The Cosmic Tribe Tarot

The Cosmic Tribe

By Jewel

I wrote this review for Aeclectic many years ago.  My love for the deck remains after all of these years so I thought I would post this review here as well.

My first impression when looking through the cards of this deck was WOW! The images on the computer screen just did not do justice to the real thing. What I purchased originally as a novelty quickly became my favorite deck to work with.

The Cosmic Tribe is photographic collage enhanced with computer graphic elements creating a lively and vibrant deck reflecting the new century. The three dimensional effects add both depth and movement to the cards. The colors used are bright and deliberately selected adding to the meaning of the cards. There is a playfulness in this deck that I have not seen any other of its high caliber.

The deck synthesizes elements of various cultural traditions including paganaism, indigenous shamanism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The deck uses nudity as one of its primary elements and as a key part of its design. It is NOT an erotic deck. The nudity is artistic, tasteful and within the context of the cards. All genders and body types are portrayed. This deck is definitely not suited for those that are offended by graphic nudity. From my experience at the Aeclectic Tarot Forums, people either love or hate this deck, there seems to be no in-between.

Arabic numbers are used on the Major Arcana, with Balance as card 8 and Strength as 11. Justice has been renamed Balance 8, and Judgment has been renamed Emergence 20. There are three Lovers cards from which to choose: male/female, female/female, and male/male. Card suits and elemental correspondence is: swords/air, wands/fire, cups/water and disks/earth.

The Cosmic Tribe is largely based on Crowley's Thoth deck. Court cards are Queen, Knight, Princess and Prince. The Minor Arcana are pips with graphic design elements, but are not fully illustrated as in the Raider Waite type decks, they are what I call "moody minors." However, it is important to note that the use of color and the graphic designs are extremely evocative.

Cards are a little oversized, measuring 5" X 3". The backs of the cards are non-reversible with 4 mini-cards representing the elements on each fourth of the card and a large cosmic eye in the center. Each of the elemental mini-cards also includes a cosmic eye, which is a theme that runs through this deck. The border on the back of the cards is black, this the edges begin to show a little wear quickly due to the quality of the card stock. If there was one thing I would change about this deck it would be for it to be printed on higher quality card-stock. The faces of the cards have a thin white border, which nicely off-sets the vibrant colors.

The book that accompanies the deck is excellent guiding the reader to understand the cards and their power, not simply giving cookie-mold definitions of the meanings of the cards. Poetry related to each card is included, and although most of the book is dedicated to the actual cards, there is also a section on working with the cards that includes spreads, meditation and information on deck storage.

Overall I think this is an excellent deck and book set! I have found The Cosmic Tribe to be extremely clear in readings and very easy use. It is also good for meditative work. I would recommend this deck to Tarot enthusiasts of all experience levels, and is a must for deck collectors for being the first to include three versions of the Lovers card to choose from.  It is refreshing to see such a wonderful creation. Thank you Stevee Postman!