The Tarot Tarts

June 2025 Decks

June 3rd, 2025

Nudity Warning: thar’ be buns of steel on the horizon! Also some graphic violence.

After some wild months, and a particularly colorful and, dare I say, *spicy* month of May in my card readings, my Tarot partner Val and I decided we needed a cool down. This month, we wanted to reach for healing water decks and grounding earth decks. While I’ve used The Flow Tarot extensively, the other four are relatively new to me so I have lots of work getting to know these decks this month!

Clockwise, left to right: Folkloric Forest Tarot, the Flow Tarot, Sirena (Tarot), Coastal Curiosities (Pocket Edition), The Dreaming Waves Oracle

Sometimes I really pre-plan my draws, how I want it to look, if there’s a particular shape I’m going for, do I want a “theme” card, do I have a particular question or worry, etc. This month, I think the laid-back June really got to me (either that or I’m just completely mentally and emotionally exhausted) and I just picked up my familiar Flow Tarot and started mindlessly shuffling. It sent out two cards, so I started here and realized that, like usual, it’s gonna be a heavier draw.

I typically dislike key words on tarot decks, AND I’m not a huge fan of photo decks, but the Flow Tarot I think does a really excellent job in that their keywords partner perfectly with the traditional RWS and the watery image that has been chosen for the cards. The Nine of Waves (Wands) shows a rocky shore being beaten by wave after wave. Who will win? The rocks will wear down into fine silty sand, but there they are still at the shore, while the waves break and reform over and over for eternity. It makes me wonder who is persevering? Who wins? The rocks will stand like, well, a rock, while the waves, ever mutating and changing, still persist.

And, I don’t think of the Flow Tarot as mean deck at all seeing as its all about going with the flow, but if it has one challenging card, its Judgement. The sun is setting, and darkness looms. You cannot see what is in the water, how deep it is, or how far out to sea you are. What will happen in the coming night? No one knows. You now get to decide how to proceed, but proceed you must.

Last month had a theme of community that was streaked though nearly all my readings and it seems like it is here to stay! I love all of Junhasiri’s work, but I do think I adore her Dreaming Waves Oracle the most! Which should tell you something seeing as I much prefer Tarot over Oracle cards. From Dreaming Waves I drew the interesting Sailor’s Knot. This card’s keyword is interconnectedness. All the ropes on the ship are needed to steer it through the sea, but it’s not always clear how they interact with one another. It’s difficult to control something as wild as a ship on the wild waves, but by using many ropes together, and tying them strategically you can harness the violent power of the wind and water. One rope on it’s own can do only so much, but with many ropes, connected by many binding knots, the world’s at your fingers!

I love seeing the same knot-like twists the snake makes in the Compassion card from Coastal Curiosities. I’m not sure why it took me so long to warm up to this rather contrary feeling deck seeing as it’s right up my “weird” alley, but I’m glad I backed the Folkloric Forest so I had to think about CC again. The cards in this deck are quite intriguing because the keywords are paired with images that seem, at first blush, not at all be related to the word, but it leads you down an interesting thought path. A snake in the western Christian world is typically seen as a negative image, but snakes long before then had relations with healing, magic, and dreams. Snakes are widely misunderstood and hated for their bite and in a few limited species their venom. How can we extend compassion to a snake? By understanding it, and seeing that it is actually not dangerous at all. In fact, we see this snake is passively holding the arrow in place. Compassion, it would seem, tempers pain and violence. We have an interesting additional pairing of roses and ladybugs, who are easy to love but are part of the same, interconnected ecosystem. I am also reminded by the infamous “don’t tread on me” flag, but in this take, it feels like “don’t tread on me, I’m holding back the real danger.” Hmm.

My left flanking card…

My right flanking card…

I love the old time-y, straight out of the movie Babe art chosen for the Folkloric Forest Tarot. I’d been looking for that exact sort of deck for a very long time. It’s a little disheartening that the first card I draw from it to share on the blog is the Three of Air (Swords)! But it is a very, very interesting take on the Three of Swords. In this image, we see a Woodcock (no, I’m not making a random dirty joke, its a woodland snipe) being shot from the air. For the bird this is a huge loss, but for the hunter it is a gain. For the majority of human history we’ve relied on hunting to survive, so the idea of facing a saddening loss for a gain is integral to our species (an honestly most species). Perhaps this month I’ll suffer a saddening/blowing loss for a greater gain?

Then on the other side from the Sirena Tarot I drew the Ten of Cups. This deck, while not being a nice deck at all, like the Folkloric Forest has a very different take on the RWS and it’s interesting to see this Ten of Cups. Here we see the impossible made possible. A man has wed a mermaid! They succeeded in overcoming their differences and challenges and now they have it all, Earth, Sea, a big fricken castle on the sea, a sport ship and ten flaming flying cups in the sky!

I read this as though you face hardships and challenges, and fear in this journey, keep going (you have no choice)! Stand strong with others and offer them understanding when it seems impossible to think of such a thing. Each person can offer strength to others. Realize that not all losses mean the end, sometimes you have to give up something for the greater goal. You’re going to realize your impossible dreams, in the strangest sort of way!

Alright June, here we come. How about the rest of you? What do your cards say June has in store for you? Have you ever done a water/earth theme draw before?
Deck Review: The Witches’ Wisdom Tarot

May 20th, 2025

The Pagan Mother Deck, acquired 2020, Mass Market

Tasteful nudity warning: those who are offended by breast feeding humans and monkey butts should avoid this post!

Overall: 7/10 Let me start off by saying that I got this deck at the perfect time in my tarot journey, and I use it not only for readings but also as a learning tool. This is a beautiful, interesting, fresh take of a deck. Even though its been on the market for quite a while, I think its pretty stand alone in its radical rethinking of the Tarot. For many people it will really scratch an itch, but, it not a deck I personally reach for often.

It will never cease to surprise and intrigue me how Tarot has been adapted through time to represent different cultures and beliefs. Tarot as divination historically is based off of Renaissance Roman Catholic esoterica (and their undercurrents of non-Catholicism esoterica, like ancient Grecian and Roman and Norse mythos), and as time progressed elements of the Kabbalah, and newer mysticism (like The Golden Dawn) were mapped onto the cards and the whole visual system was remade over and over again. Since the 60’s there has been a growing (if not massive now) trend of neo-paganism adopting and owning the Tarot as their own. This deck is a testament of how versatile the Tarot system can be and I love it deck for that, and it will always have a home in my collection.

I tend to not pull more than one or two cards at a time from this deck, but that is more than substantial. The overwhelming majority of my decks I feel like the interpreter, but I feel The Witches’ Wisdom interprets me. Time and time again this deck gives me exactly what I need, no more and no less. You don’t have to be Wicca or Pagan to really feel the gentle loving touch of this deck, but you do have to have a connection with nature to feel comfortable in the images. The messages are all extremely kind, offering advice and a place to deeply meditate, and there’s a very strong Divine Feminine vibe to this deck even though there is plenty of masculinity portrayed. It stands on its own, but also works well with other similar themed decks. Unlike the Light Seer’s Tarot, this deck doesn’t shy away from some rough passages through life, but it still is one of the gentlest decks I own.

If you are a guidebook reader and want to be actively learning and thinking deeply about your cards and are okay with decks that don’t really follow a traditional system, this is a perfect deck for you. If you are a “grab and go” kinda reader you won’t be happy with this one.

Card Quality 2.5/5: The card colors are gorgeous, but I find they started chipping at the edges right away. They’re also massive, but I personally like that—I can really peer into the image. Love the back design with the compass rose (but with a four leaf clover). It’s very stiff cardstock, forget about doing anything other than an overhand shuffle. They want to hold a bow, unfortunately.

Some cards that I think are an excellent and intuitive graft onto the RWS!

Readability 2.5/5 (5/5 with the guide book—this guidebook really rocks). I really don’t think of this as a standard Tarot deck as it has its own system that only kinda touches on the RWS/Thoth, but the fact that it does in about a half of the cards is a bit disjointed for me. This deck falls into what I’d consider the advanced reader category since much is contingent on how you feel about the art during your query and there’s only a little core-system reference. I would not by any means say this is a system-less deck though!

The majors work in reverse as the Fool’s Journey progresses to self actualization and realization. While this is challenging for me personally, I adore this very different take.

TWWT is a total revamp of the majors as you work from The World and into yourself/The Fool—it’s very clever. The minors think holistically on the smaller impacts you feel in life rather than the immediate issues at hand and can feel a bit…over your head? Vague? Puzzling? Vast? I find the guidebook quite critical in readings. But at the same time, some of the minors in this deck are the most interesting and evocative I’ve seen, and its been several years since I first picked up this deck.

Can you use it as a Tarot deck? Yeah, I suppose. Should you? I tend to treat this more like an Oracle deck, or somewhere in between the two. I find that I need time to think on the image given to me, that I find different meaning most every time I use the deck as it’s very situational-sensitive. The guide book is wonderful if you’re feeling stuck or just need inspiration. It demands time and meditation and sometimes I just want an immediate answer, in which case, I’m not using this deck.

Some not at all intuitive (to me) cards that do not come across as RWS. But gosh they are beautiful!

There’s also a lack of the tragic (call me dramatic if you will). That’s not to say that there isn’t negativity in the deck—this isn’t a fluffy clouds and unicorns deck, but, I cannot imagine getting a reading that won’t leave you feeling pretty good after, which isn’t always what I want.

Art 5/5: I’m in love with the artist’s idea of the natural world. I love how the beautiful and ugly and everything in-between is portrayed. The colors are stunning and the subjects picked for the cards are for this odd deck, perfect. I love the Empress/Great Mother, and anyone who’s offended can grow up. I LOVE some cards, and they are burned into my mind. This deck definitely leaves an impression.

Favorite Card: I can’t choose—it changes every time I use the deck. I fell in love with this deck because of Love and the Messenger of Air. I cried when I saw The Maze (The Tower) because it profoundly moved me. I have a special connection with the Goddess of Fire (Baba Yaga!)

Least Favorite Card: Nah, don’t got one!

Card I Identify As: The Lovers and the Page of Air, there’s just something about them that moves me.

The deck Identifies me as: 9 of Fire (I dunno why, I seem to draw it consistently through the years as “my” personal card, it’s very lovely and lush!)

Season: Mid Spring to Early Summer (Beltane)–there’s definitely a heavy theme of rebirth and self-discovery

Similar Decks: The Enchanted Wood’s Tarot, The Druid’s Craft Tarot, The Green Witch Tarot, As Above Tarot, So Below Tarot, Tarot of the Hidden Realm, Tarot of the Witch’s Garden

Boxes it Checks: Celtic, Shamanic, Feminine, Self-centric, Nature Centric, Kind, Lush, Landscape, Animal-centric, Spirit work, Mother, Earthy, Wiccan, Pagan
May 2025 Decks

May 16th, 2025

From left to right, the Eldritch Overload Tarot, the Divine Deco Tarot, the Zerner Farber Tarot (aka The Enchanted Tarot), Mystic, Augur & Sage Oracle, Diviner Definitions Oracle

May is arguably my favorite month of the year. I have been wanting to do a month of COLORFUL decks so that’s what we’re doing in this equally colorful and blossoming month! So my first concern was picking decks that really POP in colors, but also, I wanted to chose an unusual mix of deck “flavors” and general vibes. I took a little bit of an unusual path and included two oracles this month as well. Lets see what’s cooking this beautiful May!

Before we do our draw, I want to draw your attention to the black backed card—this is from an oracle called diviner definitions. It’s a very different sort of deck for me as it’s all about WORDS, their definitions but also accompanying prompts in it’s amazing LWB. The whole deck is also a rainbow spectrum that is not just alphabetical order, but rather relates to the meaning of the card. This is a weird and very cool deck.

Also, I’m feeling more confident with including runes when I share draws, so this month I grabbed two from the bag again, but one came completely off the table and thus was disqualified. However, Mannaz, a rune speaking to the greater aspects of humanity and collective memory, fell on our definitions oracle card.

Our thematic card this month is “seek” and interestingly the Mannaz fell right on this card, so I suppose I can say that I am seeking greater human connections, to see better things and do them, acting in ways that aid the greater good, and perhaps seeking wisdom? I love this color, the orange melding into a yellow hue, its strong, driven, but also happy and the tones match and pop in other cards as you will see.

On either side of seek, I drew two cards from the gorgeous Mystic, Augur & Sage (from the maker of The Journey of the Sacred Bee Tarot). I had intended to draw only one card from this oracle, but while shuffling, even though they are in numerical order, these two individually jumped out of the deck in the same shuffle (rather one that was stuck to the other). The first, Rite of Passage, speaks to mile markers in life, some we choose and others we don’t. A mile marker for me looms. Perhaps is has to do with what I seek. I’ll be progressing to the next step. A dragon fly, and also the bird of paradise flowers, go through stages of growth and they do not look like their most beautiful forms at the beginning. There is a greater potential hidden underneath that is not apparent and is now ready to come forth, perhaps even without my knowledge! It makes me wonder, what will give me wings?

The second card is Practice Patience. This comes at an appropriate time as a project I’ve been diligently working on came to a screeching halt and there is a period of rest needed before I can continue forth. I don’t know when this period will end, or if it ever will. It’s hard for me not knowing. But I can also see this as a kind and gentle reminder that “leveling up” and attaining what I seek is a journey and it cannot be rushed. It takes as long as it takes.

The Divine Deco Tarot, an absolute masterpiece of art meeting dance meeting Tarot is a deck I sorely regret not diving into sooner (it has been at least two years y’all before I finally included it in a monthly decks–it deserves better!) We have an interesting four of swords where the figure, surrounded by dancing moths/butterflies is holding out his hands as if asking for something while meditatively gazing upwards at our right of passage, a card of ascent (which also has our beloved flying insect). This kinda hammers home that to get to the next “stage” this month I need to rest, listen inward, see what the external world gives me.

The Eldrich Overload (Tarot) is an absolute fantastic deck, but despite its amazing colors and shiny bling, it is not a kind deck. Not at all. It’s the dystopian novel of my Tarot decks and it honestly intimidates me. Thank goodness the book is stellar otherwise I might feel a little overwhelmed. We see in this ace of wands a hand being held out of the fire bearing a blooming branch. Though the fire rages, we can save something beautiful from the flames. Something precious, even if it feels small and it feels like all else is lost this one thing is worth being hopeful for. Worth building from. Ooftda. I guess, take hope and grow passion from it, is what I’m getting from this card. Perhaps I need to meditate on what I do have in hand.

Then we end with the King of Swords. This King looks very battle ready, and he’s not f*cking around either. He doesn’t even have a sword! He’s going in wisely with a spear (and a really big shield) to manage his distance. He has a helm with wings to give him speed (hello Mercury), but he also has a white dove of peace. I see this as knowing when to fight (and fight well when you need to) and when to stay your hand. This King is the ultimate mastery of the mind.

I see the Ace of Wands is flanked by two swords, one looking contemplative and forward to the next step and one laser focused on the now. This is a month in need of brain power!

Together, I read this as a month of juxtapositions, to actively seek bettering my self, for my self but also for the community at large by taking what I have and making it better. But it is also a month of planned rest and understanding Roman was not built in a day. To reflect and plan my path ahead. Interesting!

What do the cards say May has in store for you?
April 2025 Decks

May 13th, 2025

Well. It has been too long since I posted anything. I figured better late than never though. April for me is the month of the trickster, and in classic fashion this April did not disappointed, as you can tell by my much belated post! Our theme for the month was “magical mischief.” So, lets jump right in!

Sticking with the theme, I pulled out the relatively new Yōkai Tarot deck which is charming and a little spook with a fantastic guidebook that not only gives Tarot information, but also provides a short Yōkai folklore that relates to the RWS meanings. This mass market deck is absolutely top tier mass market with its linen and dry finish (reminds me a lot of my beloved Yokai Yochi Tarot), and fantastic illustrations. Staying with Japanese folklore magic, I also brought out my two Seasonal Fox Tarot decks, both Day and Night, to play. These decks are very sweet, but still full of sneaky Kitsune tricks. The wonderful Victorian Faery Tarot, a much anticipated (by me) deck is making it’s debut on this blog, and while I LOVE this deck, it has much, much more depth and complexity than I anticipated and after using it for near a month, I have quite the mix of feelings about it. Another completely new deck that I ended up unexpectedly including in this months decks is The True Sight Oracle. I was hesitant to back this D&D based deck seeing as I don’t play myself, but I am so glad I did back it because it is such a unique oracle and the guidebook is excellent. And, it has been a long time since I pulled out my beloved Tarot Deck Moonlight (by Ilisvidess). This tarot deck, which is a Thoth and RWS hybrid, is spicy, magical, and definitely has a naughty streak. This is a deck that I have used extensively and I still am a bit obsessed with it.

Now, normally on this blog I stick with the cards to make my posts short (kinda) and simple (not really), and I tend to focus more on Tarot and cartomancy, but IRL I do actually utilize a variety of divination forms, even if I’m not exactly adept at them. For fun (well, actually because it was dead on point), I decided to include my Wonderland rune coins (by GoGoStudio) for this month as well when I share this draw. I threw Fehu and Nauthiz. Fehu, the top left rune coin on my first two cards, speaks to new beginnings, abundance, self-esteem, and creative energy. The Nauthiz rune is at the bottom right and is the rune of need, patience, resistance, difficulties and challenge. Lets check out the cards!

So, because I included both the Day and Night versions of my Seasonal Fox Tarot, I flanked my oracle card with the Night on the left asking “Truth that is in the darkness/what is unseen” and Day on the right asking “what is plain as day/what does everyone see?” The oracle from True Sight I drew is Performance. This is a card speaking to the act we put on, whether consciously or unconsciously. Sometimes we have to act against our nature to achieve our goals, like putting on a brave face. It can of course also speak to an actual performance, or social event. Or acting “like everything is fine,” when it is not in order to get through the mundane.

Flanking Performance, from the Night Fox, which I asked for the truth that can be found in darkness, it gave me the Magician, and very adeptly paired with it is Fehu the rune of beginnings. The truth that isn’t obvious is that I am at the point of a new beginning and I’m prepared with everything I need. I have self confidence and actualization and I am ready to strike forth! I’m brimming with creative power now. I notice how the fox is looking away from Performance, as if it doesn’t accept this action, or is rather ignoring it.

Then on the other side where I ask “what is plain as day?”, we have The Devil. How appropriate. We can see the devil is also looking away from performance, and the two other foxes are suffering too much to be able to even notice Performance. I guess I’m left wondering how must I perform, if at all in the face of the Devil?

We then from the Yōkai Tarot pulled the 7 of swords, where the crafty weasel is classically taking swords from the encampment. interestingly, though he has two in the ground next to him, he seems perfectly capable of taking them all. Who is a crafty bastard weasel in my life taking resources?

The Nauthiz rune fell between the Knight of Pentacles (Moonlight) and the Herald of Autum/Page of Pentacles (Victorian Fae). Both of these cards are interesting in that they visually relate to harvesting grown crops, and both are in a state of rest, though certainly the knight has already done some serious labor, while the Herald/Page seems to be considering his options (I get strong Seven of Pentacles vibes from this Page). Together, with the rune of challenge between the two, I read this as “carefully measure and placed efforts.” There is certainly work to be done, but remembering to rest and thinking critically about what exactly that work entails is the key to success.

So together, I see this reading as a series of juxtapositions; being one’s self vs putting on a mask in the face of adversary, keeping up the hard work and forward-thinking even one someone is taking the proverbial rug out from under you. It may be a true challenge to keep working at something when it seems like there is no difference being made. I’m sure this resonates with many people in this past April!

What decks have you been bringing out these past few months? Are there cards that seem to be haunting you in every draw? The Knight of Pentacles and seven of swords seems to be mine!
March 2025 Decks

March 12th, 2025

Moravia as my Cleric, Into the Void as the Bard, The Lighthouse in Fog as the Monk, Runic Tarot as the Barbarian, and The Wild Unknown Archetypes as my wizard. Arguably my strangest combination of decks yet!

For 2025, I wanted to make my monthly deck choices more creative (i.e. weirder) than I’ve done in the past. Though I’ve only had this blog up and running for a couple years, my friend Val and I have been compiling monthly decks since 2020, and it’s time to mix it up! This month I wanted to take a subject near and dear to Val’s heart, D&D, and base our decks off of it. Though I personally have not done any D&D play, I have heard enough about role playing games to get the gist. I suggested that we make a “party” from our decks that exemplify various classes in D&D. We assigned the basic 12 classes to the numbers 1-12, rolled a 12 sided die five times to determine who is in our party, and we ended up with the Bard, the Cleric, the Monk, the Wizard, and the Barbarian.

I’ll explain my choices as we check out the monthly draw!

For whatever reason, I was really drawn to laying out the cards in a right-to-left order this month. Gotta keep it weird I guess!

I’ve had the Into the Void: The Black Cat Tarot since spring 2023 and this odd, cheeky deck tends to get pulled out more than I’d like to admit. It’s a simplistic, non-standard RWS deck told from a (black) cat’s perspective. But it has a certain quirkiness with the limited black, white and yellow color pallet and the comic-like images that keeps me picking it up from the shelves over and over again. When we rolled the Bard first, I knew that no matter what else, this was the deck I needed. Funny, cheeky, story teller.

Here I pulled the Seven of Wands (and tbh, this deck keeps giving me this card this month so clearly there’s something here), where a cat playfully bats at a feather wand toy. Hmm. Typically I think of the Seven of Wands as the “defend the hill to die on” card. But this kitty seems to be enjoying itself! Perhaps this is a reminder that I should practice the skills needed to defend my hill and have some fun with it! Or perhaps is asking me “what do you need to take seriously and defend? Is there an illusion of threat that isn’t real?”

For my Cleric, I chose the Moravia tarot deck. I cannot help but associate the angels and heavenly beings in this deck as having a religious inclination. This deck is quite healing in is overall feel, though it does not shy away from being brutal when called for.

I drew the sweet Six of Cups from the Moravia. I might find the opportunity to make someone else’s life nicer, and they may reciprocate this to me in turn. There’s definitely feelings of nostalgia, childlike games of pretend, and creating one’s own world. Where do you need to create your own space? How can you care for others there? Where are you playing pretend where you need to set that mindset aside?

The Lighthouse In Fog is a relatively new deck to me and ooftda, it is sure one wild ride of a deck! I’m loving it and it’s strange take on RWS more each time I use it. I chose this as my Monk because it has so much raw elemental power portrayed in it, and is so mystical feeling.

I drew the strange, baffling seven of cups. Typically I think of the seven of cups as “choices” some of which make sense, and others being wild dreams. This at first blush looks like a chess board so of course there’s choices to be had as to where to place your pieces strategically. But when you look closer, you see many (if not all) the pieces are transparent! It may feel like you have many choices, all of which have an impact on the game–you don’t. This is an illusion. Perhaps the choices you see are not yours to make.

Because it requires reading the book and also having a bit of Jungian knowledge (well, technically it doesn’t, but Jungian-ists, you’ll be delighted) the Wild Unknown Archetypes was my choice for the Wizard this month! Also, it’s just plain magical in the strangest way.

From Archetypes I drew a card I’ve never drawn before, which given how much I’ve used this deck, is saying something: LXXVIII Anima Mundi. If this was a Tarot deck this would be The World card. There is a vastness of the universe before you. You will see its complexities and complications. You are but a small portion of the whole, but what part will you play? How can you bring your light to the greater good? Everything is interconnected.

And the Runic Tarot. Possibly the best embodiment for the Barbarian that I have in my deck collection. I don’t feel like there is much explanation needed for this one.

The Runic Tarot gave me V The Hierophant. Usually I think of The Hierophant as the teacher card (and I certainly have several teachers this month helping guide me!), and the accompanying book that goes with this deck describes the figure as the god Forseti. But, it is hard for me to not see a Christian biblical figure in this card, who is holding a tablet of commandments. It also makes me uneasy to see the dog at his side holding a sword at the ready, and the ground splitting under the people in the foreground. With the current political upheaval, I am getting strong “submit to my god, or else vibes.” Ick!

Well, seems like a troubled month is ahead. There’s a lot of discerning I need to do, to see what really matters vs what does not, what is an illusion, and what is real. With two sevens in this draw, there’s a critical turning point I’m wavering at. It seems like there is a whole lot of “everything, everywhere, all at once” feeling, and while there is a connection to the universe at large, there is also a looming figure that, while trying to look like they are kindly and giving and holy, are actually very oppressive (I mean, duh.). I get the sense I have to defend my position without looking like I’m on the defensive, as if I have to appear like I’m “at one” with the world, but really I’m planning for the long game. Woof.

How is YOUR March looking? Have you ever made a D&D party of your decks before?

Here’s a sweet picture of my lovely elderly cat for those that stuck with me though this one:
Deck Review: True Black (Tarot)

February 28th, 2025

The True Black Tarot (second edition?) acquired 2020, fifth special hologram edition acquired 2023

Courtesy Nudity Warning: There are beautiful naked people in this Tarot deck.

I’d just like to give a disclaimer that I personally treasure this deck and therefore have a pretty strong bias. It is one of my “if the house is on fire, which deck are you grabbing?” Tarots, so, if you are thinking of purchasing this deck (and it IS a spendy deck), do read at least another review that isn’t as gooey as this one.

Overall: 10/10 Its only downfall is its too good and nothing will ever compare after this. It has it’s own unique style that certainly won’t speak to everyone. Even those that like it visually may find that the images are so non-standard RWS that they may not be feel comfortable reading with it out of the box. I won’t dock points because of cost, but it’s still a limiting factor for many, though the creator Arthur Wang does offer three trial cards for reasonable price, and they very personable if you have questions or concerns.

The figures of this deck are very otherworldly, serious, and somber. I have a tendency to think of this deck as my “spirit guide” deck, so this is the deck I reach for when I’m looking for that deep, third party introspection. I find this deck is extremely good for dream work. I have seen the images of this deck in my dreams many times, so there’s something profound about the card images that tap into the unconscious (at least for me). The deck also has a distinct masculine voice that is powerful and beautiful, without feeling BRRRAW tough-guy manly-man. It also has tasteful and powerful images of women.

This is an exquisitely balanced deck in regards to positives and negatives, but I do have to give a word of warning–this is not a deck that is interested in being buddies. This is a very aloof, impartial deck. It does not bother silver lining things. If any of my decks could represent the Judgement card, it would be this deck. This deck doesn’t exactly have a sense of humor.

A note about the different editions: The cards are almost exactly the same except instead of the spot gloss, the fifth limited edition has a holographic rainbow foil. It is very beautiful and very extra. Most of the spot-gloss/holo details are in the majors so that’s where you’ll see the biggest difference. The fifth edition box is also covered in satin cloth rather than matte paper, and I believe each edition’s box has a different quote on the inside of the box cover. Each deck is hand-edged in black ink to match the cards. I personally prefer the standard spot-gloss effects over the holo as I like the secretive feeling of the black gloss on the black matte cards. The holo foil really jumps out on the matte black cards.

Card Quality: 4/5 These babies are THICC works of art—so much so you feel like you really have to be delicate with them! No heavy shuffling these bad boys. They have rose-petal finish so if you strongly dislike that, this isn’t the deck for you. I personally love the ultra tactile feeling of the deck–it really pairs well with the spot-gloss/holo juxtaposition and the simplistic sense of the art.

One of my favorite things about this deck is the feeling of movement, stillness, and (call me crazy) temperature in these cards! For example, the knight of wands feel HOT and in the middle of action. The X of Swords feels both burning hot and chillingly cold. And the Ace of Wands has this inoffensive feeling of warmth.

Readability: 4/5 This really surprised me since when I first saw this deck I didn’t immediately “get” it. While this isn’t a complete beginners deck, reading is very intuitive from the art. If you have the basics of RWS down, this deck to me feels very easy to use. The majors and courts feature people (or human-like beings) and the minors are objects and animals. There are details you can’t see on a quick internet flip through that carry the weight and meaning of the symbols on each card, and make it all the more accessible to the reader. The LWB is great, very well organized, well written, and succinct. This deck has a really solid “personality,” but it isn’t a “read anything for anyone” deck at all.

The old adage of don’t ask what you don’t want to know definitely applies to the True Black since it will cut straight to the heart of an issue. I frequently find when I use this deck with a particular question it typically says something along the lines of “yes, but here’s what you actually need to hear, here’s where you actually need to do work on.” If you dislike coming up with questions for your cards and rather prefer just drawing the cards and see what comes up, this is the perfect deck for that kind of reading.

The devil is in the details with this deck. Look at the four of wands: do you notice the bird is tethered to the wands? What about the five of cups? One cup is dangerously breaking, three are cracked, but one remains solid. And what kinds of things are going on in Judgement? This is a deck where getting lost in the cards is encouraged.

Art: 5/5 I’d describe this deck art as neo-chiaroscuro with its spotlight effect. The feeling of the senses in the cards are out of this world. There’s interesting lighting, there’s wind, there’s wetness and dryness, there’s odd angles and view points. There’s feelings of hot and cold. It appears at first blush simple, yet it is so, so detailed. It is certainly a deck that after years of use you think you got it, but you still notice new stuff all the time. There’s not much for me to say other than when you get the cards in hand, you start to notice all the little details you can’t see on the screen. Also, this is another great deck if you’re into sword/knifes that look real—so good!

Favorite Card: The tower. I love the concept of the tower being felt in the body. And it has a little black image of a fox hearkening back to the fable of the fox and the grapes. And, there’s that big spooky eye! I also love the take on the III of Swords (yikes), this card haunted my dreams for a while.

Least Favorite Card: Sorry I don’t have one for you. I love them all.

Card I Identify As: Now after some time, I have to agree with this decks assertion of my personality and say The Knight of Swords (so embarrassing…)

The deck Identifies me as: The Knight of Swords—interestingly I always think of it as the knight of wands, but it’s not—its all offense and skill and I often think of myself this way when I’m focused and in my flow.

Season: Mid Winter/Yule/Winter Solstice

Boxes It Checks: Shadow work, Spirit work, Self, Dark, Aloof, Masculine, Intuitive, Honest, Ethereal, Avant-garde

Similar Decks: The Black Tarot (Da Bright Tarot), The Darkness of Light Tarot, The Shadow Light Tarot, El Goliath Tarot, Dancing in the Dark Tarot, Wayward Dark Tarot, Lux Ex Umbra Tarot, Terra Volatile
Year of the Snake Tarot Draw

February 14th, 2025

Welcome to the Year of the Snake! I was excited for this draw a few months ago, seeing as this is my Zodiac animal, but I wish those of us in the USA are having a better start to the year. Well, a good tarot draw makes me less blue, so lets soldier on! Perhaps we can glean some insight into this year.

Sometimes I have a great deck for a themed draw, and I was intending to use my Blood Moon Tarot, seeing as it has snakes aplenty (now that I think of it, is there a snake themed tarot out there? Anyone know of one?). But I was really craving a kind deck and, well, Blood Moon isn’t exactly that! So I went with my newest love, Forest Spirit Imprints Tarot instead, and we have a nice emerald green theme that makes me think slithery snake! Perhaps, later this month it might be fun to do a deck comparison between the two.

I love the “clock” style draw for the Chinese New Years draw. You can consider it a month to month, a personal progress through the year, you can assign the actual zodiac animals to different cards or you can see it as the journey for the year ahead. I like to make twelve animal themed prompts for the year. I’ll start at 1 o’clock and work my way around!

1 What skin do I need to shed?

We start off needing to shed the Ace of Pentacles–and, after a second glance, is it just me or is this ace bleeding??? I suppose there’s some relationship to fertility, but yeesh. This year, I need to shed my idea of wealth and security. Oh boy! Maybe this is a moment to find true freedom from the material world.

2 Where do I need to conserve my energy?

I love seeing the clam in the 4 of Cups, its a much less full-of-one’s-self image I tend to see with this card. I need to conserve my energy in regards to emotionally unfulfilling things! I should turn my back on that which does not fill my cup. (I like this, “Does it fill my cup?”)

3 Where do I bask?

4 of Wands, and a very sweet four of wands at that! I can bask in my successes and positive relations! It is important to celebrate the little things and the baby steps towards our bigger goals.

4 Where must I strike with lightening speed?

The Devil, ha! I must strike down that which is tempting me with falseness and fake promises!

5 Where do I show my fangs?

The Hanged Man. This is for sure a strange Hanged Man, with the trapped fairy closing it’s eyes and praying but our protagonist onlooking. I feel there are many ways to read this one, but given the current situation: I need to show my fangs at injustices done, even when others don’t notice or want to notice them.

6 Where do I poison?

The beautiful Queen of Cups. I have the power to poison the whole ocean! I have the ability to strike right at the emotional heart of things. I must be careful though to not poison my own cup! If I let the negative ocean in around me it will harm the joyous ecosystem I’m nurturing.

7 Where do I heal?

We must remember that snakes in both east and western traditions are not only associated with their venom but also were though of as creatures who can heal (looking at you Asclepius and your staff!). Here I pulled the lovely Empress; I can heal through my creativity, femininity and good nature. I can make good things grow. I have “mom” vibes!

8 What is something I need to digest slowly?

The 2 of Wands! I need to plan my path/journey carefully. Where I want to be is at a distance, with many obstacles in the way, but I can do it with a plan! But this takes time.

9. Where do I need the help of other’s hands?

7 of Pentacles (we have a little nod to our bloody Ace of Pentacle at the beginning, don’t we?). I need the help of others to aid me in cutting the dead growth out of my life to free up the new growth so my tree flourishes. Get rid of that which doesn’t serve you and is holding you back. Again, “does it fill my cup?”

10 How to use my cunning?

Temperance makes her second appearance this month! I must use my cunning to maintain balance in my life. I must choose my battles strategically but also know when to rest and take a break. Perhaps I need to “slither-out” of situations with grace. With this particular Temperance I get a sense of taking only what you need and no more.

11 How to use my charm?

The delightful 10 of Wands. I must use my charm to get the hard work done, even when it feels like an endless task. Perhaps I convince others to help me in the labor, or perhaps I make the the chore fun and delightful for myself.

12 How does the snake help me grow?

7 of Cups. The snake helps me grow by giving me choices, but also the wisdom to make good choices. There’s a rather fantastical experience here, isn’t there? Lets remember our 2 of Wands and think over our choices before jumping into the most appealing one. (I love that we have a little snake wizard in the tree!).

This sure seems like a year of growth (and perhaps growing pains) for me! How about you? What does the Year of the Snake have in store for you?
February 2025 Decks

February 10th, 2025

The Cerulean Sequence Oracle, Animal & Food Tarot, Forest Spirit Imprint, The Craft Felt Tarot, Unicorn’s Journey Tarot

I had some serious plans this year for mixing up my deck choices for something totally new and unexpected, but I’ll start that next month because I wanted (and lets face it, needed) to find some sweet escapism through some colorful, cute, child-like decks.

So, I will admit, I’m not a huge fan of cute decks. Anyone whose been here a while knows this. But for some reason, this past year in particular (I wonder why) a handful of cutesy decks really spoke to me. Lets dive right on in!

It is interesting to see all the cards this month have center embalm motifs!

From the Animal & Food Tarot I drew the very charming knight of cups, which looks like an Afghan Hound on a cute little pony! This deck is not only cute, but it is an absolute fantastic take on the RWS that still holds traditional meanings but with the most playful twists! Of course, the knight of cups is the daydreamer, the die-hard romantic of the knights, the classic “knight in shining armor” who always comes with a gift. It’s also typically a knight I associate with the one who is in search of “the holy grail.” This one has some serious faith in their horse, as they are carrying a glass with a fancy beverage and asking the horse to walk over a blue tarp. I can attest, this is no easy feat!

Then from Unicorn’s Journey Tarot I drew the lovely Page of Cups! I have to admit, while there are things about this deck that kinda bug me, there is just so much heart and soul to it that I’m adoring using it this month. This page looks on at other’s relationships and learns from good and bad behavior what does and does not work. This particular Page seems to be frolicking for the success of its friends!

Hmm, with both the Knight of Cups and the Page of Cups there seems to be a call to go forth boldly with your romantic view of the world, not to be jaded. Be not only your authentic self, but be willing to take chances, make mistakes and learn. Be observant! There’s also a gentleness here with the cups.

From The Craft Felt Tarot I pulled a classic Ace of Wands! Grab your passion(s) and run with them! What a fiery card! This is another deck that is RWS but many of the cards take a very interesting twist on the meanings, this card being a bit of an exception. The whole felt images, usually in bright bold colors really give it an interesting look that is growing on me. Of course, this card being the only red card really stands out!

From Forest Spirit Imprint, a deck I almost didn’t back and now I’m so, so happy I did because I love it’s story, I kept getting XIV Temperance and 4 of Swords together, so I’m keeping the two for this draw. This dark-horse deck follows the story of a young girl who enters a land where she is Thumbelina-small and with her trusty bird friend follow the fools journey. We see an interesting take on Temperance by asking nicely for our needs, and also taking only what we need. The Four of Swords has some sweet metaphor of instilling boundaries to keep our self safe so we can literally find rest. This seems particularly on the nose with the absolute wild things happening in the world at large and this may be my favorite take on the 4 of Swords.

With the Ace, Temperance, and the Four of Swords, I get the feeling of aggressive self-care, and balance. You have to place your health as a priority; no one else is! There’s also the feeling of taking what you need, but not more than that.

So, with the Tarot, we have the Ace of Wands directly under the Knight of Cups–this is definitely a “go boldly and unapologetically to your fancy!” which is fitting as I write this Valentines is arriving at the end of the week. This can also be taken as following your dream or wish or hearts desire.

The Page of Water tops Temperance (who appear to be watching the Page, and the Page watching Temperance) and the 4 of Swords. Due to the character orientation, I’d say this is card combo is definitely calling to watch yourself and your health, especially mental health and assuring that you unplug and decompress in your personal safe spot. Take in the world, but not so much you are overwhelmed. Maintaining a healthy distance is key to managing your self.

All together, the Tarot have a very gentle feeling (except the blazing Ace of Wands!) and with the two court cards in the cups, I get the feeling of strength in gentleness–don’t let anyone tell you being gentle is a weakness!

On to the oracle then!

Okay, I won’t lie, The Cerulean Sequence oracle is a much. This is definitely like a deck I might have imagined as a kid, with its weird complexities and quirks and all. The deck comprises of 60 cards, labeled 0-9, accompanied by images that build and progress. It has it’s own secrete language, numerology, absolutely rad guide book (that has very little writing at all) and is really archetypal without being typical at all. And, I’m not at all confident at using it yet though I really really wish to be! So, as I learn and use this deck, you’re going to have to settle for basic key words.

The first card, a 4, is very chemical looking isn’t it? We see what looks like a process of reactions, a sphere coming apart, the moon phases, vials of liquid, oscillating waves. The key words we have here are Stabilizing, Solidifying, Forming. The 6 card is much more scene-like, with a watering can watering the whole forest and ecosystem. We have repeat images of water drops along with a seed grow chart. Words associated with this card are Temperance (again!) Philanthropy, Reserve Love, “Soft Like Water”. Our final card is a 2, with multiple moon images and keys (I won’t lie, I’m getting some serious High Priestess vibes from this one). Key words are Feminine Phase, Moon, Subconscious and Love.

These three together are, for me at least, the foundation for self love and self care: creating a stable foundation/environment, giving love outward (but maintaining healthy distance) and receiving love and care inward.

There definitely is a strong feeling of self love, self care, balance, rest, and gentleness in this draw! I think we could all use these tools this month ahead.

What did your decks say February looks like for you?
Deck Review: Tarot of The Divine

January 21st, 2025

Absolutely Divine! Acquired 2020, self-appointed FAVORITE DECK OF 2020!

Obligatory Nudity Warning: Mild nudity and one hidden penis in the cards.

Overall: 10/10 This was my self-chosen deck of 2020, and it still holds up and continues to be one of my favorite decks in my collection. One of my goals with this blog is I want to review Tarot decks, BUT I want to review them after several years of use. It’s really easy to get a deck and use it a few times and love it in the moment, but it’s an entirely different thing to see how it holds up to years of use and to see if the initial good feelings wear off. When I use this deck, it still feels just as magical as those first few times I used it years ago.

Yoshi Yoshitani’s art has withstood the boom in Tarot deck productions post-pandemic. Their art is still very unique, bright, fresh, inclusive and, while it’s been done now a million times over (partly because of the wildly positive reception of this deck), unique and vast in its selection of myths paired with the Tarot card meanings.

I’m not one to tell people “oh, if you collect Tarot you need to have this deck” but this deck is as close as I’ll get to saying it’s a deck that is both kind and will 100% teach you something as you learn decks, no matter who you are or where you are in your Tarot learning journey.

Card Quality: For the price, 4/5. Even some of my spendier decks don’t get this good. A flexible, linen finish cardstock (which was at publication a relatively new thing to the mass market) that holds up to heavy handed shuffling and resists edge chipping, though I do not believe it has a core. Despite the linen finish the colors are superiorly vibrant! My only complaint (which honestly given the affordability of this deck is hardly a complaint) is the deck does want to hold a bow in the cards.

Readability: 4/5 By and large you don’t need to know the stories to understand what the figures in the cards are doing or represent. The booklet and the companion book deepen your readings all the more. Unfortunately, there is no order/rhyme or reason with the companion book in relation to the cards, so if you want to look up the full story, it frustratingly takes forever to find it in the index. The LWB is great, but the bigger book of stories is really excellent. The art style is beautiful and reads like a graphic novel with fantastic colors that bring emotion and meaning to the images. The symbols, though non-traditional RWS, still shine through readily. It has enough little details though that if you wish to sit with the cards for a longer time, you will certainly pickup on little things here and there.

Even though I consider this a kind deck, I wouldn’t say its cripplingly polite, nor one I’d use to read for everyone! This deck has some BIG feelings!

I do find this deck does not mince words; it’s to the point. That said, I think this is a personable deck that tends to be kind, and it does a great job hearkening back to childhood imagery with a fresh, cutting-edge.

I tried to pick some favorites, but I love all the art in this deck.

Art: 5/5 I mean, people like different art, but this is pretty accessible and stellar all around. There’s a lot of white and blue as the standard theme of this deck (partly why I think of it as an “Air” deck) and vibrant colors throughout make these cards visually pop. The people are definitely characterized, but their expressions are clear and range from the frightening to the endearing. I LOVE the vast diversity of the characters in the cards and nothing feels forced. This is a very authentic feeling deck and part of why I adore it so!

Favorite Card: It’s really hard to pick one! There’s so so many!

Least Favorite Card: Five of Swords. The Five of Swords is always an important card for me, and I don’t think of betrayal as one of the primary meanings for this card. The Five of Swords as I tend to interpret it, is the cost of winning. I’d also prefer to have had Osiris’s and Isis’s relationship as a more Love oriented card (maybe the Ten of Cups?) rather than focus on Set’s betrayal of his brother. HOWEVER! The True Black Tarot’s Five of Swords also uses the Egyptian Khopesh–very interesting!

Card I Identify As: The World. My husband and I spent some time in Rotorua, New Zealand and we fell in love with the Hinemoa and Tutanekai story. This card feels so niche and also speaks to me personally.

The deck Identifies me as: Page of Swords (interestingly)

Season: High Winter/Late Winter (when we should gather around the fire to tell tales and myths)

Boxes it Checks: Diverse, Fairy-tale, Story-Telling, Bright, Bold, Cohesive, Blunt, Avatar TLA-esque, Graphic Novel

Similar Decks: The Star Spinner Tarot, The Dark Woods Tarot, The White Lotus Elemental Tarot, Forgotten Legends Tarot, any one of the million myth-based Tarot decks out there, Oracle 11
January 2025 Decks

January 14th, 2025

Y’all. I’m finally doing the thing I’ve been threatening to do since I started this blog; I’m going to focus my efforts this month to studying just ONE tarot deck–and it’s a doozy of a deck.

The Citadel oracle, Lost Oracle, Terra Volatile Dark Collectors Edition tarot and pocket book (fyi it does not fit in any pockets I have), The Deck of Emblems, Apothecary Spirits Oracle

AND I thought its the perfect time to get good (er, less awful) at using my oracle decks too!

I’ll quick run through my choices seeing as its pretty straightforward this month: the absolutely MASSIVE Collector’s Terra Volatile arrived on my doorstep and I immediately became enamored with this artistic creation/monster, and I must learn everything I can about this deck, so its going to be my one and only Tarot for this month.

I’m not really one who believes in deck measuring, but I think we do need to appreciate and be in awe of this absolute CHONKER.

The Terra Volatile is a deck produced by an artistic duo team called Credo quia Absurdum, based in Portugal (I believe) who are not only enthusiasts of ALL Tarot esoterica and various schools of Tarot thought, but also clearly have love of all worldly esoterica and they really did their damnedest to put as much as humanly possible in each and every card. Also, the artist(s) is/are clearly classically trained, so even though this looks old-timey, it clearly is very modern and up-to-date on modern sensibilities and political doings. Oh, and not only does it have multiple cards for the same major card, often with great fresh takes on the majors, it ALSO has fresh and traditional multi takes on the minors, oh, AND it has a fifth suite of minor arcana, the Vessels, representing Aether, or the stuff of the self. So, this deck is A LOT.

Because this deck has such alchemical, classic vibes, I wanted to pick oracle decks to compliment it’s style. The duo Citadel and Emblems seemed a no-brainer. But I also wanted to bring some new oracles into the mix; the gorgeous but perplexing Lost Oracle which is completely new to me, and the just beautiful Apothecary Spirits Oracle (which is new to this blog). I will say, the Apothecary Spirits was the wild card of the deck choices, but thus far, nearly half way through the month, it shockingly plays the best with the Volatile!

On to the monthly draw!

Alright, we open with a bit of mystery! Interestingly, the first thing I notice is how there is a cut in both images. The purse has been cut (ah-hem, cut-purse? like a thief?), but the plantain is also showing a cutting wound. With the purse, we speak of what is of value to us, where do we put our efforts and money? What is hidden but also has value? The key words also suggests an unexpected windfall. The Plantain is a plant I typically think of as a noxious weed (I mean, where I live it is, often called “White-Man’s Foot” for it vigor in disturbed soils) but the amazing booklet explains that it is a plant of healing, but unusually so because it pulls out that which is unwanted, toxic, and harmful. A keyword with this card is rejection, but with a twist of YOU yourself rejecting something bad for you in order to heal. Huh. So a kind of “cut” or wound which is a windfall and leads to ultimate healing. What else do we have?

Oh boy! Well, I have to admit that my relations with my family are complicated on the best of days. The Ancestral Alchemy card asks us to honor death and the cycle which is indeed part of life. To acknowledge where our ancestors came from and the challenges they faces for us to be who we are today. It calls on us to also take the necessary actions to better the next generation. Paired with the Plantain card I definitely see this as healing generational wounds and conflicts. Interestingly, the pose of the person in the Ancestral Alchemy card mirrors the hands in the following Aspirant.

The Aspirant in the Citadel Oracle is the first card of the court cards and of all the cards in this deck, this is the one which screams “THE FOOL!” or more aptly, “THE MAIN CHARACTER!”. You are the main character of your own story–you are ready to start every day as a new story, you have goals and ambitions and will be required to go through trials and push through with fortitude. There isn’t true “failure” in this story, it’s just the wheels of life turning. Expect the unexpected, setbacks, and challenges, deviation from the path towards your goal, and know there is always more work to be done.

With these four oracles together, I get the sense of “fulfilling” something that has been waiting for a long time and the unintentional positive effects that has. What do the Tarot cards say?

Right away I see a changing disposition between man (or the human self) and his relation to nature and other men, first mastering nature passively, mastering nature forcefully, and then being in a stalemate with his fellow man.

In this particular take on The Sun, the alternative card called Poetry, we see Orpheus (a son of Apollo—a sun god) and his magical lyre enchanting all the animals, uniting predator and prey and opposing forces with balance. It seems effortless thanks to his mastery of his art. He seeks not to control anything outside of himself.

The second card we have the alternative card (again) to Fortitude, which is Strength. Pictured is Heracles during his first of his twelve great feats which is defeating the Nemean lion. Unlike the passiveness of Fortitude, this card demands action (rather than waiting for resolution). We can read the story of overcoming our own beastly desires and actions, taking feats to tame them and quell them, lest they harm ourselves or others. There’s also an element of determining moral right and wrong, and acting with rational.

The final card is an intense take on the Five of Wands (its actually the violent alternative card to a much tamer Five of Wands). It’s an all out brawl in this card! Every person is different and they chose to let these differences divide them. This is particularly volatile when the flames of passion are at an impasse and there is disagreement–strong feelings tend to have strong actions.

Taking the Tarot read together, I see this as a reminder what we have control over in our lives: we successful have control over just ourselves (and even that is in a limiting space seeing as we have a self battle to overcome), and are at our best when we are exercising that which makes us truly happy and fulfilled personally. When needing to make change, we are meet with resistance which in the self can be overcome with great exertion, but with others, well, we don’t really know how things will turn out.

Now lets look at the whole picture:

If we pair the oracles with the tarot, we see that there is great progress made with cutting out/rejecting something that will ultimately lead to a windfall–here we can remain passive and just be happy doing our best selves–our actions speak for themselves. With rejecting/removing that which prevents healing in our ancestral past, we have an arduous struggle, but it is attainable and even shall be attained! But meeting our true calling and goals with our ancestral alchemy is a messy business with many challenges and roadblocks and struggles. This month definitely feels like a journey to self realization!

It really seems like a mixed bag sort of month for me! What does your month look like?