Deck by Audrey Savage, Ph.D and Paula Scott Frantz

© 2000 Audrey Savage

When I first purchased this deck several years ago, I made the mistake of not opening it up right away to make sure all the cards were there.  When I finally got around to opening up the set, I discovered that one card was missing and I had two of another card.  This was especially frustrating since I purchased the deck/book set from a seller going out of business . . . and then even more frustrating when I emailed the website to inquire about obtaining my missing card but got no response.  So this is a good reminder (for any deck) to check your cards when they arrive to make sure you have a complete deck.  It's much easier to resolve if you don't wait.

I finally gave in about a year ago and bought another set of the Dance of Life cards -- since you can't effectively  use a Tarot deck that is missing cards.  And you can bet that I immediately checked the cards that time for a complete deck when it arrived :-)

I was initially attracted to the warm, rich colors in this deck.  I was also fascinated with this deck being quite different from traditional Tarot . . . but in a way that can have real value in a reading.

Most of the Major Arcana cards have been renamed in this Tarot deck.  And all of the typical suits have been renamed as follows:

Cups = Relationships
Wands = Self
Swords = Health
Pentacles = Material World

The 302-page book that accompanies this deck is an excellent companion to the cards.  It's really a "must-have" for getting the most from this deck.  The book includes lengthy descriptions for each card, including a "Shadow Meaning" which can be applied to a reversed card.  Overall, the text is written with depth and clarity, and I get a lot out of it personally.

The author encourages the use of reversed cards with the Dance of Life Tarot.  This deck is designed to include reversals in readings to get the most from your reading experience.  Of course, everyone who knows me and my readings is aware that I do use and believe in reversed cards having an important place in Tarot.

I can really relate to the author's philosophy on using Tarot!  It completely coincides with my own beliefs.  She states that letting the cards help you find answers to your worries and dilemmas is not enough.  One still needs to take action once knowledge is gained.    Information from a Tarot reading simply offers one the opportunity to formulate logical and reasonable plans before taking action.

The deck is oversized so it's hard to shuffle.  The glossy coating on the cards adds an additional challenge to the shuffling process.  But what I've generally found with a large deck is that a side-to-side shuffle method works the best.

If you decide to invest in this deck yourself, I will let you know ahead of time that you'll want to have a Tarot bag for this deck of cards.  The set comes in shrink-wrap and cardboard, and you don't even get a box for the cards.  But it's still a nice set of cards to work with and explore, so for me, it was worth getting a special bag for the cards.
 
 

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

Size of Cards:3  5/8" x 5  1/8" -- The cards are larger than standard and will take some getting used to for shuffling.  There is also a glossy coating on the cards which can make them stick to each other.

Included with deck:  302-page companion book.

Major Arcana:
Free Child, Guide, Intuitive, Dancer of Life, Patriarch, Spiritual Teacher,
Lovers, Man of Intention, Animal Tamer, Wise Woman, Ring of Life, Mirror of Reflection,
Visionary Spirit, Death, Goddess Harmonia, Shadow, Destruction,
Star of Hope, Underworld, Radiance, Destiny, Integrity

Suit Names:Self (Wands), Relationships (Cups), Health (Swords), Material World (Pentacles)

Court Cards: Sage (King), Lover (Queen), Dancer (Knight), Muse (Page)

Back Design of Cards: 

DANCE OF LIFE TAROT CARDS Would you like to buy this Tarot Deck set? This Deck is Available as a Book/Deck Set from Amazon.com:

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