Tarot of the Divine: Yoshi Yoshitani

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Tarot of the Divine The idea of linking fairy-tale folklore and the Tarot is very interesting. These phenomena have a lot in common. Legends and fairy tales are the concentration of the wisdom of our ancestors. This is a collection of symbols and archetypes, ideas about the world, about good and evil. Opening this tarot is like entering into a fairy tale. You set about laying out the cards and find they whisper in sing-song voice. “Once upon a time,” entrances the High Priestess as she opens her book to read to you. “In this story, YOU are the fairy godmother,” declares The Magician as they wave their wand. “Here be dragons!” cautions The Devil. And on, and on, they go into the “happily ever after,” with The World. Since the cards really do draw from stories from around the world, some may be very familiar while others will be completely foreign. Since I grew up in the United States, with Western history and storytelling tradition, I can easily recognize the Emperor as King Arthur (with the sword in the stone):

Each card is reproduced in full colour and afforded the same amount of space and information. The corresponding myth or fairy tale is listed directly under the illustration, as well as its country of origin, and a clarification as to whether it is a fairy tale, a myth, saint or deity. Beneath this is a description of the qualities each card embodies and what the fairy tale or myth represents. This is followed by a few keywords for both upright and reversed divinatory meanings – which are very much in line with traditional interpretations. The print quality is superb – the integrity of the delicate colour schemes is brilliantly reproduced, and the fine lines and detail have been maintained. There are no misprints, no colour bleeds, and no blurring. The artist, Yoshi Yoshitani, utilises a broad pallette contrasting strong deep colours such as teal, dark turquoise, deep blu, against pale and delicate colours like apricot, buttery yellow, pale green, and adds highlights and pops of rich crimson, fiery reds, and bold oranges. Features rich, vibrant art and a keen understanding of traditional tarot archetypes infused with worldly insight and folkloric spirit. The idea of linking fairy-tale folklore and the Tarot is very interesting. These phenomena have a lot in common. Legends and fairy tales are the concentration of the wisdom of our ancestors. This is a collection of symbols and archetypes, ideas about the world, about good and evil.This tarot set is based around the Rider Waite system. The box is so lovely, not too big and bulky, simple, and the texture is really nice. Using a simple ribbon pull to get the cards out. The cards are sturdy, smooth and nice to work with physically.

I personally found dark undertones in even celebratory images like the 3 of Coins, which shows a child performing joyfully near Banjhakri and Banjhakrini having successfully completed their shaman training. Further reading revealed that they kidnap children and put them under physical and other rigorous testing, and kill the ones who don't succeed. I don't personally believe this matches the cooperation traditionally implied by that card considering the story itself has children under duress. Yoshi Yoshitani’s style is distinctly commercial with a strong element of graphics – the images are quite flat, with delicate line work, and surprising, fine detail which gives a poignancy to many of the images. The artwork strongly reminiscent of picture books and cover art, and brings to mind childhood books of fairy stories. While the images do depict mythical beings and familiar fairytale characters, they are presented in such a way as to recall Pamela Coleman Smith’s classic illustrations. The path to enlightenment is unique for each of us, but many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations. With rich, vibrant art and a keen understanding of traditional tarot archetypes, illustrator Yoshi Yoshitani infuses Tarot of the Divine with worldly insight and an intriguing selection of fables and folktales from cultures across the globe. The Emperor is the ideal father figure. A warrior and conqueror, King Arthur rules over his kingdom and his sometimes-unruly knights with a just and firm hand. He unifies the fractious, defends the weak, and lends his knowledge and understanding to all his subjects.Tarot of the Divine' is all about tarot and fairy tales from all across the globe. How inspiring and creative, with such beautiful illustrated cards! Yoshi has done a great job of reworking the heritage of world folklore and combining it with traditional Tarot symbols. Here are stories from all parts of the globe. These are children's fairy tales known to everyone, and legendary heroes of the epos and small magic stories. The Fool (The Little Mermaid), Danish; The High Priestess, Scheherazade (Anansi), Akan); Justice (Amhaeng Eosa), Korean); Temperance (Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara), Buddhist); and also the World, Hinemoa as Tutanekai (Maori). Both of Cups, Enkidu and Gilgamesh (Sumerian), Three of Cups, Apsara, Hindu, Seven of Cups, Aladdin, Arabic. The Four of Coins are Condor’s Wife (Aymara), Six of Coins are (The Woman Who Was Kind To Insects), and Seven of Coins are (Nanahuatzin (Zatec). However, the Kings are non-human numbers. Yoshitani keeps Tarot tradition by keeping the initial names of the cards. The companion guidebook provides insight into how these fables from around the globe support traditional tarot imagery and themes.