Dreaming Way Tarot

This RWS style deck is the work of Rome Choi and Kwon Shina. Directly from the box: "Dreaming Way Tarot dresses up traditional tarot with contemporary artistic flair. In this exquisite deck, stylish characters breathe new life into the scenes and symbols of the Major and Minor Arcana." I would agree -- this deck does demonstrate a modern flair. The artwork is strikingly modern and fun; it communicates a great deal with just the right amount of images and symbols.

Suits are traditional: Cups, Pentacles, Wands and Swords, as are the names of the Trumps. Each card has a white border with the card title at the bottom in thin black text.

The card descriptions in the LWB give both a short text about the card and what it represents as well as providing keywords for upright and reversed meanings. Additionally there are two short sections called "Characteristics of the Suits" and "Characteristics of Numbers" and a spread in the back of the LWB called "Dreaming Way Five-Card Spread," which is a spread designed to help the practitioner confront issues that may have blocked his or her contentment.

The cards themselves are not as glossy as many of the cards by U.S. Games typically are, and I find that they handle even better as a result; they tend not to slide about at the slightest touch. Cardbacks allow for reversals, as they are a Klimt-like array of circular orbs over a randomly painted green background.

I find this deck to be pleasantly neutral on most accounts. There is no angst or darkness, nor is there excess of cute or cheery images. Characters in the scenes also have well-depicted, though neutral facial expressions, with the exception of a very few cards, such as the Ten of Cups. This is important for me, because often the facial expression can be a visual distraction, or a bias, when reading a card.

Some of the fascinating card transformations in this deck include the Wheel of Fortune, Death, the Moon, Judgment, and the World.

The Wheel of Fortune is almost certain to expand your card meaning once you see it: a woman employs a spinning wheel, meanwhile a long cord full of tangles and knots twists its way through the wheel. The woman has wings, and her face is serene and expressionless.

On the Death card, all that is presented is a female, profile left, in a black gown and holding a scythe with the blade upright. All the colors on the card are dark.

In the Moon card, a girl holds a lobster by the claws with only a huge moon as the backdrop.

On the Judgment card we see only trumpeting angels -- no human figures responding to the trumpets as in the traditional RWS.

The World card bears the least resemblance to the original, and yet this might be my favorite card in the whole deck: an aged man rests peacefully in a chair, clutching a pipe, a book and reading glasses in his lap. Behind him stand a tree covered in ivy.

I would recommend this deck to readers of any level, as the images are easily understood and yet provide fertile ground for expanded meanings and intuitive reading.

-- John Alan, Tarot Guild

"Based on the traditional Rider-Waite tarot deck, the Dreaming Way Tarot builds on standard images and interpretations, adding emotional insight, whimsy, and creativity. The characters in this deck literally presented themselves to Rome Choi in a dream. He relied on his years of tarot research, numerology, and his study of Transpersonal Psychology to flesh out the deck. Kwon Shina captures Choi's original inspiration in her energetic, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, illustrations.

Together Choi and Shina have created a unique deck, which preserves the roots of traditional tarot without simply repeating what's been done in the past. Beginners will be drawn into the cards, finding lots of visual cues to jumpstart their readings. Seasoned readers will be amused, stimulated, and prodded to look deeper into familiar symbolism. This deck is a treat for the eyes, which also provides plenty to think about."

-- Anna Jedrziewski, on Tarotwise.com