REVIEW OF THE MILLENNIUM TAROT

Temperance from The Millennium Tarot
Images: Dorothy Simpson Krause
Text: Marina Dubois
With assistance from: Mary Taylor, Mary Ann Kearns, Jan Doucette, Linda Serafin, Lisa Padovana
Published 1994 Viewpoint/Printed in India/$25.00

When I first saw cards from this deck online I kept thinking "wow" and "gorgeous." Now that I've seen and held all of the cards I'm still saying to myself "wow, gorgeous." I'll also add that it's beautifully produced (and very decently priced for all that), and obviously lovingly and carefully thought out. I only wish there were at least a little information about the sources for the classical art -- paintings, statues, maps -- used in these designs. Though I hasten to add that this lack in no way effects its use in readings, and may only be of any interest to avid Tarot collecting folk, such as myself. :-)

The Major Arcana are stunning in their sumptuousness and elegance, evoking worlds of antiquity and myth. (Just look again at Temperance above.) The gold-colored borders and backs create this lavish appearance, supporting and amplifying the richness of Spirit the images point toward. The deck even comes in a gold-colored light net bag.

Temperance above is fairly traditional in design, while others of the Majors are not and on those the innovations really "work." Here's the female Magician, one of my favorite cards in the deck, who's usually depicted as male. Though as I wrote this review and then scanned in this card, I was less sure of the gender of this card, and that's also just fine with me:



The Court cards are fairly traditional and appear to have ancient statues on them. (I say "appear to" as photos of performance art were also used in creating this deck's images.) The first below is The Knight of Wands, and following that is The Page of Swords:





The Minor Arcana are traditional and a little less satisfying, but I may feel that due to my tendency to prefer fully illustrated pips. However, they are artistically pleasing and for those who like plain pips such as these, they should be more than fine. All the Minors have the suit symbols on a background of old maps or charts, which does seem appropriate for the cards in the deck often seen to address worldly matters. Here's The Six of Cups:



On opening a new deck I always do at least one reading with it before I even crack any accompanying literature. I shuffled this deck* asking "What's with my recent incredible crankiness (other than just getting old :-D)?" I got The Five of Pentacles:



The card precipitated these thoughts: Although I am an Urban Hermit and, therefore, used to and happy with being alone a great deal, I'm not at all used to feeling distant from my spiritual core. I've been letting the material realms and changes in my life "run the show," letting them take too much of my time, energy and will. These material concerns have their place in the scheme of things, but are not the scheme itself. They are only one of the pentacles in the outer array of five on this card, all of which are circling the central core of Spirit.

Not only is this deck luxurious, but also the accompanying booklet (no frustrating Little White Book here :-D). The card-sized -- 2-3/4" x 4-3/4" -- booklet has a slick full-color heavy paper cover, with Temperance on the front. It's 94 pages include a very brief Tarot history; meanings clearly written for this deck -- i.e., no "cookie cutter" LWB meanings, along with small pictures of the cards; basics of doing a reading; and instructions for the Celtic Cross layout and a clarifying reading.

From the little I could learn at the site (link under the Temperance card above) this deck must have a very interesting history, having begun as an art exhibit, then becoming on online interactive reading site. Maybe some day the creator(s) will give us a full version of this history, along with more about the classical sources of much of the art used in the designs. In the meantime, we have this lush deck with which to read for others and ourselves. I highly recommend The Millennium Tarot for readers, collectors, and beginners alike, and believe it would make a particularly lovely gift deck.

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*The corners of these cards are rather more pointed than I've run across, and I had to stay aware of this on handling them. Not a big problem at all, just not one I've had before.

‘til next time, keep dreaming,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)****My other blog: ROSWILA’S DREAM & POETRY REALM.