Review By Terri Clement
Elemental Tarot for Kids by Rayne Storm
Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., www.schifferbooks.com
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4130-4
Are there young people in your life? Would you like to introduce them to the positive side of the Tarot without the “scary” cards? If so, then the Elemental Tarot for Kids might be just what you are looking for.
The Elemental Tarot for Kids is a 71-card deck and book set is designed for children ages 9 and up. This set focuses only on positive aspects. You will not find any negative meanings, information regarding reversals or even “death” or “tower” cards.
The set arrives in a heavy duty card board box, with magnetic closure. The box is about ¾ of the size we are used to seeing from Schiffer, but is a nice size. The box has a white ribbon pull tab and stays. The book is stored under the cardboard that houses the deck. The deck was in two parts held together by plastic sleeves.
There are 13 Major Arcana, most of which have been renamed: 1 – Karma, 2 – Dharma, 3 – Butterfly, 4 – Doors, 5 – Rock, 6 – World Tree, 7 – Wheel of the Year, 8 – The Stars, 9 – The Sun, 10 – The Moon, 11 – The World, 12 – Goddess, 13 – God. The Minor Arcana consists of the Suits: Earth, Water, Air and Fire. The Courts are: Paige, Sage, Mage and Shaman. Sixty-five of the cards are actually used for readings. Two cards are dedicated to spreads (1 card has a 1-card spread and a 3-card spread, the other has a 5-card spread), and the remaining 4 cards explain the author's definition of Tarot, how to conduct a reading, ethics and responsibility, and the final card tells the reader how to keep the cards in a “proper” order when not in use.
The Majors are outlined in purple with a white ¼” border. They all have their title on the top center, a key phrase under the image and the Arabic number in the lower right hand corner. The suits of the Minor’s each have a designated primary color, Earth is green, Water is blue, Air is yellow and Fire is Red. Each image is outlined suit color, followed by a narrow white border with the outside edge being ¼” wide in the primary color. The Spread Cards are designed the same way as the Minor’s except they are done in orange. The informational cards are done in black.
The back of the cards feature a ¼” wide lavender border, with a narrow white strip closer in, and a dark purple outline surrounding the shaded image of a butterfly and “Elemental Tarot” written in the center. This deck is not reversible friendly, but is designed to be read in the upright position.
Considering this set is designed for children, I am surprised by the size of the deck. The cards measure 3 ½” wide by 5” tall. I expected something smaller than standard, not larger. I found the deck a bit awkward to shuffle due to its larger size. Children will not be able to riffle bridge shuffle this deck.
The cards have a glossy lamination and are very flexible. Just out of the box the cards feel a little sticky and do not fan well, a little fanning powder would easily remedy that.
The artwork is simple, but straight forward without overwhelming detail. There is a single image for each Major for example, on The Moon card we see the back side of an owl who is sitting in the lower portion of a crescent moon, and for the God card there is a Green Man-styled mask.
There is also a different spin on the Minor’s with this deck. I would call them a cross between a scenic pip deck and a non-scenic pip deck. Each suit is represented by a symbol, Earth is leaves, Water is represented by water drops, Air is represented by bubbles and Fire is a little burst of flame. Each Ace shows the suit symbol placed on a pillow, all of the 2s show 2 of the symbols rising out of a gift box, the 3s are in a jar, the 4s are drawn on a chalkboard, the 5s are on a target, the 6s on a scroll, the 7s are being released from cupped hands, and 8s are on a shield. The 9s are a bit different than the rest of the deck: Earth shows the leaves falling from a tree, Water shows a spilled water jug with 9 drops of water above it, Air shows bubbles being blown from a bubble wand and Fire features 9 little flames rising from a rock fire pit.
The Court cards for each suit are the same image, Earth is a Gnome, Water is a Mermaid, Air is a Faerie, and Fire is a Dragon. Each Court adds an extra symbol from Paige (Fire), Sage (Fire and Air), Sage (Fire, Air and Water) to Shaman (Fire, Air, Water and Earth).
The book is very well put together and is the quality of a child’s school workbook. Not only is it informative, it is also fun! In addition to the meanings of the cards, there are word find puzzles, crosswords, quick quizzes, a final test and even a certificate of achievement (Note to parents: there is an answer key in the back of the book).
I would recommend Elemental Tarot for Kids for those who have young people in their life that are showing an interest in divination, but might not be ready for a full Tarot. It could also prove useful for those who are doing creative writing, especially those who write towards a younger audience.