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has anyone ever met a hobbit?? I mean, for real ??
I once went therough a phase of thinking I could hear hobbits...........or at least someone..........or something.....burrowing under my house.....................late at night............I could hear a scrape, scrape, scrape..............as the tunnel burrowed out further along underneath the foundations............................. .
was this spirit showing me something about my microcosm ?? ie that my 'symbolic' foundations were bering undermined ? or in some way deepened ?
at the time, I was working with peter pracownik on a Lord of the Rings tarot deck and book set...........................

but I tell you, to this day I've never stopped believingt hat Tolkien was onto somethinga lot more than most people give him credit for............

I even got to meet one of the Black Riders !!!! OOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooeeeeeeerrr!!! That WAS spooky, too !!
anyway, here is a review of the deck, from the internet............
ps i will try and upload some pics as well.............

terry

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Wonderful collector's item, Tolkien fans will treasure......, August 4, 2000
By Fr V SXSXSX "The Truth is Absolutely Not Abso... (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews


This review is from: LOTR: Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)
...better art than some of the calendars I have seen, inspired by The Lord of The Rings trilogy. I got them for my Birthday! The only problem I have with the cards is, why....oh, why...do they always put the Bad Guy on The Hierophant card ! Gandalf should be The Hierophant, not Saruman! I have read the Trilogy and The Hobbit three times. I have always loved Tolkien & I collect Tarot cards. Although the cards have a dark feel about them, they are a unique collectable that I am proud to own. Goldberry as The Queen of Cups radiates beauty and shines-forth, from the card. The Death card is like an Alchemist's rendering of Gandalf's confrontation with The Balrog. I will forgive the Hierophant screw-up, because The Magician card has a great representation of Gandalf! The devil card: "Wormtongue's insidious advice poisons the mind of good King Theoden." Love The Strength card! (The White Tree). Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
Great for the Tolkien fan, October 26, 2003
By Chris Garrison (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews


This review is from: LOTR: Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)
I found the deck to be a great introduction to Tarot as a Tolkien fan, since it uses characters and scenes I am very familiar with. This way, the meaning of each card is instantly apparent, not as cryptic as other decks I have used.
As for the claims that Tolkien would not have approved "as a Christian" of the use of his works in a pagan context (Tarot), you only need to look at his works to know this is false. Tolkien's work was all about Norse mythology and fairy tales. The Silmarillion was all about a pantheon of gods very much in a pagan tradition. Not to say that Tolkien himself was Pagan, but he did very much celebrate pagan myths and legends.

The cards themselves are well done, and have a legend at the bottom to set the scene for each.

I'm very happy with the deck, and whether you buy it as a Tolkien fan as a collectible, or as a fan who's also a Tarot enthusiast, I think it's a good buy.

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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
Cast it into the fires of Mount Doom!, March 8, 2002
By "elwen" (Saratoga, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: LOTR: Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)
There are very few redeeming points about this deck. The only one I can think of at the moment is that the author remains faithful to the Rider-Waite interpretation of tarot cards, so those already familiar with tarot should be immediately comfortable with the card meanings.
This deck probably would better have been called the "Tolkien Tarot" or something of that sort, as the creator draws many scenes from The Hobbit as well as from The Silmarillion. In addition to tarot readings, the deck can also be used to play a sort of card game that models the Ringbearer's quest. The deck comes with a book with detailed descriptions of the Major Arcana and one-page explanations of the Minor Arcana.

The artwork in this deck didn't appeal to me, although that is a matter of taste. I found it a bit too cartoony and somewhat medieval in style, and I don't think the author paid attention to most of the phsyical descriptions in the book. Since when did Gandalf wear a steel helmet, or Galadriel wear a winged hat, or Hobbits have un-hairy feet? Aside from this, the artwork from card to card is inconsistent, ranging from completely stylized to looking like your usual fantasy scenes. As if this wasn't enough, the pictures only take up about two-thirds of the card, the rest being dominated by the label, a rather wordy description of the scene, and the alignment symbol for the game. Essentially, you have bad, inconsistent artwork that can be barely made out.

After you get past the artwork, you still aren't going to be very pleased with this deck. I will give the creator credit for one thing: he knows his tarot interpretations. What he apparently doesn't know is his Tolkien interpretations. Now, of course he's welcome to own ideas about the works, but anyone who has read the Lord of the Rings and taken a little time to think about its meaning will find himself cringing at some of the things this guy missed.

An example or two would illustrate:

The Fool card in tarot is traditionally a symbol of new beginnings, but in this deck the card was assigned to Gollum. More than that, the book talks about how Gollum's "road is just beginning" when it's clear from Tolkien that Gollum was a wretched creature who had nothing to live for and basically no hope for redemption.

The Wheel of Fortune is pretty much what it sounds like: the idea that times can be good or bad, and all that goes around comes around. In this deck, it is the Ruling Ring. The book doesn't even make an attempt to explain why this time, it only goes on and on about the creation of the Rings of Power, as if the author is eager to show off how much he learned from reading The Silmarillion. I don't think there's anything clearer in the books than the fact that the Ring has absolutely no good in it (kind of like this deck). Even if you tried to use it for good purposes it would still end up being evil. Unless you're the ultimate pessimist, it doesn't sound like much of a Wheel.

I was delighted when I first heard of a Lord of the Rings tarot deck, and I promptly sought it out online and ordered it. I've had it for more than six years now, but I have never brought myself to do anything with it other than look through the cards, shaking my head in disgust. Spare yourself the agony, and don't buy this deck. There is nothing in it that connects to Tolkien save in name alone.

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8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
This is NOT a toy!, August 20, 2004
By C. R. Wolf (beautiful planet earth) - See all my reviews


Durability: Fun: Educational:
This review is from: LOTR: Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)
First let me say I rather object to the first question when I came to review this boxed set; "how much fun is this toy"!! Anyone with a grain of intelligence knows that neither the Tarot nor the meaning behind Tolkien's work was intended as 'a toy'. For that reason and that reason alone, my rating has to be 4 stars. How can one rate a deck of tarot cards as a 'durable toy'?? That said, let me begin.

I have lurked in the shadows watching the reviews of this item with quiet interest, and now I feel I must speak my mind. One reviewer stated that C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien were friends and Christians. Well, indeed they were friends, but unless my facts are howlingly wrong Lewis himself thought religion as "a kind of ... nonsense into which humanity tended to blunder" and became a Christian in his 30's "...because for him there was nothing else to do". So although I appreciate people are trying to make a point when they critique a work and that point is often tainted with their own opinions, please, try at least to research your topic and stick to the truth.

That said, let's get back to the review of the boxed set of the Lord of the Rings. Upon first inspection of this, I was -- like some of the other reviewers -- a shade disappointed at some of the correlations of the characters to the cards. I am an admirer of both Terry Donaldson's and Peter Pracownik's other works [the Dragon Tarot especially], and so I persevered. I was not unrewarded. The story of the cards does indeed begin to unfold naturaly and sweetly set in Middle Earth, and closer inspection of the artwork of the cards leads to much of the the traditional symbolism. It may not be blatantly obvious like it is on some other decks, but it is there, and the unique presentation of the artwork using Tolkien's characters is not hard to interpret.

Is this an item for beginners to the tarot? No. I still adhere to my belief that absolute beginners should start with the Rider Waite pack or an interpretation of it such as the Morgan Greer or Robin Wood tarot. Learn the symbolism, learn the suits, and get a feel for the meanings of the cards. Then explore the hundreds of decks on the market to find the one that truly resonates with your spirit. For fans of Tolkien's work, who understand the realms and realities of Middle Earth and its characters, the Lord of the Rings Tarot could very easily become a most cherished deck. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Profound, Mysterious, Disturbing, October 10, 2005
By Gregory Lewis "psychedelic shaman" (Berkshires, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews


Durability: Fun: Educational:
I thank my ex-girlfriend Juno, with whom I shared many a psychic revelation, for the gift of these cards. The deep substance in the imagery of these cards, the symbolism of Tolkien profoundly integrated with the use of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, evoke astral journeys to the very gates of heaven. If you own one of these decks, don't listen to the fuss about Crowley's Thoth deck: your LOTR tarot deck is extremely potent, and deserves a serious student's full consideration in the matters of psychic divination.

Allow me to explain a reading: I array the cards in a "Tree of Life" pattern, starting with Kether, working down through the other nine sephiroth, finishing with Malkuth. At each card, I stop to contemplate the meaning of the card. Because the cards are so disturbingly beautiful, like a Nazareth song, I can contemplate the deeper meaning for long periods of time.

Take this first card I drew, placing it over Kether, "the crown": "The Lovers - Aragorn is reunited with his love, Arwen." How awesome! Aragorn is not only male, but an earthbound creature, a man (human). Arwen is Elven, she personifies the spirit world. Because Aragorn, the corporeal and earthly, has united sexually with his love, the spiritual realm, you can tell this makes a happy situation within the center of our intellectual existence. It is Tai Chi - the Great Ultimate. It symbolizes the very Gates of Heaven, which are indeed within us.

In the position of Chockma - wisdom - I lay an Ace of Cups -- "Galadriel's mirror shows many things, but wisdom lies in understanding what is shown." Chillingly personal. Sam kneels on a toadstool sprinkled lawn, while Frodo gazes into the mysterious vision well, under an erie and luminous moon. The Elven Queen spreads her arms over her dominion. The saying written on the card about wisdom, and this spot being the sephiroth of wisdom, is just amazing providence.

To complete the trinity of the "head" cards, I drew the Queen of Swords for Binah, understanding. This is the Lady Eowyn, Theoden's warrior daughter. She has slain the chief of the Nazgul, and holds in her hand the severed dragon's head. The Queen of Swords in the position of the Tree of Life's sphere of "Spiritual Purpose" indicates to me a psyche whose thinking is quick, decisive, and without guile. Quick to judge, and quick to execute judgement, the female intellect is "hidden" knowledge, occult. How interesting that in the story, Lady Eowyn loves Aragorn, but Aragorn loves Arwen. Lady Eowyn takes the energy of that unrequited love, and channels it into "killing dragons". This is a metaphor for problem solving by using single minded attention, and focused energy.

My drawings of the remaining cards on the Tree of Life were equally impressive. I believe this reading has revealed to me strengths, and weaknesses. Take for instance, the "heart" sephiroth, the sephiroth of beauty, Tephiroth. Over it I drew the Five of Swords. The card shows "Pippin and Merry are captured by the Orcs, and are bound and carried away." This is an amazing revelation, that the heart can be darkened by forces that occlude its brilliance within us. For myself, this is probably not such a good card to have placed over the heart/beauty sephiroth, and is therefore a good card for me to study what is wrong in myself. These forces can be actual devils, which act upon the heart the way storm clouds change the mood of an afternoon. The beauty of the innocence of Merry and Pippin is concealed in ugliness.

The other seven cards were equally revealing and meaningful to me.

I love the selections of scenes from the LOTR books, which predate the movie trilogy. They capture not just the essence of their ordinal card, but harmonize symbolically at successively deeper levels. One could really go to a deep level of psychic wizardry by studying these cards, I'm inclined to believe. With that, I'd finally like to say that my acquaintance with Lord of the Rings is strong and long, and the world of Middle Earth is a mythology which I take very seriously. Having read the books several times gives me some comfort with the cards, so that I don't have to struggle to understand who is whom, and I can view the story in its Gestalt, forming new and interesting relationships between cards fairly easily.

If you are new to the world of Tolkien, the guide book by the great and famous Terry Donaldson is superb. One could read the book on its own, and gain understanding, even without the cards. The package itself is a magical combination, it is not kid stuff. Also, I tend to think the artwork slants on the shady side of the mountain, if you know what I mean. There are no sunny days with white, poofy clouds, as there are a-plenty in the Rider-Waite deck. Here, we have lots of overcast, pall, dusky twilight, and lunar mist. Also, almost all of the trees in any of the cards of this deck are without leaves. The whole deck looks like it was painted in the month of November, which, if you live in the northern region of North America, is rather bleak, and we tend to party more to compensate for the gloom. The 3 of Cups, 4 of Coins, 8 of Coins, and 6 of Swords appear to be the only cards where I can find foliage growing on trees in the art work. Even these cards show grey, pale, and misty backdrops. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
I <3 this deck, April 8, 2004
By "xbleedingxstarx" (random, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

Durability: Fun: Educational:
First off, judging a tarot deck based on the religion of the man who inspired it is ridiculous. Judge it based on its merits as a TAROT DECK. And secondly, yes, Tarot is quite the Catholic tradition. I swear when I went to Italy, everyone I asked had a deck. But back to the topic at hand... I have yet to play the card game that this deck also functions as so I can't really say anything as to its quality, but I can most certainly say this has been the best tarot deck I have ever had the honor of owning. I've had these cards for i think 10 years and have never been let down by them. They've given me the most detailed and accurate readings out of any of my decks. I know many might not consider the artwork "beautiful", but it is still well done (certainly better than the godawful rider-waite) and stays true to the movies/books. For those of you who are concerned that the cards aren't exact replicas of the classic rider-waite symbolism, remember that tarot started based on playing cards which lacked all those pictures you're used to. I recommend you try listening to the cards rather than relying on the confining interpretation of some book or cliche symbols. It has been exactly this, the deck's noncomformity and originality, that has provided me with more detailed readings than any other. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A Lordly Tarot Deck, February 2, 2006
By Midnight Princess (MI) - See all my reviews

Durability: Fun: Educational:
I think this a great tarot deck. It wonderfully ties together the story of the tarot with Tolkien's books. The artwork on each of the cards tells a mini story because it's taking scenes from the books that are relevant to each card. So if one is completely familiar with tarot cards, you can very easily relate the scene depicted on the card with where the meaning fits into your own readings.

This is very helpful because the mini-booklet of definitions gives very little on how to interpret the meaning of the cards, especially those of the Minor Arcana. Reverse meaning for the cards are only found to be defined for the Major Arcana. This is why I think the artwork is so important, and each card has a line describing itself on the image. This, in my opinion, gives much more clarity where the defintions themselves are lacking.

I find this deck to be faithful to both the tarot and Lord of the Rings. They're blended together really well, and I don't feel as the one either element was sacrificed in the interest of more greatly emphasizing the other. I never saw that. I found this deck highly satisfying as frequent tarot reader and Tolkien fan! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Well, I liked it..., November 8, 2002
By A Customer

This review is from: LOTR: Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)
Wow, has this deck gotten slammed!
I am a 'new' Tolkien fan. After seeing the Lord of the Rings movie and loving it.. I decided I had to read the books. The characters / story just fascinates me. I also enjoy the Tarot quite a bit - so when I remembered that there was a Lord of the Rings Tarot - I got excited... Until I read the reviews. OUCH!

I am not in any way saying the reviews are wrong. From what I understand, there are a lot of "technical differences"... and ALOT of questioning of why certain people / things were chosen for the cards they depict. I understand and agree with most of this... which is why it took me a long time before I broke down and purchased the deck...

I realized the reason I like the deck is because I am approaching it differently. 1. I like the artwork. Some of the pictures are quite intuitive to me - irrespective of the story. 2. I find the sentences on the cards helpful in remembering some of the aspects of the card meaning. 3. I like seeing the characters I enjoy on the cards - It helps me relate better to the deck as a whole.

While I realize there is a lot wrong with this deck, personally, I find that if I approach it loosely, it can be fun and I can get a lot out of it. I find that I just enjoy using cards that remind me of a story I love - I read the cards as they make me feel when I look at them - and I don't take the rest of it too seriously.

This deck may or may not be for you. Take all of the reviews / information into consideration, look at the cards yourself, and then make your own decision.

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
more of a novelty deck, November 29, 1998
By A Customer

This deck's symbolism makes sense if you are familiar with Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings, however it does not have any traditional Tarot symbolism in its pictures. I don't agree with most of the interpretations in the sketchy booklet. I can't get detailed readings from this deck, although I can get accurate general readings. The cards are good for telling the atmosphere of a situation, but little else. As for the artwork, the pictures are beautiful, but small. Most of the scenes are of landscapes, and people are not usually the focus. However, I LOVE the Queen of Swords card - Eowyn is perfect!!!! If you are a deck collector or want a Tolkien novelty, then this would suit you. A serious reader should look for another deck. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Gollum Plays the Fool, January 3, 2003
By Wendy Hays (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: LOTR: Tarot Deck and Book Set (Paperback)
I was SO disappointed in this deck. I expected more from Donaldson. And the artwork could have been better. Not only is Gollum given the Fool card, but that symbol of Evil Domination, the One Ring, is placed on the X Fortune Card. I like the concept, but I hope someone comes along and does a proper job of it. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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