Showing posts with label US Games Systems Inc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Games Systems Inc. Show all posts

Miniature Rider Waite Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite & Pamela Colman Smith

, 13 Jun 2021

 This is really a tiny mini deck, perfect for people with small hands or children, and you can fit it in your pocket or in a small handbag. It comes with a mini-booklet that is surprisingly good. If you want a portable RWS this does the job to perfection.   
 
US Games Systems consistently produce cards that have the perfect card stock thickness and coating, so shuffling is natural and pleasurable. This deck is another example of the house savoir faire in that regard.

ON THE FLIP SIDE
> The RWS imagery is in the public domain, so not artistic effort was put to produce this deck. Besides, the keepsake box is not especially good. This being the case, I regret not buying a similar RWS mini deck from Lo Scarabeo as the latter printing house produces better quality mini decks for a similar price.
> Perhaps because I'm used to the Radiant RWS, this deck feels a bit too pale and not as appealing.

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Practical Tarot Wisdom Deck Cards by Arwen Lynch

, 2 May 2021

UUS Games Systems produces my favorite paper decks. They understand better than any other card-making house that cards need specific thickness, texture, flexibility and coating for the cards to shuffle well. Shuffling, if good, can be a very enjoyable experience, but also the basis of a good tarot reading and a way to favor cards flying off the deck to let us something that is intuitively charged. Said differently, shuffling is one of the basis of intuition.
 
 The Radiant Rider-Waiter Tarot Deck, which is the basis of this deck, is bright, colorful and feels fresh. The left of the card reproduces the card image, and the right hand side is in blank and has the card meaning.

GOOD 
> Card paper quality is awesome. Right thickness, texture, and coating, which make shuffling easy, natural and extremely pleasurable.
> Excellent printing quality.
> Bright vibrant colours and beautiful lettering.
> The card back is really pretty despite its simplicity and  prevent us from guessing whether the card will pop up upright or reverse.
 > No guidebook is needed as the the meaning is on the card front.
> Beautiful sturdy packing box.
> Totally portable.
>  Great for small hands, but it can also be used at ease by people with average hand size.
> Perfect for beginners as the meaning is on the card and there are many questions and points for the use to ponder.  Some are straightforward, like the text with The Fool. But others, are just something more personal to the author. 
NOT SO GOOD
 > The interpretations given to each card not always resonate with me.  I agree with other reviewers that it would have been  better if the author had given take-away keywords for both upright and reverse instead of proper interpretations.  
> Pricey for what it is. A pocket Radiant Raider-Waite in a tin is less expensive and will get you the same results.
 


 

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The Lover's Path Tarot by Kris Waldherr

, 5 Mar 2021

US Games Systems are in a way old-fashioned, but also among the best in the market re quality of the cards. They are also  less luxurious and curated as the most modern ones produced by Rockpool or Hayhouse publishing houses. 

GREAT

> Cards paper quality and size are perfect, on the medium side, with glossy flexible paper that shuffles well and is not heavy to handle despite the bulk.Cards slip off easily and that's the way I want my cards to come out.

> The cards back design is wonderful in its simplicity and the deck is easily recognisable. Also, the design is good because you cannot guess whether the cards are up or reversed before picking them up.

> Despite the guide booklet being very short, it goes to the point and summarizes well the meaning of each card and provides a brief description of the lovers' story depicted in each major arcana card.  In that regard, it's perfect for beginners. 

> Perfect for love and relationship readings without losing the spirit of tarot.  The cards are interpreted specifically for relationships, so they are more straightforward to read than those in other generic decks.  

> Beautiful artwork. The artwork reminds me of the early renaissance frescoes and painters but it also of the renaissance and pre-Raphafaelites.


DOWNSIDES
> Poor-quality box packaging.

> Booklet is minimal,  bad quality paper and lettering is tiny so I need a magnifying glass to read it properly.

> Despite the seller advertising that this deck edition comes with a full-colour spread sheet, that this is not the case at all. I think that might be a listing error, yet, why not correcting it? There are other reviewers who just mentioned the same.

> I think they put the apostrophe in the title in the wrong place...

 

DECK STRUCTURE

MAJOR ARCANA EQUIVALENCES

0- Innocence = The Fool. 1- Magic = The Magician. 2- Wisdom = High Priestess.3- Fertility = Empress. 4- Power = Emperor. 5- Tradition = Hierophant. 6- Love = Lovers. 7-Desire = Chariot. 8- Strength. 9- Contemplation = Hermit. 10- Fortune = Wheel of fortune. 11- Justice. 12- Sacrifice = Hanged man. 13- Transformation = Death. 14- Balance = Temperance. 15- Temptation = Devil. 16- Oppression = Tower. 17-Grace = Star. 18- Illusion = Moon. 19- Awakening = Sun. 20- Judgement. 21- Triumph = World. As you can see the interpretation is respectful with the original tarot meanings but with some clearer names and some adjustments with regards to some cards (chariot, the hanged man, the tower., moon and the sun.) 

SUITS

Cups (water), Staves (wands, fire), Arrows (swords, air), Coins (pentacles, earth).

Most cards show couples, relating in a way or another. All the pairs come from historical and mythological stories and characters. Some of the couples depicted in the cards are: Pamina & Tamino, Merlin & Morgan le Fay, Shahrazade &Shahriyar, Cleopatra & Anthony, Romeo & Juliet, Isis & Osiris, Tristan & Isolde, Brunnhilde & Siegfried, Danae & Zeus, Penelope & Odysseus, Orpheus & Eurydice, Pluto & Persephone, Venus & Vulcan, Paolo & Francesca, Aeneas & Dido, Dante & Beatrice, Cupid & Psyche, Tannhauser & Elisabeth, Ariadne & Bacchus.



 

 



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