By Diana Cooper; illustrated by Damian Keenan
Findhorn Press, 44 cards, $16.95
I used to read tarot cards professionally and waited with some anticipation to receive the Atlantis Cards. I want to say, however, right off the bat that upon opening the deck and flipping through the cards, I did have a bone to pick – the illustrations. No, there is nothing artistically wrong with Damian Keenan’s soothing visuals. The problem, as I see it, is that all the cards depict the Atlantans as blonde, blue-eyed and garbed in flowing purple robes. I say this, as I push my own blonde hair out of my blue eyes, but I believe potential buyers of this deck might prefer illustrations of people who are less homogeneous and more multicultural.
Of course, this led to fascinating discussion with others as we thought about what the Atlantans physically might look like. One friend said that since the island was felt to be near Greece, the inhabitants should have Mediterranean looks. Another said that it was felt the inhabitants were the predecessors to the Incas. One woman simply asked Jeeves and came up with the answer that the Atlantans were “red.”
Okay – getting past that now, Cooper does present us with some calming and centering cards. Unlike a tarot deck, there do not seem to be any real negative cards. The most negative situation that can be encountered in the Atlantis Cards is the abuse of power and misuse of the effects of thought. Cards are named Fun, Contemplation and Healing…as well as the more exotic Fifth Dimension, Temple of Poseidon and Mind Control.
I did pick some cards that seemed to resonate with my situation…have more fun was definitely one. My favorite was when I asked the general question, “What will happen tomorrow?” I picked the card entitled Enlightenment – and literally got the answer: “Your guidance is to stop doing and striving. Forget about tomorrow.” For the final test run, I brought the cards over to my friend, Christina, across the street. Christina does not use cards for her readings but does teach tarot. She is strictly a psychic medium, clairvoyant and a health intuitive.
Christina followed the instructions of the Celtic Cross that came with the deck, and truly connected with her reading. She drew many parallels with the cards and the explanations they gave. The kicker was “the final outcome” – the last card. It was Clairvoyance. As this is what Christina is, it was fairly impressive. Her take on the deck: “Pretty interesting!”
Diane Saarinen is a writer and a tag sale junkie. She cannot wait for the yard sale season to begin. Christina is available for private readings – learn more about her at her web site, www.psychicchristina.com
Atlantis Cards
Review by Diane Saarinen