By Karen Marie Sweikhardt

© 1994 US Games Systems Inc.

At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like this deck, but it seemed to just kind of "grow" on me as I began to use it more in Tarot readings.  It's actually a very delightful and charming deck.  Each of the cards depicts a night scene, with the exception of the Sun Card, which shows a bright and glorious sunny morning.  Some readers dislike this deck because they feel that it's too "cute," however, I think of it more as being a "magical fairyland" type of deck.  It is a fun and enchanting deck to read with, once you become accustomed to it.

There are no frightening images in this deck, so it's a good choice for the beginning young reader or anyone else that either wants to read the cards or get a reading but is hesitant about the traditional images of most decks.  Tarot of a Moon Garden reduces any "harshness" that may be found in some decks.  You'll find delightful images such as flowers, castles, fairies, dolphins, and hot air balloons.  Artist Marie Sweikhardt works with the idea that the moon is an enchanted place with whimsical creatures, lush jungles, mysterious caverns, and exotic flowers -- a lunar Garden of Eden could describe this.

Although the illustrations do sometimes appear to be rather "busy" with so much put into one card, it is a soft and gentle deck that follows the Rider-Waite tradition and symbolism but in a much calmer way.  It's a deck suitable for reading for or about children as well.

Although not the deck for everyone, it's certainly a welcome change for a few moments of escape into an enchanted land of childhood magic.  When the mood is right, this can be a very nice deck to use.
 

Number of Cards in Deck: 78 cards (22 Major/56 Minor)

Size of Cards:  2-3/4" x 4-3/4"

Included with deck:  LWB (Little White Book), 24 pages,  by Laura E. Clarson.  Gives an introduction to Tarot and to this deck, brief key words for all cards both upright and reversed, and the Celtic Cross Spread.

Major Arcana:
Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant,
Lovers, Chariot, Strength, Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice,
Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, Devil, Tower, Star, Moon,
Sun, Judgment, World

Suit Names: Staffs (Wands), Cups, Swords, Pentacles

Court Cards: King, Queen, Knight, Page
 

The back of the cards:

Tarot of a Moon Garden Available from Amazon.com: Tarot Deck and Book Book Only

TAROT DECKS -- CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST Animals Art-Styled Celtic Decks Christian-Based Decks Cultures/Multi-Cultural Decks Historical Myths & Legends Other Traditional/Beginner Decks Whimsical Decks Wiccan-Based Decks Women Non-Tarot Decks