For all its skeletons, it’s a bouquet of flowers. Purchased 2020

Overall: 8/10 Do you have an Abuela who’s kinda out there? Eccentric, has beaded curtains and wears sarongs even though it’s snowing? Has married a couple times, since her husbands seem to die tragically? Every time she tells a story it’s different, and better than the last time? Always has some tamales for you to snack on? No? Me neither. But the Santa Muerte Tarot is that Abuela.

I love this deck. It’s one of the few I’ve ever modded by edging in red. I’m going on four years of using it and the enchantment has not worn off. It is one that I go out of my way to find occasion to use, and I feel despite the rise of Tarot popularity since it first came out, it will continue to stand the test of time because it fills such a particular niche. While the skeletons are ghastly, they are very animated, and the somewhat old-school computer-graphic-y art feels at times dated, this deck is thoughtful and kind.

This deck is a strong contender for “best back design.”

Card Quality: 3.5/5 It’s uber-glossy. Works fine, nothing to write home about. Does it’s job, holds up well over multiple uses.

Whether the card is sticking to the traditional RWS meaning or completely branching out, each card art is very creative and unique in its interpretation.

Readability: 4/5 This deck does not stay strictly to the RWS system and honestly, it doesn’t need to because the images are really self-explanatory. If you’re looking to branch out beyond basic Tarot, and expand your intuitive reading ability, this is a great place to start. I consider this deck one of my “teacher” decks seeing as it changed how I read tarot.  The themes of the minors are clearly portrayed and there is a sense of progression and order that very few decks possess, even those that I rate higher than this deck. There are some rather puzzling images that will take a bit of time to ponder, and because the 10’s and some of the court cards aren’t necessary as clear as some decks, I’m not sure this is a complete “beginner” deck, but it is an easy reader. There’s a lot of symbology bound up in different represented body parts that really deserve a lot more attention than I’ve seen out there.

In the 10’s we see a body-representation of the suit: Swords are skulls (where the mind is kept), Wands, being a suit of passion is represented by the hip/pelvic bone, Pentacles are feet that keep us connected and down to earth, and the Cups are the ribcage, where the heart is kept safe. I know that some people think this is silly, but I really like this interesting take.

For a person who is artistically in-tune with their body, then this will “make sense” in a strange way.

Art: 5/5 I mean, there isn’t much in the way of words that I can do for this deck; it’s rich in color, details, symbols. It’s so so fun, humorous, and just gosh-darned good natured. Death, it would seem, becomes us all. I love the way the skeletons really level the playing ground on how people are perceived in this deck. Each minor group court is marked with different eye-socket designs which a) makes reading quickly a cinch, and b) gives some really good visual character to our skeletons. The Majors and Minors have equal amount of detail and thought put into them which is a big seller for me. Oh and the backs are STELLAR! This is one of the best backs out of all my decks. I love them to death (hehehe).

Favorite Card: I mean, there’s a LOT of really good images in this deck like XVI The Tower? HELLO! What an interesting take. But the 2 of Wands is what really sold me on this deck. This is a darkly funny idea of “planning” and preparation. Also the 2 of Swords is incredible (notice the scissor blades?), and this has to have one of the best 3 of Swords I can think of.

Least Favorite Card: The 9 of Pentacles—I just I don’t get it??? Also, let me point out to any future tarot deck makers the importance of putting the little line under the 6 and 9 if you are not going to have the numbers at the top or bottom of your cards, your readers will thank you.

Season: Spring/Summer when all the flowers are in bloom, or around Day of the Dead.

Boxes It Checks: Unique, Charming, Witty, Humorous, Shadow Work, Kind, Ancestor Work, Bright, Bold, Tropical

Similar Decks: In artistic style (except in black and white) Goetia Tarot by the same artist, The Marigold Tarot, The Sugar Skull Tarot, Tarot de El Dios de los Tres, Ancestors Tarot, the companion oracle by the same artist Santa Muerte Oracle, Night Sun Tarot (also by the same artist)