My Fave Decks at the Moment

“There isn’t any way to be.
I will meet you where you’ve gone. The cards are blank; the cards are empty there.
If I can just have one last cut.
Do you have a plan for the new?
The cards be blank. The symbols be over.
I will tell my fortune with the blank cards of blank.
What do you see?”

― Alice Notley, In the Pines

I have been enjoying working with some nice new decks recently.

I am pleased with them as they don’t want to sit on the shelf as a collectors item but are happy to see the light of day and flip, flap on to a table!

I was surprised to realise that the decks I have chosen are fundamentally pagan or wiccan at their heart. I say surprised as I would not say that I would define myself as an overt pagan. I always thought that my interests in esoteric philosophy were wide-ranging and perhaps self-identifying as a would be polymath. However, the three decks I have included are indeed pagan/wiccan in their design and are created from a font of pagan wisdom.

I am happy to spend my time reflecting on the influences of these cards.

Perhaps an inherent pagan culture within me is shining a torch for my spirit to see the steps I must tread. I do believe that as we study Tarot we are invited to move through various portals that mirror our emerging consciousness. To me, that is utterly beautiful.

SPELLCASTER’S TAROT.

By Melanie Marquis.Art by Scott Murphy.

This is a gorgeous deck and everyone who sees it is immediately drawn into its beauty. Made from good card stock with a picture of a compass and the animals representing each season on the back. It is the perfect deck for anyone who is on a pagan path and has an interest in spell working.

The deck comes with a handbook which gives upright and reverse meanings to the cards and also what the appropriate spell would be for each card. There are some interesting spreads at the back of the book.

I have to say at this point I have not tried any of the spells so could not say if they work but I do believe the cards can assist in manifestation irrespective of being a witch or magician. The accompanying spells offer a deeper insight into the dynamics of the cards and raise awareness of why certain things happen in our lives when they do…not because of spell working but more a case of life is a spell.

The colours used in the deck are soft and muted and the blues are wonderful. The detail in the figures is very clear as is the pagan symbology.

This deck has a power of its own; it brings you into your own spirit. It is truthful and as such makes it easy for you to accept any truths, challenging or otherwise so that you really do get some kind of clarity.

This is not a glamorous deck, it is earthy and some of the figures appear warrior-like. This deck also breaks with gender tradition in so far as same sex relationships are depicted in some of the imagery. The elements are given their full due and one does get an idea of the full might of each season and suit.

The SpellCaster deck is good for assessment, overview and catches the influence of a trending situation, yet it also reminds us that reading cards requires a bit of effort to get the full meaning, if we can do that especially with the magic of this deck then the rewards will be amazing.

GREEN WITCH TAROT

By Ann MouraArt by Kiri Ostergaard Leonard.This is a sweet and wistful deck. Good card stock with a pentagram in a wreath of red roses on the back. The images are in a matt finish which does not capture the glare from lights.

The art work is simple which is part of its charm and does not have the razzamatazz of more popular decks.

The deck comes with a handbook which offers very rich meanings to the cards and provides insightful descriptions of pagan artefacts and symbols. Upright and reversed card interpretations are included as well as key words and after each card there is a page for taking notes. Spreads are at the back of the book.

Each card tells its own story and in fact lends itself to telling a story which is imbued with pagan and wiccan symbolism.

Another earthy deck which pays homage to the elements, seasons and craft work that aligns with them.

I am drawn to the deck for its earthiness and simplicity and through the cards I desire to be in nature. I am reminded of my place in nature and the cards allow me to feel at home there.

This deck is recommended for anyone starting out on a pagan path as it has got lots of information in the text and imagery which will be useful and beneficial.

When I read with this deck I am taken into the forest or by the lake and all is well with my spirit.

THE LIGHT SEERS TAROT

By Chris-Anne.

This deck has taken the Tarot world by storm and I am not surprised by that. It is a wonderful deck.

Again, good card stock with a simple diamond shaped design on the back.

Spreads are at the front of the book. The handbook is small but thorough and each card has its own aphorism. Upright and reversed meanings are included. The deck has gorgeous matt and muted colours which are easy on the eye and gentle on the heart.

These cards are not as obviously pagan/wiccan as the other ones described here but the symbolism is included in the imagery but it is more subtle.

I like this deck because of its modernity. The figures are easily placed in contemporary settings and can be easily related to. This deck likes to work but it is not a particularly practical deck. It is not as earthy as the other decks described. Despite the modern iconography, it relies on your ability to recognise the essence of gesture, posture and the combination of seemingly everyday objects, which is possibly its charm but somehow it also takes the spirit of everyday situations and speaks the truth of them.

Highly recommended if one wishes to have an overview of what the day may bring.

WHEN YOU GET A NEW DECK…

Pull a card and ask it to describe the deck, then another and ask how it sees you, then a final card on how it sees being worked.

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