"Transformational Tarot" created by Arnell Ando, M.A.
This deck description was contributed by a reader. Since it was very detailed, I decided that it should have its own page. Feel free to E-mail him.
Arnell Ando has created a beautiful and intriguing Tarot deck. Perhaps the
effect of the deck can best be summarized in the words found on the card
entitled "Liberation", (replacing the title "Judgment)--"Attaining spiritual
and perceptual freedom." By using collage to create a universe of juxaposed
imagery, Ando forces us to break through past our expected perceptions of the
cards and their meanings and into new insights.
The cards themselves are small, about the size of a standard playing-card
deck. That is unfortunate, as the collages would be at their best if the
cards were larger, as in the case of the "Voyager" and "Enchanted" Tarot
decks which also use collage. Each image is contained within a white border.
In the Major Arcana, a Roman numerial is placed at the top of the card while
the name of the card appears at the bottom. Some of the Major Arcana names
have been changed--The High Priestess becomes The Sorceress, The Wheel of
Fortune becomes Karma, and The Hanged Man becomes Reflection. The Minor
Arcana is marked by the suit number and a special glyph invented by Ando
designating the suit.
The collages are not busy but rather work to create pictures containing
levels of interpretations. The images used range from the classic works of
the Renaissance through Goya, the Pre-Raphaelites, the Surrealists, to Ando's
own work. In the Two of Coins, a young ballerina stands before a mirror
which reflects a shadowy figure that may or may not be her. A highway
stretches out to the horizon, and a picture frame hanging in the sky reveals
an alternate world. In Liberation, a corridor of stone Romansque and Gothic
arches leads to the face of the Self, or one of its faces. Bits of sky break
through the arches. This deck is not a re-working of Rider-Waite images;
Ando has a unique vision of the Tarot.
The deck is inclusive of minority histories, such as having Reflection focus
on the millions of women who were burned at the stake during the centuries of
witch-hunting. The Lovers speaks to all expressions of love--homosexual,
heterosexual, familial, friendship. The images of women are found throughout
the deck.
The cards are accompanied by a book written by Ando, describing each picture
in-depth and providing an interpretation of the card. The book provides a
space for the user to write her/his own notes and interpretations.
The deck is easy to work with, both for readings and for meditative/spiritual
practise. The Transformational Tarot is a must have deck for any serious
practitioner and/or collector.
Original article written by 
Bonne.
This article was rewritten by Lysander .