**Check out the Prairie Tarot Deck on Amazon!**
THE PRAIRIE TAROT REVIEW
The Prairie Tarot is based on aspects of the American west prairie. For a total of 79 cards, the deck includes a Rider-Waite base and an additional card, The Jackalope. From Robin Ator, creator of the International Icon Tarot .
Product Description: This fully illustrated 79-card deck features imagery based on the End of the American West. It is an artistic exploration of the standard Tarot archetypes, reinterpreted in Western terms. The Prairie Tarot is easy to use for anyone who has some familiarity with RWS tarot. GlowInTheDark published this card deck.
Robin Ator’s Prairie Tarot is available on his website and from the wonderful folks at Tarot Garden. These are the colors we see every day, people. Be jealous. The Man and I wondered if Robin was born in Colorado. There are no mountains like Colorado. It turns out Montana is close behind. These cards are vibrant, full of color and movement, but also have a hint of sadness that is perfectly evocative to the lonely life on the prairie.
The Prairie Tarot Deck Details
Although the deck is similar to the Pamela Colman Smith deck deck, it was painted by an American and features American iconography. Anyone who has a background in Americana or tarot should be able pick up this deck and easily read it. Although the images may speak a little gruffly, much like cowboys, they are easy to understand.
There are no cards I would find objectionable to read with for anyone, although there is the barest hint of buttocks visible in the Nine of Cups. The Hanged Man does depict a painful looking scene of a Native being strung up, although the ritual involved is a willing sacrifice kind of ritual, and the Ten of Swords features a dead or dying buffalo laying on the grass as a train hurtles past in the distance. It is representative of the horror and waste that the westward push brought. However, it may cause some discomfort.
They are glossy and are about 2.5″ x 4.75″ in size. The backs are reversible black with a gray scale wagon wheel at the center. The deck is soft and saturated in color. It feels neither masculine or feminine but also has the energy of both. The deck is packaged in a sturdy, two-part box that will protect it well.
There are no booklets or title cards. The 79th card is the Jackalope card, the old west’s answer to today’s Happy Squirrel, maybe. This deck would be a great addition to any collector’s collection. The deck is sure to be enjoyed by many Americans, as well those who have never been here, but are interested in our culture before television. America is still young, but it is rich in mythology. It is great to see these stories incorporated into this deck.
