The Westwood Tarot (Tarot Deck and Guidebook, Box Set)

I got this and several other Tarot card sets for a research project I'm doing that's largely unrelated to why most people buy these sets, but this one really stood out to me, and I began to realize just how much I really loved this one, as compared to the others, when I was using them and finding myself consistently drawn back to wanting to use this set, even though I was working with others at the time. I found that, because the quality on these is so very high, I wanted to work more with them, which surprised me.Going in order of features from opening the set to laying out the cards and reading....The first thing I noticed is that the box is nicer and in better shape than most of the boxes I got, even including the larger Llewellyn sets. This had no dings or bent corners (where Llewellyn's nearly always have smushed corners or dings) and it was actually nearly as tall and nearly as wide as my large Llewellyn sets (ones like the Poe set or the Gilded set, that come in a box of roughly the same size as a quality-trade-paperback book as to height and width but not depth). It's slightly smaller than those sets, but only slightly, and it's nowhere near as small as the small sets you can buy or the decks without the large guidebooks. The photo in the listing was so small that I thought it was a smaller deck, like the Lo Scarboro decks, but it's a larger set, which was lovely, and the box is very substantial and also shaped like a curve-spine hardback-book from the 1800s, which is a beautiful touch.As to the guidebook, it's got full color photos of every card, such that you get to see the image and study it while reading in the book, without having to glance back over at the card nearby, which makes it easier to use. This also has the effect of making the set feel higher in quality, because nearly all the books I've received with these sets are in black-and-white instead of having color pictures. The color photos really set this apart, although it's still a standard print book and not on glossy paper like a few I've seen. The book also surpasses others by being a more midsize instead of small. It's not the full-size volume you get with a large set but it's also not the tiny book you get with smaller card decks, and that also makes this feel higher in quality. This book actually feels more like a slightly shorter height mass-market-paperback as to size, while being made in the style of a high-quality paperback with a glossy cover and solid binding. The book has a nice amount of writing for each card (instead of only a couple of lines like some I've tried recently) and actually has a full two-and-a-half pages of writing for each card, on average.Beyond this, the cards themselves are gorgeous and very much like looking at a coffee-table artbook of nature-themed paintings. The images are all very vibrant and colorful, stimulating if you are a nature-lover like me, and soothing. These are pictures to ponder, and they're pleasing to spend time with as well. The cards also have the added bonus of having gold gilt edging, which is something I've seen on full-sized Llewellyn sets and a few independent sets in the twenty-to-thirty-five-dollar range, and I have to say that it's a lovely touch and really does make the set more pleasing to look at.For anyone choosing such a thing, artwork will appeal to you or not, based on your own tastes, and so I won't speak about this in comparison to any other deck as to whether or not you'd like the images themselves. You can tell if this appeals to you from the photos. But what I can say is that the card quality is excellent, the cards are high-gloss and pleasing to touch, and the cards have amazingly bright colors along with gold edging that makes them look and feel higher-end than many of the sets I've tested for this project. The book is well-written, having less writing than the best I've seen (which were independent books with no decks and with around eight to ten pages per card) but also far more writing than the worst and truly far more than even the average set that comes with a book and a deck included. In fact, most have about half this amount of writing and it's in a small volume. The amount of writing in this is similar to about half of the larger Llewellyn sets and the large independent sets, where you get the full story on each card, but even those often only have one to two pages, and this does include more, even when factoring in page size and print size. It's enough writing to inform fully without overwhelming with verbiage of the kind you find in a book with ten pages per card (again, the type sold without a deck and specifically for study purposes). And I'd describe the book as being clearly and concisely written, making full use of those two-and-a-half pages per card.Overall, I'd say the set is beautiful, with a lovely box and beautiful cards with very vibrant and bright but also soothing artwork, very nice on a rainy day when you can't go outside, and the book stands out for having more writing than most out there these days. Usually, in a small set, you get a tiny book with one page per card, and the pages are very small so it's a paragraph per card. With large sets, you get a book like this, only it's a bit taller and slightly wider, and this really stands out for being in that higher quality group with more writing on each card. For lower vision individuals, the print in the book is on the smaller side, but not too small for the average reader, and everything about this set impresses me so much that I'd love to see them do a slightly larger version with the same cards and a larger book to get larger print. It's basically perfect, as to quality.

The Westwood Tarot is an incredibly beautiful tarot card deck and book set created by the wonderful award winning and talented artist, Yasmeen Westwood, and written by the extremely talented Kalliope!I love the exquisite hard cover box which is designed to look like a storybook. It's a magnetic flip closure box and opens like a book, with a wonderful Enid Blyton quote on the inside which I immediately resonated with!Then the cards are invitations into a wonderful storybook like world with depth and meaning and incredible detailing which are so great to immerse yourself in! I could spend hours looking at each and every card! They are slightly larger than usual cards, but it's worth it because of the artwork. They are gilt edged which adds to the mystique and magic of this set.Then there's the incredible full color guidebook which has great explanations and details for each and every card and character upon each card too. The writing is very poetic and meaningful so it's great to read.The whole set is incredible and well worth the purchase. It's a delight to work with and a wonderful addition to any worthwhile tarot collection.

This is a GORGEOUS deck and I love the box, it's bigger than a standard tarot box and feels more luxe. Definitely worth the price, great, unique artwork and I ended up buying a second deck as a gift!

The media could not be loaded. So many things I admire about this set. The lush green flowers and vines on the back of the cards, along with the dusted gold trims are a moment in itself. Just absolutely gorgeous! Flipping them over on each and every card the artwork is so vibrant, it just draws you right in. They truly provide a feeling.Then you meet the most realistic relatable characters along the way. With stories that will ring so true to your own personal experiences. You realize that you yourself can relate, throughout different times in life and if not your life, for sure someone you know of. Honestly after reading the stories I have such a sense of respect for not only what each one stands but for what I also believe in.Page after page, card after card all 78 of these amazing spiritual creatures will provide you with precious words of wisdom. I’ve had this set for over a month now, I’ve already read it front to back twice. I love it!!