One of the great joys of Tarot is the sheer decadence of art—both in quantity and quality. Each deck gives us seventy-eight (seventy-nine if we count the back) images. If you think about it, that’s quite a lot; more than many exhibits or shows. The Dark Angels Tarot puts in your hands seventy-nine (because I’m including the back) exquisite treasures.
Now, you know as well as I do that there are any number of marvelous decks on the market that are known for their art. In fact, sometimes so much attention has gone into the artsy-ness of them that someone forgot to attend to the practical aspect and hence the decks are sometimes “art decks,” which means “very lovely but not really great for readings.” And while there are many, many good decks for reading that are artsy, I’d have to say that generally speaking one aspect or the other (art or practicality) holds more sway. It is a rare thing to find a deck that is actually equally balanced. I think the Dark Angels Tarot is one of those rare decks. But because quality of art can be objective, feel free to disagree with me.
The concept of the deck is that it represents a world, our world, that is near the end of its existence. The sun is dying and so is the world. The Creator, in despair, turns His back on the tragedy while His angels come to the earth to comfort and help the people still left. The dark angels not only fall in love with humankind but also fall prey to the passions and problems that shape the human experience. (Full review at: llewellyn.com)
