Occult themed tarot cards are a popular genre within the world of divination and esoteric practices. These cards are designed with symbols and imagery inspired by various occult traditions, such as astrology, alchemy, and the Kabbalah. While many people use tarot cards for guidance and insight, occult-themed tarot cards add an extra layer of mystical and spiritual depth to the practice. The tarot itself is a deck of 78 cards, each with its own unique symbolism and meaning. It is commonly believed that tarot cards originated in the 15th century in Europe, despite the lack of historical evidence. However, the occult-themed tarot cards we are familiar with today have evolved significantly over time.
General information
I have no major complaints with the graphics, but a few minor ones, for example, a few problems with swimming mainly having to do with the camera and non transparent water surfaces. com and Steam as Rune Classic in 2012, which added the new enemies from the PlayStation 2 port, a streamlined and reworked single player campaign, and a modified soundtrack, however, unlike the original release, it does not support third-party renderers, which can cause performance issues with Windows 8 8.
However, the occult-themed tarot cards we are familiar with today have evolved significantly over time. The occult-themed tarot cards draw heavily from esoteric traditions, incorporating symbols and imagery from ancient civilizations, such as Egypt and Rome, as well as mystical practices like Hermeticism and Gnosticism. These cards are often decorated with intricate artwork that captures the mysterious and magical nature of the occult.
Rune: Viking Warlord Review
I think it’s safe to say that the PC version of Rune
became a full-fledged obsession in the GR compound for a solid two months. Not
the single-player game, mind you, but the online multiplayer. The kinetic joy
of ripping off another man’s arm and beating him to death with it brought a sense
of love and understanding into the pallid GR office. Plus, it gave a face to resident
GR office online persona Sal Magicpants…or as I prefer to call him, “Mister
Pants” When
the folks at Human Head and G.O.D announced plans to port the Viking over to
the PS2, we all groaned. Out loud. In Dolby. Why? Because we knew that
there would be no online multiplayer, that the control would suffer without
the mouse and keyboard, and that the same pitfalls that stumped the PC version
(namely, excessive carrion crawl levels) would likely reappear on the console. Move over Norns,
because I think we’re psychic.
Rune: Viking Warlord is mostly a direct port of the PC version, though
it throws in a few new monsters. Still, the aforementioned worries have indeed
become realities, taking our dearly beloved Nordic hero and rather ungraciously
escorting him to gaming Ragnarok. The story is exactly the same. You’re Ragnar, a newly anointed Viking warrior.
Your big day in the sun is ruined, however, when the craven betrayer Conrack
decides to lay the smack down on a neighboring village. You and your buddies
hop into a longboat and race off to save the day…only to bump into Conrack
en route, who promptly summons the power of the evil god Loki to trash your
schooner. Your comrades drown, but thanks to a twist of fate, the All-Father
Odin plucks you from death’s grasp to give you a chance at revenge. Rune is a melee action game through and through. You spend most of
your time killing things with swords, axes and clubbing weapons. There are a
few puzzle elements along the way, but this is a very linear game with obvious
answers to really simple problems. From the outset, it’s clear that the port of this game didn’t go smoothly. The graphics are rickety with occasional framerate chugging and bland delivery. There isn’t much eye candy here, though the light-sourcing has been done nicely. Ragnar himself looks fine, but his animations are jerky and he sort of looks like he’s gliding over the environment rather than actually walking on it. Must be those special Viking moon boots. You’ll instantly recognize another sign of port problems when you hit your
first loading screen. You’ll know you’ve hit it when you find yourself wandering
around your house looking for things to do. The wait is just brutal. Even after
a solid minute of level loading, you get a ‘Please Wait’ screen while it accesses
your memory card. What’s the hold up? It’s not like the levels are very large
or filled with tons of creatures. Next-gen, Shmext-gen. Despite the technical issues, the gameplay has been kept largely intact. Running around cutting off limbs and heads in melee combat is still pretty fun. Unfortunately, the first-person control scheme doesn’t work great with the PS2 controller. Truth be told, you’ll eventually get used to using the analog sticks like
the mouse/ keyboard. However, perhaps the most useful maneuver in the PC version
of Rune, the double-tap dodging, has been omitted. This was an incredibly
useful quick dodge that gave more life to the somewhat redundant hack and slash
combat. It’s a shame that it’s gone and the game suffers without it. The
main reason we grew so fond of the PC version of Rune was its addictive
and exciting multiplayer. If you thought fragging a guy was fulfilling, just
imagine lopping off his head with an axe. Muahah! So of course we knew that
the PS2 version wouldn’t have that same energy since it’s not online. Still,
hope remained for a decent split screen experience. Alas, all hope has been
lost. You can play deathmatch Rune with up to 4 people, though that means
a 4-way split screen, which looks awful and plays the same. The two-player split
wouldn’t be terrible if it allowed you to add some CPU controlled enemies to
flesh out the experience. Sadly, that ain’t in the ballpark. It’s just two of
you chasing each other around maps, finding a nice shady spot, whacking each
other with sharp things, then doing it over and over again. It’s missing the
chaotic carnage of the PC version (where often 10 or more would run amuck on
a map at a time), and it’s not fun. Which leaves the single player game as the primary experience…and that’s not a good thing. The level design is pretty standard and too much action takes place in hallways and underground corridors. The levels with more indoor/outdoor environments work better, but still feel constrained. In addition, there aren’t nearly enough enemies and the AI isn’t great. The
first half of the game has you fighting a smattering of zombies and skeletons,
which are dumb. Eventually you meet up with humans who are much tougher, but
still tend to follow lame strategies and often stall due to poor pathfinding. Even the new creatures suffer from brain freeze. The new hell hounds are strictly
beeline killers, just charging you endlessly like bulls on crystal meth. The
Frost Giants (which make their appearance after about 10 hours of gameplay)
look cool enough but have all the fighting technique of a guy swinging a hammer
at one of those ‘Test of Strength’ bells at a county fair. Hulk smash! This is also a strangely easy game. I played it through on Medium and never
really died. It seems that the damage has been lessened and there’s enough food
and power-ups laying around to take care of Ragnar’s extended family. Rune: Viking Warlord is a big disappointment, a shoddy port that suffers
due to both the limitations of its new platform and its technical pitfalls.
We haven’t seen too many PC-to-console ports lately, though with the upcoming
release of the Xbox it’s bound to happen. By Odin’s blood, let’s hope developers
learn a lesson or two from Rune‘s mistakes.
I think it’s safe to say that the PC version of Rune
became a full-fledged obsession in the GR compound for a solid two months. Not
the single-player game, mind you, but the online multiplayer. The kinetic joy
of ripping off another man’s arm and beating him to death with it brought a sense
of love and understanding into the pallid GR office. Plus, it gave a face to resident
GR office online persona Sal Magicpants…or as I prefer to call him, “Mister
Pants” When
the folks at Human Head and G.O.D announced plans to port the Viking over to
the PS2, we all groaned. Out loud. In Dolby. Why? Because we knew that
there would be no online multiplayer, that the control would suffer without
the mouse and keyboard, and that the same pitfalls that stumped the PC version
(namely, excessive carrion crawl levels) would likely reappear on the console. Move over Norns,
because I think we’re psychic.
One of the most famous occult-themed tarot decks is the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. Created by Arthur Edward Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, this deck is rich in symbolism and has become a standard reference for tarot reading. The cards feature a wide range of occult imagery, such as the High Priestess, the Hierophant, and the Devil. The use of occult-themed tarot cards can provide practitioners with a deeper understanding of the esoteric principles and spiritual teachings behind the cards. Tarot readers who incorporate occult imagery into their practice may be able to tap into hidden knowledge and gain insights into the mysteries of the universe. Overall, occult-themed tarot cards are a fascinating and powerful tool for those who are interested in the occult and the hidden realms of the mind. Through the use of these cards, practitioners can explore the esoteric teachings and access the wisdom and guidance of the universe. Whether one believes in the mystical powers of tarot or simply enjoys the aesthetic and symbolism, occult-themed tarot cards can offer a unique and enriching experience for those who are open to its mysteries..
Reviews for "The Witch's Toolkit: Harnessing the Power of Occult Tarot Cards"
- Sarah - 1 out of 5 stars - I was really disappointed with these occult themed tarot cards. I was hoping for a more traditional and spiritual approach, but instead, I found the imagery to be dark and unsettling. The artwork was also quite amateurish and lacked the elegance and depth that I was expecting. Overall, the deck left me feeling uncomfortable and I would not recommend it to anyone seeking a more positive and uplifting tarot experience.
- Michael - 2 out of 5 stars - I had high hopes for these occult themed tarot cards, but unfortunately, they fell short of my expectations. While the artwork was interesting, I found it to be more disturbing than enlightening. The symbolism used was obscure and difficult to interpret, which made the readings feel more confusing than helpful. Additionally, the quality of the cards themselves was quite poor, with flimsy cardstock and a cheap overall feel. Overall, I wouldn't recommend these cards to anyone looking for a meaningful and user-friendly tarot deck.
- Lily - 1 out of 5 stars - These occult themed tarot cards were a complete letdown for me. I found the imagery to be not only dark but also graphic and disturbing. It felt like more emphasis was placed on shock value rather than providing a meaningful and thought-provoking tarot experience. The guidebook that came with the deck was also lacking, providing only vague and cryptic explanations for the card meanings. Overall, I was highly disappointed with this deck and wouldn't recommend it to anyone seeking a more spiritually uplifting and insightful tarot reading.