The Hobbit Tarot by Peter Pracownik & Terry Donaldson

In this deck, the heroic journey of Bilbo Baggins is blended with the journey through the tarot.  A familiarity with the work of Tolkien will greatly aid the reader in using this deck.  Every card has its own illustration (not a pip deck).

Fortunately, the guide book which comes with the deck is fairly substantial, and the story behind each of the card illustrations is included.

The artwork is quite gentle – it actually reminds me a bit of some of the better illustrated children’s books. The only read downside to this deck is that it is not currently in print.  There are a few copies available through Amazon, and perhaps on other sites such as etsy or ebay.  Please do use caution when purchasing such decks and make sure the seller has a high quality rating.

 

The Hobbit Tarot by Peter Pracownik & Terry Donaldson

Rider Waite Tarot conceived by Arthur Edward Waite

This is probably the most ubiquitous tarot deck out there.  Many decks mimic the artwork and concepts for the cards.  This deck has very bold and vivid colors.  Some people find them to be garish.

The booklet which comes with the cards has a bit of history of tarot; the Celtic Cross spread; and brief meanings for each of the cards.

This is a good deck for readers to have in their collection as it has been the basis for so much of contemporary tarot.  The editions carried by US Games are very easy to shuffle.  The deck I have feels much like regular playing cards in that regard.

 

Rider Waite Tarot