Witches, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for a long overdue Eight Coins Tattoo Tarot Review. I recently got this box set from the cutest Tarot shop. They had the most insane selection. I’m so glad my instincts go me to choose this deck and take it home.
As soon as I unpacked the Eight Coins, I felt connected.
The Eight Coins Tattoo Tarot Box Set
The box set is a fantastic little treat for any collector. It consists of an 82 cards deck – yes 82! – a companion book and a poster of the Rose Spread Tutorial.
First of all, why 82 cards: this generous box set includes 78 regular trumps and 4 bonus cards. All the drawings are numbered, helping us connect with and remember the work of the artist that’s behind every figure and landscape.
The bonus cards are the first four drawings by Lana Zellner. Two are black and white, two are coloured. They include the 9 of Wands, 3 and 10 of Cups and the Star. Make sure to separate them from the rest of the deck before you start reading…I didn’t. My first spread had two Stars pop up (which was kind of nice, to be honest).
You can tell this box set was made with love and care. Everything is well done, the printing is of good quality and the overall feel is “generous”. From the words in the book, the size and thickness of the cards, the poster and of course the 4 bonus cards. All that for a very reasonable price.
The Cards
The cards are very solid. It doesn’t really matter whether you love and know the art of Tattoo or are completely foreign to it. This is a gorgeous deck for everyone.
The artist is Lana Zellner. She is both a tattoo artist and Tarot reader and it shows. She naturally brought together both worlds, which makes a lot of sense, for they have a lot in common.
Both Tattoo and Tarot share an ancient tradition of symbolism that traveled through time and cultures.
Every classic tattoo tells a story and sends a message. From anchors to holding hands, snakes and roses etc. Both Tattoo and Tarot (and fortune telling) are crafts that are found in many, if not all, cultures.
In the companion book, the artist describes her work as neo-traditional: “this style can usually be identified by the way it uses American Traditional tattoo images (ladies, wolves, birds, etc.) in a new or modernized way“.
The colours are bright, the vibe is lively and warm. Strong reds, radiant yellows, warm orange tones and deep blue shades are the colours that really strike me the most as I flip through the deck.
Below is a little video review for a better overview
The Companion Book
The Companion book adds a lot of value to this box set. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned reader, if you own several books already or not, this will be a valuable addition to your collection.
First of all, the book gives you a lot of information about the purpose of the deck and how the artist got to work on this project.
There’s enough background information to help you connect with the journey that is beyond the finished product without it ever being overwhelming or confusing.
The overall tone is friendly, straight forward, deep and engaging.
The book also features one page per card to help you understand the meaning of each trump.
Even as an experienced reader, I love to get the artist’s version or vision of a card. Sometimes it’s very different from my way of reading it. This helps widen your horizons and consider different perspectives.
Some decks assign certain cards a slightly different meaning or flavour that you are free to embrace or not. It’s true in this case – based on my experience – and the book really helps make the most of the deck for enhanced readings.
The Eight Coins Tattoo Tarot is definitely a brilliant deck and I highly recommend it for the:
gorgeous artwork
original theme
faithfulness to the RWS & Marseille traditions
high quality box set
helpful companion book
And it’s so easy to connect with and start reading.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of tattoos or not. If you love Tarot and original artworks, this one’s for you.
Do you use the Eight Coins Tattoo Tarot? Share your tips or thoughts in the comment section below 🙂