Goddess

The Goddess Tarot
Kris Waldherr (U.S. Games Systems, Inc, 1997)

Review
I have actually sat in a pub with like-minded friends and argued about our favourite cards. Or at any rate, what the hell Gwenhwyfar is doing as the Goddess of the Judgement card.

The Goddess part of this deck is the Majors, and this is where the controversy lies. And just to make things that little harder, the Majors have been mostly renamed, though with a bit of thought it's clear why Death became Transformation, or the Chariot became Movement.

The suites are themed culturally- the Swords are Egyptian, the Wands (called Staves) are Medieval Europe, the Cups are, well, more medieval Europe, but this time with a vaguely Nordic flavour, and The Pentacles are Indian.

The stand out card is possibly the Three of Pentacles, with gorgeous arched and domed architecture lending a pinkish-purple solidity to the card.

On a more technical note, the plastic coatings on the cards make them stick together in a really annoying fashion, and it doesn't help that the cards are particularly wide, making them pretty difficult to handle in the first place.

For those who like a wide variety of world mythology, or like a fresh approach to the Tarot, this is a good deck, but beginners might find it both confusing and awkward.