I purchased The Tarot Game right before going to The Readers Studio and since returning home, I haven’t had much time to read the rules or play. Much to my surprise, Jude was offering two person games via Skpye. So I jumped on the chance to play and learn from the creator herself.

The following game notes are one sided only. While Jude graciously gave me permission to write about our session, I felt uncomfortable posting the details of her side of the game. However, my side should give readers an idea of the variety of gameplay offered by The Tarot Game.

The goal of the game is to fill in the reading sheets to receive wisdom and knowledge about your question or theme. Since we were playing a “short” game (we were on Skype for an hour), we used the Beginner sheet which had us go until we both filled in 4 cards. Alternatively, you can use a tarot journal and go until you’re satisfied with the cards and answers you’ve got.

We started out the game by swapping questions or themes we were exploring in the game. I choose the theme of alchemy because I am preparing to work with this element for a whole year next Wednesday. I told Jude that my definition of alchemy was, “transformation and synthesis of my life and tarot knowledge to get me to the next (or higher) stage in my life.”

Then we picked out blessing coins. Usually this is done by each person playing the game but as Jude was the “game keeper” she randomly picked three coins for me. These were: vision, charity, hope. Blessing coins are fun items that players get to keep or swap and give to other players as the game progresses.

We then rolled the dice. I asked her to roll a single dice (the game comes with me) and we got a two. This put me on the Spiral spot. Jude drew a card from the Spiral Deck and told me to tell her a story about a time where I had to compromise–focusing on the benefits of doing so. So I pulled my 4 of Swords out from the deck and told Jude about a time where compromise helped me out in my marriage. I then jotted down notes and she took her turn.

On my next turn, Jude rolled two dice and I got to move forward 7 spaces. This put me on an infinity symbol which gave me “free will.” I was free to stretch or do anything I wanted. So I decided to grab my own set of 6-sided dice from my bookcase and stretch.

Then I rolled three dice for a total of 18. I landed on the “tell the player to my left something nice about them.” And so I gushed a bit about Jude. Based on my response, she gave me her passion blessing token.

Then I rolled two dice and got a total of 8, which put me on a roll again spot. So I rolled one dice and landed on The Hanged Man Spot. This gave me my second (of four) card for this reading. Jude then asked me a question from the Major Arcana sheet, “Tell me about a turning point in your life.” And I told her about the time I had mono and what I learned from it. These were how to take care of myself, focus on one thing, that it’s okay to say no, and how to ask for help.”

Once more, my response solicited Jude to give me a blessing token. This time, it was balance. Little did she know that balance is something I try to strive for throughout my life. Thanks Jude!

I rolled two more dice and moved 7 spaces more. I landed on a star card. This is not The Star card from a tarot deck but another one of the special spots from The Tarot Game. Jude pulled a card from the star deck and asked me to take a full deck and grab a card from it. I was then to create an affirmation from this card, based on what I saw. I grabbed my Pocket Universal Waite and the 4 of Cups jumped right out at me.

Now I’m not good at crafting affirmations so my first attempt was “I push through to succeed.” Jude helped me refine and hone the affirmation, so that we came out with, “When I am feeling myself unfocused, I push through to succeed.” I’m also supposed to find time to integrate this affirmation into my life for a week.

We then had a small discussion on productivity techniques and she gave me some good advice on some new techniques I can use to integrate into my self-employment practice.

By this time, Jude already filled out her reading sheet. Apparently, in the game, it is okay if players finish before one another. The rest can either keep on going or end the game there to go onto the Completion phase. Wanting to get the full benefit of playing, I opted to move on.

I rolled the two more dice and got a total of 9. This put me on the Sun card. She asked me, “How do I express myself?” And I answered by talking, writing, making collage and doodle arts, graphic design and crochet.

That last roll completed my reading so we moved onto the last phase of the game. This is where each player takes time to look at their cards and create an integrated affirmation or action plan that will help them answer their question or address their theme.

I spent time looking at my cards. In order I drew: the 4 of Swords, The Hanged Man, the 4 of Cups, and The Sun. Using what I knew about these cards I came up with the following affirmation:

Rest, perspective, reach out to accept help, do the work, and enjoy the fruits of my labor/success.

When I told Jude this, she said that it was fine but not exactly what she was hoping for. The hardest thing for tarot readers to do in the game is to create affirmations based on the card meanings themselves. Instead, Jude says that the affirmations work best when they integrate aspects of what was said in the game.

Together we created the new and improved affirmation:

I accept the support of my husband while I rest and push through to do the work to express myself and make art.

She then recommends that you work with this spread and affirmation by journalling about it and meditating on what was said for awhile.

I plan on using both affirmations that I created to help bring forth the transformation and success that I want for myself and my tarot business.

It’s my hope that this review/reading of The Tarot Game fuels your desire to give it a try for yourself. I’m already chomping at the bit to try this game out with my husband and all my friends. If you’ve already played it, feel free to leave some comments about your experience in the comment box below!

Konxari (pronounced kon-zar-ee) Cards is a new spirit-focused divination deck, created by the IRM Foundation and featuring the photography of Paul Michael Kane. The idea is that you take the deck with you to a spooky location, shuffle and let the spirits relay messages to you through the cards. An updated version of the ouija board, the cards use photographs, words, and symbols to give you many ways to connect with spirits. The publishers of the deck claim that Konxari has roots in ancient Egypt and that it, along with tarot cards, have come from this era. Erroneous information aside (as far as the tarot goes), my curiosity got the best of me and I had to check this deck out.

The deck of 88 cards comes in a long rectangular box. The whole package of box, book and 44-cards sitting next to one another, gives the impression that this deck is more entertainment designed than to be used as a true spiritual tool. The cards themselves measure two by three inches and are printed on a light-weight card-stock with a semi-glossy coating. Their size, along with the glossy coating, makes the cards hard to shuffle when stacked together. Each card features a image, a title, a symbol (or color spot), and a letter (or number). Some cars are printed in a landscape rotation. The instruction booklet has 32 pages and contains “Quick” and “Expanded” rules for using the cards. It also provides meanings to some of the cards; symbol definitions; and includes two alternative spreads to use with the cards when you are not out searching for ghosts.

My husband and I put the Konxari Cards to the test at Samhain. We followed the rules of the booklet (“never play Konxari cards alone”) and we sat in a darkened room of our home. We hoped that the cards would connect with something and relay a message that we’d understand. We shuffled the cards and laid them out according to the main layout found inside the booklet. We removed four cards and were left with eight remaining cards: hiding, attic, door, prophesy, thermal, suffering, aura and shadow. The images and words caught our eyes and from this we figured that the impressions came from something we call “the house fae”. There is a closet on our first floor that tends to be popular with our cats. They’re always running in and out, as if they’re chasing something into that space. We also tend to use the space as our “attic” in that we store boxes, and decorations in it. Therefore the first few cards seemed to align with our experiences. Since the booklet also recommends playing with the cards and rearranging them to spell out words (remember, each card has letters on it) we shifted the cards around so they spelled words or phrases. We came up with Requim B6 (or 6B), and Be Quirm 6. Neither seemed important or seemed meaningful.

As I do with my tarot decks, I asked the Konxari Cards if they had anything to share about themselves. I drew the moon card for my first question, “What can I learn from you?” This card suggests using Konxari Cards could help expose or draw us closer to the mysteries we commonly associate with the moon: magick, death, and nature itself. I drew the Mirror card for my second question, “What is your speciality?” Here, the card represents the deck’s desire to show us reflections of the spirit world as they mirror or our lives and pasts. It is also said that mirrors are a portal to other realms and that this deck could be seen as a portal for contacting those realms. Finally, I drew the Hallway card for my final question of, “How does your personality differ from other decks?” The Eye of Horus drawn on this card suggests that the deck give “the dead the ability to see again”— a trait that other decks do not address.

Konxari Cards offer a new and portable tool to reach out and connect with the dead. If you’re a ghost hunter looking for a compact spirit communication tool to add to your arsenal then give these cards a shot. I also recommend Konxari Cards to the divination curious and would like to uncover a new type of cartomancy. To learn more about Konxari cards, visit www.konxari.com. The site contains the deck’s history, descriptions of the cards, and some videos of the cards in use and creative direction.

I left early Tuesday and picked up my companion. We both agreed to help Katrina set up and prepare for both the Intensive and the Retreat. And boy did we work our butts off. We folded large tarps that threatened to carry us away like huge sails. We dodged the monkey-dog Mookie, and we also scrubbed the floors of Katrina’s wonderful yurt so that they’d be polished and ready for the week’s events. I was so tired Tuesday night that I crashed early.

Wednesday morning was cool and I headed to the yurt early to claim my spot and to have a few minutes of quiet. An hour or two passed and the rest of our ragtag tarot crew showed up. All in all our pod, as we decided to call ourselves, numbered five. Which I thought was the perfect size. Big enough to do readings for one another and small enough to have personalized attention from Katrina.

The Intensive started out with a Beginning Tarot course. While I think I was a bit beyond this level, I was excited to see how Katrina taught it. She doesn’t teach any one set of meanings for the cards but the way she does teach what the cards mean is very universal and integrated into the personal meanings of both student and deck imagery. I rather liked it and gained a few extra insights into how I could incorporate this style into my own. We broke for a wonderful Swiss dinner (yes, I’m still savoring how good the cook did), we worked on giving our first set of readings between each other. I slept well that night, even though I felt the first strings of anxiety coming up for the Certification test I was going to take on Thursday.

Thursday started out much like Wednesday, except we went into the more Intermediate Tarot items. We drew daily cards and talked about how they reflected what was going on. I drew the 9 of Wands which perfectly represented the protection, fear, and swirl of emotions over the tarot test and my bright personality. Then, Katrina took us through many types of spreads and also shared a real reading to show us how she performs readings with clients. Seeing how she incorporated her techniques into a real reading was key for me as I’m trying to learn her style of Tarot Counseling. Seeing it live really helped put all the pieces that we learned together and helped give me a more rounded idea of what goes on and how her methods differ from mine and other readers.

After another superb dinner, we spent another two hours reading for each other and taking the written part of the Level One Certificate. This time, Katrina took notes on those of us who were working on our certificate levels. Despite my anxieties, I loved being coached. This was the first time I had ever had another reader really give me feedback on my style and technique and “performance” and it felt good to receive positive and constructive criticism for something I am 100% committed to.

Everyone then left for their tents or hotel rooms and Katrina and I spent another hour and a half talking about my tarot goals and how she could help me. Once we were done chatting and getting a loose game plan going, she printed out a copy of my Level One Certificate. This means I’m now certified! Wahoo!

It was hard to sleep Thursday night but somehow I willed my body and mind to sit still enough to do so. Friday morning greeted me to a hawk flying over Katrina’s wonderful woodland property. I packed my campsite up and with help from another student, we got it all loaded into my car just in time for the last day of class to start. Katrina spend this final session on sharing some psychology counseling techniques with us. This was immensely helpful to me as there’s not enough books out there on tarot that delve into this deep and intriguing topic. My Powell’s wish list has now grown leaps and bounds with all sorts of books that she (and others) have recommended for me.

After swapping emails with everyone else and saying good byes, we all left to return home to our normal lives. I spent most of the drive processing the things I learned and the advice I’ve been given from my new tarot friends. Just after turning down Highway 34, I was gifted with a final sight… a black bear lumbered his way across the highway in front of my car. Which made me revert to childhood age as I exclaimed, “Bear bear! Bear bear!”, while bouncing in my seat for the next mile or so.

All in all I had a wonderful time and learned so much from everyone. Katrina plans on having another Intensive for us, to continue our learning in a few months… in Portland, even. I’m looking forward to continuing learning and growing and experiencing a new way of reading tarot from a very wise woman.

For more information, and pictures of the intensive, check out the wrap up post on Katrina’s blog. I’ll add some images to this post as soon as I get the images off my camera and get permission from the others to post them.

Innowen’s List of Tarot Decks
Last updated: 02.JUL.10

Bold decks are currently used for reading
Italicized have a signed component

Tarot Decks
Shadowscapes Tarot (Regular Edition)—professional & personal reading deck
Voyager Tarot—professional reading deck
Phantasmagoric Theater Tarot—spell/ritual deck
Shadowscapes Tarot (Special Edition)
Deviant Moon Tarot
The Fey Tarot
Vertigo Tarot (2nd edition, smaller cards)
Vertigo Tarot (1st edition)
Universal Waite Tarot
The Vampire Tarot
Wormweird Tarot
Thoth Tarot
Archeon Tarot
Hanson-Roberts Tarot (special Macromedia branded set, for the “web wizard you were destined to be”)
Mage the Ascension Tarot
Mage the Awakening Tarot
Tarot of the Trees
Mythical Goddess Tarot
Paulina Tarot
Tarot of the Cat People
The Bright Idea Deck
Tarot of the Magical Forest (chinese edition)
Necronomicon Tarot
Transparant Tarot
The Fifth Tarot
The Ferret Tarot
Haindl Tarot
Universal Fantasy Tarot
Tarot of the Sweet Twilight
Blank Tarot deck (to make my own deck someday)

Oracle Decks
Morgan’s Tarot (this has 88 cards in it)
Konxari Cards
Mystical Lenormand

Leather products these days are a sign of upper class and longevity. I’ve always loved the smell of leather and its cool, slick feel. By now you’re probably wondering why I’m including a case review here? I know I would. Well, this case is unlike any you’ve ever seen. Enter Renaissance Art. This small company, based in New Mexico, builds hand-made leather products. They produce a wide variety of handmade journals, bags and cases.

Recently, Renaissance Art added a few new products to their line. Products that cater to journalling enthusiasts all over the world. I’m here to tell you about my experience with just one of these new products, the Moleskine Cover with Single 3×5 Card Case for a pocket-sized Moleskine. Bottom line, I think this little leather case is worth the price for tarot enthusiasts to invest in. The idea that you can keep both a Moleskine journal and a card in the same area was just too good to pass up.

I purchased a two-tone Moleskine Cover with Single 3×5 card case from Renaissance Art a few years ago. This little gem is the perfect cover and companion to any small pocket-sized journal. It’s made of rugged leather so has that worn in and well loved look. This little case combines my two passions into one location: tarot and journalling. Opening the case exposes a slide in area that you can slip in a tarot card of the day, or index cards, on the left side and still have easy access to a journal on the right.

This case comes in three different colors: brown, black, and a two-tone brown/black combination. Renaissance Art even gives you three choices for your pen loop (small, medium and large). The leather Renaissance Art uses feels like it’s been around the globe and well traveled; unlike other companies whose fine grain leather feels too smooth and clean. The price is also right, at $50.00 to start (the price does quickly add up as you select various options like monogramming, adding a starter Moleskine, and a gift pouch.) But is this little case worth the price? I think so.

You can place 5 tarot cards (or 10 index cards) snuggly in the pouch area. Sliding cards into the case is easy: first you place the small set of cards into the bottom holder, then you bridge them as if they were a slim pack of playing cards and slide them up through the top strap. This holds them down so they don’t slip out.

Immediately upon purchasing the Cover from the online store, my mind flooded with ideas and uses. My first thought was how I could use this with my tarot practice. Barring the traditional uses for a Moleskine (like journals or planners), here’s what I came up with for various types of people and how they could use this case:

• Tarot enthusiasts: Slide a daily personal card or meditation card into the pocket. Use the Moleskine to capture thoughts and meditations on the card as the day progresses, or various spreads done to clarify goals.
• Writers: Use the pocket to keep track of story scenes, characters or settings. Use the Moleskine to write out the actual story.
• Students: Use the pocket to keep track of essay ideas or cram notes for tests. Use the Moleskine side to take class notes, write essays or compile study questions to use before your tests.
• Artists: Use the pocket to keep a paper-style watercolor palette of colors. Use the Moleskine side when you travel to capture sketches and scenes from your journeys in a watercolor Moleskine notebook. Replace the pen in your pen holder with a water brush for quick and anytime painting.
• Programmers: Use the pocket to keep track of current stories in your Agile development project. Use the Moleskine to keep track of meeting notes, extended story and feature requests, and comments from potential users.

I’ve now owned this case for a few years and I’m still very happy with the purchase. The snap enclosure still works and the leather holds up to a constant battering of being jostled around in various bags. Just looking at it makes me smile. Ordering was a breeze and the product came very quickly. Renaissance Art’s craftsmanship is of high quality and I know that the case protects anything inside of it throughout any weather. I’ve even gone camping with this case and it’s protected my cards from being warped and my thoughts from being smudged in some serious Pacific Northwest rain.

I consistently tell people that the cards are an excellent writer’s companion. The pictures speak to the imagination, the cards weave stories when set side by side in a reading. In addition, the symbolism just begs to be written about in a narrative form. I’ve always wanted to write a book on tarot–one that goes into detail on using the cards for creative inspiration. However, Corrine Kenner beat me to it. Her Tarot for Writers demystifies tarot and shows writers how to use a deck in fueling their creativity and writing practice. Tarot for Writers is jam packed with techniques, writing samples, and reference sections on both the meanings and symbols found in tarot.

The book has three main sections. Part one gives you the low-down on what tarot cards are, their history, and how to use them. Kenner introduces tarot in a way that doesn’t confuse or scare people who have never worked with a deck before. Part two gets to the fun stuff. These seven chapters discuss prompts, games, spreads and general information on applying the tarot to every aspect of the writing craft from plot to characters to setting and more. There’s even a chapter on using a tarot deck as your own Writing Coach. Part three takes you on a card-by-card tour of what each card means, its literary connections and archetypes, and gives a list of prompts to kickstart the muse. Finally, Kenner ends with a glossary of tarot terms and symbolism–which for me was a nice touch. I tend to use a lot of symbolism in my own work and I can see myself using the symbolism glossary as a handy reference guide.

What I liked: This book looks at tarot completely from a writer’s perspective. I love that it assumes the reader knows nothing about tarot and it tells you only the pertinent parts that relate to using it as a tool with your works. Kenner skips over the metaphysical background that turns many people from tapping into the creative and brainstorming power. Part Two gives an overwhelming (in a good way) package of exercises, spreads and ideas. There are many exercises to get your creative muse involved; it’s fun to pick and choose what to try. I also love the Writing Coach chapter. While I’ve used the cards to ask questions relating directly to my plot and characters, I’ve never really thought about asking it if the work I’m revising is going well or what I should be working on next. In the “Writer’s Guide to Tarot Cards” section, I liked how Kenner kept the focus on writing when discussing each card: integrating writing archetypes and suggesting prompts to further write about.

What I didn’t like: For me, the first third contains the “meat”. These are the chapters that give the techniques and spreads and all the other tips and tricks on integrating tarot with a writing practice. The last two-thirds of the book gave “just another set of tarot-based meanings” to apply to the cards. I understand why Kenner included this section in the book. These definitions are useful in providing people new to tarot with individual card meanings. But, for me, these meanings didn’t provide anything new. I’ve learned much of what she has in these sections from working with the cards in my own studies. Therefore, I felt like Part Three padded the book and took away from the primary focus of showing how to use the cards with writing.

Bottom Line: Despite my nitpicks, I think Tarot for Writers does exactly what it sets out to do. Corrine Kenner does an execellent job in teaching tarot and exciting writers to experiment with a tarot deck. Get this book if you’re a writer curious about the tarot and how it can help with your writing. If you’re a tarot enthusiast seeking new ways to expand your tarot knowledge you’ll want to add this to your library. And after you read it, break out your deck and start playing—let your deck take your creative writing to new realms.

Artwork and Book Written by Timothy Lantz
Published by US Games Systems, Inc.
ISBN 1-57281-488-8

The Archeon is a very personal deck. It contains the personal mythology and beliefs of visionary artist Timothy Lantz. The Archeon Tarot defines and explores Lantz’s symbolism and mythology in a very contemporary and graphic fashion. The card’s imagery is absolutely stunning. Lantz uses a digital canvas to create the cards and explore the very depths of his soul. Long before this tarot deck was even published, I had seen images of the cards on his website. And I was impressed with what I saw. The cards are a wonderful blend of dark, gothic, carnivale mixed with elements of the mystical and fantastic. But don’t let the darkness of the deck’s imagery fool you because within each card there is a strong sense of light and beauty. Each card’s image contains dazzling backgrounds and characters expressing realistic emotions; each layer thick with symbolism. Even the cards’ back include snippets of Lantz’s personal mythology and symbolism.

The little white book (LWB) that accompanies the deck helps guide the reader through Lantz’s world. It begins with a personal definition on his art. He defines the title of the deck, Archeon, as having a relationship with archeology, where “those who consult the Archeon Tarot sift through the layers of the cards, thus finding a way to harvest order and meaning from chaotic or seemingly unrelated events of life.” Which is a perfect description of what a tarot reader these days seeks to do. The LWB continues on to describe the cards, helping the reader peel away the mystery of these gorgeous cards. Lantz describes the Major arcana in detail beginning with quote that best fits the card’s mood. He goes on to describe the card’s imagery and offers suggestions for both upright and inverted meanings. All of which help to add and elaborate on the personal mythology and symbolism contained in the deck.

It’s hard to find any faults in this deck. I would have liked to see the minor arcana and court cards covered in detail just as much as the major arcana but this only begs for an expanded book to be written about this unique and creative deck. I strongly recommend this tarot deck for enthusiasts who admire the beauty of decks like the Vertigo Tarot or readers looking for a very modern interpretation of tarot. I know I am very much looking forward to working with the Archeon Tarot and exploring the personal mythology of Timothy Lantz and how it relates to my own life.

The Dante Tarot is a non-traditional 78 card deck. Black backgrounds with the title (and/or number) of the card appear on top of every card. In typical Lo Scarabeo style, the names of the cards are printed in 4 other languages below the central artwork. The design of the card’s backing appears like a chess board, with a castle one one side with a person writing and a landscape with a knight riding a dark horse on the other.

Andrea Serio painted the artwork and it’s her unique style that makes this deck noteworthy. Done in watercolor and pencil, Serio’s images are rather dreamy and does a good job of representing Dante’s ideals. Even the box the cards are kept in contains original artwork. However, I found it hard to associate many of the images on the cards to their meanings (traditional or otherwise) as the arcana switch between ideas and people throughout the entire deck. The Dante Tarot also comes with 2 variations of the King of Fire (Swords). One depicting an beast-like character while the other is more scenic in nature. The pamphlet that comes with the deck does not give any explanations as to why they did this.

The deck deviates from a standard deck with its minor arcana names. It replaces Swords with Fire, Coins (pentacles) with Clouds, Wands with Bricks and the Cups with Lights. The deck comes with a LWB; according to it, the symbolism was changed to conform more to the standards Dante wrote about in his works, mainly The Divine Comedy. The second way the Dante Tarot deviates from standard decks is in it’s interpretations. It does not follow the Rider-Waite and Crowley interpretations of the cards. For example, the Fool, normally represented by most decks as new beginnings and adventures now becomes “Need. Eccentric behavior, recklessness, and material or psychological problems”.

The card stock used to print the cards on is thicker and glossier than other decks. At first I thought this was a good thing making the deck appear as if it would last longer. However, this made shuffling the cards harder to do without damaging the darker edges of the cards. The LWB seems to be designed as a reference guide only and it does not go into great depth on each card’s imagery and meaning. This was a bit disappointing since The Dante Tarot seems different from other decks. However, there are two different layouts inside the booklet.

Because of the dramatic changes in the meanings and the inability to quickly “connect” with the cards, they make the deck almost unapproachable for me as a reader to utilize quickly as a divination deck. It would take a great deal of studying this deck and practicing readings using the methods the LWB describes for one to adequately use the Dante Tarot for divination. I do, however, love the imagery and believe that it would make a great companion to those studying Dante and his Divine Comedy.

The Fey Tarot distills the best of both worlds in tarot and the art of Japanese anime and recombines them into something new and exciting. Written by Riccardo Minetti, featuring the artwork of Mara Aghem, this deck is wonderful for both the young at heart and in age. The tarot presented here is lighthearted and kind, “bringing no shadows.” However, this lightness does not eliminate the darkness of traditional tarot decks; instead, The Fey Tarot subdues and twists the negative card meanings inwards. In doing so, this set becomes easily accessible and understood by children.

“The Fey Tarot is a deck full of life,” writes Riccardo Minetti, the author of the enclosed book. There cannot be anything closer to the truth. The bold colors of the cards contrast with the simplicity of the design, creating a uniquely magical and deftly detailed series of story-cards. Each whole card is alive; from the attention paid to the expression in each creature’s eyes to the way the fey’s world blends into the card. Using a combination of unique and bold color palettes, Mara Aghem brings the center focus of each card straight into the emotions the images evoke. Every creature’s face, every part of their actions, contains realistic emotions. Each card becomes a theater for the mind?s eye; where the fey perform on center stage teaching their lessons and showing their perspectives and views of the world and the meaning of life. The cards beg to be played with and explored.

The book is also a masterpiece. At 156 pages long, it delves deeper into the concepts and ideas that made this deck possible. It begins with the core foundations and beliefs of the artwork, going straight into designer Aghem’s mind showing how she developed the cards’ sketches and emotions. Then it introduces the mysterious history of the tarot, and how the fey are a perfect match for this divination tool. Lastly, the cards themselves are described in detail, Minetti adding layer upon layer of insight and meaning into the simple but intricate artwork. The book ends by showing 4 unique spreads to use the cards with, from simple 3 cards on up to complex 8 card designs.

The Fey Tarot is a great addition to tarot enthusiasts’ collections. This is the product of the first collaboration between Minetti and Aghem (hopefully not the last). This deck marks a new perspective on deck design for the new millennium. It also moves away from traditional meanings of the cards giving them a fresh and playful twist. I would also recommend this deck as a great way to introduce young children to the modern world of the tarot, as it presents a very accessible and non-threatening view of the tarot and its concepts.