This is not a sponsored review, I just really really enjoy using this deck and want to give the artist a small plug. This deck is currently funding on kickstarter for its second edition printing, so if you like my review of the first edition, go check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inkwitchtarot2/the-ink-witch-tarot-deck-second-edition

The Ink Witch Tarot in custom box (plus the first additional card booster set) acquired 2021. A Modern Bard Deck

When The Ink Witch first came out it had a brief wave of popularity that I think ended far too soon. While it followed a trend of modern tarot decks that utilize a relatively simplistic artistic style, there is a certain something in the vignette of stories this deck encompasses, from the mundane to the supernatural, that make this deck stand apart. I think that of all my decks, this is one of the most original in its RWS portrayal. I find that I reach for it again and again. It’s versatile in that it reads great for personal use but also is a great reader for other querants as well. I love this deck so much it is the only deck I bothered making a wooden box for to replace it’s original tuck box that I wore out.

The magical and mundane coexist together

Overall: 9/10 

I’m a lover of “the story” and this deck tells one hell of a story. Usually, I like to see the fool’s journey through a deck, and thus like a degree of consistency. But this deck doesn’t give a flying fuck about how traditional time and space functions, and I like that. This tells the collective stories of the now, spanning from very common, modern, relatable images (the cat trying to catch the bird who is both trapped and protected in a cage, the car ride out of the city, the atomic bomb explosion), to very mythos steeped images (Odin hanging from Yagrissel, Persephone eating the pomegranate of the dead).

I get major summer camp, gathered around the bonfire–vibes from this deck.

This deck is all over the place in regards to subject matter! I love it!

Each card tells a story, big and small, that span written history and live asynchronously together in this shockingly cohesive deck. Unlike similar decks like The Starspinner Tarot, The Tarot of the Divine, etc, this deck doesn’t necessarily highlight the myth or hero itself, but rather the snapshot/moment in time in the myth. These stories each human contains and carries with them, whether we know it or not, and the stories chosen for each image really resonate with, if not the hard standard RWS, then the general traditional theme of each card.

My only real gripe with this deck is that a large portion of the stories are very European mythos (or American experience) centric, however I don’t feel the artist should be at all faulted seeing as he is portraying his personal experiences in these cards. That being said, those of other cultural experiences may feel this deck lacks inclusion.

A random draw I did for the day–the limited color choices help pull together this deck.

Card Quality: 3/5

The cards are very thin and bendy and a bit more frail than I like, but the imagery is so wonderful that I’m by and large ignoring the lacking cardstock.

Some unexpected imagery

Some expected imagery

Readability: 4/5

This is a strange deck in that for about 85-90% of the cards this is really a totally-new-to-tarot friendly deck, while the rest are some rather obscure references in other cards that are not at all apparent unless you know the myth/story behind them. If you have basic knowledge of western myths, you’ll be able to pick this deck up and run with it. Some of the more obscure references, (like the hanged man who is represented by Odin and Huggin and Munnin) might go over a reader’s head, especially since there is not a little white book provided with the first edition (though I did purchase the book he wrote, which is wonderful), but by and large the images are very accessible and the meaning is easily interpreted, even by people who have NO tarot experience at all.

This is a very loose RWS deck, but the art used to portray the meanings are really made their own by the artist (especially the 5’s in the minor arcana–they are really a different flavor than I typically see). I think this deck is possibly one of the most original readers I have and I adore it for that. This deck, while really being very present in the modern mindset, is incredibly gently without being fluffy, like a camp councilor. 

Original cards vs additional cards–I end up using both in the deck seeing as they tend to give very different vibes, even the King of Swords has a distinctly different feel

Art: 4.5/5

I will say that some of the cards feel a bit pixelated and at times, as if the artist zoomed in on his original and cropped the image. The additional booster deck that provided some card variation is much more finished and refined. But by and large the art is really stellar, if a bit simple compared to my standard fare. Some people might feel as if images are immature and unfinished in the art style (for example, the original king of swords that the artist redrew), but I find it a charming feature, not a bug. The black, white, sepia tones with soft pops of color really brings everything together and makes this a stunning deck to behold.

The additional cards from the booster pack are much more finished and refined and in a way kinda stand out from the rest of the art, but I like what the artist did with them and I include them seeing as they tend to give a different meaning to the different cards.

A sample of cards I especially like

Favorite Card: The Hanged Man (Odin). While this isn’t the most original take on a Hanged Man, I do like the inclusion of the two Ravens (Thought and Memory), Odin’s sacrificed eye, the actual hanging from a tree, and Odin being stabbed by a wicked polearm. These little (gruesome) details really bring home the reflection of the Hangman, the high price of wisdom, and a very human story of struggle.

Least Favorite Card: I don’t really have one, I like them all!

Card I Identify As: Ace of Wands

The deck Identifies me as: the deck kinda chose my card identifier–also the Ace of Wands

Boxes it Checks: Youthful, road trip, travel, myths, modern, simple

Seasons: I definitely get some summer road trip vibes from this little one!

Similar Decks: Tarot of the Abyss, The Moon Void Tarot, The Tempest Tarot, Tarot of the New World, The Star Spinner Tarot (in fact, these two decks of mine really like working together!) The Sasuraibito Tarot