The Charles Dickens Tarot

by Chris Leech

Using art and symbolism from the Dickensian Victorian era, this rich and inspiring 78-card deck and guidebook draws on literary themes but remains rooted in traditional Tarot. The Major Arcana focuses on Dickens's own life and history, including real-life people who were worked into his fiction. These include his father, John, as Wilkins Micawber in the Emperor card and his mother, Elizabeth, as Mrs. Nicklesby in the Empress card. The four suits—Fire, Water, Air, and Earth—are populated by a plethora of his best-loved characters and novels. The horizontal orientation of the cards invokes an open book, a vista, or even a panorama of Dickens's scenes. The guidebook, written in Dickensian "shorthand," provides keyword analysis of each card, making the meaning clear in both your own life and in relationship with Dickens's characters.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Novelesque Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3 STARS
2019; RedFeather Mind Body Spirit/Schiffer Publishing
(Review Not on Blog)

The Charles Dickens Tarot title is difficult to review as I could only read the guidebook. This book comes with tarot cards and without having them it is hard to review the complete package. In the book the pictures of the cards are gorgeous, but I am not sure how they look or feel. I do like how Leech uses Dickens's novels and characters with Dickens's biography and people in his own life. Even if you are not into tarot, it's worth the browse in the library or book store.

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***

[Insert Name Here · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an ebook, so there were no cards for me to examine. In addition, although the images for the Minor Arcana cards were in the book, the Majors didn't come through, so I can really only judge this on the information given, not on the quality of the cards.

The Minor Arcana are given their elemental names rather than the more familiar Wands, Cups, Pentacles and Swords. This gave me pause for a few seconds each time as I had to remember which suit was which element, but with enough use that disconnect would go away. Remembering the Father/King Mother/Queen Son/Knight Daughter/Page was much easier. The cards are edged in a different colour for each Minor suit, but nothing else differentiates them; I think that would take some time to get used to as well, but I imagine it could be done.

I tried to read the shorthand notes for the cards, but some error in the uploading or transforming process has run every two cards together, so it's difficult to know which words relate to which cards. I'd love to see this deck in person, as the unusual orientation is really interesting - this deck is printed horizontally, rather than vertically, which I've never seen before. I think it'd be really interesting to handle them and try them out in person.

I discovered as I read through it that I don't know Dickens as well as I thought I did! This would be a great way for someone like me to brush up, and for someone who knows Dickens well I imagine there'd be an extra level in the readings.

I'd like to say I recommend this unreservedly. Without seeing and handling the cards, reading the book the way it's meant to be read, I can't do that. But I do think it's worth taking a look at.

[Tom Thornbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curiosity, and a lifelong admiration of Dickens, persuaded me to check out this deck, and unlike Oliver Twist, I got much more than I bargained for. In fact the intellectual richness, visual beauty, and moral seriousness of this deck makes most other tarot decks seem like pretty thin gruel indeed. A familiarity with the novels of Dickens would be a definite advantage, but there's always Wikipedia for plot summaries.

With a little help from the companion book I obtained some beautifully complex and nuanced readings right out of the box. These cards can be read on an intuitive level by studying the superbly collaged and wholly Victorian artwork, but the play between the familiar tarot structure and the stories of Dickens creates an astonishing network of associations.

The deck is based firmly on the Rider-Waite-Smith model, and the images on the cards sometimes echo elements in Pamela Colman Smith's illustrations, so tarot readers will feel right at home.

Schiffer have done a wonderful job of production. The box containing the cards and the admirably clear and concise companion book has an easy magnetic clasp. The cards are gold-edged and oversize, so perhaps a little difficult to shuffle easily for someone with small hands.

This is a very effective working deck for divination but could also be used as a Dickens primer for students. There's a lot in here. Characters from all the novels in their historical context and a parallel biography of Dickens, who used so much of his own life in his works. Fans of Dickens and/or the tarot will be happy with this.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

With people from Dickens' life and family as some of the Major Arcana, and fictional characters like Sidney Carton as The Hanged Man, this is a tarot set for people who have a connection to the works of the great author. The deck, horizontally arranged as it is, is bound to be very different visually to the traditional set, while I guess the cards have been matched as per their meanings, and thus is easily read by those in the know, with or without the user's guide that comes with the cards. This guide conveys the meaning of all the cards just as Dickens might have scrawled it out, but in showing a reading still suggests to me that this is best suited only for those ones who claim the craft. I'd recommend buying this then – but seem to recall the fact that you can't read from a set you buy, only from one that is given to you. So get someone to click 'buy' on this on your behalf, then.

It seems this is the creator's third tarot themed around popular/classic culture, a medium I didn't know existed before now. Of course, someone has already knocked up a Star Wars one – I guess they're almost as common as special edition Monopoly sets if you know where to look. But with the connection to the depth of character Dickens provided, I'm sure this makes a lot more sense than randomly deciding that, say, Jar Jar Binks was the Fool etc.

[Chas Tringham · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in Dickens, The Charles Dickens Tarot is a goldmine of insight and information. Unfortunately, Schiffer chose not to print the original write-up for each card and left out the great bulk of research that went into this deck. The result is a beautiful and original deck but it lacks the depth of the author's indie-produced book. Luckily, that original Indie deck/book is still available through Welkin Tarot, and anyone truly interested in this unique work should skip the Schiffer edition and purchase the original deck directly from the author.