check out Sharman-Burke’s The New Complete Book of Tarot for more information.

   This deck is a welcomed addition to any tarot collection.

   Other tarot decks by Juliet Sharman-Burke: The Complete Tarot Pack, My Tarot: Colour Your Own Deck, and The Mythic Tarot
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. efrres says:

   November 29, 2009 at 12:23 pm

   I feel color is essential in the interpretation of tarot cards. The colors involved with this deck of cards are inspiring and lucid. I highly recommend this cards.
   Rating: 5 / 5