Today I am going to review
Riccardo Minetti and
Paolo Martinello's
Epic Tarot by
Lo Scarabeo.
This is a strong fantasy deck that includes mythical creatures and imaginative worlds to explore or interact with. Some of the sights are imbued with fantastical imagination and will inspire you to look past traditional systems of reading the tarot cards. Fantasy lends itself to narrative almost seamlessly. I love the fact you have a range of small creatures going all the way to colossal golems. I like how interactions between all the sentient beings in the cards can correlate with our own personal paths and struggles.
I am a huge endorser of feeding the imagination and keeping a logical foundation throughout. It is through dreaming that we allow ourselves to formulate plans that are uplifting and keep us purposeful. Being lit with inspiration will keep us working harder towards achieving what we hope will one day come to pass.
The colors are mostly shady, with some pastel contrasts to build dreamy layers in the illustrations. This deck is best approached with an imaginative, open mind and a warm heart.
The illustration quality is really nice. Despite the mood of the illustrations being different, this deck definitely reminds me a lot of the
Universal Fantasy Tarot, which I loved since I first laid eyes on it.
The Epic Tarot comes in a standard
Lo Scarabeo box, and the card format is very comfortable to use since the cards and card stock are thin. I find this deck format very easy to shuffle and fan out. The cards have fully reversible backs and attractive framing borders, which change color according to the suit. There are no titles to identify the cards, just number and suits or illustrated courts.
I need to note in this review that the court cards are very confusing to read.
Pages, Knights,
Queens and
Kings have been changed to
Unicorns,
Griffins,
Phoenixes and
Dragons. I can’t tell which is which intuitively and need to check the booklet to figure out what they are. I can especially not tell what is a
Griffin or
Dragon. If you have a white gel pen or light metallic marker you can write on them. I, myself plan to write down what is what in a post-it to keep close when doing my readings. I like the way these cards look and don’t intend to write on them. Because of this change in the court cards I wouldn’t recommend this deck for beginners. If you want to learn the tarot tradition you can still pick from a variety of other beautiful decks. But I think everybody is entitled to start their tarot journey as they see fit, though. So if this is the deck for you, full speed ahead! You’ll figure out what the courts are meant to represent eventually.
I have been using this deck for a few months now and I find it very easy to get adjusted to. You will appreciate the change in scenery and characters because it will allow you to take what is in front of you and weave the story according to the nuances of your situation. For this reason I’d recommend this deck for artists and writers especially. Keep the craft alive!
If the upcoming interview is any proof, this deck is still able to deliver sound advice that feels custom tailored to your situation. All you will need is the time to decode the message, and to keep things moving in forward motion.
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What is your most important characteristic?
The Empress. Holding space for yourself and others can become a responsibility you take on lovingly. I intuit this means the advice you derive from readings will sound like advice you get from a knowledgeable parent that has shared the same experience. This means that when you tune into the mindset of looking into your life, you should have patience with yourself and be accepting of the circumstances. Know that you hold your own space and can make just about any experience manageable so long as you still have some influence over it.
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What are your strengths as a tarot deck?
Emperor. Persuasive strength that comes lacking in intimidation. You can be sure answers will be direct. It feels like the answers will seem apparent at first glance once you’ve gotten settled in and adjusted to reading with this deck.
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What are your limits?
Nine of Swords. If you are anxious or outside yourself, your focus on deriving intuitive messages will dwindle. It is possible your anxiety towards needing to know will stress you out. Because of this I’d advise taking a few deep breaths, getting grounded back in your space and emotionally detaching from anything you are about to look into so you can be fair. Avoid getting overwhelmed by pacing yourself.
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What are you here to teach me?
Four of Cups. If you are getting discouraged by circumstances you are in you didn’t see coming, don’t pressure yourself further. Instead of being bitter, huffing and puffing, try instead to give yourself time with your mind off the issue. Distract yourself, rest, do something that matters to you. The time will come when it is important that you do something again. Until then, take it easy.
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How can I best learn to collaborate with you?
Judgment. Learn to answer calls for action. Be prepared before it is time to act. You can achieve this by planning. You can achieve this as you develop foresight. If it is not something you were born with then trust it’s just a matter of time until things start making more sense. The difference is knowing when you are called to act, and learning to identify when to hold back and be patient still.
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What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?
Six of Swords. Taking a risk can feel like throwing it all to the wind. You don’t get lost if you know where you want to go, because you set the intention. If you are uncertain about your future, you can use this deck to figure out where you’ll be going next. If you trust intuition you should find the path becomes clear the further into it you venture.
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Which card do you want to show off?
Five of Swords. Often the most difficult times in our lives are the ones that encourage us to push forward. Being faced with the most dire of circumstances can force us to reinvent ourselves and to find a way. All we need to do is believe in ourselves. This is really eerily optimistic for this kind of card. Even when faced with tasks that overwhelm us, we can use the power of thought to create new solutions.
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How do you see me?
The Lovers. Immersed in an intimate bonding experience. It takes being open and vulnerable to consecrate the art of connecting to others. I curate that experience, and live it in example.
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How do you see yourself?
Three of Coins. A deck that will work with you, for you through the toughest circumstances. There will be as many options present as you allow yourself to see.
I really like this deck and feel it is often overlooked. I've had mind to rotate it into my work table to use with others, but haven't done so because some treats you just want to reserve for yourself. I get so much enjoyment out of using it that I don't want to exploit its magic treating it like a workhorse.
It is worth checking out! Let me know what you think of it if you've interacted with it.
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