The Gothic Tarot by Joseph Vargo Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Gothic Tarot
Book Review: One of the most innovative packs in Tarot history.
Summary: 5 Stars
After a decade-long study of playing-card and Tarot art-history, and having examined countless hundreds of different Tarot (Tarock, Tarocchi, Tarok, etc.) packs, I can quite confidently say that Vargo's "Gothic Tarot" features some of the most engrossing and technically competent artworks of the past century.
Although Vargo relies significantly on the imagery of the numbingly ubiquitous Rider-Waite (and--more anciently--Marseille) tradition, the art he presents is different enough in certain respects to belong to its own category--a distinction reserved for precious few Tarot packs!
It will certainly be a great pack with which to try out many games catalogued by Sir Dummett and Mr. McLeod in their monumental "A History of Games Played With the Tarot Pack: The Game of Triumphs", in two volumes, by Mellen Press (this title itself most highly recommended).
The next step for master artist Vargo to take would be a Gothic reinterpretation of the renowned Visconti-Sforza imagery, or perhaps even a Gothic Minchiate pack.
Book Review: Quench Your Dark Desires
Summary: 5 Stars
Joseph Vargo's Gothic Tarot is by far the best tarot deck that has ever been designed to center around a dark theme. Vargo's menagerie of vampires, gargoyles, dark angels and undead spirits depict the various traditional characters of the tarot perfectly. The artwork looks terrific and the meanings of the cards reach deep into the shadows of your soul. The deck comes with a small booklet that gives basic interpretations of the cards, but there is also a companion book for this deck which I highly recommend for more detailed insights. Vargo's Gothic Tarot is the definitive dark tarot deck.Book Review: The Beauty, Grace and Depth speak for itself
Summary: 5 Stars
Jo. Vargo is a master, a genius in this marriage of his gothic masterpieces and the tarot. So deep is his work, so sharp the detail to every card that each one is a tapesty waiting to be read. Sometimes percieved as a "dark" deck, it is instead a shining light for those of us that read, the richness of his artwork giving us possibilities of divination that other decks cannot provide. And with all that, the deck has a grace and bearing that cannot be denied. Every card turned, no matter how many times you have seen it, shows you something new that you didn't notice last time. It is easy to get lost in the artwork if you let it. The booklet that accompanies the deck is written by Christine Filipak, whose Madame Endora Fortune Cards can be found here. It is imformative without being obtrusive, giving you the "suggested" divination for the cards without being obtusive or overbearing; sitting back and providing information while giving me the room to find my own way.
Buy this deck at your own rish though. To do so may make you abandon all the other decks you have and will quickly become a favorite deck to use.
So says Lygolas.
Book Review: The Original and the BEST Gothic Tarot Deck
Summary: 5 Stars
You will absolutely love this Tarot Deck...
Joseph Vargo's artwork is the Ultimate theme for the Gothic tarot, his imagery fits perfect and creates the dark atmosphere one would want.
I have seen many tarot decks, but I enjoy this one the most. Must be seen to be truly appreciated!
Book Review: The Story just isn't in the Cards
Summary: 3 Stars
What an extraordinarily mesmerizing offering this is, but unfortunately, it isn't a Tarot deck. This is a graphic novel, or a coffee table book of Gothic art. We both really like the art and the overall concept of the deck, but the story just isn't in the cards in the traditional sense, which would make it difficult for a novice reader to draw on the imagery during their interpretation of a spread.
The palette is very dramatic and overall they hit that perfect, with the exception of a few cards. The cards labeled as Justice, Wheel of Fortune, Knight of Swords, and Knight of Wands seem like they are from a completely different deck that somehow became accidentally mixed in, they don't appear to be from the same palette. Also, the Death and Temperance cards feature a red sky that works within the palette, but there isn't a correlation between change and patience, or an element to draw upon for this distinction. The Tower and Ten of Swords cards would have been better served with the red sky.
The four Aces are very well done with each item in gray metal against a very elaborate red silk wrought iron background. However, the twos and threes of each suit are merely two and three of each item respectively, with some facial extrusions and crows thrown in. The one exception, and what very well could be the most traditionally accurate depiction in the entire deck, is the Three of Swords.
The LWB (Little White Book) that comes with the deck provides the traditional interpretation of the cards along with a brief explanation of the Mystic Seven and Celtic Cross spreads. It would have been nice to have a full-length book explaining the reason, if any, for the choices that were made in regards to the artwork on the individual cards. Two examples of our inability to interpret would be the Ten of Pentacles and the Ten of Cups. The Ten of Pentacles; "the fruition of a lifetime's worth of hard work, financial and emotional security, etc." This is quoted from the book included with the Gothic Tarot deck. The card depicts a man carrying a dead or unconscious woman down stone steps. The Ten of Cups from the included book; "the heart at ease, a content family life, inner peace and tranquility, love, safety, etc." Portrayed on the card is a winged female vampire over a dead or unconscious man.
Aside from the aforementioned limiting aspects for reading with this deck, the card stock is flimsy, and will not withstand shuffling without showing immediate wear and tear on the cards. As we mentioned above, we do like the art and general concept of the Gothic Tarot deck, we just won't do any readings with it, and perhaps that was what they had intended all along.
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