Hello, soul friends!
Today's review is covering a deck that caught my attention for it's beautiful Alphonse Much style artwork. I loved the details, color, and overall theme of the cards. I couldn't wait to get my paws on it and work with this beauty.
I hope you enjoy my review and generous pictures!
Cosmic Tarot
I got this deck from an Instagram sale post, and thought the deck was interesting. I have a lot of different Tarot decks, but the artwork was unique and I found it to have a nice vintage vibe, which I find interesting. It was a bit different from my other Tarot decks, so I thought it would be a good addition to my collection.
Amazon's product description:
Cosmic Tarot is a compelling deck featuring symbols and icons gathered from diverse eras and influences, including astrological, Qabalistic, and Golden Dawn attributions. The pen and ink artwork, colored with muted pastel create a deck full of imagery that is both appealing and accessible to all tarot readers. For each of the 78 cards, the booklet by Norbert Lösche, provides interpretations on the individual level, the community, and the cosmos. Several sample card layouts are also described. Cards and instructions in Spanish. About Norbert Lösche The creator and artistic designer of the Cosmic Tarot was born in 1951 and currently lives in Aachen, Germany. He is a self-taught artist. He originally began his professional life as a surveyor, then studied the history of art before taking up painting. It was an interest in the esoteric that led him to the tarot -- an interest which found the perfect means of expression in the creation of the Cosmic Tarot.
Depicting symbols and icons from several eras, The Cosmic Tarot offers the tarot reader interpretations on three levels: the cosmos, the human community, and the individual. The intention of the Cosmic Tarot is to make the old knowledge accessible and understandable to everyone by using as few secret symbols as possible.You can grasp the meaning without knowing the old secret doctrines of astrology, Cabalistic numerology and the tree of life.
40 page book included.
78 cards.
Card size: 4-3/4" x 2-3/4"
Deck Thickness: 1"
About the Creator
Norbert Lösche was born in 1951 near Aachen, Germany. After earning a degree in Art History, he became an artist/illustrator, providing the art work for books dealing with fantasy and spiritual themes. His own spiritual journey began with a study of Hinduism, entering in-depth studies of the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramcaritmanas. In 1982 he joined the community of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho). After a visit to the commune of Bhagwan (Osho) in Oregon (USA), he left the community.
It was not long after this that he designed the Cosmic Tarot and wrote the accompnaying book (available only in Spanish). The deck itself is now translated into nine languages and is distributed worldwide.
In 1994 Lösche met the Tibetan masters Sogyal Rinpoche and Dzogchen Rinpoche in southern France and has since become a practicing Buddhist. He recent works include a series of Buddha images and mandalas.
My Personal Review
This 78-card deck is meant to be used as an Tarot deck, allowing you to devise your own meanings of the cards, as well. The dimensions of the deck are 3.2 x 2 x 5 inches and published by US Games in recent editions. As my deck came from a private seller, I was not given a guidebook, box, or anything else that would come with the deck originally. My cards were in pretty rough shape, so a slow cleaning of wiping off each card individually, these cards were good to use again.
The card backs are as lovely as the images on the front of each card. Reversals can be done due to the reversible image. The cards are high quality with a nice feel that makes shuffling smooth. The number and symbol is printed on the front of each card which correspond to each individual card. This deck is in the tradition of the Golden Dawn which has some deviations from the traditional Rider-Waite style. The images are a slight throwback with a vintage feel. They look very Old Hollywood with expressive faces, antique symbolism, and also subdued colors. It can be used to read for any client, without upsetting them and I found even some of the darker cards are actually really beautifully done, with the vintage artwork, calming color scheme, and unique symbolism.
The card stock thicker, semi-gloss without being sticky, slick to shuffle, and allows you get a nice bend without cracking the card stock. The finish really helps make the cards shuffle easily without sticking or scratching. This card stock is very different, but it is enjoyable to have. I love the smooth and easy way this deck shuffles. It also photographs really well, which I have come to really enjoy.
The size of the cards was an average tarot deck size. Not too large, and not too small. The deck is different than other Tarot decks I own, but I have found that it is rich in symbolism. It really does lead one to using their intuition and also diving into all of the details in the cards. This may not be the easiest to just pick up for those who are not used to having to rely too heavily on intuition, but with practice and an open mind, it can quickly become a favorite. That being said, it is a beautiful deck.
For anyone familiar with Tarot, this would be a lovely addition that brings beauty and comfortable images to the Golden Dawn traditional tarot. The colors are beautiful, the white borders tie the deck together, and the artwork really is astonishing throughout the deck. I have enjoyed using it not only for clients, but also my own personal readings.
The Cosmic Tarot deck presents lavishly illustrated cards infused with the beauty and inspiration from vintage art pieces. The deck is rich in symbolic detail.
All in all, I enjoyed it a lot and have found it to be wonderful to use with clients, without hesitation, if the messages will be well-received. It is comforting, supportive, and also allows for subtle breakthroughs to be made without showing off. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves vintage, gentle, and high quality decks.
Overall, I think this was a well-executed deck. Simple, but straight to the point. I would recommend it to those looking for a different type of Tarot deck.
My overall opinion is that this deck is a 3 star choice.
Artwork - 5 stars
Card stock - 4 stars
Ease - 3 stars
Guidebook - N/A
I hope that you enjoyed my deck review, and also enjoy other deck reviews that I add to this site. I have a passion for exploring new decks and also finding various ways of connecting to my intuition. I appreciate you checking out my site and taking the time to read my review.
Happy Reading!
