Review by Terri Clement
Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso
Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc., www.usgamesinc.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-57281-702-9
ISBN-10: 1-57281-702-X
Jennifer Galasso combined her years of Tarot experience with her fantasy art bringing us a charming deck titled Crystal Visions Tarot.
Expecting a deck heavily laden with crystals and gems, I found myself pleasantly surprised by softness of the images and usability of this deck. The deck name was actually inspired by the song Crystal Visions by Stevie Nicks.
Crystal Visions Tarot is a 79 (not a typo) card Tarot traditional deck that is comprised of much of the Rider Waite Smith symbolism. The suits are Cups, Swords, Pentacles, and Wands. The Court cards are King, Queen, Knight and Page. Strength is numbered VIII and Justice is XI. All 79 cards are titled in a color-coded (Major Arcana is yellow, Cups are pink, Swords are blue, Wands are a muted red and Pentacles are a greenish-grey) banner on the bottom ½” of the card, containing the title of each card. The cards have a very thin white border around the outside.
The deck arrived, sealed in plastic, inside a standard cardboard box.
The cards measure 2 ½” wide x 4 ¾” tall. The images are printed on fairly stiff cardstock with a glossy finish. Though the deck is slippery it shuffles well and fans with ease.
Included with the deck is a straightforward, 64-page Little White Book. The LWB includes an introduction, giving the reader some insight to the creation of the Crystal Visions Tarot, an upright and reversed interpretation for each card, how to phrase a question and the Celtic Cross spread.
The use of color in this deck is quite striking. Each suit seems to have its own color scheme, icy blues for Swords, fiery orange and reds for the Wands, warm pinks and purples for Cups and woodsy greens and yellows for Pentacles.
Looking through the images you will quickly see how Jennifer incorporated her own unique fantasy styling into each RWS-based image. At first glance you may see an image that is familiar to you, but as you look closer at each card, you will find hidden images as well.
For example the Queen of Pentacles features a woman in a beautiful renaissance style gown, seated in the base of a tree, making the tree resemble a thrown. She is holding a staff with a pentacle adorning the top. She is also wearing the mask of the Green Woman. At her feet and circling the tree are clusters of crystals. Look in the branches of the trees. You might have to look closely to see the hidden images.
Another example is the 7 of Cups, which shows a blonde woman dressed in a red gown riding through a rainbow perched atop a dragon. Below the pair is a beautiful lake filled with lotus flowers. In the background you can see the sun setting behind the hills and crescent moon above them.
As mentioned there are 79 cards in this deck, the extra card, called The Unknown Card, is un-numbered and added to the Major Arcana. This card features a very mystical looking young woman holding a crystal ball in her hand. There is a raven flying in front of her and at her waist level, the raven is holding a wand in his talons. Behind the woman are glass windows looking out in to a night sky. According to the LWB, the meaning of this card represents “an answer that is not yet meant to be revealed.” This particular image really draws the reader in to it.
The back of the deck is reversible friendly and is done is shades of purple and lavender. In the center is a crystal ball surrounded by vines and roses. At the top and bottom of the vine, there appears to be a face of a little creature.
This deck brings to mind Shadowscapes Tarot by Sephanie Pui Mun Law and the Forest Folklore Tarot by Kessia Beverly-Smith.
Crystal Visions Tarot can easily be used right out of the box by anyone with a little RWS background, but can be picked up quickly by a beginner. This deck would also be great for those who are doing creative fiction writing and need a fresh idea, or someone who is creating characters for roll playing games. The deck could make an excellent choice for those looking for a deck to use for mediation and visualization. It would make an excellent addition to any collection.