Love for the Cosmic Tarot

I’m extremely picky when it comes to choosing a new tarot deck. Y’know, maybe the symbolism is too weak, the style too brash or simply too dripping in the artists own taste. Or maybe it’s just not colourful or brash enough? Maybe the images don’t “talk” to me or perhaps the dimensions of the cards just aren’t comfortable. Maybe the deck is for study and meditation work but it doesn’t really fulfill that purpose? Or, maybe I need what I affectionately term a “working deck” and it doesn’t fulfill that purpose either. These are just some of my starter hurdles, it may seem comical but I tend to equate buying a new tarot deck with getting a new tattoo...

At the beginning of this year I started to get a pull for a new working deck. Listening to this inner message is an important part of the process but it’s not necessarily an itch you can scratch right away. You’ve got to go through all of the above questions (and many more) and develop a feel of sorts that will lead you to the right deck.

I was getting a pull for a new working deck and I'll try and explain what I mean by that. One of the few decks I use is the Crowley Thoth deck. Arguably, this is one of the most powerfully illustrated decks you can find. But, for me at least, it’s not a “working deck” – the Thoth deck does not have immediacy, it operates in a world away from a typical social “questioning” situation. Of course, this very depth and complexity is the power in its design but it is that very intention that stops it being my go to “working” tarot. However, take my Crowley deck into the meditation and universal relationships space and suddenly the great fusion of languages and symbolism creates a magical tension that demands a lot of the reader.

So, a working deck for me is something that combines mystery, accessibility and immediacy. Rare then to find a deck that delivers on all of these qualities in abundance but that is what I feel I have found in the Cosmic Tarot. The latter is a fully illustrated deck, meaning that all 78 cards in the Major and Minor Arcana feature pictures to help the reader. Created by Norbert Löche in the late 80s, this beautifully illustrated deck has made quite an impression on me.

What I find startling about the Cosmic Tarot is that, while there is a tangible “cosmic-ness” to it, it's difficult to pinpoint where and why. But the striking imagery leads you in and makes you walk. There’s a warm, quietly eclectic sense of importance and symbolic intimacy throughout. Additionally, enhancing this overall engaging spirit are washes of colour and some consistently beautiful stylistics. The whole deck has a rich lyrical depth, each image like a note in a very, very human symphony. The court cards in particular, with their close-up portrait style and natural expressions, reach out and challenge the reader - as if to say "what am I thinking?"

In his own words, Löche set out to:

In creating this tarot my intention is to make the old knowledge accessible and understandable to everyone by using as few secret symbols as possible. In our times, the search for transcendent meaning and self-redemption has replaced the old mystical religions of a distant god. The tarot's age old knowledge is always quiet and reserved, yet it welcomes the seeker like an old friend. The tarot, with its dynamic concept of constant change, offers a doctrine for the New Age and thus becomes a reliable guide in this chaotic world of shifting social values."

To my mind anyway, Löche has achieved an enchantment and I'm looking forward to working with this deck and sharing some of my insights on the cards with you. For now, it is time to carry on with my attuning and build up the relationship with this wonderful tarot.

Like the design? The Cosmic Tarot is available from one of my favourite holistics suppliers: www.holisticshop.co.uk