The Transparent Tarot is the creation of British artist, Reiki Master, Priestess, former actress, singer and Tarot reader Emily Carding. She has created a deck that is as multi-layered as she is and I mean that quite literally. The Transparent Tarot is truly one of the most innovative, uniquely original and intriguing decks that I have had the pleasure to meet.
The Transparent Tarot box set comes complete with the 78-card deck, 280 page book containing interpretations and layouts as well as a large, good quality white cotton reading cloth. So what is The Transparent Tarot exactly? The author describes it well in her introductory section of the book:
“The Transparent Tarot is a deck of simplified yet beautiful images which are designed to be able to read in layers. The images are printed on transparent plastic so that when they are placed on a white background, they can be combined to create evocative scenes and pictures containing up to three or four cards each…..The uncomplicated graphic design and absence of elaborate detail not only enables any card to combine with any other in the deck without excessive confusion, but also opens them up to wider possibilities of interpretation.”
Reading on the white cloth provided, a white background or a light table would be necessary to use this deck properly. The creator advises against laying them out on a patterned rug as they tend to get lost that way.
I view the Tarot as a book with no cover that contains the wisdom of the ages. It is a window into our deepest selves and into the Universe unfolding around us. It is a universal language, the most flexible form of divination, complementary with many other forms of divination and open to many interpretations. Emily Carding is very clear that she is opening this window with the information she has provided on how to use and familiarize yourself with the deck. She stresses that once it is yours, it is yours. It is being offered to you as a tool to open up your intuition and vision.
The images are simple, The Tower Key XVI, is depicted with a large lightning bolt, The Hanged Man Key XII, is a cocoon hanging from a branch, Death Key XIII is a scythe. This simplification is what makes the layering and overlapping work. If the images were busier, it would just be a chaotic mess. This is a beautifully engineered and designed deck. Each card has a narrow demarcated border with the numbers of the Major Arcana across the top, suits down the right side and minors or courts on the left. This helps you to keep track of what cards you are working with if layering or overlapping. Very, very clever. I am pretty hard on a deck and I wonder how the plastic would hold up over time. These cards should be handled and cared for gently.
I find her interpretations of the cards are insightful, clearly written and the advice given is sound. She interprets each card, a picture accompanies each meaning, and shows examples of layering and interpretation. The layouts chosen are the traditional Celtic Cross and a Triple Layered Celtic Cross. She shows us the versatility this deck is capable of with the mere overlapping of the cards in a simple three-card interpretation. The pictures created by this overlapping and layering are quite phenomenal. It expands the story telling ability of the Tarot in a masterful way.
Seemingly endless variations, combinations and compilations are possible. Some people are visual, some auditory and some tactile. People who are visually oriented would find this deck extremely profound, combinations of symbols and images would significantly stimulate the creative part of our mind. People with strong clairaudience will find that these cards hum. Tactile people would enjoy the feel of these cards, the mere act of layering and moving the cards into various positions would be stimulating.
Emily Carding is a friend of John and Caitlin Matthews and studies Celtic Shamanism with them. There was a limited release of the Major Arcana of her first deck, Tarot of the Sidhe, published by Adam McLean which is available at http://www.alchemywebsite.com/tarot/art_tarot05.html. She is currently working on a Major Arcana deck called Tarot of the Black Mountain. You can learn more about her by visiting her website at http://childofavalon.com.
Great work here. The Transparent Tarot is excellent for a beginner, excellent for a collector and excellent for experienced readers.
