The Essential Hanson-Roberts Tarot Kit: Book and Card Set

A very peaceful, tranquil, positive, rendition of the RWS Tarot Deck. Opening the deck is like opening up an old and beloved book of fairytales from one's childhood. This deck seems to be a place where magic might effortlessly occur. Just happen, at any moment. The images of the cards seem parts of an effortless story, without any of the cumbersome, overwrought, and often tedious theatrical staging of traditional Pam-decks. Revelation of human anatomical features, as traditionally occurs in RWS decks, is absent. So this might be a good deck to use when reading for sensitive audiences. (The figure of the Magician, though, does sport a shirt unbuttoned to his waist...oh, the temerity! LOL) The box this set comes in is quite well designed and sturdy. Very thoughtfully constructed. The book accompanying the cards is hardback, with dustjacket...a nice touch. The cardstock IS thin. This is the Achille's heel of this set. Not paper-thin, but definitely thin for a cardstock used in a Tarot deck. One must wonder why a publisher would make such a rookie mistake, while remaining so conscientious about getting everything else in this set so right. But, if one slows down, relaxes, and contents oneself with a gentle overhand shuffle, the cards cooperate quite nicely, and without damage. I would not personally risk riffle shuffling with this deck. Bent cards would be an inevitability. At least for me. The cardstock is not as robust as that typically encountered in a standard RWS production. Regardless, this deck, this set, is a little jewel. It may be that you owe it to yourself and your practice to acquire it for your Tarot treasure chest. Also, this set would make a very nice gift to a friend or tarot-minded family member on a holiday or birthday.

If you are interested in getting into tarot card readings this would be a good starter deck for you. It's nothing fancy but very practical. If you don't care for a fancy deck and just want something to practice with you will like this deck. The box is smaller than expected but it doesn't matter because you do get a decent sized deck. I have petite hands and these fit well in my palms, it was fairly easy to shuffle. I had such a wonderful experience doing my first reading, it was easy to interpret the card meanings and then follow up on the messages coming through. The imagery is also really great I enjoyed the illustrations, they do help connect the dots and deliver a clear and spot on message. A lot of people mentioned some negatives but the positives outweigh the negatives in my opinion. It's not fancy but they are cute and I really enjoy them. I love the box it came with it's nice to also have the book for guidance. For the price these are definitely worth it! If your a beginner you will love them.

I chose this item out of curiosity, because it sounded interesting, and did not cost a lot. I liked that in included: a Tarot deck, a guide book, and a box to contain it all in....for $15.22. It arrived within 2 days of ordering, and was all that it claimed. The decorative box is covered with images from the cards, and has a magnetic closure, as well as an internal molded tray which contains the book in one area, and the deck in another. The cards come in a flimsy cardboard container, and are the 'Hanson-Roberts' deck...which is an interpretation of the RWS format. The artwork on the faces, and design on the backs, of the cards will appeal more to some, and less to others. The book is about the size of a european pack of cigarettes, and hardbacked, with a dust jacket. It has 111 pages which contain illustrations, and explanations, of the cards. Each 'chapter' is a couple of short paragraphs long,; one on the upright meaning of the card, and one on the reversed meaning of the card...for each of the 78 cards. As such, the book is a basic introductory guide to...not a full y detailed study of...the cards. The book also explains the basics of giving a reading, using both the ten card Celtic Cross spread, and the 7 card Horseshoe spread. The book is limited, but well written, and easy to understand. The title of the book is The Essential Book of Tarot. It is copyrighted 2002 by Peter Pauper Press, and illustrated by Mary Hanson-Roberts. The ISBN is: 978-0-88088-238-5. It is printed in China. The cards are copyrighted by U.S. Games System Inc. Whether they are a US firm, or a Chinese one, or whatever, is not revealed. The ISBN of the package-cards, book, and decorative box, is: 978-0-88088-248-4. The cards are flimsy, and difficult to shuffle, and easy to bend. I would not use these cards as my main Tarot deck, on a regular business, for fear of bending them beyond the point of usability. For occasional readings, with gentle handling, they can be used. My pack contained all 78 Tarot cards, and two non-Tarot cards used as advertisements, or mere decoration. This kit provides a good basic (very basic) introduction to the tarot, but is not an in-depth study of it. If you are not familiar with the Tarot, consider getting it. If you are already a Tarot adept, you may want a more detailed book, and sturdier cards, as you will probably already know what is is this book, and be prone to give frequent readings. This kit is worth the price I paid for it. The cards could have been sturdier, and the book more in-depth, but also could have cost more. I'm satisfied with it. As a book, and card deck, plus container, kit with 2 day delivery, for just $15.22 it works for me.

I bought this deck for two reasons. 1) I wanted a more traditional deck, but I am simply NOT a fan of the Rider-Waite-Smith artwork. 2) I wanted a smaller deck that will be use primarily for traveling or just carrying around in my purse when I don't have room for my larger ones. For the budget price, this deck will certainly get the job done. The artwork is a close interpretation of the original RWS artwork, but the artist still shows their own unique style. It's a perfect size to fit in a purse or small duffel bag while traveling (but since it doesn't come with a smaller deck box or bag, I will have to purchase one for it). My main complaint is the cardstock. Normally I'm not one to nitpick cardstock quality, but this deck is the exception. The cardstock in this deck bends a little too freely for my liking, and I have to weigh it down with stones or crystals in order for it to stay flat most of the time - otherwise it takes on a slight bend. If you absolutely require heavy cardstock, then this is probably not the deck for you - but if you can look past that for the quality of the artwork, then you will probably be just fine with this deck. Bottom line - this will probably see most of its use as an "on the go" deck once I have a way to store it properly, and it's a good RWS-inspired deck without being an obvious clone. For the budget price, it's more than adequate.

About me and Tarot. Right now, I am a re-beginner. I used to be a very advanced Tarot reader in the mid to late 1960's when Tarot was making resurgence in popularity. I had the gift of being able to get the meanings from the card and tell the story the layout foretold for the questioners and doing it accurately. The deck I used at that time was a standard Rider-Waite and was a decent product for its time. I stopped reading the cards and haven't even thought about them for the past 50 years. My original deck is long gone. For some reason, almost a month ago I decided to start again. A detailed search led me to believe I would be unhappy with the basic Rider-Waite decks of today. I am fussy about the card stock being at least decent and I will not put up with shabby lithography with today's ability to print nice images. In my search, I found this Hanson-Roberts deck geared toward beginners. And here are the meat and potatoes of my review. This is the perfect deck for beginners. The images and colors are clear and crisp and the coloring stays within the lines. Although there is some of the small detail missing, I believe this is actually an advantage to someone just starting to learn. The images are close up and scream their story to the novice reader. As far as someone more advanced, they would work fine as a travel deck or a casual circumstance deck to do a reading. The box they come in is very sturdy and has a magnetic latch. So as the beginner grows and learns, another deck might get chosen later on, but this one will stay in use over time. The artwork is beautiful. The card stock is decent and should last for a long time. The card size is a little smaller than average but that makes shuffling easier. The images are less intense and will not frighten off the questioners you read for in the beginning who might not be all that well aquatinted with Tarot readings. The little book that comes with this deck is made very well. But it is not useful to learn Tarot reading from. You will still need a good teaching book or two. But once in a while, especially at the beginning, the key word approach of the little book can jog you into reading a particular card when you get stuck. As you progress, you will find little use for it. I was surprised how fast my reading abilities came back to me. Now that I have done a few good readings for people with this deck, I still appreciate it's qualities. I still have the gift and the ability to read the cards came flooding back. I still need to practice to get to the level I used to be at, but these particular cards were a great point to start again from. I have no doubt I will still be using them a lot. If you are a beginner looking for a quality product that you can learn to read from, I highly recommend this deck. Even after you learn, you will come back to them again. And again. And Again.

Got one for my mom for christmas and my husband got one for me. Love the colors and art. I had another tarot deck but it didn't come with a little box and none of the minor arcana cards were labeled. Some of the minor arcana are self explanatory but some of them are rather ambiguous if you are new to tarot. The major arcana were in another language which made it harder for me to do a reading as a beginner. So since it didn't have a little box for easy carrying, I have to keep the loose cards in a satin bag I dug around for. The plus side on that one was it had a larger and more thorough guide. THIS set, however, is great! It comes with a little box for the deck, a bigger tin box, a mini guide and every single card is labeled so I can easily learn the deck and do quick readings. It is great for beginners like myself and my mom. Once i get the hang of it, maybe I can use my larger more obscure deck some day :) Great set, I love it and recommend it.

This full deck set is a great travel set or a beginner's introduction. The cards are pretty and are traditional in style, but nothing to write home about in terms of the artistry. The little booklet is helpful, but vague at best, with only little tidbits about the meansings of the cards and how to do a reading. But, since so much is available free online, it is sufficient reminder if you forget a meaning. In addition, the cards are always interpretable, so some vagueness in the explanation is to be expected. The cards are small - like a playing card deck, not a traditional Tarot size, but this does make them more portable and shufflable for those that do a lot of traveling. The cards themselves are not super sturdy, either. The cardstock used is a little flimsy, but not bad. The box is nice, especially since the cards and book are tiny and easy to lose. Overall, I don't regret the purchase; it's a nice little deck to have and good for the price. But I do want a nicer, larger, sturdier deck for later.

The Essential Hanson-Roberts Tarot Kit is an exceptional set for tarot enthusiasts. The beautifully illustrated cards capture the essence of each archetype, making readings insightful and visually engaging. The accompanying guidebook is comprehensive, offering clear interpretations and guidance for both beginners and seasoned readers. The sturdy box ensures the durability of the cards, making it a valuable addition to any tarot collection. Overall, a fantastic choice for those seeking a reliable and aesthetically pleasing tarot experience.

I've had this for ten years. Buy it. ♡ trust yourself, and the cards.

I like Hanson Robrerts deck. But this one it's only good to have in your collection its not for daily use , since the quality of carts itself is very poor. It can bend easily when shaffel them.

The product itself is good, nice box and book. The cards on the other hand.. I was expecting something more out of them. The drawings are beautiful but they look pale and they seem a little fragile.

Nice cards and box.

These cards & book are wonderful. I read the other reviews about them & was surprised when I got them because I was lead to believe they were paper thin, they are not. They are smaller than the Waite cards but that's better because they are easier to shuffle. I was more than happy with them. The book is perfect, it has a picture of each card so you know which card your reading & they are beautifully designed. For the price these cards & book are ideal for someone just starting out like I was. Well worth it.