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This fourth volume of the Encyclopedia of Tarot (previous volumes were published in 1978, 1986, and 1990, and each one stands alone) continues the tradition of its predecessors in locating and describing decks of tarot and tarock decks. (Tarock is a tarot deck used for gaming and has fewer cards.) Tarot decks are not just used for divination but are also works of art and collectibles.
Volume IV describes more than 800 different tarot decks with over 11,000 individual cards reproduced. Most of the illustrations are black and white, but 64 cards are reproduced in color and in a larger size. The first part of the book covers "Unpublished Tarot Designs," defined as original artwork, designs on T-shirts, decks posted on the Internet, and limited editions. These are arranged in alphabetical order by name of the deck. They include decks based on the original Dark Shadows daytime serial, the Enchanted Path Tarot using abstract symbols, and Tarot of the Goddess.
Part 2, "Published Tarot Decks," includes the Animal Tarot, a variety of Celtic decks, H. P. Lovecraft tarot, Shakespeare tarot, and much more. The authors make an error in describing the Popess card in the Shakespeare set, referring to Mary Stuart as Elizabeth I's half sister. Also included are more than 100 tarot decks from Japan.
Part 3, "Antiques and Ancients" covers decks published prior to the twentieth century, arranged according to their first known printing. Part 4 covers "Tarock Packs" with pre-World War II decks shown in chronological order and post-WWII decks in alphabetical order by name.
A one-page essay entitled "Does the Tarot Work?" concludes the entries. A lengthy annotated bibliography of books, articles, films, and more that were not included in the previous three volumes follows the essay. Indexing is not sufficiently detailed, and readers looking under general headings such as death will be frustrated by the hundreds of page citations.
This encyclopedia is more useful to collectors of tarot decks and less useful in divination. Reasonably priced, it is recommended for all libraries where the previous volumes have been popular or where a demand for such titles exists. Abbie Vestal Landry
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