4th edition and large matte edition. There’s a reason for all the hype. Acquired 2020
This deck just makes me happy. I brought it out unexpectedly for some October fun, and realized I need to review it. It would be a very strong contender for “you can only keep one deck which, one it is?”
Overall: 10/10 You know that friend you love to go drinking with (even though you don’t really drink)? The one that unleashes your inner party-goblin? The one that’s so witty and yet retains such a coquettish innocence? That’s The Dark Mansion Tarot. Super personable and intimate, this is a delightfully fun deck that, while it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it definitely holds its own as a unique tarot on the market.
I really really thought I would not like this deck and I did not jump on the bandwagon to buy it until it had been already well into its fourth edition print (gilded edges, glossy finish) and I’d watched a dozen videos of it being used. I didn’t much care for the black edging (I was going through a shiny phase, okay?) so I was thrilled to see they had a gold edge finish, but I didn’t realize the card finish was glossy until it arrived on my door step! That disappointment lasted all of two seconds before I fell head over heels for this deck.
I like it so much than when they offered a matte large edition nearly three years later (NOT to be confused with the rose-petal finish of the first special edition printing) I snatched one up immediately, so this will be a review of both of these decks, because I think they both are excellent quality.
I tend to find that I bring this deck with me traveling more than any other deck. It’s the “read all” deck I own. It’s the “I don’t know what I’m gonna need reading, so I bring this deck.” It’s happy to talk on any query and give a solid, well-rounded reading no matter what. It isn’t offensive, petty, over-emotional, and has a great balance of feminine and masculine energies.
Card Quality: 5/5 I got the fourth edition which is glossy af and I wasn’t too happy about it but the cards are top notch nonetheless. But, the colors are OUT OF THIS WORLD with the glossy version, and it’s a breeze to shuffle. The box also comes with gold foil accents
The large matte edition is gorgeous too, with gold painted edges, with a finish that is soft and gives the cards an almost antique-y feel. Compared to the gloss finish, they are much harder to shuffle, but the larger size also makes them a bit cumbersome. That being said, I LOVE the larger images where I can see minutia detail that gets a bit lost in the sauce of the smaller cards.
The skeletons are just an absolute mood throughout the deck! They crack me up!
Readability: 5/5 There is no guide book because you don’t need one, the images tell all the story you need. There are some changes to meanings of cards; for example, there’s a heavy emphasis of risk, and balance as well as planning in the two of wands that I think is an improvement, but I feel like this deck does RWS better than the RWS (burn me at the stake).
Art: 4/5 The art is out-of-this-world-quirky, and cute, lush, full, story driven, cohesive, everything I personally look for in a deck BUT it’s all a bunch of white people.
Favorite Card: The Eight of Swords–this is the card that told me I had to have this deck. It really scratched an itch. It doesn’t do anything no body hasn’t done before, it simply just does this card very, very well. And, a side note, this has the BEST eight of wands! Now that’s how you do and eight of Wands, folks! And The Moon, I really am hypnotized by this moon. This moon is a force to be reckoned with.
Least Favorite Card: None, there isn’t a card in here that doesn’t belong.
The parade of Pages! The Pages in this deck are just adorable and great in their depiction and mannerisms!
Card I Identify As: I really relate to the Page of Wands (so, so cheeky!), the Page of Swords, The Knight of Swords, and The Eight of Wands, though I do also have a deep connection with the whole numbered cups suit.
The deck Identifies me as: The Empress (for some reason? I’m quite happy about it!)
Season: early Fall through early Winter
Boxes it Checks: Charming, Friendly, Easy to Read, Humorous, Cohesive, Quirky, Cute,
Similar Decks: Le Tarot Noir, The Nightmare Before Christmas Tarot, Tarot of the Sweet Twilight, Tarot of the Haunted House
Warning: artisticnudity and some mildly gory decks ahead
This introspective tag I found is by the tarottuber Exploring Tarot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii_ClehwHwI) and it asks us to share the decks that have either changed our mind about Tarot as a whole, or decks that we have changed our mind about. I, in general, don’t purchase decks I don’t care for, so I don’t have a lot of decks that I’ve done a 180 about, but since I’m rather new on my tarot journey (I only seriously started in 2015) I have a lot of decks that have shaped my experience and understanding of the Tarot systems.
I have to admit, most of these decks have been seen on this blog before—I’m sorry, a good deck is a good deck!
1. The Shadowscapes Tarot: My Foundational Deck
Czech edition
So of course I cannot do this tag without paying homage to the deck that completely changed my mind about Tarot—I had been introduced to Tarot when I was a teen, I kinda knew a little about the RWS, and knew some of the traditional RWS cards, but at that point Tarot was more of a strange card trick/game/hobby people had, rather than a tool of self reflection. But, my friend’s favorite deck, The Shadowscapes Tarot, inspired me to start paying attention to the nuances in the cards. Being my first deck I diligently used and learned the foundations of modern Tarot, I tend to constantly relate all other deck experiences back to this one. Most importantly, Shadowscapes showed me how to relate the images on the cards to my own personal self and current experiences. Of course, in each card there’s a LOT going on, which is often a criticism of the deck (and the subsequent small size of the cards), but it was great for someone just learning the tarot.
2. The Deviant Moon: Look Closer at Discomfort
This was the first deck I was brave enough to buy even though it gave me very mixed feelings. But, curiosity won out. This deck gave me an incredible and important “ah-ha” moment: images that invoke feelings (especially negative feelings) deserve our attention and study. Those feelings can actually tell us a lot about ourselves and can be a gateway to process and understand deep and profound self-truths. This in turn, shaped how I use Tarot.
3. The Spacious Tarot: Beauty in Simplicity
For a while, I struggled to use decks that were not packed to the GILLS with imagery and symbolism. To this day I tend to favor “busy” decks. But, I finally was able to understand the appeal of a simplistic and arguably minimalist deck once The Spacious Tarot came into my life. I find using this deck very effortless. That isn’t to say it isn’t a deck without depth (not at all, this is a very “deep” reader when one wishes to go there), but rather the simplicity of the imagery speaks volumes.
4. The Brady Tarot: An Animal Deck that Felt Real
It is no secret I am an animal lover, but often I struggled with animal decks because many feel overly-gentle and “fluffy” and very unlike the complex and sometimes vicious behavior animals tend to have which is needed for their survival. I also struggle when human’s own mythos and meaning of an animal can get overly caught-up in the meaning the tarot card has for an animal. But the Brady Tarot really and truly flipped this narrative on its head. This incredible deck does not pull punches in the least and it was (and arguably still is) one of my most brutal readers. It added a level of discomfort I had not encountered in a deck and perhaps highlights the rather frivolous nature of life in a very real way. This deck demands sitting with your shock and taught me not to be so squeamish with the brutalities nature has in store.
5. The Broken Mirror Tarot: Seeing Things from Other’s Point of View
Fourth edition
Up until I purchased the Broken Mirror Tarot, I tried my best to ignore cardstock and hand-feel entirely, and focus my attentions only on the imagery of the cards. But this deck did two important things that shaped how I view and treat tarot: firstly, it taught me that how a deck feels in hand is, despite my most noble ideals, actually very important.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, this deck was the second that I had which was not created by a more “western” artist (of course, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, creator of Shadowscapes uses themes and inspiration from all over the world) and I could sense even though the art “felt” European in nature, the themes and general feel of the deck was very, very different than what I had experienced before. This was fascinating and really eye opening that the Tarot system can be used across culture with similar but also different imagery. There is a lot to be learned from seeing things from a different perspective.
6. The True Black Tarot: The Body Feels the Truth
The True Black was a gift from my husband, but this deck became an important turning point in my Tarot education. The imagery in this incredible deck is very evocative of the senses, not just the visual! Not only did the otherworldly perfection of the bodies that appear in this deck help me get over “oh no, naked people in the cards!” embarrassment, the imagery in this deck really demands the viewer feel the cards in a way that is outside of the norm. Look at how the wind blows through the triumphant lion’s mane and the water pelts the king of cups. What about the little, champagne like bubbles rising around the baby squid in the six of cups? What about the eerie stillness of Temperance with her long locks of hair ribbon-ing around her? These are all wonderful imaginary feelings that the cards offer to the reader.
7. The Sola Busca Tarot and the Game of Saturn Book: Tarot History is Complicated
I am a lover of history, so of course as I started learning Tarot, the history of Tarot fascinated me! Many sources told me early on that there were no illustrated pips until the RWS, which is simply not true on many accounts. There also is repeatedly mentioned that Tarot was used in the long past as a means of divination (which I think there is far too much evidence to say otherwise) but then there’s people who claim to have this old knowledge, and I’ll be frank, I think most is at best guess work. The Sola Busca is considered the oldest example of a fully illustrated deck, and there are several reproductions out there if any collector wishes to have their own copy. It’s clear that the deck had much deeper meaning in the card images than what the typical card game of the time detonates, but despite the delightful and researched theories that Peter Adams makes in his very large book The Game of Saturn, it is clear that the esoterica of the past may very well remain largely in the past.
8. The Trionfi Della Luna: There is No Reason not to Laugh at Your Cards
Where as The Deviant Moon really made me focus on getting *serious* about my tarot, the sister Trionfi reminds me that sometimes, you just gotta laugh! This deck (especially the fantastical illustrated pips version) isn’t afraid to make fart jokes, snicker in the open, and in general make totally inappropriate fun of the situation. While this would never be a deck I use to read for others (other than a tarot lover perhaps) this is the deck that taught me to lighten the hell up a little!
For the longest time I had difficulty with “Art Decks” or Tarot decks that are made from preexisting art. Well, to be honest, I still kinda do have difficulty with them! But Baba’s Fantastic Menagerie really showed me how you can take preexisting art and make is fit into Tarot SO. GOOD! J. J. Grandville may have been a comic artist from nearly 200 years ago, but his art still hits that funny satire mark. But there was an important lesson I learned from using this deck that broadened my Tarot horizons–the themes of human existence depicted in Tarot are so universal we can see tarot “meanings” in things that aren’t even meant to be card decks. And that, if you ask me, is pretty cool.
10. Children of Litha Tarot: A Deck that’s Changed My Mind. Twice
The Children of Litha Tarot is a deck I held off buying for years and years because I was truly unsure of the art. After my friend loaned it to me for a few very good, complex readings, and waffling a bit more, I broke down and bought it.
I actually hated it, and didn’t use it for a good year.
Buuuut, after sitting down and purposefully using it and getting to learn the deck, I’ve finally come around. This is a very cool deck, even if it isn’t something I was immediately in love with. So, here’s the deck that I actually changed my mind about. Several times.
11. The Nameless One Tarot and Grimoire: Modern Esotericism Exists
There was a post on Tarot Reddit once that caught my eye. The post was something along the lines of “What Tarot decks are very esoteric?” So I offered what I thought were some particularly esoteric decks (I think I mentioned The Mary El), but the poster scoffed and made it clear that in their mind, only particularly old decks could be considered “esoteric”!
This interaction stuck in my head, and I for a while wondered if all our card esoterica came from the RWS or the Thoth, 1900’s esoteric visions.
But upon getting a copy of The Nameless One and its absolutely MASSIVE companion tomb, it became abundantly clear that esoterica exists in the modern world, having developed its own unique meanings and flavor. After all, historic Tarot, which was rooted very much in Renaissance Catholicism esoterica and imagery, has now been claimed into the modern practice of witchcraft, Wicca, and various pagan practices. We have new esotericism that is constantly evolving around our cultures.
12. The Heartscapes Tarot: I Personally Don’t Like AI Decks
I debated even posting this one seeing as the subject is so very contentious and for good reason. But, I think it’s worth talking about. This is my second AI deck (the first was The Golden Journey, a very early AI deck on Kickstarter) and its the first deck that fooled me into thinking it was human made, not AI. It wasn’t until I got it in hand and had my friend look it over that I had to admit I was duped.
Despite the glaring things wrong in the images that give this away as AI, it is a beautiful deck. But, after using it several times, my mind was made up that giving money to a product that reaps the benefit of other, real people’s hard work and does not give them due credit is, to my mind, wrong.
13. The Tabula Mundi Tarot: The Thoth System is Actually Pretty Rad
I won’t belabor this one too much seeing as I did a whole month of working with Thoth, BUT! After looking at many Thoth decks, and failing to be able to read with the gorgeous Mary-El for many years, I finally broke down and got the much more accessible (and frankly fun and trippy) Tabula Mundi deck and accompanying book. I went from feeling like I’d never learn the Thoth to “hey, I can’t wait to pick this up again!” I still have a long way to go before I feel comfortable with this system, but at least it feels attainable!
14. Anna K. Tarot: Beauty Is As Beauty Does
I am a little embarrassed about this one. I suspect that I’m not alone in this boat either. I knew of the Anna K Tarot since I started my Tarot journey in 2015–it has had several waves of popularity, and it was a common deck sold in stores (though recently it is OOP both its mass market and indie editions). But every time I looked at it I cringed at the “cabbage patch” faces of the people in the cards.
Yep, that’s right. I passed on this deck because I thought it was ugly.
Many times I watched others use this deck or watched a flip through, but I couldn’t get over the faces in these cards. Finally, just last year I held a deck in person and I realized I’d been prejudice of this art work–the faces were not classically perfect or beautiful, but they captured perfect emotion and feelings and, well, real people perfectly! This deck very quickly became one of my favorite decks to use for any reading.
15. The Last Unicorn Tarot: Tarot and the Inner Child
I am not a person who is terribly attracted to “cutesy” or “childish” decks. In fact, there are many decks that are too childish/overly cute for my personal tastes. I also only have a handful of decks that really bring my Inner Child to the surface (namely, Smoke Ash & Embers and the Tarot of the Abyss). I find that these decks tend to be too much emotionally charged to use in frequent readings for myself (Tarot of the Abyss) or tend to be a little too soft in its readings to have a completely neutral feeling deck (SA&E).
I came across the Last Unicorn Tarot several years ago (not that long after it’s successful kickstarter) and it was sold out and I talked myself into thinking that my childhood obsession with The Last Unicorn movie and book(s) ought to stay in my childhood past, with all the rest of the trauma (don’t do this folks, its bad for your health). But, this deck seemed to keep popping up in my life, I kept coming back to look at it, and even though I promise not to be suckered into tarot decks based off franchises (though will someone PLEASE make a kick ass fully illustrated LOTR decks?), I decided to try this deck.
I was shocked to find in hand this deck truly made me feel like a kid again. I had no idea how many complex feelings I had wrapped up in this story. Obviously, not everyone is like me and grew up loving and fearing this film, but I realized that it’s okay to get a tarot deck just because you have feelings about it–you don’t need to justify those feelings. AND! I also learned its totally okay to work on the Inner Child in your tarot practice!
“This Space is for You” is this decks mantra. Acquired 2020
It is a special time I think when one of the decks I chose for my monthly theme also is also the next deck that I was planning to write a review on! Without gilding the lily, let me share my beloved (The) Spacious Tarot!
It is really easy to see pictures or a walk through of a tarot deck online and then think to yourself “yes, that’s perfect!” and by the time you get a physical copy in your hands you are feeling a little awkward, because you have a beautiful deck in your hands that you have no idea how to use and you must again struggle through learning the cards and the certain “flavor” each artist and deck seem to have. But for me, even though the art is very sparce and simple, and even though the minors tend to be a bit pip-ish, I instantly was able to fall into a natural cadence when using this deck.
Overall: 9/10 I’m forgiving the card quality in lieu of everything else it does right. I love the concept that the card puts you in the driver’s seat by removing all people and framing most cards as first person view. I believe this concept had been done prior to The Spacious Tarot (and it certainly has been done many times over since TST), but this deck in particular really commits to the sense of place.
I guess my review draw had a lot to say! Yikes!
The images are perfect if very non-traditional. I’m usually a maximalist when it comes to symbols in cards, but the art here is simplistic and to-the-point. There’s a lack of classic symbolism that is replaced by very modern and scientific driven thought that demands you to pay attention and rethink all you know about Tarot while still following the traditional meanings. This deck is nature-centric in a realistic sort of way that is just shy of brutal (like we see in the Brady Tarot) without being too cuddly and sweet. Animals are the representatives of the court cards and feel perfectly at home with the deck at large. This is a very grounded deck with quite the scientific leaning, that somehow also has a certain dream-like feel that hits home for me (maybe its the first person view) .
Those edge chips tho…
Card Quality: 2/5 Amazingly, for the price, these are not excellent cards. They immediately started chipping at the edges–and this is the second edition in which the creators intended to fix the chipping problem. I do like the size of the cards, they’re squarer and have a nice solid feel and are quite thick. The heft of the deck with the additional 22 expansion pack is pushing the limits of what I can hold, but I manage with my small creepy-doll hands. The cards are quite stiff in hand, which is different compared to all the super lux cardstocks now on the market, but due to their nonstandard size I kinda like how this deck is very distinct feel in the hand—I know it like a good friend’s handshake! The deck, the expansion pack, and the two Little White Books fit perfectly in the box.
Just enough context to not be completely pipish.
Readability: 5/5 with the caveat this is not a beginner/starter deck. I don’t know if this deck just click for me, but there’s something really out-of-the-box with the images portrayed. Some of the minor arcana at first glance felt pipish, but once I sat with them, the “story” unfolded so sweetly that I quickly stopped thinking of them as pips. I could definitely see this as a total hit or miss deck though, either it speaks to you or not, I kinda doubt there’s many who’d fall in the middle ground with this one.
This is certainly not an easy starter deck, though the book/s is/are very good, concise, and thoughtful. It would be difficult picking this up with no RWS experience, though I do think this is an excellent deck to learn the next step beyond simple meaning memorization.
*A NOTE ON THE EXPANSION DECK: Many historic tarot decks had more than just the 22 major arcana cards, and included additional cards of virtue, alchemy, elements, etc. The later printed expansion deck was an additional 21 card deck to act as these additional cards. In keeping with the theme of the deck, they added the zodiac, the elements and some thematically on-point virtues. I personally think that you can read with the deck perfectly fine without the expansion, but I also love the additional cards. They match the rest of the deck perfectly so you don’t have to worry about recognizing them from the backs. I will say that the art of the expansion pack is slightly more intricate and finished feeling, but it doesn’t bother me at all.
Some favorites…
Art: 10/5 Just plain old stellar. It’s definitely a “style” of art, but I love the rich colors and when you lay out several cards there’s something magic that happens to tell a story. The artist really paid a lot of attention to color and meaning when planning each card. There’s a lot of well-developed thoughts in each image that while they come off as simple, there’s quite a bit of nuance. I feel like this deck is a testament that art doesn’t need to be fussy and complicated to be complex.
Favorite Card: There are so, SO many. I am head over heels for The Lovers, Page of Cups, Judgement, The Hanged One, too many to list! The Majors really bring their A-game to the table.
Least Favorite Card: 5 of Pentacles–I get the idea, and I don’t think it’s gruesome, but something never sat well with me with this card.
Card I Identify As: The Guardian (Queen) of Wands
The deck Identifies me as: The Guardian (Queen) of Wands. I get major Shadowscapes Queen of Cups vibes with this card, though I cannot say how or why. I think of this particular Queen of Wands as “The Storyteller” the way the salamander seems to speak over the campfire.
Season: Late winter/early spring there’s a sharp crisp newness with this art.
Boxes It Checks: Unique, Bright, Meditative, Shadow Work, Self Focused, Honest, Simple, Landscapes, Personal
Similar Decks: The Star Seeker Tarot, Location Spirit of Space Tarot, Tarot Landscapes (another new deck I highly recommend if you’re into this sense of place vibe)
Overall: 8/10 This is a beautiful deck, and rightly well beloved in the tarot community since 2006. There’s a reason why some decks stand the test of time and changing tastes. But it isn’t a deck that delivers the goods quickly, this is a deck that requires some work on the reader with the major arcana, but it’s easy to do when the images are so entrancing. It is interesting in that while there is Arthurian myths portrayed here and there, this is very specifically a Welsh myth deck (which salutes Llewellyn Gorge, founder of Llewellyn publications). Tarot decks featuring Arthurian and Welsh myths have come and gone since the 80s, and more recently Ana Tourian is spurring forth a new revival in her tarot art, but The Llewellyn arguably did it best, first.
The artist, Anna-Marie Ferguson, actually had another Arthurian specific deck in the 90’s, the beautiful, famous and out of print, Legend The Arthurian Tarot prior to this one, but Llewellyn feels like an apex art project in my humble opinion. This is a deck that likes to weave your own personal myth out of preexisting stories. This still stands out amongst the flux of cool kids, pop-culture decks that flood the market. Take your time, ride along, read the book(!). I get good older, experienced feminine vibes that are very accepting but also willing to lay on the ugly with a caring hand. I can totally see why this was chosen as Llewellyn’s flagship deck–it does what it set out to do very well.
A random draw for the post; note the rich water colors, with bright golds and rich deep blues and the god-awful borders. You can see how the smallness of the image means that the details sometimes get lost.
Card Quality: 3/5 good for Llewellyn. Be warned–the card-storage of the box the cards are sold in isn’t properly aligned, so expect card slippage and possible damage if you choose to store in the box. I also don’t really know where to put this gripe but I like everyone else on the plant think that they really could have done without the borders since I want to see more of the art work of the card and less…pointless border.
I think the backs are a love it or hate it design. I think the little dragon is adorable, but it does mean that the cards are technically not reversible.
Readability: 3/5 The images of the minors more or less follow the RWS system even if the images deviate from the original RWS. But, while some of the majors are true to the RWS, just as many are not and you will definitely need to refer to the book unless you are already well versed on Welsh mythology. This can be a set back to picking up this deck and running with it. However, the majors have the mythological story or character name printed on the card which is then explained in the MASSIVE guide book which is PACKED with lore and just good Tarot writing and advice.
I took a very, VERY long time to warm up with this deck because it does require sitting with it, reading, and learning, but now I really have connected with it. It is very personable, and gives really poignant readings. It reminds me a lot of the Shadowscapes deck in that regard, though this feels more human and grounded in nature. This deck really loans itself well to larger spreads and seems to like being used this way verses short 3-5 card spreads, which explains why it took me so long to learn this deck. There is also a certain “moodiness” to the images and I tend to reach for this deck when dealing with questions about family and relationships.
Compare the work of the minors with the majors, its easy to see there’s a bit more polish on the majors, but I find the line work of the minors just charming as all get out!
Art: 4.5/5 Glorious water colors, lush, rich and oh-so small! I wish the borders were completely gone and the images double their size. One thing I’ve seen others complain about that actually doesn’t bother me at all is there’s a bit of a stylistic change from the majors to the minors. The minors are less polished and finished, where there is clearly a lot more detail and work done on the majors. I like this personally, it makes sense to me when thinking of the majors and being, well, a major deal!
When writing a review I pull out all the cards I love (and the ones I dislike) and I had WAY too many I really really like in this deck!
Favorite Card: There’s a lot to love here, but the Seven of Pentacles is a particularly interesting to me. The Fool too, is a very different interpretation with the wild rider.
Least Favorite Card: I don’t have any cards in this deck I dislike.
Card I Identify As: The Seven of Pentacles. This deck tends to suggest I wait and see, and I honestly identify with the monk waiting for the fruits of their labors!
The deck Identifies me as: 8 Strength. Don’t ask.
Season: Mid Summer/Fall
Boxes it Checks: Welsh, Romantic, Idealized Medieval, Soft, Fae, Story-Telling, Fairy-Tale, Kind, Arthurian/Celtic/Irish, Lush, Love Readings, Earthy
Similar Decks: The Insight Tarot (in art style), The Arthurian Tarot Deck, (by the same artist) Legend: The Arthurian Tarot, The Druid’s Craft Tarot, Tarot of the Druids, The Wild Wood Tarot, Universal Celtic Tarot, Anna K. Tarot, Tarot of the Golden Wheel, Ana Tourian’s decks
Does anyone else have this deck? Is this officially a retro deck or is it still fresh?
Overall: 7/10 This is one of those decks I’m quite sure anyone with an internet connection and an interest in Tarot has seen. There’s a reason for that; one, it’s a mass marked deck published 2017 so it’s been around a while, and two, this deck had PERSONALITY. A charming, idiosyncratic, yet surprisingly traditional RWS deck, it sports youthful and colorfully dressed witches who cavort across the cards. Extremely popular, copied many times over in decks with less substance, this is a personable, lighthearted, and very cute deck that loans itself well for daily readings as well as more through readings. I will say that this is by no means a serious deck, so there are a certain subset of readings that this will feel rather silly or otherwise too soft and kind.
Card Quality: 3/5 Okay. A higher grade Llewellen card stock. Very shiny. Easy to shuffle and hold in hand. Nothing exceptional, nothing awful either.
Reading court cards are notorious for being a difficult hill to climb for beginners learning the RWS system. I personally struggled with differentiating the Aces vs the Pages, but the artist of this deck did a splendid job at helping the reader along!
Readability: 4.5/5 This deck shines in the complex story each card tells. I think this deck does an incredible job at guiding viewers with people (witches) who have expressive faces, that are doing elaborate things. The symbols are, well, mostly every day mundane (except for our witchy paraphernalia), but are purposeful and lend themselves to the story rather than just being the “typical” RWS symbols. One could easily use this deck in place of an RWS clone, even though this isn’t a clone at all. I find the rich colors, details, and entertaining ‘stories’ of each card so easy to “get” that this is a perfect deck to learn off of, or for intermediate readers to just pick up and run with it. The book it comes with is darn good too, though it doesn’t guide reversals. I love giving others readings with this deck; it’s very fun and generally well received. Again though, for a more serious reading this deck tends to struggle.
Part II of the Aces vs Pages. Almost in all of the Pages you see the element of practice and study, with the notable exception of the Wands Page who is just going for it! I also love how the Page of Wands has some strong Fool energy–it’s perfect!
I do want to laud the artist in their interpretation differences between the Aces and the Pages—I struggled for a long time getting to understand the court cards and I particularly struggled with differing meaning between Aces and Pages which both have new beginnings as part of their intrinsic meanings.
Art: 3.5/5 There’s a lot of character here that is constant through each card. I think this deck does human expressions better than any other deck I’ve seen and that’s what makes this so accessible, to me at least. Our witches are flying around in adorable and kitschy psudo-witch/renfest costumes with cutesy striped leggings, but it can be off-putting to some when the scenes change from medieval time to modern, from sitting in a vintage sidecar-motorcycle to doing yoga. There seems to be no clear “time” that the various stories of the cards are taking place in. But regardless, the colors are rich and bold and appropriate for each situation.
I’m over the moon about the cute kitties and dogs and other familiars we see here, especially since they often actually help understand the meaning of the cards by pointing the way or giving attention to a particular object.
A selection of various facial expression and time settingsand not a variety of body type, age, or skin color, though perhaps the King is slightly older.
I think that the biggest downfall of this deck, and it is quite the downfall given this deck is representing witchy-ness today (and the general number-one complaint online), is its lack of diversity–it’s mostly young, thin, Caucasian people. There are a few, slightly darker skin tones, but really not enough. I know there are older folk in here too, but I kinda wished there were some more in the not necessarily elderly titles (like the king/queen). I’d also like to see some other bodies besides the tall and thin and the short petite. They did this in the oracle deck that was published after the fact, but really, the tarot needs it too. It would be awesome if this deck was redone with greater diversity!
Favorite Card: Death, or maybe Temperance. This is one of my favorite Temperance cards. I also really like how the Ten of Swords isn’t just a complete fatalistic and “giving in”, but rather the struggle continues and is yet to be determined, though the outlook could go either way.
Least Favorite Card: The Eight of Wands–I don’t know why, but I tend to have issue with the old Eight of Wands in RWS decks. I get what the artist was trying to do here with the need to act swiftly, and I appreciate doing something other than the eight wands poking into the card, but I tend to think of the doer in motion, not just responding to motion. Again, maybe this is just me, but I’d have had a witch riding in the tornado, not throwing/losing wands into the air like a dork.
I also feel like the Five of Cups pictured really is pushing a narrative of crying over spilled milk (did y’all learn it as “crying over SPILT milk”? because I did)—I personally do not usually read this card like that, and I typically read it as a grief and processing card. So, while I personally feel this does fall under a Five of Cups theme, it misses the deeper point of the card.
Card I Identify As: 20 Judgement. I personally find self-discovery and growth when I’m not actively trying to do so but rather through actions of having fun and play mentality.
The Deck Identifies Me as: 7 The Chariot. I seem to constantly draw this card when asking internal questions about myself and I have learned to love this depiction! I DO struggle with making “this or that” choices!
Similar Decks: The Green Witch Tarot is astoundingly similar, but the GWT definitely is very wiccan/modern pagan focused while the EDW doesn’t take itself seriously at all, The Dark Woods Tarot, The Modern Witch Tarot, Teen Witch Tarot, Ask The Witch Tarot (which is a very cool deck IMO), The Mystical Dreams Tarot, The Spellcasters Tarot, As Above Tarot, So Below Tarot, Tarot of the Witch’s Garden, there are too many to list!
Does RWS better than The RWS. Please don’t come at me. Purchased 2020
Nudity Warning! The cards ahead have scandalous boobies.
Overall: 8/10 I will admit, I’ve had some prejudice against this deck in the past. There was a stretch of years where everyone seemed to be coming out with Art Nouveau style decks and even when I first got this deck I felt a little burned out on the style. It is perhaps a good thing then that I waited so long before writing a proper review! This deck does so many things right and executes so many things well, that I’ve never looked for another Art Nouveau specific deck, and it would not surprise me if this deck will continue to sell for many years down the road.
After my failed attempt at using the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, my Tarot-enthusiast friend loaned me her copy of The Tarot Mucha, and I have to give it credit for being my traditional RWS teacher. When I finally relinquished her deck, I purchased my own copy. It reads like a dream and provides great insight. It is a solid deck, and I can see why it was such a big deal when it first came out (way way back in 2014).
I do not think that this deck gets enough recognition for the incredible expressions of emotion! That Page of Swords clearly doesn’t know what they are doing, the Hermit looks a little crazy, and that 3 of Swords is painful to look at!
This is a really soft feeling deck, but it has BIG EMOTIONS. Saucy, even melodramatic at times. Like the traditional RWS, this deck tends to not silver-line situations, but it is a straight-shooter when it comes to the raw emotions of a situation without being critical or mean. That said, I do feel like this isn’t a snappy sort of deck that’s quick to call you on your b.s.—rather, it is quite “lazy,” in that you really need to stop and LOOK at all the small details on the cards and take your time in a reading.
Card Quality: 4/5 It’s fine. Rather stiff, holds up well to lots of use. Higher end gloss finish makes the cards look new after years of use.
Readability: 5/5 A very, very pretty, accessible and sensible RWS semi-clone, and arguably the easiest reader of all the decks I own. I do like using this for really feminine emotions readings and love and relationship readings. I also tend to pick this off the shelf if I’m reading in the morning, the soft colors seem to bring about that vibe. It also gets a lot of use in the spring. The card border indicates where, in either the major or which minor each card belongs which is really useful in large spreads. This is an easy “learners” deck since the emotions of each character is pretty clear. You got to be more emotionally developed than me (which I suppose is a low bar) to want to use this on the regular–the characters portrayed in the art have big feelings.
This deck has some strong juxtapositions and now I have come to really love it for that. While the beautiful cards are really truly beautiful, there’s also the poor pox covered person on the 5 of Pentacles, and look at that grey/green dead solider in the 10 of Swords. This deck has a savage side!
Art: 4.5/5 I mean, it’s exactly what you expect you’ll get, but so much more. I think Mucha would have been proud to be the inspiration for such a deck. It’s rich in details with that “vintage” feeling colors and style while having the modern RWS reader in mind and delivering very clear imagery and symbols in the cards. This feels like a deck that was designed by an artist who has done tarot as long as they’ve been art-ing. I think it’s easy enough on the eyes for most people who don’t read, and would loan itself well for client readings while also being a great deck to use as a more experienced reader looking for a classic.
I have to say that each card is fairly complex and really gives you a lot to work with, with each image (unlike the Ethereal Visions which is so stark it’s hard to use). And each image is quite original even though it’s definitely traditional RWS (unlike The Golden Art Nouveau which is a copy-paste RWS).
This deck has two artistic faults (imo): one, it’s backs. I wish they would have done something more creative with the backs of these cards. I feel like the backs almost look like a front of a card. Two, I will say that there isn’t much diversity represented in the art (there are one or two non-Europeans), but I suppose there wasn’t much diversity in the original Art Nouveau style of Mucha’s art.
Favorite Card: XIII Death. Okay, I’ll be honest: I bought this deck because I love the take on the RWS, but mostly because I LOVE the Death Card. The Death Card cracks me up. I will keep this deck because of lucky XIII. Death is so done with your bullshit, Steve. Death f*cking told you, and here you are—did you listen? Nope.
Least Favorite Card: XV The Devil. I dunno you guys, this Devil looks rad. I like this card, but it’s not what I think of as the Devil. She seems awesome. Tenacious D vibes.
Card I Identify As: XVII The Moon–SOOO mischievous!
The deck Identifies me as: This deck, despite how much I’ve used it, has never given me a specific identifier.
Season: Late Spring/Early Summer
Boxes it Checks: Traditional, Soft, Romantic, Feminine, Old-School, Love Readings
Similar Decks: The Golden Art Nouveau Tarot, Ethereal Visions Tarot (though honestly I think Tarot Mucha did a better job than either of these), Tarot Art Nouveau (which looks really intricate and colorful), Romantic Tarot, The Harmonious Tarot
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.
Whetherthe card is sticking to the traditional RWS meaningor 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.
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)
Courtesy Nudity Warning! Naked people are in the cards ahead!
When I started writing about Tarot my goal was to provide a platform to post reviews in new and interesting ways of decks I own (or have owned) for fun, but also to help others make informed purchasing decisions. I told myself that I was going to post reviews of decks in the order of which I received them, to not only give me ample time to use and test them, but also let the excited honeymoon phase wear off. Which, I’ve been overall good about, but that means I got to go through some decks that I just don’t regularly use, and kinda don’t like.
In my personal experience, when most people think Tarot, they will think of the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. Some people adore this deck SO MUCH they will collect multiple variations and copies of it. More power to you! And I will admit, there is something very timeless, vintage, and classic about this deck, but, y’all—
I never use this deck.
I (almost) never use it for myself, I certainly don’t use it for others, and it usually only gets pulled out to argue over a “classic” RWS symbol or to compare to “standard tarot size.” So, please take this review with a grain of salt and remember this is just one person’s opinion of arguably the most well know and purchased Tarot deck on the market.
I wanted to do a five card draw for this review, and I typically use jumpers as my cards. I got to card four and thought “hmm, well, maybe this deck isn’t so bad after all! And then it spat out two jumpers for card five–classic S-W Centennial had to end the draw on a happy note!
Overall: 5/10 I use this as a reference deck. My copy has a history of being very mean-spirited, so after a serious bumpy first few months where I really wanted to be that classic tarot reader with my worn-in copy of the classic Smith-Waite Centennial, it was simply not to be. I’m not inclined to use it for readings, and it has become a dust collector on my shelf. Now, there is something to be said that this deck is very much “the mother deck” of many modern Tarot, and has had arguably more influence on modern tarot and the new wave of tarot interest than any other deck. There is endless history to talk about regarding the esoteric choices of art and symbols for this deck (of course many were chosen by Waite, but Pamela Colman Smith’s was heavily influenced by the historic Sola Busca Tarot) but that’s for more scholarly reading that what I can offer here.
Card Quality: 3.5/5 Great balance of resistance and usability. Extremely easy to shuffle. Soft in hand. I wish all decks of this price came with such no-nonsense cardstock.
We have the OG RWS to thank for our modern illustrated “pips”!
Readability: 3/5 This is a very dated deck in that there are (A LOT OF) other decks out there available for the modern Tarot reader that are more user friendly, more relevant, etc. But, this is the baseline for many other decks so it is not a bad idea to become familiar with the original RWS imagery. Though this is a “modern” deck, I find it difficult sometimes because I know there’s historical significance in the symbols that I’m missing.
There are some cards that are so symbol rich its easy to quickly get “lost in the sauce,” at least for me.
Art: 4/5 I love the art-nouveau kitch—it’s very internally consistent, I love the details and the symbols, I mean, it’s a classic for a reason! Obviously printing wasn’t what it is today and some of the line work can feel heavy.
Favorite Card: Queen of Wands–love me the little black cat. The Fool is so iconic and classic. Death—death and his horse are rad
Least Favorite Card: Eight of wands, I feel like this card ruined all other eight of wands to follow. Nine of Cups, the guy just looks so smug XD. Two of Pentacles, the guy has a condom on his head and you cannot convince me otherwise
Boxes it Checks: RWS, traditional, old school, classic
Similar decks: I mean, most decks? There’s a million and one RWS clones out there, but for something “similar but different” The Harmonious Tarot looks very nice
What are your feelings around the Wait-Smith deck?
Mass Market Borderless Edition, Acquired 2020, Learn to Dance with your Devils
This deck review does contain some nudity in the card images, you have been warned!
For a hot moment, you weren’t a Tarot reader of any clout until you had used and studied this deck. Thank goodness that has ended! But because of its explosion in popularity, there’s a million and one reviews about this deck. I debated even posting a review of this deck seeing as it has been done to death, but it is a deck that I reliably reach for again and again, so that makes it a worthwhile deck! That being said, NONE of my in-real-life Tarot reading friends like this deck, all on the premise that the frightening moon-people are too distracting or scary for them. And that is a totally valid opinion too–this is a disturbing deck, no joke!
While I personally don’t believe that you “must” study any one deck in particular, I will say that forcing myself to use this admittedly uncomfortable deck did teach me a LOT about reading tarot. When I first bought it, I thought I’d be getting rid of it because I too did not enjoy this deck, but now I could never imagine re-homing it.
There is a bit of a nightmare-circus feel to the themes in this deck!
Overall: 8/10 I once had a mentor tell me that to make any progress in any art, I had to learn to “dance with your devils.” For me at least, this deck was one stepping stone in my tarot journey that does just that.
This is a “Keep it Real” deck. The figures and situations in each card are blunt, brutally honest, and they often show the cost of choice represented in various card situations, or even the lack of choice. The artist Patric Valenza is prolific in macabre art, but this deck has to be some of his apex work. That being said, the colors are bright and interesting and the imagery is engaging.
Equal parts whimsy and macabre make this such a unique deck.The pops of color really stand out in an otherwise bland neutral color scheme.
While the hard cards are really hard, and some typically happy cards like the 10 of Pentacles show the hidden darkness (the black sheep of the family who is hidden and ignored), and there are also some lovely and unexpectedly whimsy cards (like the King of Wands).
This is a stellar reader and just rock-solid consistent in how it treats each and every card. The card emotions are amplified to the max and there’s never an image that really leaves me guessing (well, except perhaps The Chariot). Anyone who wants to work with multiple tarot decks should consider this one because it’s so unique and does its job so well. There’s a reason nearly everyone has heard of this deck and either has it, or knows someone who has it. It works amazingly well for dealing with inner turmoil and shadow work without feeling judge-y but still being quite blunt and abrupt (but don’t get me wrong, this is a pretty judgmental deck, but in that unbiased, don’t give a flying f#ck, sort of way). That being said, I wouldn’t necessarily say that if I had to use only one deck, I’d chose this one. This one is intense.
Card Quality: 2.5/5 I adore the odd length to width ratio—it makes these cards really easy to shuffle and I feel like I can know them even with my eyes closed, which is kinda intimate. They began to fray almost immediately, but luckily it doesn’t ruin them since they have a bit of a “worn” aesthetic already. Over all I wish they were better cardstock.
This deck does not do subtle…
Readability: 10/5 The meanings, good and bad of each card, are really clear, like kick-you-in-the-face clear. They do roughly follow the RWS system (though eight is Justice and eleven is Strength and there are subtle nods to the Toth and Marseille system here and there throughout the deck), but they also go beyond the traditional RWS symbology. The images are jarring, and they’re totally unapologetic.
I must say, this is NOT AT ALL a deck that is going to give you the warm fuzzies–even the 10 of Pentacles, a classic warm fuzzies card, also portrays this family’s secret of the abuse of the black sheep. There is no ugly side of society that slips by this deck; you cannot escape your inner demons with this one. Like a wicked comedian, this deck will get under everyone’s skin. You can totally make a story out of even a short spread, which is lovely.
A random draw
Art: 5/5 It’s strange–I didn’t like the art, not even when I bought this deck. But it just HAUNTED me and my thoughts. Now I love it. I love that the artist is so sure you’ll know certain cards, he didn’t even bother labeling them (oh, you’ll know them too when you see them!). There’s a whole book about this art (that I’ve held off purchasing but I might end up breaking down eventually) but the images are based off of tombstones and childhood dreams and that’s a totally accurate description. The childishness of the art does two important things, in my opinion: 1) it socially allows some really “scary” imagery to be seen (like mental illness, abuse, evils of consumerism) under the cloak of “cartoonish,” and 2) it taps into our vulnerability as children which opens us up to allowing ourselves to feel things more strongly and honestly.
Favorite Card(s): X of Pentacles, XIII (call me a basic, but come on, this is fantastic), II of Cups, which is arguably the best EVER, II of Pentacles
Least Favorite Card: XVI The Tower–I dunno, I want more? Compared to the originality and sheer emotional weight of the rest of this deck, this feels a bit mellow. And VII The Chariot also doesn’t seem to click with me.
Season: Halloween, and general spooky season!
Boxes it Checks: Unique, Shadow Work, Charming, Cohesive, Story-Telling, Dark, Witty, Blunt, Humorous, Masculine, Personal
Similar Decks: Tarot Nuages, The Yokai Yochi Tarot, Le Tarot Noir, Trionfi della Luna (same artist), Wayward Dark Tarot
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
The Tarot Tarts 