I am going to start this review with a little blunt honesty. I am not a big fan of Golden Dawn derived decks. In fact I own only 3 of them and only bought one of them. Two where gifts including the deck I am reviewing today. Now i am not saying there is anything wrong with this school of tarot, it is just that they all seem to have a very strong, hard masculine energy to them. This is a turn off for me personally as a reader, which is why my collection is very much Rider-Waite.
So I expected to have the same relationship with the Golden Dawn Temple deck as I had with the many others like it that have crossed my path in the past.
But I don't and to my sheer and utter surprise I actually adore this deck.
Although to me it still has a very masculine energy to it I find the cards very warm and inviting like an old friend just wanting to shoot the breeze. The amazing and vibrant colors in this deck are truly part of its magic and they manage to draw you in and hold your focus. According to the little white book that comes with the deck " The colored borders of the Major and Minor arcana relate directly to their associated path or sephira within the four worlds of the tree of life......except the court cards which are boarded with their elemental color"
The devil card in this deck is one of my favorites and I have used it for both meditation and dream work. With its erect phallus and snake rising you don't get much more in your face masculine, yet it has such a sense of liberation to it. There is something freeing about the exposed nature of the genitals, that assured sense of self confidence and personal power. It is what makes the devil so seductive and not just as a male energy but as an archetypal energy.
Don't get me wrong I am all about the goddess, but at this time in my life I have noticed a need to balance out and tap into that masculine part of my being. Seeing as I had found this new friend in the Golden Dawn Temple Deck, one that was strong in its masculinity I wanted to explore how I as a woman could us it to explore my sacred masculine. To find and raise my internal yang energy. I need to learn how to be my own hero, create my own book of wisdom and magic and learn how to be the confident ruler in my own life story. These are the traits of the sacred masculine I need to learn and my new companion, the golden dawn temple tarot is my ever eager instructor.
This is a chunky deck, it is both thick and wide and for me doesn't fit very comfortably in my average size hands. But it is easy to spread, shuffle and cut as the cards do not stick together, this may be due to the matte finish on the card surface. I also like that the backs are just one color with no decoration as the card faces themselves are so rich with color and full of life. Minors are pip cards, all of the pips have hands in them holding the symbol, be it a cup, a coin, a sword or a wand. Flowers, rainbows and other visual symbols also adorn the pip cards yet making sure not to make them pictorial in nature.
The court cards in this deck are truly beautiful and it is in one of the court cards that I find my King or ruler. The King of Pentacles has the exact energy I need in my life story right now. He is big, burly and not to be messed with, yet has enough life under his belt to know when to show compassion and when to just get down to business. He has mastered his realm and is willing to assist those who he feels are worthy. He knows when to say yes and is confident with his No's. As I restructure my current two businesses I feel I need the support and wisdom this King has to offer me.
I find the other traits I require in the Majors. In this deck I find my hero in the lovers, which to be honest is an interesting place to find him. Here he serves double time as both a hero and lover swooping in to slay the serpent and save his woman. How appropriate as right now I am the one working to get my own lover out of their day job so I can become the sole bread winner. I think I might be onto to something with this deck.
The last energy I wish to bring more of into my life is that of the Magician. The confident, focused energy of the Magician card in this deck draws you in as if you just have to keep watching to see what will happen next. Again the color is such a contributing factor as it is 
both vibrant, healing and calming all at the same time. You feel at ease with this magician as if you are about to bare witness to something truly sacred. How wonderful to have that sort of energy surrounding us, to feel that we are sacred and that the great mystery that this magician draws upon is within us and at our disposal whenever we want it. In this very fast paced world it is so easy to forget the sacredness of who we are but the nature of this card brings it all back into focus.
I am in awe of just how healing this deck has been for me as I have walked my own journey to the sacred masculine and I feel truly blessed that it was gifted to me right when I needed it most. As a woman this deck allows a gentle path to the masculine archetypes while not losing sight of the strong, powerful energy of the yang. If you know it is time to square up the yang to your yin then I highly recommend this deck and may it be as healing for you as it has been for me.
I give the Golden Dawn Temple Tarot Published By Wendrich artHouse 4.5 stars
To find out more about this deck and its creators visit http://www.wendricharthouse.com/galleryshop.htm