The Big Visions Book - 400 pages on two decks
The small guidebooks that come with the Prisma Visions Tarot and Cosma Visions Oracle are compact. About ten words per card. Enough to get started, not enough to grow with.
The Big Visions Book by James R. Eads is the opposite: 400 pages thick, a full page per card, with extended text and a large-format illustration. It is divided into two equal sections of roughly 200 pages each, one for Prisma Visions and one for Cosma Visions.
For the first time, the reversed meanings for Prisma Visions are published here. Alongside that, Eads writes about his creative process, the choices behind the imagery, and the connection between both decks.
What you see on the pages
The book is made with care. Linen binding with gold and blue foil stamping and embossing. Glossy pages that keep the colours sharp and vivid. A black ribbon bookmark to track where you are.
Each card gets space: a large-format illustration so you can see the details, and text that explains the symbolism. Not short keywords, but a running description that shows how Eads thinks about the card.
Alongside the card descriptions there are essays on the themes that run through both decks: continuity, life cycles, and the post-impressionist visual language Eads uses. It is not dry analysis. It reads like an explanation from someone who knows what he made and why.
How you work with it
This book sits next to your cards during a reading. You turn to a card and read what Eads writes about it. The page layout is spacious enough to view the card and the text at the same time.
Many people use the ribbon to mark a card they want to meditate on for the week. The text is rich enough to return to several times.
Open a random page and read the card description without looking at the illustration first. Then see what you missed.
About James R. Eads
James R. Eads is an artist from Los Angeles. His work spans traditional painting, virtual reality and tarot. He works with a dynamic brushwork technique that combines emotion and movement.
The Prisma Visions Tarot and Cosma Visions Oracle are his best-known projects. Both decks use a continuous visual language where individual cards merge into one large panorama.
Specifications
- Pages: 400
- Language: English
- Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm
- Binding: Hardcover with linen binding
- Finish: Gold and blue foil stamping with embossing
- Paper: Glossy art pages
- Extra: Black ribbon bookmark
- Contents: Full descriptions for Prisma Visions Tarot and Cosma Visions Oracle, including reversed meanings
- Author and illustrator: James R. Eads
Questions we often get
Is this book worthwhile if I only own one of the two decks?
Yes. The book is clearly divided into two separate sections of roughly 200 pages each. Each section stands alone and works as a complete guide.
What does this add to the small guidebooks that come with the decks?
The small guidebooks contain brief keywords. This book gives a full page per card with extended symbolism, process notes and large-format illustrations. The reversed meanings for Prisma Visions are published only here.
