aka The David Attenborough’s Tarot, acquired 2020, first edition, independently printed, book purchased separately
Some of the really charming and cute cards in this deck!
Important Note: The card colors appear brighter (and slightly redder) on the computer screen than in real life, but they are still quite vivid in reality! I find IRL they are just the right balance of color, where they are a bit too bombastic on the screen :-).
Overall: 10/10 Animals (that the artist thoroughly researched that actually make sense with the meaning of the tarot card)? Cosmic aesthetics? Compass Rose? Vivid colors? Crazy details? HOLOGRAPHIC EDGING???? F*CKING REALISTIC AMAZING SWORDS SUIT?????! Holy Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, was this deck made for me? For a person who actually is very scientific/logical minded and maybe a little emotionally stunted, this is a 10/10 deck. For people who love animals, and looking for animal spirit guides in tarot form, this might not resonate with you because the meaning of the cards are really tied to the animals biology rather than human cultural meaning. We’ll talk more in a sec.
Card Quality: 5/5 Amazing. I read once upon a time that someone said they were disappointed with the card quality but I seriously do not get that at all. What the heck do you want out of your cards, person?!? These are perfect!
I love that this deck includes unusual animals that you won’t find in other tarot decks!
Readability: for me, 4.5/5 but I do not think this is universal. This is definitely either in your camp or not sort of thing. The card meanings graft onto the nature and behavior of the animal, NOT what is popularly represented as the animal in culture. I can imagine this feeling very alien to people. There are animals that a person who isn’t a die-hard Attenborough fan might never have encountered before–all the more delight! There definitely are cards that I really have to study (and read the artist’s notes which are copious and illustrious) to fully understand, but I did it once, and it’s second nature after that. Also, because these are animals, there’s a sense of aloofness to them that if you really dig people-centered artwork, this might make it difficult for you. The book (which I had to buy separately when this was still an indie deck) is AMAZING and is a great casual read if you want to know more about animals all on their own.
Very sword, much wow!
Art: 10/5 This is right up my alley. The animals are of course incredible, the style is very unique and while portraiture-esque, there’s still movement and esoteric things of interest going on in the cards. A note—for those of us who are sword and pointy object freaks, I have mad appreciation for the artist getting the various swords and knives correct in proportion and design. OMG, much sword, very wow! Some are obviously extra decorated, but still, the artist learned the rules and tastefully broke them.
Favorite Card: There’s a TON that are amazing and I tend to change my mind a lot, but immediately I fell in love with the Ace of Cups–an adorable otter looking up from floating on his back. I also drew the Empress and the Emperor in my deck interview and they have stuck in my mind since. And the 10 of cups? Divine.
Least Favorite Card: Six of Swords—a lion fish being “impaled” but not really? I don’t find this the image of safe passage that I tend to associate with this card. The artist explains it, but the reasoning never seems to stick.
Card I identify as: I think I’ve kinda always identified with the High Priestess with this deck fairly strongly. I remember lingering with II for a long time when I first flipped through the cards. Of all the high priestess’s I’ve encountered this one felt “right” with me.
The Deck Identifies me as: Knight of Swords (I see a trend, the spirits of Tarot are trying to tell me something D:). A vermilion fly catcher (something we don’t have where I live, but if this is the animal the deck chose for me I’m not complaining) and a one handed sword with a disk pommel.
I’ve been looking for a long time for an ocean or water themed deck, but its hard to beat these incredible water critters in this deck!
Season: Winter/Summer I originally thought this was called the Orion’s deck, which here is a winter constellation, but since we get some of our most fabulous star gazing in the winter I can’t help but associate this with winter with all the stars/space theme art. But there’s also a good dose of water animals which makes me think beach time/summer!
Similar decks: Guardians of the Night Tarot, The Wild Unknown, The Crow Tarot, Spirit Song Tarot, Animal Totem Tarot, Oak Ash & Thorn Tarot, The Hush Tarot, The White Sage Tarot, Tarot Familiars, The Foragers Daughter, the Brady Tarot, the Wooden Tarot
Have you ever started a project, with a really simple idea in mind of how it would look, but once you’re 90% of the way done with it, you decide well, hell, that was easy, lets make this twice as hard! That’s how this tag went for me. What started out as an easy, fun conversation with Val, my fellow tarot aficionado, turned into a whole afternoon of hysterical laughing and not a small measure of inappropriate conversation.
Part of why I am so late to this Tarot-tube tag is I simply went overboard. Not only did I follow the prompts of the tag, but Val and I stole additional ones from others, and made up a bunch of our own.
The Fling: A deck with which you had a short period of wild times.
The Medieval Europe Tarot
I’m grabbing on to the “wild” part of this prompt–I FORCED myself to stop using this deck because from the time I got it to about a month in, it was the ONLY deck I wanted to use. Now I try use it in pretty specific situations. It’s good in that Game of Thrones its-so-violent-you-can’t-look-away good. It’s darkly funny, has wonderful hand-feel, and kinda not nice!
Puppy Love: A deck with which you were infatuated, but couldn’t make a long-term commitment to.
The Oak Ash and Thorn
I don’t think I’ve wanted to love a deck more than I wanted to love this deck. I actually waited a YEAR before finally breaking down and getting it, but when I got it, it was NOT AT ALL a soft fluffy sort of deck! It is really blunt, gets right to the point, and nothing like I imagined it to be. Its a great deck, make no mistake, but I’m still a little butt-hurt it wasn’t what I imagined.
Friends with Benefits: A deck you care about, but sometimes get extremely passionate for.
The Llewellyn Tarot
When I have really vulnerable emotional questions for Tarot, I typically reach for my Llewellyn Tarot. It’s truthful like a friend, but gentle like a good lover. I find that really does it’s job well AND I will linger with it for a long time. What might be a three card reading turns into a multi long spread that I spend time with soaking up the various imagery and thoughts that come from the spread. I also tend to find its readings are eerily true.
Love At First Sight:A deck you loved from the start. (Self explanatory)
Seasonal Fox Tarot
That was the shortest amount of time I’ve ever took to think of purchasing a deck! It just includes so many things that I love, it was a no-brainer. Foxes? Check. Japanese myth and cultural references? Check. Bright colors? Check. TWO DECKS IN ONE WITH A DARK AND LIGHT VERSION??? Yes ma’am! Corresponding seasons with the various major and minor arcana that can make a panorama? OH HELL YEAH!
One Night Stand:A deck you tried out, but moved on from almost immediately. Sometimes, you still think about that deck.
The Threads of Fate Oracle
It was so beautiful. I tried to love it! I tried for nearly three years, but I couldn’t. I just did not connect with the imagery nor the keywords nor the messages. I sent it to a long deserved loving home.
“We Were On a Break!”: A deck you’re separated from for any reason.
Moonlight Tarot by Inessa Bondarenko
We shouldn’t be on a break! I don’t know why we are–I think I was trying to use other decks more and set this one aside. I freaking love this deck! It’s going into my April monthly decks!
Marriage Material: A deck that has proven its value to you.
Ask The Witch Tarot
I feel like I have an unfair amount of decks that I can slot into this category! Even though I’ve had this deck for a very short time and I haven’t used it nearly as extensively as other decks, AND the cardstock leaves much to be desired, I just cannot get over how wonderfully unique the art of this deck is. It marches proudly to its own beat even though it is still traditional enough to be a super easy and blunt reader. I find this deck both fascinating and down to earth and very funny. It is a deck I could bring on a three month vacation and never get tired of it.
Happily Ever After: Your true love in a deck.
The Slavic Legends Tarot
Its beautiful, it feels GREAT, it’s compassionate, its complex, its a little mysterious, it’s the deck out of fairy tales! I could spend hours looking at all the art and images and am always wanting more. I’ve heard there’s a fan who is compiling all the stories she’s familiar with and I’m ecstatic to read them one day!
And this is where the official tag ends and we became unhinged. Val and I had such a good time with this tag, we borrowed some suggestions others made and came up with several of our own:
Friendly Ex: A deck who is still a reliable friend even though you are no longer in love.
Trionfi della Luna, Illustrated pips edition
I purchased this deck last year and I was just OBSESSED with its silly, devil may care attitude. I loved it so much I got both the standard and the black inverse edition. It has such a shameless humor it makes me smile even when the reading is bad. While I’ve moved on in my obsessions, it is still very dear to me, and it always brightens my day when I use it.
Soul Connection: The deck you thought was only a crush and ended up connecting more deeply with.
The Oriens Tarot
This animal deck just really tickled a lot of my fancies in art and tarot. It is not what I’d consider an easy reader, but it really helped me develop my tarot reading skills and bring them to the next level. I find that of all my decks, this one is the most accurate reader and it’s very neutral and beautiful. I would never have guessed that I’d so completely fall for this deck.
It’s Not You, It’s Me: The deck whose value you see, but just cannot connect with.
Visconti di Modrone Tarot
This deck is arguably the most beautiful deck I own, and, I’ll be honest, I dislike pip decks. I thought that its historical intrigue and significance would lead me to start learning it and push through the difficulties like I did with the Sola Busca, but I just can’t. I like to look at it, and I’ll ask it financial related queries, but that’s about it.
Platonic Love Pact: The “if we’re still single at 40 we’ll get married” deck XD!
The Spacious Tarot
I am so fond of this deck, loyal, simple, honest, it’s my Samwise Gamgee deck. While I’m not head over heels in love with it, it’s so reliable and personable, I’ll certainly have it at 40!
Enemies to Lovers: A deck you hated, now love
The True Black Tarot
I really loved it when I first saw it, my husband bought it as a gift to me and my first reading with it was SO TRUE AND SO MEAN! It took me some diligent work and time, but now I freaking love this deck. It would be a deck I save from a house fire no doubt.
The Failed Relationship: A deck you had such high hopes for but it let you down in every way imaginable–its not you, its THEM!
Sefriot Tarot
I feel like I need to write a whole rant review about this fricking deck/game/Kickstarter fail. This deck had such potential and promise that I put good money into, and the developers just totally dropped the ball and as a result it’s a POS that I vindictively hang on to so as to write a review some day. The art work is great, but everything else was such a huge FAIL it’s hard to get over.
The One That Got Away: You had a chance to get this deck, but you didn’t and you regret not taking a chance.
I mean, the title is pretty self-explanatory. I waffled because I’d never had a deck that was so quirky. Major loss on my part.
The Widow Deck: The deck you got because you lost a person in your real life, or the deck reminded you of them or otherwise helped you move on from a relationship ending.
The Forhaxa Tarot
This strong, feminine deck helped me process and move on from my mother’s death. I still think of it as a “Mom” deck.
The Slow Burn: A deck that takes a lot of time to get you “warmed up” but is well worth the wait!
The Nameless One Tarot
I’ll keep saying it, this deck requires time and effort, but it is so worth it! A wonderful, witchy, symbolic-rich deck that still is rather simple in its imagery. It’s definitely not a deck you can do a “quick-ie” reading with, but if you need something deep late at night to help you get to sleep with a clear head, this is my deck.
Out of My League: A deck that you’re simply not a skilled enough as a reader yet to grasp.
The Mary El
Maybe one day! In a way, I’m glad I have this deck because it reminds me that there is a point in which I give up trying to understand a deck, and this reminder prevents me from buying other modern, heavy handed esoteric decks I really want to be able to read but won’t put in the effort to learn.
The Toxic Relationship: A deck that you’ve done stupid things for or because of, or has otherwise elicited bad emotions/behaviors.
The Fyodor Pavlov
Let me explain myself…I wanted this deck SO BAD, and I was not using Kickstarter when it was on Kickstarter, so I had to buy it when it was limited indie print released prior to US Games releasing the deck. The decks sold INSTANTLY on Etsy, and thank goodness he did staggered releases because I’d hit the refresh and it would say SOLD OUT. It took me FOUR tries, setting my alarm to get up or set aside my work and try to snag a copy. Honestly, while the indie version is slightly nicer cardstock, I should have just waited for the mass market release.
Left You at the Alter: A deck that consistently leaves you hanging unresolved in a reading no matter how many cards you pull.
The Cosma Visions Tarot
Okay so perhaps I haven’t dedicated the time to learning this decks own unique structure, but that is due to, at least in part, the fact that this beautiful tarot/oracle deck never gives me even a remotely straight answer! It’s so fricking whimsy and all over the place and not at all rooted in any system I’m familiar with and so handwave-y, every reading I do I end up feeling frustrated and let down. But it’s SO beautiful!
Look but don’t touch!: The deck you have fantasies of using, but understand its very surface level and risks turning into a fling.
I’m not a Thoth gal. I have only minimal Thoth decks (ah-hem, Mary El), and it’s not exactly a system I’m chomping at the bit to learn, but gosh darn it am I so intrigued with the Tabula Mundi!
The Kink: A deck that toes the line of too edgy for you to feel totally comfortable with, but you still like using to experiment.
The Lost Hollow Tarot
This is a deck of radical acceptance and totally turns traditional ideas of gender and sexuality on its head. I find it a deck that asks me “but what if…” and I love it for that! And it does suggest various “kink” flavors in a very respectful way. It’s kind of a bad ass deck, imo.
The Hot and Cold Lover: A deck that waffles between extremes and you are uncertain what it will give you.
The Fantastic Menagerie
I mean, this should not surprise anyone. This wry deck spares no one from its scathing remarks, but it also is dead honest and isn’t afraid to tell you good job, and when you hear that, it means all the more because you know how nasty it can get.
I Can’t Take You Anywhere!: A deck that is so over the top dramatic you don’t feel comfortable using it for reading for others.
The Bloodmoon Tarot
I love this deck. A lot. Perhaps more than I should. But I’ll be honest, it is so raw and over the top that I cannot use this in the public sphere. It hits so hard in every card, I could easily see this deck making someone cry. Not for the faint of heart at all.
My Secret Lover: A deck you don’t want to share with anyone and are even hesitant to tell others you have.
The Lubanko Tarot
Like the Bloodmoon Tarot, this deck is very raw. To me, it’s almost as if the deck means the reversal or “dark” meanings to all the cards. It’s the shadow-self deck in a way. It really challenges me and lets me safely explore, but it is very edgy and I feel like I might be judged by other tarot nerds if I mention I have it and use it.
You Could Do Better: A deck that is undeserving and you’ve probably already ditched.
The Tarot of Cloister (knock off)
I don’t have this in my possession any more, but I purchased this knock-off deck through Etsy. I learned a valuable lesson: if a deck price is too good to be true, it probably is a knock off. Yep, I got scammed! I can do better than that ;-).
First Love: The first deck that made you fall in love with Tarot.
The Shadowscapes Tarot
I had to pick the lovely large Czech version to highlight here. I was introduced to this deck by Val, and after watching her for years use it, I received a copy from my partner and then my obsession for tarot and card art began!
Did anyone else do this tag? What decks are you crushing for these days?
When you’re kawaii on the outside, but metal AF on the inside. Purchased 2020
Overall: 8/10 This was my first deck I purchased for myself—I saw someone using it on YouTube and I HAD TO HAVE IT! Who knew the artist and I live in the same city—that just made it all the more appealing and I bought a copy for my friend too to support local art! Adventurous and sweet it has a SUPER KAWAII! color pallet that would make this unpalatably fluffy if it wasn’t steeped in dark worldly fairy tales. I find this a very gregarious deck, approachable, with a very good sense of humor, like your friend who’s down for brunch or bar food at any time of the day. It’s incredibly friendly and very personal, but happy to lay on bad news when it needs to (and it will deliver in the cutest way possible!).
I take issue with some of the wand cards being pip-ish, and I wish there were as cohesive “stories” in the wands that we see in the pentacles, swords, and chalices. But after using this for such a long time, this feels like a very minor complaint because the wands do have their own subtle story, if you pay attention.
I have to admit, that when I need a pick-me-up I reach for this deck–it’s such a happy, vibrant deck that even when it lays on the bad news, I still leave the reading feeling uplifted.
Card Quality: 3/5 Better than the standard Llewellyn. The edges tend to want to fray a bit, but the back has a metallic lavender pearly sheen that is quite pretty, and the silk finish matting is easy to shuffle. There was some very minor damage when my new, unopened cards came but I didn’t bother asking for an exchange because I knew with use this would be no longer noticeable.
The Star Spinner has some of the most beautiful backs of all my decks! I just love it!
Readability: 4/5 Okay, so the wands feels like the neglected suite of the cards since nearly everything else has quite a rich fairy tale vibe if not direct reference and interesting color story. It’s really easy to interpret the standard meaning from the artistic spin, with the exception of the wand which is the suite dominated by fairies. They don’t have the same sort of story and detail dedicated to each card, and to me that’s a huge let down. The chalices seem to be the most integrated, following just the singular (dark) story of the little mermaid, while the swords and pentacles draw from a variety of different folk lore. There’s plenty of things to notice and observe in each card to help make the reading very intuitive.
The Wand Court; one of these things is color-theme not like the others…
Art 5/5: I got a lot to say here so hold on! This is an inclusive deck with a LGTBQ focus and I love using all the lovers cards. I do think the variety of cards makes me focus on what parts of my masculinity/femininity are in play. This deck has received some criticism for not having “enough” representation (perhaps in light of the Modern Witch Tarot?), but I guess I was very pleased with the representations, and I don’t think the artist should be faulted here. Also, I view most of the mermaids to be “thicc” women, and I don’t think people are seeing them in that light.
The colors are stunning, very fluffy, expressive, and rather bombastic which works well with the otherwise simple art style. There’s a lot of symbology, but not nearly as much as Shadowscapes, but certainly enough for me to work well with. People who are very organized and sensitive to color-use will be mad that the king of wands is a different color scheme than the rest of the suit–I noticed it right away but it didn’t bother me, but it DOES piss my friend off.
Favorite Card: So far its a tie between the charming Page of Chalices, a mermaid speaking to a puppy with a sunset and mountain cabin in the background, and the Knight of Swords. This amazing knight is very feminine with wings starting intensely at their longsword—I sense a trend of loving sharp pointy things…
Least Favorite Card: The Eight of wands—I need something here, I feel this was a “I give up” on the artist’s part.
Card I identify as: I have to say, I feel really drawn to the 4 variations of the lovers–I feel as if all these iterations speak to my inner female/male duality and how this plays out in the world with my relationships–I really “get” the art.
Card the deck identifies me as: The Queen of Swords—she’s very unnerving, with a white snake of wisdom draped over her shoulders (my Chinese zodiac, and also a common eastern witches’ familiar) she’s BITING PETALS OFF A ROSE! JEEZUS THAT’S METAL A.F.! She’s also the scariest card, maybe followed by the seven of swords which is delightfully dastardly.
Boxes it Checks: Fairy tale, Mermaids, Cute, Bold, Feminine, Bright, Diverse, Simple, Love Readings, Personal
Seasons: Late Winter/Early Spring: the pastels and brilliant colors really make me think happy Ostara thoughts!
Similar Decks: Cosmic Slumber Tarot, The Tarot of the Divine, The Modern Witch Tarot, R.Black Tarot, Silicon Dawn Tarot, Next Word Tarot, Fairy Tale Tarot (Korean publisher), The Ellis Deck Tarot, The Wandering Star Tarot, The Luna Sol Tarot
I do my best not to judge a deck by it’s box, but lets just take a moment to appreciate this incredible art!
Here are Stacy’s choices. What can I say, it was a tea sort of day; enjoyed a lightly steeped rhubarb oolong.
Well, today is the perfect day to get cozy in my neighborhood—it’s raining ice. There’s plenty to hate about these far north winters, but every time my spouse and I talk about moving somewhere “nicer” a little part of me freaks out, because at the end of the day, I actually love the snow and the ice. Just look at how beautiful it is!
1. THE ESPRESSO SHOT: A deck that’s strong, punchy, and gets straight to the point.
Of all the “drinks”, I struggled with this one the most just because I really like hard-hitting decks with humor, so I got a lot of them. The tarot-tuber Lisa Papez suggested the Deviant Moon Tarot and I agree that it is a great choice, however I tend to personally take this deck very seriously and I don’t really think it “funny” as in a punchy sort of comedy. I DO think that Baba Studio’s The Fantastic Menagerie Tarot is quite hilarious, but it has more sharp wit than “punch” to me. Then I think of the Lubanko Tarot and the Lost Hollow Tarot–decks which really leans into the beauty and wisdom to be found in radical acceptance of the self–again, pretty serious even if they do have a wry sense of humor.
But then there’s the Runic Tarot—this Norse myth inspired deck by the same artist that did the Heaven and Earth Tarot (definitely a wimpy deck by comparison) throws itself all-in with the modern idea of the warrior-cult Viking. It goes 110% on every card. This deck does not take itself seriously at all and has absolutely zero chill about it. The Runic Tarot is an absolute wild ride from start to finish. It’s RWS, but on ‘roids; you want disappointment, you get devastating. You want pretty, you get super sexy. Deception? How about all-out violence. You wanna see things from a different point of view? How about a 180 upside down flip from skis while throwing an axe? This deck will sooner chop off your hand than hold it. It will tell you like it is but it will also make you chuckle in astonishment.
2. THE DRIP: A deck that’s simple, accessible, and gets the job done.
I have several RWS clones that could easily fit into here, like Fyodor Pavlov Tarot, OG RWS, or a really sensible deck like The Golden Wheel, but I chose the Dark Mansion Tarot (the 3rd standard edition). This is the deck I pick when I am unsure of what deck I want, or if I’m doing a generic reading with someone I don’t really know. It’s close enough to the RWS but still very different so it’s just the right amount of traditional without feeling stuffy. It’s not overly esoteric, but still symbol rich. It’s goth-cute, thematically consistent, non-offensive (though not diverse), it’s kind, it’s funny, and cheeky. People not familiar with Tarot seem to really love this deck, and I know it inside and out. It’s my safe bet.
3. THE POUROVER: A deck you need to take your time with, but totally worth the effort.
The obvious choice here is either an esoteric deck or a deck that has its own system, of which I have several of each of these. I chose neither! I chose the Oriens Tarot, a wonderful cosmic animal deck, which is the only Tarot deck that I read the companion book cover to cover. Even being an animal nerd, I really got introduced to the habits and nature of several creatures through this deck, and it’s such a unique animal deck that it is well worth the read (and the book is great!). It’s beautiful, balanced, and only as mysterious as you want it to be.
4. THE CAFE LATTE: A deck that’s well-received, and highly palatable.
So palatable its even cat approved!
I suspect that The Lightseer’s Tarot is often slotted into the Cafe Latte! This was THE deck everyone had to get just a few years ago. I eventually bent to the pressure as well and I’m not even mad about it. Almost everyone has at the very least seen this deck if they aren’t already in possession of it. Of course it is a very modern take on the Tarot. It’s an extremely relatable deck with many kinds of people being represented, so it’s a safe bet to use with someone you don’t exactly know all that well, and it’s an incredibly kind reader. The colors are beautiful and lush, and the images while RWS do not get bogged down in esoteric at all. Easy peasy reader.
5. THE CAPPUCCINO: A deck that’s classic, sophisticated, and maybe a bit fussy.
I was really tempted to put the special 4 edition of Baba Studio The Victorian Romance Tarot as The Mocha, because lets face it, it is SUPER extra. But at the same time, I think of all the Baba decks, the VRT is probably the “classic” Baba Barock deck. The art, especially for collage style of existing art, is incredibly sophisticated, and the readings it gives are sophisticated (if not a bit dramatic). And yes, it’s 100% fussy because it can be.
6. THE MOCHA:A deck that’s rich, indulgent, and a bit extra.
I was really torn between The Slavic Legends Tarot and Baba Studio The Mythical Creatures, and I *think* Lisa Papaz happened to choose the Mythical Creatures , and I must agree with her! This pip style deck is SO detailed and SO much, it’s ridiculous.
The pips are extravagant. The majors and court cards are just mind-blowingly much. You might think the backs are reversible–you’re wrong! Each side of this deck is different, if only in the ultra fine details.
The borders for the major, and the four minor groups are different. It shines and sparkles! This is also the most expensive deck I have in my collection, so it was kinda an easy justification to label it as an “indulgent” deck.
7. THE CORTADO: A deck that’s balanced and objective.
The Ink Witch Tarot is an odd deck for sure. Each card feels like a complete, complex idea by itself without needing to reference any additional cards. Yet it gives you a feeling of unfinished-ness with the very simple line art style and the minimal coloring in sepia tones. Myth, real legends, and modern day humdrum of the selfie culture and the looming threat of nuclear war run tandem to beautiful miniature portraits of nature. This deck seems to ignore all attempts at being put in a box and follows its own rules. It reminds me of a sketchbook of human experiences. There is a heavy sense of justice and righteousness, honor, integrity and empathy that does not shy away from real life social problems. It really invites you to ask yourself “who am I in this picture? Where was I when I experienced this?” Both childlike and nostalgic and also mature and forward thinking, this deck is gentle but also confronting. This is a deck I reach for when I need hard honesty that I know will deliver it in a personal way.
8. THE CON PANNA:A deck that puts you in your place, but with a hint of sweetness.
Of all my decks, The Forhaxa Tarot is the Mom deck. Its emotions are LOUD, it comes on very strong with no question about how it feels in any given card. Villainy and self-serving behavior is clearly portrayed. There is no beating around the bush with the harsh cards, and there is little to question how the fairies feel in each card, the emotion being very evident. It can read as a very critical deck. BUT the optimistic cards are overflowing with hopefulness, and positivity. It’s an absolutely beautiful deck that inspires agency in taking your next steps.
9. THE CHAI LATTE:A deck that’s warm, cozy, and nurturing.
If the Forhaxa Tarot was the mom deck, the Witches Wisdom is the grandma deck. Or perhaps the fairy godmother deck. In any case, this Wiccan deck takes traditional RWS and turns it on its head. Each card, linked to mother nature, gives a snapshot into the fool’s journey back to their true self. Even the hard cards are but a part of the path to learning. It’s just as much about the journey as it is the destination. This deck is extremely kind, but with substance. The accompanying book is absolutely wonderful. This is a wise deck that can give light even to the darkest places.
10. THE MATCHA LATTE: A deck that’s an acquired taste, or a bit unconventional.
Like Expresso decks, I also tend to collect Matcha Latte decks! There is so many I could put into this category, but seeing as Matcha is associated with all things Japanese, I had to pick the Yokai Yochi Tarot. It would be a very difficult deck if you didn’t have some rudimentary grasp of Japanese culture and lore. It weird. It’s unconventional, and while it is an absolute blast to use in readings, it definitely takes a learning curve and is quite the acquired taste! It’s a very playful, mischievous, if kinda disturbing deck.
11. THE HOT CHOCOLATE: A deck that speaks to a younger version of yourself.
Being a child of the 90’s, the 90’s goth culture left quite the impression on me as a kid. When I saw the Bloody Tears Tarot on Kickstarter, it instantaneously transported me back into those earlier days when I’d admired as was slightly afraid of the goths! The art style feels very unrefined and is reminiscent of doodling with the three bic pens in my school notebooks. In a way, there’s adult themes that strike a chord with some dark “kids” movies I watched growing up (looking at you The Last Unicorn and The Secrets of NIMH). So moody! So dark! *snort*. Part of me never stopped loving the weird 90’s, and I just love the nostalgia I get with this deck.
12. THE ITALIAN SODA:A deck that’s fun, low-key, and not overly serious.
Because I am part of Tarot Deck Buyers Anonymous, and I keep falling off the wagon in their twelve step program, I only buy tarot decks these days with a ~*”reason”*~ for purchasing them. Is it ever a good reason…? I guess the first step is admitting there’s a problem.
However, I did not hesitate to slam that buy now button for the Bronze edition of The Seasonal Fox Tarot. I had no reason other than I love foxes, Japanese culture, seasons, anal structure systems, and Tarot. It is two very clever decks, and it feels like it was made for me. Every time I’ve used it, it makes me smile.
13. THE HERBAL TEA:A deck that takes things down a notch, or helps you unwind.
I almost didn’t buy The Smoke Ash & Ember Tarot. I really wanted the Oak Ash & Thorn, and had a serious case of FOMO and broke down and got the dragon deck too. But upon opening the box, I immediately felt drawn to TSA&E and have fallen in total love with these whimsical forest dragons! This deck is a rich, deep reader, but there isn’t anything forced at all in the art and its delivered oh so sweetly with cutesy dragons. The colors, while vibrant are still soft, the details are rich, and the expressions of the mythical reptiles are just wonderful. The art is very dream-like. This is the deck I use when I’ve had a hard day and just need a hug.
Phew! What a list! What are YOUR coffeehouse decks?
or Running House Press “Tarot” mini deck. Review by Stacy
Is this even Tarot?
Acquired 2011. There are two versions, one with ultra mini folded accordion cards and a large book, and this semi mini version with a (admittedly really tough) tuck box, a LWB, and an absolutely useless paper foldout spread.
Overall: 5/10 Well, yes, this IS Tarot, despite first glance! This was my first deck of Tarot cards. My mother bought these for herself from Barns & Nobel to play a fortuneteller during a Halloween Party. I ended up “inheriting” them (i.e. saved from the landfill) when she was done. I didn’t “understand” the cards at the time and after flipping through them maybe a dozen times, they ended up collecting dust on my bookshelf for several years. Now with some Tarot under my belt I find this quite a cheeky little deck.
Size comparison to a standard tarot deck.
This works well as a very compact traveling deck since I cannot bring myself to purchase another mini version of a deck I’d otherwise want in full size. It does its job. While it’s my “first” deck and I’m not going to get rid of it, I also don’t reach for it in my normal daily readings and sentimentality keeps it on my bookshelf.
At first this deck comes off as childish, but the more you work with it, the more mature and clever you realize it is. Much in the way fairy tales are “meant” for children, the themes can be quite dark. It has a sort of “comic strip” feeling to it as you read from one card to the next, like a medieval stain glass comic, with some Punch and Judy feel. There’s also quite a bit of myth/story lore embedded in the images.
I always think of the Redwall book series when I use it, though I cannot say why. Would I buy this deck again? Probably not. Am I going to get rid of it? Ungh…
I appreciate the suits being organized by color. Also, you can see how there are typical RWS imagery in some cards (like the VIII of Pentacles and IX of Cups) but then the VIII of wands is a ship’s helm and the King of Swords is referencing Aesop’s fable the Fox and the Grapes . This deck is all over the place.
Card Quality: 2/5 The compact size, more of a square than rectangle, is really pleasant to use and the card stock is very durable. And that’s kinda where it ends—these things STICK to one another and shuffling is incredibly difficult. BUT they are fairly waterproof because of the heavy, weird coating, so there’s that. This does loan itself well for jumpers so I don’t have to sit around waiting for cards to appear.
You can see here some cards are very RWS reminiscent (like Temperance and The Tower) and others are completely doing their own thing (The Fool and The Star)
Readability: 2.5/5 I’m a bit on the fence. The deck seems to use some Thoth and some Rider-Waite interpretations, and other cards are just totally “Eh…?” But, on the other hand, the major and minor divisions are color coded on the corners so it actually is pretty easy to see at first glance what “corners” your issue is coming from, which is awesome.
The back design is arguably the best part of this deck—its SO charming!
Art: 4/5 I actually have learned to really like this folksy art style. The images are very simple with bright colors, and the backs are GORGEOUS! Some of the more non-traditional images are delightful to sit with and see where your intuition takes you, other cards I simply just don’t “get.” I will admit that I’m really fond of the backs of these cards!
The delightfully violent V of Swords and the odd Emperor.
Favorite Card: I really like the five of swords with this one!
Least Favorite Card: IV The Emperor–does anyone know why he’s a boot??? Can someone help me out here?
Season: Late Summer, Early Fall (got that old time harvest folksy vibe going for it!)
Boxes it Checks: Folk Art, Fairy Tale, Odd, Mini, Charming, Travel
Similar Decks: The Kawaii Tarot, Trungles the Very Little Tarot (which if I had the choice I’d get this one instead)
Gifted to me 2018, and after a Tarot card vandal (see above) destroyed several cards (one aptly chosen) gifted again 2020.
Overall: 8/10 Awesome sauce. This is my only deck I’ve needed to replace due to wear and tear (so far). I used this deck until the edges frayed. The cat chewed through the devil of my first deck and maimed several cards so I acquired a second one (dearest husband gifted both to me! It’s a special deck for sure!)
Being my “first love” deck maybe I’m a little bias. Dreamy, ethereal, but dark enough to not feel fluffy. A bit aloof in that Tolkien elven sort of way, it never feels too personal when things are a bit overcast.
Maybe I was lucky (or unlucky) that the Shadowscapes Tarot is the first deck I learned Tarot from for almost a year before exploring other decks. In a way, starting out with a semi-nontraditional RWS helped me learn how to really sit with an image and think, rather than learning the route RWS meaning. My friend who started reading Tarot about four years before me used this deck almost exclusively and I came to love it when handling it with her.
This version is standard tarot size, with unobtrusive silver borders. Like everyone else on the face of the planet I would happily throw egregious amounts of money for a copy of the deck if the cards were borderless, bigger, with the most amazing cardstock in the world because they are absolutely works of art, each one filled with a unique story and symbolism to the point your eyes cannot even see it! (Spoiler alert: I did discovered the Czech version! Review coming soon.)
I’ve seen others say that Shadowscapes is not beginner friendly and I disagree—there’s so much to work with that piecing together a story for one card, let alone a set of cards, is very easy, not to mention easy on the eyes. It’s just takes time. The accompanying big guide book is great. If you’re easily overwhelmed visually, then yes, perhaps choose another deck.
Starting with such a symbol-rich deck I now heavily rely on a muchness of symbols and pictures and storytelling to put together a cohesive spread in most decks I pick up. It’s the simpler decks that tend to challenge me!
Abused cards—wear, tear, puncture wounds.
Card quality: 2/5 Eh, kinda works. The cards need to be bigger. They’re really prone to bending and being damaged so if you really like this one, spring for an extra set to replace cards as needed (or hunt down the Czech version).
Just LOOK at all the minute detail! I think this two of swords is hands down my absolute favorite–just look at all those things going on around that defensive figure! This classically stagnant card just breaths life here. And check out this mysterious unmasked yet still masked moon; there’s fungus fairies I’ve never even seen until I enlarged this photo on my computer!
Readability: 5/5 I challenge someone to find a modern, RWS fantasy deck with more individual symbolism chalked into each individual card, even the minor non-court cards. It can feel overwhelming (and difficult to see if you don’t have perfect vision) until you really sit with the card and stare at all the details and then…it just clicks. Definitely not a slap-n-dash sort of reader! While this definitely follows the RWS system, many of the cards have a different (albeit related) take, so IF you rely on RWS imagery this might be a good deck to start breaking out of that box.
Dreamy, ethereal, but not fluffy, I would not call this a particularly “earthy” deck though the nature element is very present. It’s a gentle reader without being suffocating in positivity. All the creatures feel very “perfect” and a bit aloof. Heavy in symbolism, and despite having fantastical creatures in a dream like world, the art does feel relatable to the real world.
The spreads this deck creates is just a feast for the eyes! If you need a deck you want to spend time just ogling this is an excellent candidate.
Law does fantastic job at capturing body shape, movement, and angles which give life to otherwise traditionally stagnant cards, with one notable exception–the six of wands. This also being my least favorite card, felt like the one card that the artist did not feel any inspiration towards. The figure of the man holds the laurel crown out at a weird, unnatural angel. The artist obviously doesn’t have good feelings towards the card either because the world is a muted, muddied battlefield of green/grey/brown against the otherwise brilliant suite of wands. After learning from several other decks, I do have to admit, I do not have such a bleak view of the six of wands.
Art: 4/5 So the art itself is stunning BUT I do want to acknowledge that all the bodies are more or less the same and there is little representation of people of color (outside of one brown woman and a few Asian peoples) in here. I don’t see any indication of LGBTQ+ or gender nonconforming representation either. I feel some of the masculine cards (like five of swords) DO feel more feminine than they could have been portrayed. I did feel the need for a diverse deck and have looked elsewhere to fill that void.
There’s a maturity about Shadowscapes that for fantasy art is a relief. I love me some fae, but I hate how some artists make female fairies “slutty/hyper sexual” for no good reason and this deck doesn’t even come close to that sort of feeling, though there is some tasteful and sensible nudity: the seven of pentacles comes to mind but unless you were looking for nipples, you might mistaken the nymphs tattoos for a shirt. Also strength is naked too, but that makes sense to me because vulnerability is part of inner strength. Five of Pentacles shows exposed breast, which makes sense for the card.
The challenging cards in this deck are pretty gentle, perhaps the most difficult being the Three of Swords.
Every card is welcoming and gentle and genteel, there’s few critical, mean, or scary card in the deck: three of swords is an impaled swan, and the eight of swords is a distressed trapped swan, but these come off as more dark metaphors that actual violence inducing. Death is a Phoenix, and the tower is clearly an act of nature on a sturdy (wooden) artifice of nature so you don’t have to shoulder the blame for “building a weak foundation” as the Tower seems to be interpreted these days. My favorite card, the five of swords is by far the most “violent” imo, since that angel is clearly swooping down to kick ass and take names, ask questions later.
The book gives both interpretive positive/negative readings of the artwork without the concreteness of reversals–but honestly I use reversals (with intuitive interpretations) in this deck because the back loans itself well and the artwork plays along quite easily.
Favorite card: 5 of Swords If that’s not the most bad ass avenging elf angel I’ve ever seen I’ll eat my shoes. I know this is supposed to be a “bad” card, but I’m never upset to see this one.
Least Favorite Card: 6 of Wands—I don’t like the awkward arm of the man and it feels very ominous with that pea soup colored background and post-war battlefield-like scene. I feel like the warning that this is a temporal success is a little…too challenging.
Card the deck identifies me as: The deck has decided that the Queen of Cups represents me in my normal, creative self, though I have to admit that I don’t particularly resonate with her, but I do feel a connection with the action she is doing (lol!). Conversely, when I am being naughty, this deck will spit out the Knight of Wands and be saucy for a few days.
Season: Spring (so ethereal! much ephemeral!)
Boxes it checks: Fae, Elf, Ethereal, Dreamy, Fantasy, Romantic, Aloof, Detail Oriented, Love Readings
Similar Decks: There aren’t any decks that capture the ethereal nature of the art, but other fairy decks that I personally think are along this vein are The Tarot of the Hidden Realm, Tarot of the Sidhe, Circle of Life Tarot, The Lost Forest Deck, The Children of Litha Tarot, Lisa Hunt’s The Fairytale Tarot, Superlunaris Tarot (the color pallet really reminds me of the Shadowscapes)
P.S. our artist has been in the middle of making a WONDROUS Oracle deck for several years and I hope it comes out before I die!
The Tarot Tarts 