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The Mythic Goddess Tarot, by Hannah Davies

The Mythic Goddess Tarot, by Jayne Wallace and illustrated by Hannah Davies
CICO Books, 1800651554, 78 cards, 64 pages, October 2022

Connecting with various goddesses is a key part of my spiritual practice; I’ve found the goddess in her many forms provides tough love and restorative nourishment to my soul. When I picked up The Mythic Goddess Tarot by Jayne Wallace, I was immediately drawn to its gentle, intuitive energy that radiates the power of the sacred feminine. I thought to myself, “This deck truly conveys the Goddess’s wisdom.” And since then, the advice I’ve received has helped me immensely in navigating life’s ups and downs.

Though the feminine pastel colors of the deck might convey this deck has a gentle tone, there is plenty of strength and power to be found in the messages of the cards. Each one of the 22 major arcana cards portrays a goddess that personifies its energy, all beautifully drawn and brought to life with vivid colors, while the minor arcana cards are differentiated by color and  suit symbol (coin, sword, cup, wand). On every card is the name plus a one word meaning at the bottom. The guidebook provides more in-depth explanations of each card, but I’ve found the word at the bottom helps to quickly ascertain the card’s message.

Speaking of the guidebook, it’s a bright-colored booklet that features information on getting to know the cards, starting and finishing a reading, as well as various spreads one can use with this deck. In addition to the well-known one-card reading, past-present-future reading, and Celtic Cross spread, Wallace  offers The Power Pyramid, The Crossroad, and The Divine Truth spread, which is neat because it covers the whole year.

Then Wallace shares meanings for both the major and minor arcana cards, though the major arcana cards are a bit longer because in addition to the keywords and meaning, which is what is provided for the minor arcana, there is also a section describing the goddess depicted on the card. She describes what the goddess is ruler of or oversees, as well as her mythology and where she originates from. The major arcana cards also feature a sentence-long mantra to say, affirming the message of the card.

What I liked most about this deck was the choice of goddesses for each card. I have a ton of goddess oracle decks, yet it seems like it’s always the same goddesses appearing. While there were some well-known goddesses (Athena and her mighty lion are portrayed on the Strength card, while Aphrodite and her paramore are on the Lovers cards), this deck featured quite a few goddesses I’d never heard of before, making me excited to learn more about their mythology and their unique attributes.

There is Asase Yaa, a West African goddess, representing the Empress, Luthianian goddess Ragana representing death, and Indian goddess Dhumavati representing the Hanged Man. I appreciate that it feels like Wallace put genuine thought and creative consideration into picking each goddess for this deck and went beyond the traditional goddesses, inviting new perspectives into querenets’ reading through these cards. She writes in the introduction:

“One of the things I love about goddesses is that they are everywhere. From every corner of the globe, you will find mythologies, stories, and fables with gods and goddesses at their heart. Whether in ancient Greece, Africa, Asia, or Europe, or with any type of religion, it’s easy to see throughout history the impact these superhuman beings have had on the shaping of the world as we know today.”1

Another reason I’ve been using this deck often is because I love to display on my personal altar the serenely gorgeous artwork of this deck, which was illustrated by Hannah Davies. I’ve started a practice of shuffling just the major arcana and asked which goddess I should work with for the week. After I pick my card, I place the card on my dresser surrounded by crystals, flowers, and other little trinkets related to the goddess I’ve chosen. This helps me to connect with goddesses and feel her presence in my life daily, especially when I see the goddess of the week’s qualities coming through in my interactions with others, guiding me to embrace the energy in play.

If I am having trouble connecting with the goddess’s energy, I’ll spend time gazing at the artwork on the card and meditating on the symbolism. This method is yet another way that I’ve found useful in opening myself up psychically to the wisdom of the goddess, and the beauty of the deck makes it a very aesthetically pleasing experience, even for the goddesses that tend to be more feared, such as Hekate (The Magician) or Ananke (The Devil). Wallace’s description coupled with Davies’ artwork make these goddesses feel more accessible, giving me courage to embrace their sacred teachings.

I will admit, I’m quite a fan of Wallace’s other decks, such as The Angel Tarot, The Magical Nordic Tarot, and The Moon and Stars Tarot, so I’m not surprised that I connect so well with this one too. Wallace has a unique way of translating sacred energies into her decks that resonates with me, and I have noticed the way the various themes of her decks call to me at different times based on the type of reading I need at the moment.

Aptly, in addition to creating decks, Wallace has also used her spiritual gifts to bring together a tribe of wise women by founding Psychic Sisters, a team of clairvoyant women that offer intuitive readings in London and remotely, along with a wellness line that sells reiki-energized crystals, mists, oils, candles, cosmetics, and more. It’s definitely worth checking out their website, as well as Wallace’s other decks, if you’re interested in connecting with psychic readers for more insight.

All in all, Mythic Goddess Tarot has become my favorite divination deck for working with the energy of the goddess. I’m still making my way through getting to know all the goddesses of this deck, but even in the short time I’ve been working with it, I’ve felt the potency of the goddess being woven into my life. Wallace has truly created a holistic deck, magically combining the many faces of goddesses from around the world to assist readers in connecting to the goddess within themselves when making meaningful life choices. I highly recommend this deck to those who enjoy working with goddess energy and are looking to more fully incorporate Her wisdom in their readings.

Twist Your Fate, Theresa Reed

Twist Your Fate: Manifest Success with Astrology and Tarot, by Theresa Reed
Weiser Books, 1578637686, 272 pages, August 2022

Astrology and tarot go hand-in-hand if you ask me, but prior to Twist Your Fate: Manifest Success with Astrology and Tarot by Theresa Reed, I had never seen a book that combined the two. Twist Your Fate does a wonderful job of synthesizing the intricacies of these two mystical systems into easy to practice exercises and inquiries that are sure to have a lasting impact on one’s spiritual journey. Beginners and experts alike have something to gain from this book, which is bound to call in the magic that happens when you align will with the forces at play.

Reed, also known as The Tarot Lady, has formerly published books on both tarot and astrology, including Tarot No Questions Asked: The Art of Intuitive Reading and Astrology for Real Life: A Workbook for Beginners, making her the perfect writer to introduce readers to the dual-system of using astrology and tarot in combination. Her other works include Tarot for Troubled Times, The Tarot Coloring Book, and Create Your Own Tarot Cards for those who are inclined to get creative with the tarot.

It often seems the amount of studying and dedication that goes into learning tarot and astrology make people pick one or the other to focus on. It’s common for expert astrologers to only have a basic knowledge of the tarot, and vice versa with skilled tarot readers only knowing their Sun sign. Plus, even for those who are drawn to both, there’s little information about how to use the two in combination. But with Twist Your Fate, Reed helps readers go beyond the either/or and do a deep-dive into both astrology and tarot before integrating the two together, opening a whole new world of possibilities.

Divided into four parts, Reed leads readers through lessons on astrology, tarot, listening to their intuition, and bringing it all together in the end. The longest section of the book is the first one, humorously named “Part One: Cover Your Ass-trology”. I was pleasantly surprised with the range of astrology topics Reed included: the midheaven, nodes, transits, retrogrades, influence of the moon, and even vocation and life calling. She did a wonderful job of making these astrological concepts approachable, and it’s for this reason this has become the book I would recommend to beginners to astrology above all other books on the topic.

Even if the astrological terms or process of reading the chart feels intimidating, Reed’s gently direct approach helps readers to gain their own footing. She provides her own interpretations for all the different astrological placements, feeding reader’s insight about their own chart, but also leaves plenty of room for everyone to connect with the chart in their own way and form interpretations from within. Throughout the chapters there are plenty of “astrocises” which are exercises intended to help the reader examine their chart further to facilitate integration of the chapter topic.

These astrocises are quite creative and are good for creatively engaging with one’s astrological chart. I’ve been a professional astrologer for many years, and sometimes I’m tempted to gloss over others’ interpretations of the houses, signs, or different planetary energies. But Reed caught my attention and kept it through and through. Even though the astrological topics covered are something I am quite familiar with, her approach was novel and engaging. The way she presents the material was an invitation for me to do a check in and truly deep dive into my astrological chart, which I honestly hadn’t done for quite some time. As I worked through the astrocises, certain patterns coming up for me right now were illuminated, and I felt like I gained a better perspective about the blessings and challenges emerging in my life at this time.

Then the tarot section was just pure gold because Reed has been reading cards for over 30 years! She shares her interpretation of the 22nd Major Arcana cards and the 56 Minor Arcana cards – both upright and reversed. Additionally included is the numerology and planetary correspondence of each card. The images used are the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which I think helps readers, especially beginners, to see all the subtleties of the cards since it’s a very popular deck that many other decks are based on.

My favorite chapter in the tarot section was “Taking Your Cards to Work” where Reed guides readers through asking the right questions and using spreads to get the most out of one’s reading. Some of the spreads she shares are The Astrological Wheel, The Horseshoe Spread, and The Options Spread, which I found to be great for decision-making! A real perk of the chapter is how Reed uses sample readings so the reader gains an understanding of how she puts it all together to come to an interpretation of the cards. Plus, along the way there’s plenty of “tarotcises” that once again facilitate an opportunity to connect with the lessons of the chapter.

“I have always said that astrology creates the map; Tarot shows you the detours. But there is one more crucial element – your intuition.”2

Before the culminating section, Reed binds astrology and tarot together with insight on how to discover, develop, and trust one’s intuition. This section is essential for all readers, as astrology and tarot both ask you to learn to have confidence in the answers you receive, both from your chart, cards, and most of all, from within. I appreciate that in this section Reed doesn’t sugarcoat the intuitive journey though, making it all “love and light”, rather she provides advice about what to do if your intuition is wrong or if there’s no meaningful insight coming through in a reading. This section definitely helps readers to feel better about the bumps in the road on their intuitive journey, while providing guidance and advice about how to make it a bit smoother.

The final section invites the reader to grab their chart, get their cards, and use their intuition to divine insight into a present situation. Reed aptly calls it an “astro-tarot-intui-cise”3 To be honest, I haven’t worked my way up to this fully comprehensive spread yet! I wouldn’t say I’m intimidated, as Reed has prepared me well, but I feel like this is going to be a meaningful reading, so I want to give it the time and space it deserves to truly delve into the reading. I like knowing I can pull out the “big guns” aka this thorough reading when it’s needed most, and I’m trusting the time to use it will present itself sometime down the line!

All in all, Twist Your Fate is a fantastic resource for deepening one’s connection to astrology, tarot, and intuition. Reed’s experience and wisdom shines through the text as she guides readers on the journey of learning how to manifest success, which many agree is no easy feat! Without even realizing it’s happening, readers will start to gain confidence in themselves as they reveal new facets of their astrological make-up and gain the ability to interpret what life presents through a lens of empowerment, rather than discouragement. The tools taught in this book are sure to have life-long value, especially the more you practice and trust the messages you receive.

Elemental Power Tarot, by Melinda Lee Holms

Elemental Power Tarot, by Melinda Lee Holms
CICO Books, 978-1782499220, 64 page, 2020


Elemental Power Tarot is a beautiful deck, which uses rustic, muted tones and hand-drawn images to create an earthy look. What is unique about this deck’s approach to the tarot is that none of the cards feature images of people — only inanimate objects and animals are featured in the images.

The author and designer, Melinda Lee Holm, explains in the book accompanying the deck that it is her intention the querent superimposes themself in the images instead of see another person there. So, for example, The Fool card depicts a winding dirt pathway that meanders out off the side of a cliff, as if the querent themself were taking this risk instead of watching it be taken by somebody else. Likewise, the High Priestess, Empress, and Emperor all depict empty, yet appropriately decorated thrones. Meanwhile, the Heirophant depicts a Buddhist meditation shrine on the side of a path.

I quite like this approach as it challenges the querent to truly see themselves in the midst of the situation at hand and not simply as a passive observer. Some of the cards seem to present environmental messages as well — the Death card portraying a bee on a skull and crossbones, and Judgement shows pollution buried underground. Each Major Arcana features both an astrological symbol and a Hebrew glyph to invite the querent towards further insight into the meaning of the card.

However, the only thing I do not like about this deck is that the cards of the Minor Arcana only show the element (Swords, Wands, Cups or Disks) in the amount of the card’s number. There is no scenic image to help discern the meaning of the card. My good friend exclaimed as she picked up the deck that she would not be able to read the cards because she’s trained in the method of reading solely based in intuitively interpreting images. So from this light, this deck is not the best choice for someone who is on the newer side of reading tarot and doesn’t the meanings memorized. Still, the accompanying guidebook is thorough and easy to read, so really anyone willing to take the time can get an accurate reading using this deck.

The book accompanying this deck is actually quite exceptional. Holm starts off with instructions on how to perform a 5-element ritual to welcome the deck into your life and initiate its prophetic power. From there she includes suggestions on phrasing questions in “tarot speak” to get clearer results as well as an intuitive technique she calls “reading the room.” Holm offers her readers 3 different simple spreads to get started: classic 3-card, 5-card and 10-card spreads. The spreads are clear and easy to follow — the 10-card is based on the classic Celtic Cross spread for those who may be familiar.

The book also includes a chart of all the Hebrew glyphs and astrology symbols used on the Major Arcana cards in the deck. This quick-reference chart is something any tarot reader would greatly appreciate, as she side-steps all the esoteric rigamarole and gets right to the point with clear, one word meanings.

In terms of the individual card descriptions, the book offers each card in the deck a symbolic interpretation, a guidance, and a challenge (though it isn’t specified, a querent might favor the challenge if a card is reversed). What is remarkable about this deck is that in the book for each of the Major Arcana cards Holm includes a section called “Apothecary” where she pairs an herb with the card and offers instruction on how to use it.

For example, The Magician: “Cinnamon activates personal magick. Sprinkle it on porridge, boil the sticks to make tea, or use it as a room freshener in potpourri.”4 This was a wonderful addition that helps to connect each reading to the realm of nature, while also learning about the uses of different herbs in energy work.

Your Magickal Year, by Melinda Lee Holm

Your Magickal Year: Transform your life through the seasons of the zodiac, by Melinda Lee Holm
CICO Books, 1800650957, 160 pages, April 2022

What does it mean to live magically? If you’re on a journey to discover this for yourself, Your Magickal Year: Transform your life through the seasons of the zodiac by Melinda Lee Holm is the perfect book to use as guidance when cultivating a magical lifestyle. This book guides you through the year, tapping into the new and full moon through all the zodiac signs to facilitate personal growth and understanding through the transformation that comes from attuning to the lunar cycle.

“To follow a magickal year is to make a full lap of the stars, touching on each full and new moon, every solstice and equinox, to honor its influence and open yourself to receive it.”5

Holm is a tarot priestess, entrepreneur, and creative writer. She owns her own beauty line that creates all sorts of goodies, such as fragrance oils, natural deodorant, detoxifying cleansing masks, face oil, and more. She published her own Elemental Power Tarot deck and is also co-author of Divine Your Dinner: A cookbook for using tarot as your guide to magickal meals, which made me hungry just hearing the name and curious enough to order it.. review most likely coming soon. 🙂

But let’s focus on Your Magickal Year for right now! First of all, it’s absolutely stunning to look through with gorgeous, hand-drawn images by artist Rohan Daniel Eason filling each page. The beautiful blue hardcover makes it perfect to  keep on one’s coffee table for decoration and necessity, as you’ll need it every two weeks if you’re following the lunar cycle.

As for the interior, there’s the perfect amount of negative space in the content of the book to really allow one’s eyes to focus on the information and pictures to indulge in the joy of fantastic aesthetics. The visual appeal and organization is what makes this book perfect to work with because one can open to a page and fully immerse themselves without having to flip back and forth. Rather than be overwhelming, there’s an invitation to dive in that comes when flipping through the pages. What’s also really unique is how Holm’s Elemental Power Tarot cards are featured as sample readings and as depictions of the tarot cards to use in the rituals. If you love her deck, you’d really enjoy seeing all the artwork in this book.

Holm starts off by providing the reader with a 101 lesson on astronomy, astrology, and magick. From there, the essential tools of the book are covered: tarot cards, a journal, energy clearing tools, candles, crystals, and other supplies that might be needed, including herbs and oils for dressing candles or making offerings. Holm provides plenty of advice about these tools and how to use them, so even someone new to magical workings would feel comfortable getting started. There’s even a very helpful crystal guide of the energy each crystal is best for cultivating.

From here, Holm introduces the reader to four principles that will guide their work, as well as the four elements. She provides a brief overview on timing and preparation for working with the book and then offers answers to some FAQs about the book. The whole introduction is short and sweet, but definitely a solid foundation to begin with.

Now here’s the good part. For each astrological season, Holm writes about the zodiac sign’s symbolism, the magical energy of the season, tarot cards representing the sign, seasonal activities for this time of year, journaling for that season with prompt or suggestion about what to focus on, and a tarot spread for the season. She definitely provides a multi-layered approach to connecting with each season from both an intuitive and astrological perspective. Then there is a section on each zodiac sign’s new moon and full moon, with a little description about the significance of the time and how to connect with the lunar energy, and a ritual.

Since we are approaching a full moon, where the Sun in Taurus will be opposite the Moon in Scorpio, I’ll share the example of what Holm has to say about this time:

“The Taurus/Scorpio axis reveals areas of tension between stability and transformation. It invites conflict between our need to ground and our need to reinvent, what sustains life and what beckons the release of death. Whatever area of life you are ready to  bravely see, accept, and seriously overhaul is lit up by this moon.”6

The ritual provided is “designed to help you focus your energy on what you value most, releasing emotional attachment to things, tasks, situations, or relationships that are no longer important to you or relevant to your personal development.”7page 53[/efn_] The ritual involves use of a cleansing tool, the two tarot cards associated with Taurus (Hierophant) and Scorpio (Death), candles, oil, something symbolic of what you want to release, and purpose, white, and black crystals.

What I like about each ritual is they are fairly simple to do, but the combination of candles, tarot cards, and crystals makes them very potent. Admittedly, some people might not have all the materials readily on hand, so I suggest looking over the ritual about a week before to make sure you’re prepared. I also think this helps you to start connecting with the ritual and setting your own intention.

So far, I’ve worked with the Aries season of the book and the Taurus new moon. As an astrologer, I can vouch for Holm’s interpretation of each zodiac sign. She is definitely skilled in her craft and does an amazing job of translating the energy of the seasons into insightful, transformative practices that are fun to incorporate into one’s daily life. The journal prompts are helpful for focusing my awareness on the energy of the season, allowing me to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves. And the rituals make me feel like I am grounding the energy and honoring the lunar cycles through my intentional alignment.

For easy access to the timing of the  lunar cycle, there is a “Key Dates” section at the end of the book with the date and time of all the new and full moons from 2022 to 2030. Plus, there’s a very helpful index for reference. For instance, if you’re reading with book with a background in tarot, you can quickly look up in the index a tarot card of interest and find the page it’s discussed on.

All in all, Your Magickal Year is an absolutely stellar book. It’s gorgeous, accessible, and most of all, extraordinarily mystical. I think it’s the perfect book for beginning a practice of connecting with the lunar year or deepening the practice you already have. As someone who’s actively worked with the lunar cycles for over a decade now, Holm’s rituals, journal prompts, and tarot spreads provided new inspiration and brought a breath of fresh air to my practice. We all deserve a magical life, and this book for sure will be of use when creating one.

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova, by Ruth Hogan

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova: A Novel, by Ruth Hogan
William Morrow Paperbacks, 0063075431, 304 pages, September 2021

Sometimes I dream about having the life of a boardwalk fortune teller. What could be better than being near the ocean with the continuous swirl of entertainment and merriment as visitors enjoy their vacations. But as a professional tarot reader, I know there’s a deeper, more hidden side to the profession. And this mixture of the enjoyments and secrecy is what Ruth Hogan has captured perfectly in The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova: A Novel.

This heartwarming tale centers upon Madame Imelda Burova, beloved tarot reader, palmist, and clairvoyant8, and a young woman named Billie who just lost both her parents, her job, and marriage. Madame Burova shares a trust and photograph given to her from Billie’s birth mother, then the mystery compels Billie to find out the truth of her origins.

Grappling with the news, Billie forges a relationship with Madame Burova, who happily brings her into the fold of the eccentric community of the boardwalk.Though, the memories of the past do drum up old hurts for Madame Burova. Though recently retired, she’s feeling a bit lost without her fortune-telling, which remained her core identity.

Madame Burova must confront her own past and the truths that Billie uncovers to resolve matters of the heart that have weighed heavy on her for decades. Flashbacks between past and present weave an intriguing story of romance and deception, as the readers try to piece together who Bilie’s birth mother and father truly are.

What’s so neat about the story is how it depicts Madame Burova’s beachside fortune-telling lifestyle. Hogan does a wonderful job of portraying the emotional intricacies of being a tarot reader. From the secrets people confess to the intuitive knowledge that one knows but can’t be spoken, the full experience of having the gift is revealed. Anyone who does tarot reading themselves or understands the fine line clairvoyants walk between the seen and unseen world would really resonate with her character.

Then in contrast, Billie is just the average woman doing her best to come to terms with this new insight. I enjoyed her as a character because she wasn’t mopey or self-pitying. She had much self-awareness and wholeheartedly chose to embrace the cards that the Universe dealt her to remake her life. She is considerate towards others and willing to open up and cultivate the relationships with the new people in her life. Her story was one of hope, optimism, and friendships cherished and made.

Plus, how the two stories interweave is just brilliant! Hogan really did a great job of keeping the reader guessing who the mother and father might be. I had quite a few different suspicions throughout reading the book, but the end was even better than imagined! All the pieces are there, right under the readers’ nose the whole time, but the way it all comes together is very well done. It felt good to read a mystery that for once wasn’t about a murder! And I just loved the fortune-telling aspect woven in too.

This isn’t a magical, enchanted story. Rather, it reads as though it could be real life. It portrays Madame Burova family, job, and relationships realistically, and they are all quite endearing. There was plenty of backstory about Madame Burova too. Hogan did a wonderful job of highlighting Madame Burova’s roots with her Romani gypsy mother with a vardo in the back coupled with her Russian father that loved to cook. When she does find true love, it’s very funny to see how her parents encourage it. And for those who love dogs, it’s worth mentioning that Madame Burova has two constant companions through the years, Dasha and Mabel, whose antics always bring a levity to the situations in the book.

All in all, The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova was a 10/10 read for me. It’s so rare to read fiction that depicts the normal life of a tarot reader, rather than having it be all about magic or sorcery. This was plain and simple a lifelike story that takes the reader on a journey of the full range of human emotions and comes together for the most perfect ending. Sometimes it seems the past and present intersect at exactly the right time to open the door for a fresh start, both individually and as a community.

The Body Tarot, by Emma McArthur

The Body Tarot, by Emma McArthur
CICO Books, 1800650965, 72 cards, 66 pages, April 2022

After reading tarot cards for so long, I am always excited for adapted decks that use the tarot as a foundation to build from to create something novel. This is exactly what Emma McArthur has done with The Body Tarot, which bridges the magic of the body and the subconscious to reveal hidden insights. Integrating Western and Chinese medicine, this deck offers a unique look at what’s going on inside of us both literally and figuratively.

In the guidebook, McArthur explains how studying the physical form of our bodies deeply impacted her art and gave rise to the idea for the deck.

“When I first began doing anatomical drawings, I was astounded at the complex structure of our flesh, bones, and blood. The patterns, shapes, and colors enchanted me and I wanted my art to reflect how little we know of our inner workings and introduce that to my audience. It began conversations about the body that showed me that many of us are in the dark about what we actually look like on the inside. ”9

Then McArthur realized this lack of knowledge of our internal physical structures was similar to the hidden, mysterious workings of our subconscious mind too.

“This then made me think of how we often do not know the workings of our subconscious mind and we traverse situations reacting instinctively without realizing why we’re behaving in a certain way. It seemed to me that the tarot, rather than simply a predictive divinatory system, is also a profoundly useful tool to discover the impulses hidden within us. In this way, the idea of the tarot deck was born.”10

But this is no ordinary tarot deck. While it does have a twenty-two-card major arcana, there are no court cards, which I’m sure might prompt a sigh of relief for some readers since they can be challenging to read at times. In their place is a fifth suit, Metal, which corresponds to the suit Pentacles, as does the suit Earth. The other three suits are Wood (Swords), Fire (Wands), and Water (Cups). This integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine into the suits makes for slightly different interpretations than the traditional tarot deck. But once understood, it greatly enhances the readings, particularly if one has some background knowledge about Chinese medicine.

Regardless of your level of knowledge about Western or Chinese medicine, though, the cards themselves are helpful in determining their message. There is a keyword at the bottom of each card to assist with interpretation. The major arcana cards in The Body Tarot even have the name of the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) card on them too for easy reference. Admittedly, the minor arcana is a bit more of a leap to learn since one has to remember the corresponding traditional suit with each Chinese element suit, but the keyword leans a hand in figuring out the meaning, as does the resourceful guidebook.

One of the most interesting aspects of the minor arcana cards is how each element suit has both a main and secondary organ association, which is featured on the card. For instance, the main organ of the suit Fire is Heart and the secondary organ is Small Intestine, both of which are featured on all the cards. For me, this added layers to the interpretation of the card because it felt multilayered.

I am someone who enjoys the interpretive process of discerning a card’s message, so I would piece together the information about the heart and spiritual intestine from the guidebook plus what I know about the traditional meaning of the card and come up with my own intuitive approach. Granted this didn’t work as well on the Metal suit, since that one felt a bit foreign to me, but in a delightful way. It’s even prompted me to learn a bit more about the Chinese elements, since this one is rarely included in Western practices.

For those who want a more straight-forward reading and aren’t as interested in playing around with the layers of these cards, the guidebook is also immensely helpful. For each card there are additional keywords and a description of the card’s message. Here’s a little sample of the guidebook for The Eyes, or the Chariot traditionally:

“Around 80 percent of our sensory perception comes from our eyes, if we are sighted. While we often hear the truism that appearances can be deceptive, for the most part, the other saying that “seeing is believing” is the one we follow. This card is telling you that your eyes are not deceiving you and the succes you may have been craving is your for the taking. There is an element of divine help (if you believe in a higher powers) or dumb luck (if you don’t), but the greater part of the victories indicated by this card will come from grit and faith in your own abilities.”11

I chose this description for this card because it appeared in a reading I was doing for a querent asking about making a career shift. Since I was reading with the deck for the first time, and it was a social get-together rather than a professional reading, we consulted the guidebook. The indication seemed clear she should pursue the opportunities in front of her and the combination of her own determination plus a bit of luck would pave the way.

As for the card illustrations, this deck is vibrantly colorful and beautifully simplicity. McArthur describes how she was influenced by Gray’s Anatomy, a 19th century medical reference book, by Henry Carter. Peering into the marvels of the body is such an interesting way to also delve into the wisdom of the subconscious, and McArthur does a wonderful job stimulating the reader visually to assist in making these connections.

I even spent time meditating with some of the major arcana cards, such as the Eyes, Ears, and Muscles, while doing an awareness breathing exercise through my body. Connecting to the physical body part helps me to better embody the messages I’m receiving from the deck, which is a neat aspect to it that is different from other tarot decks.

All in all, The Body Tarot is a very special synthesis of science and intuition. The blend of Western and Chinese medicine makes for multi-faceted readings that can be as straight-forward or layered as the reader feels called to explore. The learning curve of this deck will be inciting for readers who have the traditional tarot down-pat and are looking for new avenues of insight and creative interpretation, while beginners will be able to gather ample information from their readings through the descriptive guidebook. The best part of this deck is the connection it fosters by making the internal visible, prompting further curiosity and deep appreciation for all that goes on in the unseen realms of body, mind, and soul.

The Wanderer’s Tarot, by Casy Zabala

The Wanderer’s Tarot, by Casey Zabala
Weiser Books, 1578637597, November 2021

There is room for everyone to improve in life, but sometimes we don’t know where to start. The Wanderer’s Tarot by Casey Zabala appears to be an amazing jumping-off point for this particular activity; only time will tell, and I doubt time will prove this observation wrong. Casey Zabala is a creator after my own heart, believing in divination as a means of healing self-discovery and personal empowerment. Her deck, The Wanderer’s Tarot, is a tool I will be keeping in rotation for a long time.

This box is just superb! The design is simple, but the sleek all black design with white text is inviting. The artwork present is barebones, but alluring. The picture on the back made me immediately paw through the cards to see which card art inspired it (it’s the Wanderer of Stones).

The spine is completely blank: there’s no name, no doodles, just black inky nothingness, which I only see as an issue if you display your decks on a shelf of any kind with spines facing out. But then again, you could resolve this issue with a sticky tab or, dare I say, writing on the box yourself! The opening mechanism is a hinge style clam-like lid. Now, I wouldn’t go shaking it about, but it stays quite secure. I would trust this box to protect the cards on the go if you take a deck with you.

Now onto the cards themselves. The card stock is great. They have a good amount of give without feeling thin and aren’t obnoxiously thick, I have small hands so card sizing is very important to me in a deck. If I can’t shuffle the deck, I’m less likely to use it and will then feel bad about neglecting it.

The cards were thankfully held together not by plastic but rather by a simple black paper band that I was able to slide back on after removing if I was careful… up until the point where I stepped on the band like a goofus. Off topic, so let’s get back on track with the edges of these bad boys. They are so shiny! I have in the past gone out of my way to color the edges of some of my other decks, but these cards came pre-treated with a shiny silver, and I am in love to a degree.

On flip through, the cards stuck together much more than usual, and my hands came away with a faint dusting of silver the first few times of handling. This silver is a gorgeous contrast to the solid black background of these cards. The backs lend themselves well to reading reversals. The circle in the middle with lines radiating off of it gives me “light at the end of the tunnel” vibes, and I like that a lot. These cards are a bit wider than your standard deck but it is still very shuffle-able.

Reading with these cards is a bit tricky though. The numbering for both the majors and the minors are not consistently placed, so I find myself looking for the numbers or names on some cards. I do, however, appreciate that the majors don’t use the traditional roman numerals and the minors are denoted by tally marks only.

It makes you think a little when doing a reading, and that’s kind of the whole point of the deck: diving deeper into the mind and self to better your existence. The minor arcana is drawn in a very pip like style which, in my mind, would prove a bit hard for a new reader to understand as there isn’t any of the traditional RWS context images to help them out.

We’re gonna talk about that smell now. This is my biggest problem with this deck. Trying to riffle shuffle them the first time made it more obvious than when just holding it. If smells trigger any issues of yours, let these cards air out. Set them on a window sill or a table spread out for a few days, otherwise you will not have a fun time. Do the same with the box, leave it open before storing them.

Enough tough talk, let’s look at the guidebook. The book isn’t so much a book as it is a pamphlet with quick info on the cards. Zabala makes it pretty clear that we’re supposed to sit with these cards and come up with our own personal meanings and really suss out how these cards make us feel when they come up, rather than treat the guide like it’s some kind of god.

Our major arcana cards get a few keywords apiece, which is pretty standard fare. The minor arcana got an interesting treatment though. The only bits that get any kind of in-depth meaning is the suits and court cards, as they were changed for this deck. Pentacles are now Stones, Swords are Knives, Wands to Feathers, and Cups to Moons. There is a short explanation of each of the suits on their own panel.

But the truly interesting part is how the numbered minor arcana are treated. We get a numerology cheat sheet of sorts that we have to pair with the traits of the suits to get our meaning. The courts are a bit tricky; they feel like their own entity completely divorced from the RWS courts. I couldn’t figure out a one-to-one correspondence, so here they are for you to decide: Philosopher, Goddess, Prophet, and Wanderer. I won’t say anymore on them as I feel you should pick up this deck to sate that curiosity and support the creator yourself.

There is an option to purchase a more in-depth book from their shop for $20 USD. I would suggest picking up the book with this deck, even though I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. In the description of the item it says there are spreads, in-depth meanings plus reversals, and a brief history of the tarot in the big book. As of writing this, the full guidebook is out of stock on Zabala’s shop, but here’s a link to the book itself anyway for your viewing pleasure.

The sheer amount of self-reflection I’ve been forced to do with this deck is unreal. From the moment I pulled my first card, it was already reading me to filth. There is a brutal honesty in these cards that most of my other decks also have with me, so I guess that’s just how I get messages best. Tell me straight up — no sugar coating, hit meh!

While I don’t feel any more connected to the wider world around me through the work I’ve done with these cards, I feel more grounded in myself. I’m setting down roots that I need to start reaching for the cosmic truths this deck wants to throw at me. So, if you pick this one up, get ready for a journey cause you’ll be going on one whether you think you want to or not.

The Wanderer’s Tarot holds lessons that I think everyone should hear regardless of how you identify, and I would love to say everyone should pick up a copy, but I can’t. Are you open to looking into yourself? Can you admit to yourself that things need to change and are you capable of enacting those changes? If the answer to any of those questions is “no”, then this is not for you at this time. This change is what the deck wants for me and what it will want for you. It will make you think, it will tell you the same thing as many times as it takes to get you to do something about it. It will fight you FOR you to ensure growth is happening.

The Sacred Sisterhood Tarot, by Ashawnee DuBarry and Coni Curi

The Sacred Sisterhood Tarot: Deck and Guidebook for Fierce Women, by Ashawnee DuBarry with illustrations by Coni Curi
Red Wheel, 1590035259, 80 pages, 78 cards, October 2021

Despite tarot reading becoming a booming trend in recent years, few readers seem to be discussing the esoteric foundation of the common Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck. Essentially, the RWS deck is steeped in tradition of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which drew from the Qabalah, astrology, numerology, Christian mysticism, Hermeticism, the religion of Ancient Egypt, Freemasonry, Alchemy, Theosophy, Enochian magic, and Renaissance grimoires. Talk about overload!

As a seasoned tarot reader and energy worker, I’ve been on a mission to find tarot decks with a different energy for my readings. The Sacred Sisterhood Tarot: Deck and Guidebook for Fierce Women by Ashawnee DuBarry has been so immensely rewarding to discover. A deck that isn’t steeped in occult traditions that I don’t practice NOR a patriarchal framework? Yes yes yes! This is what The Scared Sister Tarot offers.The energy feels so deeply resonant with my spirit, and the good vibes of this deck have been shining through in all my readings so far.

The box for this deck is hefty, and I love it. Looking at the image on the box makes me feel ready to take on the world. I love that there’s some weight to the deck. Yet, the cards themselves are the perfect fit for one’s hands. Measurements aren’t really my thing, but I would say they’re a little taller than normal play cards yet a bit more narrow in width. Basically, they fit in my hands perfectly and make it really easy to shuffle.

Opening the box is a color-pop of oranges, yellow, red, and light brown tones that make the cards feel infused with solar energy but also grounded. The back of the cards have lovely, luscious pomegranates on them, which is the perfect representation of Divine Feminine energy, as they are known for being a symbol of fertility and abundance.

Illustrator Coni Curi has done a marvelous job featuring a multitude of women in this deck. As you go through the cards, it becomes evident there’s one “no size fits all” model for women. This concept is bolstered by the intent of the deck to tap into the different facets of Divine Feminine wisdom, through both the major arcana and different suits of the minor arcana.

“The Sacred Sisterhood deck was created with inclusivity in mind, from trans folk to cis-gender- all are welcome, unlike the original tarot, which centered its images and descriptions around hte old gender roles. True sisterhood is all about coming together in a sacred space to support one another, no matter how  you identify.”10

The representation in the deck is remarkable. From multiracial relationships between women to women with disabilities, vast identities and body types are portrayed. And this diversity  imbues the deck with a feeling of empowering solidarity, as though I want to see “I see you! I know we’re all out here doing our best, learning what it means to embody this Divine Feminine feeling in our life.”  It’s beautiful because it feels so REAL. This is what womanhood looks like, and it comes in so many shapes, sizes, shades, and orientations, which is something worth celebrating.

While there is plenty of symbolism for each card, Curi didn’t stick to the traditional tarot imagery. I enjoy the modern take on the cards’ meaning and alternative representation to the traditional RWS tarot. One of my favorites is the Judgment card that has a winged angel playing a saxophone as two women dance beneath her. 

There’s a simplicity to the cards too. Each card has a solid-color background that emphasizes the main image on the card. This makes it so the reader isn’t lost in detail and can easily connect with the image that is popping out to represent the card.

Additionally, the emotion of the women featured on the cards is also something that makes this deck unique. Curi has clearly conveyed sadness, discontentment, happiness, and sovereignty. The women of the deck help to connect with the many emotions of life, tapping the reader into their own feelings. Beginner, intermediate, and expert readers all will be able to find meaning and resonance with the imagery of the deck.

Though, I will mention the one thing that threw me off a little at first: the card names are written in French! For instance, The World is called Le Monde and the Ace of Pentacles is called As De Deniers. Luckily, from the imagery and general knowledge of romance languages, I’ve been able to figure out what each card is, but it definitely was a stumbling block that  made initial reading not feel as intuitive as it might with a deck in English. Now that I’ve been reading with this deck though, I feel pretty cool for knowing the French name for these cards though!

Plus, the guidebook is a huge help for understanding the card’s meaning. I love it so much!! I think it’s one of the best guidebooks I’ve ever seen. It’s large, easy to read, and very colorful. DuBarry offers a complete guide to working with the deck, including tips for getting to know the deck, shuffling, and doing readings. What I liked most though is the suggestions for how to use the deck aside from just doing readings, which included things such as candle magic and shadow work. There’s also plenty of spreads to use with each card position thoroughly detailed.

The cards’ messages are all very meaningful. DeBarry clearly conveys each card’s essence through their interpretation. For every card there are keywords and meanings for the card upright and reversed, plus the best thing about this guidebook, which is the answer for yes/no questions.

HALLELUJAH! This yes or no meaning guide has been so incredibly useful. You often hear the advice to shy away from yes/no tarot questions, but so often I just want some quick insight about if I should do something or not, and this guidebook is perfect for those questions!! I so very much appreciate this being shared.

Moving through each definition, DeBarry strips away traditional meanings of each card, so that readers can see the card’s energy through the lens of the Divine Feminine. I especially loved the card and message for The Hanged Woman, traditionally The Hanged Man, which reads:

“Take some time out, as this will give you the space you need to pause for a moment and analyze what may need to be released for the sake of growth. The Hanged Women can also represent a person who looks at life in her own way, not allowing herself to be influenced by the actions or opinions of other people.”12

I’ve been reading tarot for over a deck, but this was the first time I identified personally with the card. Why had I never thought to view it as The Hanged Women? It’s like this simple shift of making it so I felt seen within the card completely changed the way I identified with it.

The Sacred Sisterhood Tarot has become my go-to for both quick questions and more reflective readings. Reaching out for the deck has started to feel like calling up my bestie to talk about life. There’s a gentleness to the deck, though it has consistently given me the honest advice I needed to hear in the moment. I trust it because I feel it has my best intentions at heart.

Plus, reading or meditating with this deck taps me into an empowered sisterhood solidarity, and I love envisioning other women also using it, pooling our collective Divine Feminine wisdom for healing, divination, and spiritual growth.  I highly recommend this deck for beginners, as it is perfect for getting to know the cards (with maybe the exception of the French! Lol), as well as intermediate to expert readers that are looking for a new way to explore the energy of tarot.

Archetypal Tarot, by Mary K. Greer

Archetypal Tarot: What Your Birth Card Reveals About Your Personality, Path and Potential, by
Mary K. Greer
Weiser Books, 978578637485, 288 pages, June 2021

When I saw this book, Archetypal Tarot: What Your Birth Card Reveals About Your Personality, Path, and Potential, I was reminded of the time I had the chance to meet Mary K. Greer at a LATS convention in 2007. Greer is not only very knowledgeable and experienced in the tarot world, she is also very approachable and generous.

Greer has an MA in English Literature and been teaching about Tarot since 1974. She has written eleven books on tarot and magic. She first wrote about some of the concepts in this book in 1987, then updated those concepts and published another book in 2011, which was titled Who Are You in the Tarot?. This book is an updated version of the 2011 book.

I jumped right into Archetypal Tarot, having a general knowledge of Birth Cards from a class I took on Greer’s techniques earlier in 2007. She writes in an easy-to-read style and gives the reader simple steps to utilize the techniques. Her first important suggestion was:

“You are your own teacher. All rules given here are made to be broken. Question everything I say and accept nothing until it brings you results you can perceive. As you go through this book, clarify for yourself your intentions in working with the Tarot: what do you want to learn from it?”13

From here, she gives a simple explanation of what tarot cards are, how they are comprised, and the importance of the number sequence. Then she gives a little background on what she calls the Lifetime Cards and what these can mean for you.

“Lifetime Cards seem to describe the kind of life lessons with which individuals are continually confronted and the kinds of subtle inner urges that motivate their choices and actions.”14

She also discusses the concept of “Constellations,” which she attributes to another one of my favorite teachers, Angeles Arrien. This relates to how the cards of the major arcana and minor arcana form relationships, by way of the numbers. For example, The Magician is number 1 and relates to the Aces in the minor arcana. The Hierophant is number 5 and ties to the 5’s in all four suits of the minors, and so on.

Next, Greer gives basic information on how to read with a tarot deck, including how to interview a deck to get to know it and allow it to become a trusted source of guidance for you.

Only after sharing all of this background information, does Greer introduce how to discern your own Lifetime Cards, which are a combination of your Birth Card (determined by the date of your birth) and Name Card (based on the name given to you at birth).

I quickly figured out my Birth Card, including all of the numbers in the sequence. When I had been taught this technique earlier in my tarot studies, I was only taught to focus on my Birth Card, which is the end result of 3, or The Empress. However, with the techniques in this book, I am also to focus on the double-digit number that precedes the final number, which in my case is 21. Therefore, The Universe card is also of significance to me.

Greer calls the first number, 21 in my case, your Personality Card and the single digit number, 3 for me, your Soul Card.

She now takes this exercise a step further and invites you to see the “other” number, which is a 12 in my case. This becomes your Hidden Factor or Teacher Card. This makes the Hanged Man my Hidden Factor or Teacher Card.

“Your hidden factor card indicates aspects of yourself that you fear, reject, or don’t see, and thus it can also be called the shadow card.”15

When I reviewed the section that further shares information on the card in the “Hidden Factor” slot, I learned even more about myself. It’s as if the Hanged Man exposes my “hang-ups,” “turning upside down any habits that limit you from realizing your highest Self.”16

Next, I looked at the minor arcana cards that represent my lessons and opportunities and those are found in the 3’s of each suit.

There is one more minor arcana card to review and that’s the Zodiacal Lesson and Opportunity Card, which in my case is the 8 of Wands. She derives this from a chart of the 36 Pip cards (Aces are not included) divided into 36 sections on the 360° Zodiac Wheel. This was derived by Aleister Crowley for the Golden Dawn.

The 8 of Wands is a wonderful card that chronicles lots of energy and enthusiasm. However: “Your challenge is to maintain your direction and intent while taking sudden infatuations and new ideas in stride.”17

My goal for the next few days is to plot my “Name Cards”, which is an entirely different project in itself! Once I have that information, where I will have a card for every consonant and every vowel in my birth name, I can create a mandala of the cards on the floor or a table and place a mirror inside. Then I can do a breathing exercise that Greer shares on page 237.

I was really surprised at how much I learned from Archetypal Tarot. And, with the Name Card exercise, I have even more to learn. I enjoyed the exercises and also figured the birthday cards for my husband and share some information with him.

Greer writes very clearly and step-by-step. She is quick to credit other teachers or scholars who contributed information or ideas. She has an entire page of “Endnotes” that highlight this information and a Bibliography. There is a three-part Appendix with even more information. The Table of Contents is quite extensive and makes it easy to find key passages or parts of the recipe for finding the different cards you want to isolate. She also features several charts that you can copy and fill in with your own information. Greer also includes a few spreads for learning even more about yourself.

This book is probably best for someone who has a basic knowledge of tarot cards, and knows basic symbols from a Rider Waite Smith or Thoth deck. Her information is very detailed and if you follow carefully, it provides a wealth of knowledge about yourself and others.

I am looking forward to working with the techniques in this book in the future and offering the information to coaching clients for better understanding and better navigation of their Soul journey. I realize that working with my Birth Card back in 2007 was just like peeking in the window of a shop with beautiful, magical toys. With Greer’s latest book, Archetypal Tarot, I get to go into the shop, look around and then play with all of the toys!

The Relative Tarot, by Carrie Paris

The Relative Tarot: Your Ancestral Blueprint for Self-Discovery, by Carrie Paris
Weiser Books, 1578637627, 96 pages, 82 cards, November 2021

Ancestry has been a prominent theme for me this November. I’ve taken an ancestral astrology class, while also curating book club questions on Hiero for Badass Ancestors. The Relative Tarot: Your Ancestral Blueprint for Self-Discovery by Carrie Paris came along in perfect harmony with these other happenings. So far, it’s one of the most unique tarot decks that I’ve ever worked with. I’m just loving the bridge it opens between past, present, and future.

And this is exactly what Carrie Paris does best, as her work often allows for divination across the barriers of time and space. She holds a Masters in the Cultural Study of Cosmology and Divination from the University of Kent, UK. Paris also has recently published Generations Oracle with Lisa Bonnice, which uses casting pieces, such as charms and coins based on the Lenormand Oracle, and a pendulum to connect with ancestors.

One of my favorite divination systems created by Paris is the Magpie Oracle, which uses small charms to cast divinations. I’ve always found her approach to divination very out of the box. It’s refreshing to have new ways to connect with spirit, and it’s clear Paris puts a lot of thoughtfulness into her creations.

The methodology for The Relative Tarot is just as unique. Paris asked her readers to send her photographs of their ancestors, and thus this deck was born of their images and stories. Initially, she planned for it to only be Majors and Court cards, but she received so many portraits and requests to be included that she decided to also include the Minor cards as well.

A sturdy box holds the cards. It has a side-flap for easy opening. Right when flipping it open, a mysterious woman with a mask and wings catches the eye, piquing intrigue and igniting curiosity in the reader. The potency of the deck can be felt as a glittering shimmer of magic that is decades old, now recreated to continue to flow through the veins of time.

The cards are absolutely stunning with their golden edges and beautifully crafted imagery. Old photographs are laid over colorful starry backgrounds with traditional tarot symbolism intermixed too. They feel of a different time, and this out of the ordinary sensation heightens the connection to the slip-space in the cracks of time, where intuition shines.

As I look through the cards, I wonder who these people were and what their story was. It’s like discovering a treasure chest of photographs in the attic, enchanted with memories, hopes, and wishes. You can see the personality of all the ancestral relatives on these cards shining through the looks in their eyes.

I am someone who enjoys historical non-fiction books because I enjoy the sensation of putting myself in someone else’s shoes and seeing what their life was like to live. I listen to their story and then integrate it into my own life, filled with the wisdom of those I have taken the time to learn more about. I feel like this deck gives me the ability to do this, only now these relatives are guiding me in regard to my spiritual path and potential future outcomes.

However, The Relative Tarot is not like a usual tarot deck, and as soon as you look at the guidebook you will see this. This deck is intended to help the reader “to create a divine Tarot Blueprint that will illuminate who you are, and what you’re here to do.”18 Paris writes this deck was created to experience your soul’s truth through an ancestral filter, helping one to see how ancestral influence is affecting one’s personal evolution and ancestral line.

Paris uses three types of cards for this ancestral and self-discovery method: Birth Cards, Annual Cards, and Significator Cards. Birth Cards are Major Arcana cards that represent one’s soul expression, including their personality, core ideals, challenges, unconscious urges, and ancestral agenda.19 Annual cards are also Major Arcana cards, but these change each year, offering a glimpse of the energies of the upcoming year, including opportunities for growth and key lessons. Then Significator Cards are Court Cards that connect the reader to their ancestral imprint, showing what might be impacting our choices and behavior.

To make it easy to navigate these calculations, Paris provides detailed instruction on how to find your cards through numerology. Then the Major and Court Cards in the deck are labeled with numbers to make pairing the cards together easier. The bottom left show the Birth Card numerological patterns and the bottom right indicates the corresponding Minor Arcana Cards with that Birth Card pattern.

For example, my Birth Card pattern is Universe, Hanged Man, and Empress. This pattern pairs with all the 3s in the Minor Arcana. However, it goes even deeper than this because within the Birth Card pattern, there can be shadow cards, whose energy is often unconscious or not tapped into.

To be honest, at first I found the entire system a bit confusing. I had to really concentrate and do the calculations and read the guidebook thoroughly for about an hour to start understanding this system. But Paris does a fairly good job of making this complex system approachable for readers. There’s even a Blueprint Review on pages 50-51 of the guidebook that is a fill-in-the-blank page for all the calculations.

In the end, I did get a lot of meaning out of using this process to learn more about my soul’s path and ancestral influences in my life. I think it would be especially helpful if readers also used this deck in combination with Mary K. Greer’s Archetypal Tarot, which focuses in-depth on birth cards. It’s also worth noting, this system is very different from simply doing tarot spreads to learn more about your ancestors, such as the process described in Ancestral Tarot by Nancy Hendrickson.

While this deck is phenomenal in what it offers, readers should be aware that it doesn’t give any descriptions of the tarot cards in the guidebook. For this reason, I recommend it to more experienced readers that are already comfortable with the traditional meanings of each tarot card, in case they want to use the deck to do spreads or read for others.

But it’s for this same reason that I DO recommend it to advanced readers because it’s a deck tailored to a different system of reading that can yield rich insight. Even though it takes a bit of time to learn it, I think once the general meaning of the Birth Card, Annual Card, and Significator Card is understood, this becomes a potent way to connect more deeply to one’s soul purpose, current lessons, and their ancestral line.

One last thing that really impressed me about the deck was how Paris designed it to have 82 cards, and this isn’t because she added new cards. Rather, Paris offers a much-needed option for tarot decks: the choice of three Lovers cards (one male/female, one female/female, and one  male/male). I thought this customization was just lovely to make the deck more inclusive to all relationships. Then Paris also allows readers to decide if they want Strength and Justice in the Major Arcana to be 8 and 11 or 11 and 8, depending on the system of reading they use.

All in all, The Relative Tarot is a really neat deck to add to one’s collection, especially for advanced readers or those interested in learning more about their ancestral line through the cards. The imagery is stunning and the process of reading with these cards is rich and potent with soulful wisdom. Paris has made a timeless deck that moves us into the liminal realm where our ancestors can speak to us and our intuition can be heard; past, present, and future weave together to open a portal for spiritual discovery and integration.