Review by Terri Clement
The
Parallel Worlds Tarot
By
Astrid Amadori
Published by Astrid
Amadori
www.parallelworldstarot.com
www.astrid-amadori.com
Retail
U.S. $30 + $18 shipping
The
Parallel Worlds Tarot is
a rich, brightly colored deck with lots of details. It has a
Rider-Waite-Smith undertone with modern and ancient currents. There
is a balanced blend of mythology and metaphor infusing Shakespeare,
Greek, Egyptian, Victorian, modern day, and more.
The plastic
sealed 78 card deck is housed along with a 66 page, small companion
booklet are housed in a two part – lift off top cardboard box. The
box art features a blue starry night sky with a waxing moon. The High
Priestess and a hummingbird are in the foreground and the symbols of
the four suits stretch across the bottom of the box. All of the
image, including the text are illuminated on the box making an
etheric field visible.
The
suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins. Strength is numbered 8 and Justice is 11. The Heirophant,
Major 5, has been titled The
High Priest.
The
Courts are titled Kings, Queens, Knights, and Squires. The author
sees Kings and Queens as people, the Knights she envisions as
surroundings that correspond with their elements. She views the
Squires sometimes as people, male or female that we meet only for a
short time, or a message or heralds of a positive change.
The images are printed on flexible card stock with a light lamination. There is a faint inky smell upon removing the plastic seal. The deck measures in at 4 3/4” tall x 2 3/4” wide and has very smooth edges and it fans and riffle-bridge shuffles beautifully. No fanning powder need for this deck just out of the box!
The cards have a 3/8” banner across the bottom. The Coins banners are black, Swords are yellow, Cups are blue, Wands are red, and the Major Arcana banners are a rainbow of colors and then some. The banners for the Majors hold their number, title and astrological association. The banners for the Courts contain their titles and the banners for the Pips include their number, a key word or phrase and astrological references.
Justice features a blond woman with plaited hair, she is wearing a white gown. A bright yellow glow is coming from above. She stands in between two pillars. Her elbows are at her sides but her hands are reaching out. Levitating from one hand is a feather and the other, a heart, which appears to be influenced by the goddess Maat and The Weighing of the Heart.
“Justice
implies that the outcome of an affair depends on all circumstances
that led to it. Also: divorce or marriage, amicable adjustments, and
court decisions.”
In
Ancient Egyptian culture, Maat was the goddess of truth, justice and
order. It was believed that when someone died, their heart was
weighed by god Anubis against the feather that Maat always wore in
her hair (an ostrich feather representing truth and justice). If a
person had committed a crime their heart would weigh in heavier than
the feather.
The companion booklet states: The 9 of Cups shows a beautiful pink sunset over a snowy mountain range off in the distance with a house in a country setting to the right of the image, a sweet, fruity treat is on a table in the foreground, and nine gold and purple cups floating in skyline.
Keywords: Material
Happiness
The companion booklet reads: “The
future is taken care of... You are comfortable and wishes are
fulfilled. Satisfaction, which can sometimes get out of hand...”
The 2 of Swords is represented by a well armored knight, with a full face shield. His fingers are interlaced in front of his chest, making him look either very pleased with the outcome of the current situation or like he is in the middle of plotting something. Two swords stand upright, and ready for taking, with their tips down in front of the knight.
Keywords: Peace Restored
The companion booklet
says: “Both
sides have the same opinion; two opposing powers are neutralizing
themselves for the moment. Strength arising from sacrifice and
trouble.”
The booklet contains a brief explanation for each card in the deck and includes a very small grey scale image for each. There are three spreads shown, including the Celtic Cross. The author recommends that the deck be used intuitively, using your own personal insights.
The author doesn't use reversals therefore reverse information is not included in the booklet. However, the card backs are reversible friendly. The backs are have two mirror image hummingbirds in flight, set against a starry night skyline similar to the artwork on the box.
This deck would make a nice addition for those who enjoy working mythology and metaphors or would like to learn about them. The deck reads fairly easy right out of the box and can easily be used by beginners, especially with the inclusion of the keywords on the Pips. Others may in fact prefer to remove the bottom banner completely. Those unfamiliar with or new to astrology may need to study a bit to get full use of that aspect of this set.