John Bauer Tarot Cards – 25 July 2018

I love John Bauer’s work which was why I got this pack. The cards look lovely and the pictures have a wonder and mystical depth to them. The problem is that Bauer did not intend any of these pictures to be used for tarot so someone has had to go retrospectively through his work to find approximations. Some work really well, even add a little. Others I find jarring or to miss out the most important characteristics of that tarot card. I guess with synchronicity being what it is you can use almost anything as an oracle and I will persevere. But it is a bit of a stretch to call it Tarot. Also they are expensive for what they are. The card stock is good quality but the cards are relatively small and the booklet that comes with them is not worthy of the name. And Bauer has been dead 100 years so no one is getting any royalties under copyright.

Beautiful art, but somewhat difficult to use as a tarot deck as the images bear little resemblance to the usual tarot images. The LWB is not very informative and that does not help to give substance to the cards. It will be one of my tarot decks that is brought out from time to time to demonstrate the difference between a deck you can pick up and read easily and one you have to learn and study.