As a follow up upon the series on Waite/Smith variations, I have presented in earlier issues of Manteia,
a new pack of this kind has come to my attention. The simple title is "The Tarot", and the concept
is by Adam Fronteras, the chairman of The British Astrological and Psychic Society. The pack contains
what the text says are "Classic Rider Waite Tarot Cards, newly interpreted for the modern reader".
On opening the intricate box, which appears to be a folded double box, we find that one part is the home
of the book, the other part holding the 78 card deck. Once the cellophane the cards are wrapped in is
removed, they will no longer stay inside their proper compartment, but do their best to escape the
narrow frame (quite understandable). I'm afraid, that this is a rather unintelligible description of
the box, but that's the best I can do.
The "new interpretation for the modern reader" shows to be a simplification created by erasing the
backgrounds of the Waite/Smith deck, like the clouds and the details on the ground. Are clouds too
complicated for the modern card reader? Inconsequently a few cards, like the Ace of Wands, have a
blue background, which the other Aces don't. Another part of the interpretation deals with printing
the deck on a mocha-colored cardboard and generally rendering the colors considerably darker than the
original and even changing some of them. The majority of people depicted are pale as dead bodies,
no color on their skin except in a few cases (Judgment, 9 of Pentacles, Queen and Knight of Swords,
3 of Cups), where yellow and brown skin colors can be found, maybe in a stupid attempt to force a
multicultural aspect into Pamela's images? The images are trimmed so close that parts of them have
disappeared; for example only 7 wands are fully visible on the "9 of Wands". That the maltreated art
was originally created by Pamela Colman Smith is not mentioned, neither on the box nor in the text.
The accompanying book is not as thick as it immediately appeared to be, since half of its compartment
is filled up with another slice of foam (no instruction in the book, what this slice is intended for!)
The 122 pages are nicely illustrated in color. The description of the cards is painfully traditional,
even though the foreword states otherwise.
As a follow up upon the series on Waite/Smith variations, I have presented in earlier issues of Manteia,
a new pack of this kind has come to my attention. The simple title is "The Tarot", and the concept
is by Adam Fronteras, the chairman of The British Astrological and Psychic Society. The pack contains
what the text says are "Classic Rider Waite Tarot Cards, newly interpreted for the modern reader".
On opening the intricate box, which appears to be a folded double box, we find that one part is the home
of the book, the other part holding the 78 card deck. Once the cellophane the cards are wrapped in is
removed, they will no longer stay inside their proper compartment, but do their best to escape the
narrow frame (quite understandable). I'm afraid, that this is a rather unintelligible description of
the box, but that's the best I can do.
The "new interpretation for the modern reader" shows to be a simplification created by erasing the
backgrounds of the Waite/Smith deck, like the clouds and the details on the ground. Are clouds too
complicated for the modern card reader? Inconsequently a few cards, like the Ace of Wands, have a
blue background, which the other Aces don't. Another part of the interpretation deals with printing
the deck on a mocha-colored cardboard and generally rendering the colors considerably darker than the
original and even changing some of them. The majority of people depicted are pale as dead bodies,
no color on their skin except in a few cases (Judgment, 9 of Pentacles, Queen and Knight of Swords,
3 of Cups), where yellow and brown skin colors can be found, maybe in a stupid attempt to force a
multicultural aspect into Pamela's images? The images are trimmed so close that parts of them have
disappeared; for example only 7 wands are fully visible on the "9 of Wands". That the maltreated art
was originally created by Pamela Colman Smith is not mentioned, neither on the box nor in the text.
The accompanying book is not as thick as it immediately appeared to be, since half of its compartment
is filled up with another slice of foam (no instruction in the book, what this slice is intended for!)
The 122 pages are nicely illustrated in color. The description of the cards is painfully traditional,
even though the foreword states otherwise.
