Rohrig Tarot

by
~*~Velvet Angel ~*~

The Rohrig Tarot

~*~ This deck is suitable for any question you wish to ask of the Tarot. ~*~

Author: Carl W. Rohrig and Francesca Marzano-Fritz

The Rohrig Tarot was created by German artist, Carl W. Rohrig, using an air brush technique. The results made for a beautiful set of cards. The artist has rendered great detail in his work and has used a variety of symbolism that is not what we are accustomed to in traditional Tarot forms. The art is very striking and impressive, but sometimes downright "odd" in my opinion. Be prepared for nudity in these cards, as some of the scenes could be defined as "erotic." Some will easily take offense to some of the art contained in the Rohrig Tarot due to how some of the women are portrayed with nudity -- or with the appearance of breasts in a number of cards where you just wouldn't expect it. The women are glamorous and the men are handsomely striking in the cards. The samples I have displayed are very mild in terms of the overall set of card scenes.

This deck follows the model of the Thoth deck in using Knight, Queen, Prince, and Princess as the court cards. The numbered Minor Arcana each have a keyword meaning printed on the top of each card.

The deck is considered to be a living work of art that entails past, present, and future to bring the centuries old divination tool to the modern age. Many of the images are stunning to look at . . . but again, be aware of the extent of nudity that this deck contains. If you choose this deck for a reading, you have a good chance for cards with nudity or suggestive sexual images to appear in your reading! I am not offended by it, but in some of the cards, even I, as a liberal-minded person, questions how "tasteful" they were (or weren't) done.

Getting back to the more outstanding elements of this deck, each card is set on a clip of notebook paper with the artist's notes in various languages about the meaning of the cards. Bright and vibrant colors are featured in this deck. The images are almost like lovely portraits. Those who enjoy using the Thoth deck might find this to be an appealing alternative since it tends to follow the Thoth presentation. Even the back design of the cards in the Rohrig Tarot are captivating with nebulas and waves on a field of stars.

Additionally, the cardstock is durable and of good quality, so the cards should hold up well with much use.

There doesn't seem to be any overall system that connects this deck, but it does include a nice mixture of classical and modern themes.

To use this deck most effectively, I recommend that you already know the Tarot well so that you are ready to explore what will likely be a very new experience in Tarot. It's not a deck I would recommend for Tarot newbies, nor is it one for the younger folks due to the style and extent of nudity and sex-oriented images contained in the card images. Many readers prefer this deck for some of the finer and more appreciable art . . . while only a few make the Rohrig Tarot an everyday choice for readings. It is, as always, a matter of personal preference and taste.

The deck is priced considerably higher than an average deck -- at approximately $25 USD. There is a book that can be purchased in addition to the cards (sold separately as of this writing). The book is nicely done and includes a color image of each card -- not something you usually find in a companion book. The book runs at approximately $11 USD as of this writing. It should be noted that a lot more attention is given to the meanings of the Major Arcana in the book than what you'll find for the Minor cards. The minors are presented in just a sentence or two -- definitely very short meanings, and that seems like such a shame to me, considering how much effort was otherwise put into it for such a lovely appearance.

Not a five-star deck in my opinion, but it will have its appeal for some. And for a little change of pace, it's a good deck to turn to.

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

Size of Cards: 3-1/2" x 6-1/2"

Included with deck: LWB (Little White Book). 11 pages with very basic information.

Major Arcana:
Fool, Magus, 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: Wands, Cups, Swords, Discs (Pentacles)

Court Cards: Knight (King), Queen, Prince (Knight), Princess (Page)

Back Design of Cards:

THE ROHRIG TAROT DECK
THE ROHRIG TAROT BOOK