The Tarot Tarts

Deck Review: The Everyday Witch Tarot

May 21st, 2024

A cheeky Familiar! Acquired 2020

Overall: 7/10 This is one of those decks I’m quite sure anyone with an internet connection and an interest in Tarot has seen. There’s a reason for that; one, it’s a mass marked deck published 2017 so it’s been around a while, and two, this deck had PERSONALITY. A charming, idiosyncratic, yet surprisingly traditional RWS deck, it sports youthful and colorfully dressed witches who cavort across the cards. Extremely popular, copied many times over in decks with less substance, this is a personable, lighthearted, and very cute deck that loans itself well for daily readings as well as more through readings. I will say that this is by no means a serious deck, so there are a certain subset of readings that this will feel rather silly or otherwise too soft and kind.

Card Quality: 3/5 Okay. A higher grade Llewellen card stock. Very shiny. Easy to shuffle and hold in hand. Nothing exceptional, nothing awful either.

Reading court cards are notorious for being a difficult hill to climb for beginners learning the RWS system. I personally struggled with differentiating the Aces vs the Pages, but the artist of this deck did a splendid job at helping the reader along!

Readability: 4.5/5 This deck shines in the complex story each card tells. I think this deck does an incredible job at guiding viewers with people (witches) who have expressive faces, that are doing elaborate things. The symbols are, well, mostly every day mundane (except for our witchy paraphernalia), but are purposeful and lend themselves to the story rather than just being the “typical” RWS symbols. One could easily use this deck in place of an RWS clone, even though this isn’t a clone at all. I find the rich colors, details, and entertaining ‘stories’ of each card so easy to “get” that this is a perfect deck to learn off of, or for intermediate readers to just pick up and run with it. The book it comes with is darn good too, though it doesn’t guide reversals. I love giving others readings with this deck; it’s very fun and generally well received. Again though, for a more serious reading this deck tends to struggle.

Part II of the Aces vs Pages. Almost in all of the Pages you see the element of practice and study, with the notable exception of the Wands Page who is just going for it! I also love how the Page of Wands has some strong Fool energy–it’s perfect!

I do want to laud the artist in their interpretation differences between the Aces and the Pages—I struggled for a long time getting to understand the court cards and I particularly struggled with differing meaning between Aces and Pages which both have new beginnings as part of their intrinsic meanings.

Art: 3.5/5 There’s a lot of character here that is constant through each card. I think this deck does human expressions better than any other deck I’ve seen and that’s what makes this so accessible, to me at least. Our witches are flying around in adorable and kitschy psudo-witch/renfest costumes with cutesy striped leggings, but it can be off-putting to some when the scenes change from medieval time to modern, from sitting in a vintage sidecar-motorcycle to doing yoga. There seems to be no clear “time” that the various stories of the cards are taking place in. But regardless, the colors are rich and bold and appropriate for each situation.

I’m over the moon about the cute kitties and dogs and other familiars we see here, especially since they often actually help understand the meaning of the cards by pointing the way or giving attention to a particular object.

A selection of various facial expression and time settings and not a variety of body type, age, or skin color, though perhaps the King is slightly older.

I think that the biggest downfall of this deck, and it is quite the downfall given this deck is representing witchy-ness today (and the general number-one complaint online), is its lack of diversity–it’s mostly young, thin, Caucasian people. There are a few, slightly darker skin tones, but really not enough. I know there are older folk in here too, but I kinda wished there were some more in the not necessarily elderly titles (like the king/queen). I’d also like to see some other bodies besides the tall and thin and the short petite. They did this in the oracle deck that was published after the fact, but really, the tarot needs it too. It would be awesome if this deck was redone with greater diversity!

Favorite Card: Death, or maybe Temperance. This is one of my favorite Temperance cards. I also really like how the Ten of Swords isn’t just a complete fatalistic and “giving in”, but rather the struggle continues and is yet to be determined, though the outlook could go either way.

Least Favorite Card: The Eight of Wands–I don’t know why, but I tend to have issue with the old Eight of Wands in RWS decks. I get what the artist was trying to do here with the need to act swiftly, and I appreciate doing something other than the eight wands poking into the card, but I tend to think of the doer in motion, not just responding to motion. Again, maybe this is just me, but I’d have had a witch riding in the tornado, not throwing/losing wands into the air like a dork.

I also feel like the Five of Cups pictured really is pushing a narrative of crying over spilled milk (did y’all learn it as “crying over SPILT milk”? because I did)—I personally do not usually read this card like that, and I typically read it as a grief and processing card. So, while I personally feel this does fall under a Five of Cups theme, it misses the deeper point of the card.

Card I Identify As: 20 Judgement. I personally find self-discovery and growth when I’m not actively trying to do so but rather through actions of having fun and play mentality.

The Deck Identifies Me as: 7 The Chariot. I seem to constantly draw this card when asking internal questions about myself and I have learned to love this depiction! I DO struggle with making “this or that” choices!

Season: Summer

Boxes it Checks: Youthful, Bright, Bold, Clever/Witty, Charming, Story-Telling, Cats, Traditional, Witchy

Similar Decks: The Green Witch Tarot is astoundingly similar, but the GWT definitely is very wiccan/modern pagan focused while the EDW doesn’t take itself seriously at all, The Dark Woods Tarot, The Modern Witch Tarot, Teen Witch Tarot, Ask The Witch Tarot (which is a very cool deck IMO), The Mystical Dreams Tarot, The Spellcasters Tarot, As Above Tarot, So Below Tarot, Tarot of the Witch’s Garden, there are too many to list!

Do you have this deck? What do you think of it?
May 2024 Decks

May 11th, 2024

Welcome to Fay May!

From left clockwise: Boadicea’s Tarot of Earthly Delights, The Last Unicorn Tarot, The Arthur Rackham Oracle (by Duck Soup), Tarot of Echoes. Center: The Liminality Oracle

Warnings Ahead: Suggested nudity and if for some reason you haven’t watched The Last Unicorn, there are spoilers ahead. Go watch it now!

I’ve been looking forward to this month since my Tarot friend and I started Fauna March, because of course we had to cover the three “F” which about 90% of our decks fall into: Fauna, Flora, and Fay. May, kicking off with the Beltane festival seemed particularly suited for a month of strange decks surrounding fairies, elves, trolls, unicorns, magicians and all sorts of magical creatures and people.

I pick newer tarot decks in my collection that haven’t used much and because I’ve covered many of my Fay related decks already, but that means I have to work hard on my readings this month because I’m unfamiliar with all of them! At least I have used the oracle decks quite a bit!

I won’t lie, I’m in love with The Last Unicorn Tarot and I was going to grab the earliest opportunity to chose it as a monthly focus deck. This deck does an excellent job at picking the most magical elements from the movie (with a few nods to the book) and putting it to the tarot system. While the movie has a limited cast of characters (compared to the Tarot system, that is), the contexts of the card images all feel natural if you know the source material. I’ve used this deck a little bit, and I will say that it is not nearly as gentle of a reader as I fantasized it might be. I mean, the story isn’t a gentle story so I shouldn’t be surprised! The cards are just gorgeous in every way possible, and it is a deck that I can’t seem to stop grabbing off the shelf.

Ana Tourian is one of my favorite Tarot artists, and they seem to be on a roll this year with various deck releases. The Tarot of Echos positively oozes magic and welcomes its queerent into a wondrous world. This is a deck that doesn’t immediately scream “FAY!” in each card, but it does seem to embrace the magic in the individual, no matter how plain or uninteresting they might at first seem to look. It invites you to look at your own inner Fay.

Boadicea’s Tarot of Earthly Delights was one of those decks I glanced at on Kickstarter and passed by because collage decks usually aren’t my thing, but after tarot-friend gave me a little nudge to watch the flip-though I changed my mind. It is SO weird with the oddest sense of humor! I think it really feels like a creepy trickster and manages the lighthearted/profound juxtapositions; if that isn’t quintessential fay energy, I don’t know what is. It’s complex. I can already tell I may need to use this deck for a couple months before really getting into the meat of it.

The Liminality Oracle has made at least one if not several appearances on this blog before–it is a stunning deck that feels very balanced in its key words and evocative in its imagery. The subjects in the deck all very cleanly fall into the Fay category so it’s a no-brainer of an oracle deck to use this month. And, Duck Soup’s The Arthur Rackham Oracle is charming as all get out. This was my second oracle deck and I used it so much I became sick of it, so its high time it came out to see the sun again! The storybook images, the curious words and phrases make this a very dynamic oracle deck that is perfect for pairing or simply doing a daily “what do I need?” draw.

Lets see what May has in store for us:

Starting at the top are our themes for the month: Center and Courage–Defensive but Daring. Interesting! I’m already getting a similar vibe to last months.

We see our Center Fay with her feet tangled with the weeds and in muck and the crown of her head above the surface of the water while the rest of her is tugged about by the current. There are many different forces acting upon us, pulling us one way or the other. It can be hard to know what it is WE want through all the proverbial noise. This card acknowledges that there is struggle to knowing one’s self, but it is so important even in the heat of things to look into our-self to find stillness and listen to what our heart most desires. How can you align your direction with the current rather than fighting against it, is a question I find myself thinking.

And courage. Courage is a difficult thing to define, but this fresh young character is showing courage by standing their ground! Be resolute about your decisions. To be courageous isn’t about finding trouble and being brave so much as preventing trouble from disturbing your path forward. Sometimes simply “sticking to your guns” despite others pulling you away is the most courageous thing you can do. With the Center card it makes me think about “chose your path and stick to it” even in the face of challenges and “common sense” telling you otherwise.

From Boadicea’s Tarot I drew the positively overwhelming Nine of Fungi (Pentacles). This jaunty woman has what looks like a golden chanterelle as a hat–one of the most delicious mushrooms you can find! In one hand she has a man-hawk and in the other what looks like an auto-man heart. Full disclosure, I have not read the book though I do have it. This is a rare exception of a deck I want to fully explore on my own before I get the artist’s vision! But in the meanwhile I may be wrong in the imagery. Oh well; I’m having fun with it! Anyways, she has quite the fruit and wine table spread with a walled fortress town behind her. Oh and she looks like a complete badass to boot! The nine of pentacles this past month has been stalking me in my draws so I’m not surprised to see it again. You have got it all–now what are you going to do with it?

Our Nine of Fungi is flanked by Echos’ Six of Cups and Two of Pentacles. What two very interesting takes on these cards! I love this deck. In this Six of Cups I see a long lasting (perhaps childish?) dream of adventure, but now the means are at hand! The sea is right there, calling to the man from his window! Something you’ve longed for and perhaps even have forgotten is nigh! All you need to do is step outside your door and have the courage to go get it!

The Two of Pentacles is calling on the old tale of the goose that laid golden eggs. You’ve stumbled across something that is incredibly creative and can bring you wealth, but use it unwisely and you will spoil it for yourself. How can you balance pleasure with business? Where is there an opportunity to see growth beyond what you already have? Can you invest in what you see as a longed for opportunity? Hmmm…

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Last Unicorn is a deck that, due to its rose petal finish really needs to be coaxed to produce jumpers, but today I didn’t seem to have a problem at all and three cards came flying out in one shuffle! I guess it has words to share.

The Queen of Swords does not make it immediately clear who is the queen; Mommy Fortuna or her (fatal) counterpart the Harpy? I think this particular Queen of Swords, which is arguably one of the most difficult court cards to pin down already, is perhaps the most complicated of any Queen of Swords I have ever seen. Mommy Fortuna is one of the most clever and scary villains I can think of, but she meets her downfall early in the story due to her greed and misjudgement of the Unicorn’s purity of heart an righteousness. But interestingly Mommy Fortuna is wise enough to know whats coming to her! She is incredibly crafty. But when we see how the Harpy has exercised patience for many years waiting to exact her revenge and being decisive in her freedom, it becomes clear that the Queen is the Harpy in this card. See things for how they really are–it’s easy to fall into black and white thinking, good vs evil, but reality is so much more nuanced. Be unbiased. Understand that what is right and follows your values is not necessarily seen that way by others, and sometimes that clashing of beliefs is desperately needed. See where oppression and manipulation is occurring and be a force to release those in that place. I often ask myself what is the difference between Justice and the Queen of Swords, and the Queen of Swords see’s the grey in-between situations and still acts.

The King of Wands as the Red Bull. You know what you want and need to do. Don’t let anything stop you. You are a master of your fate. Of course the story tells us how the bull is defeated, but it is only by overwhelming numbers and those who intentions shift to determination!

And Judgement. We see Schmendrick the Magician either about to change the Lady Amalthea back to a unicorn or having changed the unicorn into a woman. Either way, you and your world view are going to profoundly change. It is inescapable. Growth and change are largely out of your control, so the best you can do is embrace it fully and be ready to learn in this next stage of your life.

Taken together, these three tell me that by embracing my personal values unequivocally I will become an unstoppable force but this will profoundly change my person!

Phew! What a monthly reading! There’s a lot of concepts of being true to yourself despite resistance and outside pressures and things needing to be balanced, and chasing after things that for the longest time seem impossible. But it comes with a warning– to do so will profoundly change who you are and your world. Wow!

Um, anyone else’s May gonna rock their world?
Tarot Over Tea: Tarot Academy Awards

April 22nd, 2024

Clockwise from top left to right: Le Tarot Arthurien, Mirra Visions, Anna K Tarot (indie 2nd edition), Tabula Mundi Tarot and accompanying book, Oracle of the Radiant Sun, Eldritch Overload: Fantasy Cyberpunk Tarot. Center, The Last Unicorn Tarot (wooden box), City Labyrinth Tarot, The Flow Tarot. Not shown, The Bohemian Gothic Tarot large print limited edition from Baba Studio (it was hiding behind me on the shelf, being spooky).

Here was another fun tag by Fairylight tarot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5gzHhrvji8)! Apparently, this was started last year, so I’m really late to the game, but, still great fun! Though I feel I have many decks that would fit several of these categories I tried to keep to newer decks I have received in the last year or two to keep things fresh.

Best Screenplay: a deck with a great guidebook that stands out in a sea of boring Little White Books

Eldritch Overload: Fantasy Cyberpunk Tarot

I was sorely tempted to put The Nameless One in this category because, whoa man, is that big book BIG! BUT! I adore the guide book that comes with the Eldritch Overload—it’s a story in and of itself. While the deck is loosely RWS, it really does its own thing and owns it 100%. The book is icing on top! It is so much more than a tarot guide, it’s a book of lore all on its own. There is so much extra stuff other than just what is in the tarot card. And, it’s a beautiful book! It is bright, playful, colorful and completely blinged out.

Best Special FX: a deck that is visually out of this world

Mirra Visions

I mean, words on a blog cannot do this deck justice. These lenticular, image-shifting cards are more vibrant and more amazing than either of the original decks. They are soft and flexible in hand. They look metallic! They look unreal. The images mesh together in an incredible way. They are truly magical, and I do not know if any other deck will ever compare. It a “you have to see it to believe it” sort of thing.

Best Costume Design: a deck that shows outstanding attention to details.

Bohemian Gothic Tarot Limited Edition

There are too many decks I feel I own that can fill this category, so I took it in a very literal sense! The kitchy costumes seen in the characters in this deck are *chefs kiss* and half the fun of this deck IMO! Like everything Baba Barock Studio’s produces the attention to every little detail is astonishing, and bordering on madness.

When I do readings with this deck I typically reach for the standard version but on the large version you really can see all the minutia that goes into each image.

Best Photography: a deck that has achieved an outstanding result in capturing the images

The Flow Tarot

Another category I took at face value, this is my only deck comprising of photos! I’m not a fan of photo decks, but I just fell in LOVE with this emotional wishy-washy (pun intended) water themed deck. I am saving it for a summer special use! I especially appreciate the RWS system in a very specific way that relates to water themes and the key words that were chosen for each card (key words are another thing that I tend to really struggle with). I will admit the change of minor suit names did throw me for a loop, but once you look at the picture and key word it’s obvious what card you’re looking at. I can tell that this will become a very special deck in my collection with very specific use case scenarios.

Best Actor (non-gender specific) in a Leading Role: a Tarot deck that is most prominent in expressing human nature

Anna K. Tarot

I have a long history with the Anna K. I considered purchasing the indie version for a long time, but was always on the fence; the Empress is a bit of a bee in my bonnet, but in a good way—it really makes me think hard, and sometimes I don’t wanna think too hard with my decks! By the time I decided I wanted this deck, the indie version was sold out and I didn’t care for the mass market, so I waited around for an affordable used version. And before I knew it, the mass market was gone too! But then my affordable secondary sale came around and I am only now getting the pleasure of using this deck.

I picked it for this category because there is something really profoundly human about the people in the art of the cards—I really resonate with the readings I get and I can tell that this will be a top five read-for-others deck its that good!

Best Actor (non-gender specific) in a Supporting Role: an Oracle deck that is most prominent in expressing human nature

Oracle of The Radiant Sun

This is a deck I have been using for several years, but without fail I find that the cards I draw always bring an intriguing view into a tarot spread. It’s not a deck I can use on its own, nor do I find it plays particularly well with other oracles, BUT it really brings up unusual and sometimes uncomfortable subject matter with tarot that allows deeper and more focused exploration. Astrology isn’t really something that I practice or use in my cartomancy, but I still find the images and words incredibly relevant when working with Tarot.

Best Documentary: a deck that excels in portraying the everyday life

City Labyrinth Tarot

Another literal choice. I just received this deck and I cannot wait to use it! I had to play with it immediately. Living in a city myself (albeit a much smaller one that New York City), I feel like many of these images resonate with being in close contact with strangers every day. The characters in each card seem to have very personal and profound stories, almost like they were modeled after a real person. I love that about this deck.

Best Director: a creator that has shown outstanding results in the coordination of the entire production, from card stock to artstyle to guidebook

Tabula Mundi Tarot

I so SO want to learn basic Toth Tarot decks, but the OG Toth deck doesn’t visually appeal to me (also, I struggle with pip decks), and I find the Mary El, while very beautiful and magical, is a challenge for me.

I’ve been eyeing up the Tabula Mundi for several years and finally bit the bullet. I feel like I intuitively understand the quirky imagery, but the book (that you can buy separately) is both a companion for the deck, but also a general Toth guide. This deck is so thoroughly researched, so thoughtfully created and the creator seems so humble and yet invested in this system I believe it will be just the thing I need to take the plunge into this tarot system!

Best Movie in a Foreign Language: a deck that excels in all the categories presented and that is awarded for lifetime achievement

Le Arthurian Tarot

Literal choice #4. I know I already talked about this one in the past few months, but I’m obsessed with this French deck. It’s SO beautiful and mystical! I’d expect nothing less from Tourian. The book is written in French, thank goodness for google translate and for the best French friend! There are whispers this will be published in English as well–I may need to get the English book but I love the look of the French titles.

Best Movie (English Language): a deck that excels in all the categories presented and that is awarded for lifetime achievement (English Language)

The Last Unicorn Tarot

The Last Unicorn was perhaps my favorite childhood movie and really shaped how I think of myself. I’m quite sure I’m not alone in this. I didn’t read the book until I was well into my 20’s (I didn’t know there was a book and when I learned I literally left my work to get a used copy), and I love that too. It is a story that ages with you, and now in my 30’s I’ve embraced my nerdy love for this story.

The deck has been on and off out of print and I believe this is the only tarot deck that is directly based off a movie that I own. Not only is this a luxury deck with all the bells and whistles, it also does excellent justice to the Tarot system with direct references to the movie. Also, it was on the leading edge of getting the author his rights back in the court system!

What decks do you own that would fit these categories?
April 2024 Decks

April 1st, 2024

From right to left, A Little Rain oracle by AmbiSun (regrettable box #1), Tarot of the Witch’s Garden, The Mushroom Hunter’s Tarot, Tree Keepers Oracle, The Seed & Sickle Oracle Deck (regrettable box #2)

Happy April! And may you have a foolish day!

April is a strange month for me. Always has been, always will be. Usually I like to bring out my “trickster” decks for April, but this year we’re having a bit of a shake-up! Following up Fauna March, is Flora April! I personally have several plant/botanical decks, a few which are making their second appearance on this blog because they didn’t get the attention they deserved last year.

Also, because it’s wacky April, and because we have two examples of gorgeous decks I really love but are in some really regrettable boxes, I think that I’ll have to write this month about my personal gripe and struggle with tarot deck boxes, bags, etc.

But, what do the cards have in store for this month???

Clockwise: Tarot of the Witch’s Garden, A Little Rain Oracle, The Seed & Sickle Oracle, The Mushroom Hunter’s Tarot, Tree Keepers Oracle

What a beautiful spread of colors! The cards were quite chatty this month, and honestly I was feeling a longer spread so I kept the extra jumpers when they came out in the shuffle.

The Seed & Sickle is a strange sort of oracle deck. I really really love the images in this deck, and I find it plays well with a variety of decks I own, and it’s the right balance of thought provoking without making it a completely niche oracle deck (which I tend to find most oracle decks are a bit too specific for my tastes). However, it has two guidebooks. One, Dawn, is forward thinking, while Dusk is retrospective. I’m honestly never sure which I should use!

40 Blackthorn sits near the end of the autumn plants and beginning of the winter plants. The Dawn book tells us it references Cailleach, the winter goddess crone and her unexpected ice storms. Something will take you unawares. Be ready and quick on your feet. In Dusk, we are reminded Cailleach is an ancient guardian of the woodlands and though she looks frail, she is indeed powerful. Don’t let others tell you the bounds of your abilities.

Last year when I took out A Little Rain for my monthly decks I also drew The Orchid, a card speaking to the power of social network and cultivating symbiotic relationships. Well, here it is again! Because I’m not as well versed in the plants featured in ALR, I find this deck a bit more difficult to use, but I’m determined to learn from it and use it because it is one of my most beautiful decks I own!

I wanted to see a different card so, atypical for monthly draws I shuffled until a second one came out, Protea. I knew nothing about this plant, but it is named after a Greek god shapeshifter. The seeds are remarkably resilient to wildfires. The three keywords are Rebirth, Survival, Restore. Eugh, that’s not exactly what one wants to hear for the month! Know that when times are bad or things look down, you have the strength to bounce back. So far, something unexpected will happen to take you down a notch, but with your strong social network and your inner resilience, you got this under control! Lets look at some tarot cards next:

My friend acquired Tarot of the Witch’s Garden last year and I watched her use it many times and I really loved how it reads and how gentle it is while still being firm. It reminds me a lot of my Every Day Witch Tarot, but it’s far less silly. Oh, and its gorgeous! So I got a copy for myself to try out.

We start off with the beautiful Star, which is often seen as the card of rebirth, or coming out of difficulty with a sense of quieting senses and a calming of the mind. Our lady is wishing upon a star surrounded by beautiful moon flowers which will only bloom in the dark (the book refers to them as night blooming jasmine–they are not, I’ve been lucky enough to know both flowers quite well!). A rare and beautiful albino peacock keeps her company. After all that struggle and trauma, you are finally out of it.

I really love the motion in this Eight of Wands! Most Eight of Wands are really lack-luster for me, but not this one! This is awesome! You had intentions in mind for quite a while and now is the time they are going to take off! Things are going to be rapidly happening this month, so hold on tight!

And the lovely Ten of Cups. You have done it. You will realized your dream. You have a profound sense of fullness, are satisfied with yourself and are in a blissful realization. You are content at home and are at home in your world. You’ve labored hard and now get to enjoy the fruits of that work.

Okay, this makes more sense. This month we are seeing the end of a challenging cycle where trauma happened and now finally we are seeing the seeds take root after the big fire mentioned in the first three oracle cards. Things will really start falling into place at a rapid pace and you’ll find an inner bliss you didn’t think was possible. You’ll feel at home in yourself for once. Aww!

Okay, I’ll admit that I don’t often pick up The Mushroom Hunter’s Tarot, but when I do it always makes me laugh! It is certainly a niche deck (I mean, you gotta like wild mushrooms), but it’s also incredibly playful! I read these cards left to right, that is the order they popped out of the shuffle.

The Six of Wands shows Marasmius haematocephalus also know as Red Pinwheel (or as I call them, fairy lanterns!). Despite all odds, and all the challenges, you’ve emerged victorious and successful! You’re a tough little cookie, er, fungi.

The Six of Pentacles shows Tuber borchii, the Bianchetto Truffle, or poor man’s truffle. This card reminds us that we did not reach our achievements alone, someone spent time and resources on us to get us where we are today. Now is a time to see where you can also help others and remember, what you put into something will come back to you in other ways! Between these two cards I get a strong vibe of cultivating your own success though actions done for yourself but also actions towards others. It is interesting they are both VI’s.

I love Stephanie Law’s artwork. The only problem is her cards are never big enough to see all the little details! I really love to flip through the Tree Keepers Oracle but I’ve never really focused on intensively using it (partly because I don’t always agree with the titles) so I’m hoping that this month I’ll get a lot of opportunity to do so.

You got a lot of proverbial irons in the fire! There is a lot of responsibility you are shouldering right now. Make sure to take time to rest and let go of worries. If you don’t, you’ll suffer from burn out. Change and success can eat up your time, until you don’t have any to decompress. Schedule it in, make it happen. It’s important for you to function well and to attend your responsibilities with a clear mind.

Alright, everything taken together for this month: you are emerging from an unforeseen challenge (I mean, the cards are not wrong!), and finally moving on to the next stage in your life. You’ve developed quite a strong social network and sense of self resilience! You are going forward hopeful and moving rapidly to realizing some long sought-after goals of feeling at home with yourself. You will find success and you’ll also share your success. It is a good time to practice mindfulness about when you need to give yourself rest as you keep all the things moving forward in your life.

Maybe this April will be the one to break the weird April Curse!

How about you? Do you enjoy botanical-inspired decks?
Deck Review: Tarot Mucha

March 20th, 2024

Does RWS better than The RWS. Please don’t come at me. Purchased 2020

Nudity Warning! The cards ahead have scandalous boobies.

Overall: 8/10 I will admit, I’ve had some prejudice against this deck in the past. There was a stretch of years where everyone seemed to be coming out with Art Nouveau style decks and even when I first got this deck I felt a little burned out on the style. It is perhaps a good thing then that I waited so long before writing a proper review! This deck does so many things right and executes so many things well, that I’ve never looked for another Art Nouveau specific deck, and it would not surprise me if this deck will continue to sell for many years down the road.

After my failed attempt at using the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, my Tarot-enthusiast friend loaned me her copy of The Tarot Mucha, and I have to give it credit for being my traditional RWS teacher. When I finally relinquished her deck, I purchased my own copy. It reads like a dream and provides great insight. It is a solid deck, and I can see why it was such a big deal when it first came out (way way back in 2014).

I do not think that this deck gets enough recognition for the incredible expressions of emotion! That Page of Swords clearly doesn’t know what they are doing, the Hermit looks a little crazy, and that 3 of Swords is painful to look at!

This is a really soft feeling deck, but it has BIG EMOTIONS. Saucy, even melodramatic at times. Like the traditional RWS, this deck tends to not silver-line situations, but it is a straight-shooter when it comes to the raw emotions of a situation without being critical or mean. That said, I do feel like this isn’t a snappy sort of deck that’s quick to call you on your b.s.—rather, it is quite “lazy,” in that you really need to stop and LOOK at all the small details on the cards and take your time in a reading.

Card Quality: 4/5 It’s fine. Rather stiff, holds up well to lots of use. Higher end gloss finish makes the cards look new after years of use.

Readability: 5/5 A very, very pretty, accessible and sensible RWS semi-clone, and arguably the easiest reader of all the decks I own. I do like using this for really feminine emotions readings and love and relationship readings. I also tend to pick this off the shelf if I’m reading in the morning, the soft colors seem to bring about that vibe. It also gets a lot of use in the spring. The card border indicates where, in either the major or which minor each card belongs which is really useful in large spreads. This is an easy “learners” deck since the emotions of each character is pretty clear. You got to be more emotionally developed than me (which I suppose is a low bar) to want to use this on the regular–the characters portrayed in the art have big feelings.

This deck has some strong juxtapositions and now I have come to really love it for that. While the beautiful cards are really truly beautiful, there’s also the poor pox covered person on the 5 of Pentacles, and look at that grey/green dead solider in the 10 of Swords. This deck has a savage side!

Art: 4.5/5 I mean, it’s exactly what you expect you’ll get, but so much more. I think Mucha would have been proud to be the inspiration for such a deck. It’s rich in details with that “vintage” feeling colors and style while having the modern RWS reader in mind and delivering very clear imagery and symbols in the cards. This feels like a deck that was designed by an artist who has done tarot as long as they’ve been art-ing. I think it’s easy enough on the eyes for most people who don’t read, and would loan itself well for client readings while also being a great deck to use as a more experienced reader looking for a classic.

I have to say that each card is fairly complex and really gives you a lot to work with, with each image (unlike the Ethereal Visions which is so stark it’s hard to use). And each image is quite original even though it’s definitely traditional RWS (unlike The Golden Art Nouveau which is a copy-paste RWS).

This deck has two artistic faults (imo): one, it’s backs. I wish they would have done something more creative with the backs of these cards. I feel like the backs almost look like a front of a card. Two, I will say that there isn’t much diversity represented in the art (there are one or two non-Europeans), but I suppose there wasn’t much diversity in the original Art Nouveau style of Mucha’s art.

Favorite Card: XIII Death. Okay, I’ll be honest: I bought this deck because I love the take on the RWS, but mostly because I LOVE the Death Card. The Death Card cracks me up. I will keep this deck because of lucky XIII. Death is so done with your bullshit, Steve. Death f*cking told you, and here you are—did you listen? Nope.

Least Favorite Card: XV The Devil. I dunno you guys, this Devil looks rad. I like this card, but it’s not what I think of as the Devil. She seems awesome. Tenacious D vibes.

Card I Identify As: XVII The Moon–SOOO mischievous!

The deck Identifies me as: This deck, despite how much I’ve used it, has never given me a specific identifier.

Season: Late Spring/Early Summer

Boxes it Checks: Traditional, Soft, Romantic, Feminine, Old-School, Love Readings

Similar Decks: The Golden Art Nouveau Tarot, Ethereal Visions Tarot (though honestly I think Tarot Mucha did a better job than either of these), Tarot Art Nouveau (which looks really intricate and colorful), Romantic Tarot, The Harmonious Tarot
Tarot over Tea #DecksICantPickUp

March 20th, 2024

By the way, HAPPY SPRING! Blessed Ostara for the pagan children out there.

FairyLightsTarot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsoXmlsSSPw) I believe, came out with this brilliant tag, in part due to fans’ suggestions. It is really easy to talk about the decks one loves and adores the most, but it’s a whole ‘nother ball game to reveal that there are decks you spent good money on and don’t use! Some of these I simply just don’t know how to use, some I haven’t dedicated the time to learn the internal system, and some I just plain-old don’t like!

The decks of shame.

The Waite-Smith Centennial Tarot

Well, I won’t belabor this one seeing as I recently posted a full review of this deck. This is a deck that tenuously stays in my collection as a reference sheet. My copy of this deck is mean, and it has earned at this point a permanent time-out.

The Mary-El Tarot

I am so intimidated by this deck! I LOVE the weird and bright artwork, but I picked it up having done ZERO Toth studies. This is one of those things where it’s all on me—I haven’t put in the time. I think once I do (Esoteric June, maybe?) I’ll reach for it! Those of you who are proficient in more than one tarot system, how did you do it? Did you just nose to the grindstone? Was learning the second system easier, or was it harder because your prior knowledge was getting in the way?

Visconti di Modrone Tarot

I am a history lover. Prior to this deck I purchased and became obsessed with The Sola Busca Tarot (and my dearest partner bought me The Game of Saturn that I spent months pouring over). I figured that if I could tackle the Sola Busca, this old pip deck should be no problem.

Me. I. I’m the problem, it’s me. I don’t know how to read pips all that well seeing as I’ve not spent any time with Marseille-esque decks. Maybe that’s an August or later theme??? There’s no way I can do a Toth month back-to-back with a Marseille-esque month, my head would explode!

I want to be able to use historic decks—it’s a really romantic image I have in my head that I haven’t been able to manifest into a reality yet.

The Mythical Creatures by Baba Studio

Another pip deck. While I occasionally use this deck, being it’s so pretty and ornate and the large companion book is the bosses sauce, I’d really like to reach for it more than a few times a year. I find the pips in this deck easy to get lost in, and I’d love to have this as a reader I use for others who’d like a pip deck. I wanna be functional at pips! How do you Marseille readers do it???

The Tarot of the Broken Mirror 5 Edition: Sapphire/Marseille

I backed this deck on Kickstarter for two reasons: 1) I ADORE my IV edition Broken Mirror Tarot, and 2) I wanted a gateway deck to learn Marseille. Unfortunately, I believe the little pictures in the minors meant to help those of us who are stunted in the Marseille department, are not necessarily Marseille meanings, but RWS meanings! Does anyone else have this deck? Is that true? Or are the pictures Marseille in nature and there’s simply overlap?

The Mushroom Hunter’s Tarot

I honestly couldn’t tell you why I don’t reach for this one because I love foraging and I love mushrooms and I think this deck is cute as all-get-out. Obviously mushrooms and fungi are rather niche subject matters so it isn’t “oh duh, perfect deck for this question” unless its cooking related. I think though that I can and should apply it beyond its face value. It needs to be in my next month’s deck list, I think. How do you use decks that are rather “niche” in nature?

Sefriot Tarot

I know perfectly well why I don’t use this deck. I have some serious bad blood between the Kickstarter campaign and the horrible quality of what they took a lot of money to make. While the feel in hand makes me cringe, and the coloring is really poor, the art is still pretty and I’m hoping that if I do a monthly theme for pip decks (which it is apparent at this point that I need to do) I’ll include this deck and see if there’s any saving it at this point.

Tarot Minchiate by Amparo Cortes

On the total flipside of Sefriot, this deck is FAR more finely-crafted than I thought it would be! The cards are absolutely lux. This deck is primarily meant to be a deck for the Tarot Minchiate game. I have yet to learn it! I think that the instruction manual is a bit too vague for me (I really need to watch someone play a game to understand it). I think the only way I’m going to learn this is to actively seek out another group of people who already know the game.

Divine Deco Tarot

I think this is a cool deck. I love the subject of dancers. I have yet to use it. Even once. I don’t know why. Maybe like The Mushroom Hunter Tarot it’s a bit too niche for me to think of it when I’m looking for a deck in particular.

The Arthur Rackham Oracle (2nd edition)

This one I used quite a bit when I first got it. It was my third oracle deck and seemed to be exactly what I was looking for, but for whatever reason, I stopped using it and it got covered at the back of the shelf. It’s a rather strange oracle, and the words with the images don’t always seem to go together or seem to resonate with a tarot pairing. I’d love to hear how y’all would use this quirky deck because I rather like it and would like to put it to work!

Alright, those are the decks I never reach for, and some tentative plans to fix that. What about YOU? Is there a deck that you just can’t seem to make yourself pick up and use?
Tarot at the Table: An Original Draw for Dreams

March 18th, 2024

One thing that I don’t see too much of, is run-of-the-mill daily tarot draws. Perhaps I’m just looking in the wrong places. I tend to find draws that are seasonally focused, formal traditional layouts, or larger, general-viewer draws on the YouTube. I can’t say I see many “I just I want to practice my tarot skills, but I don’t want to spend an hour reviewing thirty different cards” draws. So! I thought I’d share some of the common ones I use! Please let me know if you find this at all interesting.

Decks used in this draw: Liminality Oracle, Asphodelon Mythos Tarot, Wild Unknown Animal Spirit oracle, Wild Unknown Archetypes oracle

I find dreams and dreaming fascinating. Of course, Tarot fits nicely into the various archetypes we might see in dreams, so I’ve developed a typical structure I like to use when delving into cartomancy to help think of my dream in a critical way. Before I get into the actual cards, let me share my dream with you! Please be kind; this is a real dream I had and there is a great bit of vulnerability when sharing it into the internet abyss. Also, be mindful that while this is a bit of a silly dream, it was quite a scary when I was having it, which is why I chose to delve more into it through the cards:

21 Feb 2024

I’m in this mall that has a glass ceiling. There is so much commotion happening outside. The ceiling is shattered as something huge come flying into it. I run, seeking shelter from the glass. I look out at what looks like an airport tarmac and see massive monsters. They are so big I can’t really even tell what they are.

I run, trying to find a safe place, but there is no safe place. I’m shockingly swift and don’t seem to become winded easily. I see this group if kinda “alternative” looking people, taking on a monster. They are so strong and fast it is like they are savage animals!

I join them—I don’t want to be a passive bystander! I try to help topple the monster too. I bite it and hit it and kick and do everything I can. I get knocked violently aside and I hurt from it. The monster doesn’t topple but runs away.

The leader, who I am acquainted with but don’t know well, pulls me up. I’m so tired I feel limp at this stage. He commands me to stay with the wolves, that we’re going to figure this out. I’m so puzzled, I tell him that I don’t know what he’s talking about. He’s puzzled then tells me I’m a wolf, don’t I know? I don’t. He takes my left arm and says we’ll see if the sign sticks.

He draws a finger down my left forearm on the top, from elbow to wrist and draws some sort of simple symbol. The area he touched first looked like water drawn on my skin then turns black as if tattooed or cauterized into the skin. “See?” he says. “You have the mark already.”

I go trailing after them. We run into a parking ramp to regroup, then we split up into smaller groups to try and secure a certain area. I cannot stop staring at the black mark on my arm!

I should start out that by no means do you need a ton of decks to do this dream draw; you’d be perfectly fine with just one tarot deck or well-rounded oracle. I just had the excuse to pull out some fun deck, so I did! When I typically do a drawing for a dream, I’ll pick one, two, or on rare occasion three cards to represent the main characters in the dream. I used Kim Krans’s The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit oracle for my two characters, my dream-self, and the “pack” leader:

For myself, I drew the Mouse, an earth sign, and for the leader, the Hawk, an air sign.

A mouse is notable for it’s small size. It is a relatively weak animal that is at the bottom of the food-chain, and of course a staple for hawks! Despite it’s timid nature, the mouse is know for its resourcefulness, and its ability to get into spaces its not welcomed and cause havoc. In numbers, mice can be very troublesome indeed. I should note that in my past month of reading Lenormand, the card “The Mice” has repeatedly appeared over and over, and we recently in our own home were losing the battle with a particularly clever and fit little mouse. I can see myself feeling small and fearful in this dream, unsure of myself, but I do not wish to be timid! I want to join others and help them out! Though I am marked as one of them, I do not feel it.

A hawk is considered a bird of prey that is either a buteo or an accipiter (so, not falcons). They have large wings, hunt open spaces and forests, use the wind to their advantage, as some can soar! They are powerful animals that are often viewed as being regal and proud. They have incredible eyesight and must develop deadly accuracy in hunting to survive. The leader in this group is perceptive and sees “the mark” of the “wolf” on me, which I cannot see myself. He comes across as strong and powerful, and somewhat intimidating.

Then, if there are big “themes” or “ideas” or “concepts” that appear in the dream, I might draw a card for those as well. In this dream, I had literal BIG monsters, and also the group of people dubbed “wolves” so I drew a card each for them from The Wild Unknown Archetypes deck (a deck I have a love-hate relationship with):

I pulled for the monsters LXXVII Aletheia. A Greek term that literally means “truth or disclosure in philosophy,” it is also described as “being unconcealed…(i.e) evident,” or relating to disclosure, revealing, factuality or reality (from Wikipedia). The not-so-little white book describes this card representing “truth” or “act of truth.” We see how the same rose looks in both black and white, no matter what way we look at it, it’s the same rose. These “Monsters” are showing me a truth–that there are some big problems that need to be tackled! They exist and affect everyone, whether we want to deal with them or not! And, it will take a group of people to get them to retreat, you cannot do it alone.

For the general group of monster-fighters called “Wolves” I drew LXX The Thread. This image seems both very tenuous but also strong! That person is hardly gripping a thread–its a huge cord! We see a splash of rainbow and color after the stark former Aletheia. The image says to me hope is thin, but not weak, you must grasp it hard and hold on! The LWB speaks to finding the purpose and meaning in the chaos and anchoring to it, which seems very fitting in this draw! We can see the “wolves” as giving us purpose to protect ourselves and attack back at the monsters in an organized way.

Then I decided to draw some tarot. Because I typically draw from jumpers, I usually will shuffle until I get at least three cards, but this deck (the all-new Asphodelon Mythos Tarot) seemed to have a lot to say and gave me six jumpers on the shuffle-through so I lined them up in the order they came leaping out.

In the past, I’ve read the tarot as a separate spread from the oracle cards, but after doing a month of Lenormand, I had a Galaxy Brain moment and realized I can read where the cards are placed relative to the oracle cards (okay, I know you seasoned veterans do this all the time, but I’m still learning, bear with me).

According to the cards, my dream-self in this dream has all the agency and tools at my disposal by which to act upon the world. I can make sudden decisions, and have the power to heal with my actions. I have a great amount of empathy and emotional soundness and security that allows me to love and feel deeply. Also, it’s interesting that with the “angel” like image combined with the two lovers, these two cards look strikingly like the traditional Lovers card which speaks of choices: I have a choice–what do I choose?

Okay, I’m not gonna lie–this is the first serious draw I’ve done with this deck and now I’m really bummed that I already have my monthly decks planned for several months because the Asphodelon Mythos Tarot is totally rad and I need to use it, constantly, for some time. This is an interesting combination of cards for our hawk character–if I saw a RWS clone pairing of the ace of cups with the devil I’d read it as a relationship for the wrong reasons, or a selfish emotional motivation. But in this ace of cups we see two intimate figures, Nix and Erebus. It reminds me of a ying-yang, two side of the same coin, darkness and light. The water out of the cup seems to be cascading down and trying to snuff out the raging Cronus. Perhaps we can say that our strong leader is representing the struggle between balance and selfishness? Maybe his role is to extinguish the threat. Maybe while he is a new person to me that has something to offer, there is a darker aspect that remains to be seen.

So if we take the two tarot under Aletheia (the Monster) we see the Ten of Swords and Death. Easy enough, there was a profound defeat/failure that was a definitive ending. But from that end is the beginning of something new.

Flanking The Thread (the “wolves”) is The Magician and the Ace of Cups–you have surprisingly found a new place–do you belong here? There’s a strong connection here, that is very empowering.

If we take the tarot together on their own, we see someone very assured and strong who was flying high took a terrible downfall and met a proverbial death. There is a rebirth that is more balanced, but the core problem still lingers and rages on (after all, the wolves and I did not kill the monster, it fled).

So, I asked the Liminality Oracle “advice about what can I do?” And drew:

Wow! Those are definitely very wolf-y creatures, aren’t they? Change first starts with you. Be the change you want to see. To change the course you have to take action. Work actively towards what you seek. Be dogged in your pursuit!

Hm, food for thought, eh!

How ’bout you? Do you ask your cards about your dreams?
March 2024 Decks

March 8th, 2024

It is a balmy windy day–more like the end of May instead of the first of March!

After using Lenormand for (nearly) all my draws last month, I’m so ready to move back into the familiarity and comfort of Tarot, but I still wanted to stick with a theme for this month! I want to see what happens when I use animal-themed decks.

The Witches’ Wisdom Tarot, the Woodland Wardens oracle, the Oriens Tarot Deck, the Wild Child Tarot, Thistledown Oracle deck

I am very picky about my animal cartomancy decks. But, I also have a real soft spot for animals! I find that I have quite a few critter decks and I usually include at least one animal deck per month. But, there are still animal decks that I haven’t included in my past year’s monthly decks! So I wanted to round a couple of them up to showcase them, and see if they play well together.

I have been wanting to focus on using The Witches’ Wisdom Tarot since I first purchased it not long after it was released (in 2020 I believe). It wildly deviates from the RWS while still keeping a rough RWS structure and when I first hand it in hand, I was not ready for it. Of course, its famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) for turning the path of the fool upside down to represent the path of self discovery and union with the earth/greater universe. The minors also have a tendency to do their own thing, and the courts are completely reworked. I like this very gentle and nurturing deck, and while it’s not “exclusively” animals (as you can see, I drew a more human-centric card) there are plenty of animal guides through the cards and the book is very mindful of various animal presence.

From TWWT, I drew the Craftsman of Air–your March will entail putting ideas into practice! Try, try and keep trying until you find what works! You will have lots of study ahead. Be prepared to accept new ideas, and discard what has worked for you in the past. The path to mastery is neither straight nor linear–do not be discouraged if something fails, see it as an opportunity. Discernment and hard work should be tempered with a lighthearted approach–do not take yourself too seriously otherwise you might set yourself up for failure. There is also hints that cross-pollination between different, seemingly unrelated studies is beneficial to learning and deeper understanding (literature, astronomy, geometry, music, chemistry, biology, there’s a lot in this card!).

The Woodland Wardens oracle deck is a new face to Tarot Tarts, though I’ve had it since it was released. I find this deck is very sweet and it feels rather Tarot-esque in its numbering system/choices, but I find I don’t often reach for it, through no fault of its own.

With a clever combination of animal and plant, this deck is not only very beautiful, but also is a little pocket dictionary of flora/fauna myths (hello cross-studies!). From Wardens I drew X The Duck and Chrysanthemum, Luck. Lucky Ducky! I LOVE that the image chosen was not the classic male Mallard, but his demur, female counterpart. She is beautiful too with her iridescent wing-bars! This card speaks to not only being lucky, but cultivating luck–being kind to others, and not expecting any particular outcome are good places to start. So, I’ll have a good turn ahead of me it seems!

The Oriens Tarot is probably my favorite animal deck ever, and it has made several appearances in this blog, hence why it hasn’t been a “monthly” deck yet (though don’t be fooled, I use this deck all the time).

From this came the King of Cups, a handsome flamingo, perfectly balanced. How can I this month keep my emotions in balance while still perfectly “owing” myself? What is the right balance perhaps is an even better question. This beautiful bird is a little more than flamboyant, isn’t it? There’s a degree of trusting one’s self to achieving that sort of equanimity. This flamingo certainly does not face imposter syndrome! You as you are right now are enough–own it!

The Wild Child Tarot is just a darling deck. It is so very sweet (I feel like I’m going to say this a lot in this monthly draw!). The artist is the same who created The Healing Waves Tarot, and also the Wild Child Oracle. While the animals chosen are rather “typical” of what I’d imaging for most of the cards (whereas I’d say the Oriens is very atypical in most cards) I cannot think of a more classic Emperor animal than the majestic Ram!

Of course, the Ram and the Emperor are cards associated with the Aries Zodiac, so its a “no, duh” choice. But, I usually associate the Emperor with a fire element (hello there little salamander!), but this Emperor seems very earthy and grounded, doesn’t he? Hm, a very practical and perhaps gentle Emperor. While you will have mastery and self control of your emotions, you will also be the boss of your world. You have stability, and are the leader in your own life right now, and you carefully protect what you have. You use logic and sensibility to make decisions and you will exercise prudence to ensure you are on top of things. Also, those are some really impressive horns! You probably only need to look like you mean business to get things done rather than actually needing to exercise any sort of force.

Hmm, between The Craftsman, the King, and The Emperor, there is a bit of a masculine theme, isn’t there?

And finally, the Thistledown Oracle, from Three Trees Tarot (the same who made Oak, Ash, & Thorn Tarot). I have yet to use this deck in any seriousness, and it’s the perfect oracle deck for someone like me who has a bit of lack-of-imagination when it comes to oracles. The images are intriguing without me needing to know much context, and the key-word is simple. This sweet little oracle deck is predominantly forest and farm animals, however, like The Witches’ Wisdom, this deck spat out one of its (very) few non-animal cards and gave me a dragon card.

Silver Lining! “Every mushroom cloud has a silver lining” said Owl City. Yes, I still listen to their album! Sometimes I feel like “silver lining” should be my nick-name! I always, always, always try to find the silver lining in a tough spot or bad place. There have been points in my life where nothing was good or right and I had my work cut out to find something positive. Sometimes you make a decision that isn’t want you thought it would be, or a decision marks a split in the road and while neither is a bad choice, you lose out in some form or another. OR sometimes bad things happen and you have no ability to control them. Silver lining speaks to finding that there is something to be gained in loss, or something that happened to make YOU better and stronger, even if the immediate effect is negative. The little dragon looks out at the retreating storm that has disturbed the forest–there is a wild beauty she sees that she’d have never been able to witness if she didn’t hold on through the chaos. You will find that even the negative have a secret positive that will help you out where you are this month.

I have to say this is a fantastic reading for this month! While there’s a lot of work needed and focus, I’ll have mental and emotional balance and I have a great deal of agency at being my own “fate-maker.” I’ll see a good turn of luck, but also positive thinking which will enable me to weather any difficulties, or perhaps past difficulties will blossom into positive experiences now. In any case, a good month ahead!

What about you? Do you have a favorite animal themed deck? What does March look like in your cards?
Deck Review: Santa Muerte Tarot

February 23rd, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Similar Decks: In artistic style (except in black and white) Goetia Tarot by the same artist, The Marigold Tarot, The Sugar Skull Tarot, Tarot de El Dios de los Tres, Ancestors Tarot, the companion oracle by the same artist Santa Muerte Oracle, Night Sun Tarot (also by the same artist)
Lunar New Year, Year of the Dragon 2024 Draw

February 21st, 2024
I really got a kick making a draw for the year of the Rabbit in 2023, and I 100% have been waiting to do a Dragon 2024 draw for this lunar year! A Google told me that people born in the year of the dragon have “natural courage, tenacity, and intelligence, often displaying enthusiasm and confidence.” Seeing as I don’t personally know any scaly dragons to model actual animal behavior and wisdom after, I’ll have to take the G’s advice about the Chinese Zodiac system to help structure my questions. Let’s get to it!

Of course I had to bring out my beloved Smoke, Ash & Embers Tarot deck! I love that this deck is RWS, but it takes a very different, practical and holistic approach to modern tarot. In their version of the LWB they label the Wands as our spirit, the Pentacles as our material world, the Swords our thoughts, and the Cups our emotions. While this is pretty typical in RWS decks, I’ll especially be paying attention to this during this draw.
1. What great magical thing will start your year?
2. What frightening obstacle will block your path forward?
3. How best to show courage?
4. What will try your patience?
5. How to show tenacity and perseverance?
6. What riddle will puzzle you?
7. How best to outsmart it?
8. How do we show enthusiasm when we’ve lost our mojo?
9. Where should we cultivate confidence?
10. When should we be tender?
11. When do we need to be fierce?
12. Where will I find unexpected luck?
1.What great magical thing will start your year? Three of Pentacles. You will have help in building your nest egg! In a project or financial adventure, you will find a willing and eager partner. Perhaps they will help teach you, and you in turn can teach them. This is now the second recent draw that I’ve had a 3 of Pen show up, I gotta start paying attention.

2. What frightening obstacle will block your path forward? The Hanged Man. You will face uncertainty and a change of view—things are not as you thought, but if you take a moment, you will see there is something to be gained here that you’d not be able to get otherwise.

3. How best to show courage? Ace of Swords. Pay attention! Use your head. Use your sense of observation to understand and learn to go forth strongly! Success is at hand, but you need to take the sword and practice the skills it takes to get there. Listen to mentors (this also seems to be a reoccurring theme).

4. What will try your patience? Eight of Swords. The constant hard work, grind, and, well, patience! Accomplishing something is never a linear journey and sometimes it feels as if you are getting nowhere, fast. Keep at it! Don’t worry about needing to get your hands dirty every once in a while.

5. How to show tenacity and perseverance? Two of Swords. This is a very different take on the two of swords than I’m used to. Counter intuitively, sometimes you need to take a fricking nap! When things get overwhelming and seem to lack progress, take a break, try something new, enjoy the flowers of your successes you have made. Also, don’t stand up too fast!

6. What riddle will puzzle you? Page of Cups. A new person, feeling, idea, or opportunity will come out of nowhere and completely take you off guard!

7. How best to outsmart it? Six of Pentacles. Be kind. You will find reward for your kindness in unexpected ways. Be a force that brings others together. Realize what a person really wants when they give you something. Put offerings/gifts in context; if someone is giving you something, what, if anything do they expect in return?

8. How do we show enthusiasm when we’ve lost our mojo? Page of Pentacles. Keep things practical; look at what you have already accomplished, and look at where you want to be. What will it take to get there? Make a list, write it down. How can you allocate your resources right now to get to where you want to be? Start there. Go back to the fundamentals. Once you get moving, you’ll get your chutzpah back!

9. Where should we cultivate confidence? XIX The Sun! Be confident in what you know you do well and are successful at! Duh! Do that! When you are happy and joyful, you exude confidence, so first ensure you are having a good time.

10. When should we be tender? Page of Wands (holy mole, we got some Page energy today!). Treat the imagination and the joy of newness tenderly—this is where great things happen and negatively criticizing ideas prematurely will help no one. Help yourself and others grow to be their best by believing in your/their vision!

11. When do we need to be fierce? Ten of Cups. When it comes to your family-of-choice and those you love, you get involved! They are your people! It’s up to you to help make sure they are secure and they in turn watch out for you. It really does take teamwork to make the dream work.

12. Where will I find unexpected luck? Nine of Wands. When you are feeling like you are at the end of your game and you have no more strength to persevere, you will find unexpected luck.
And, just for fun, I drew from The Thistle Down oracle deck a card for “advice for this lunar year.”

Don’t forget to take moments to collect yourself, live in the moment, and smell the flowers, even if you’re a little bit of a grouch *wink*.

So, I see lots of pentacles and pages, so I have a lunar year of learning and practicing my arts and skills. Can’t ask for anything better in the year of the Dragon!

Did you do a Lunar Year draw?