Deck Review: Out of Hand Tarot Deck

First up, I should say that I love all of (the incredibly talented) Jamie Sawyer‘s decks, and this one is no exception. It’s a companion deck to the Pocket of Peers Tarot, but works just fine as a standalone deck. Jamie worked (and still occasionally works) as a tattoo artist before designing Tarot decks, and you can definitely see the influence of ‘tattoo style’ art in her drawings, which I love. The deck is (mainly) first person POV of hands engaged in activities that speak to the original themes of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. It’s very wry and clever, but also super wholesome and comforting. Packed full of Easter Eggs, working with the deck is like working with a wise, old friend.

“Things in life have a tendency to get ‘Out of Hand’. This deck showcases moments in which we live and experience the Tarot… [This deck] is about living what we have learned”.

Jamie Sawyer

The deck comes in a neat, simple tuck box, with a short, to-the-point guidebook which gives some general and specific context for each card. The cardstock is thick but not too sticky, with a matte laminate finish. The cards are easy to shuffle, with a gorgeous back design and matte yellow gold edging.

The real lovestory for me with this deck is the one I have with the Court Cards. I struggle with Court Cards more than any other cards in the Tarot (are they an actual person in the querent’s life? The querent? Just vibes? ARGHHHH), but I really love pretty much all the Court Cards in the OoH Tarot. I don’t think I’ve ever resonated as quickly and easily with the Court Cards in a deck before.

I love the King of Cups as a therapist (with his fish cuff links and beautiful oceanic glass – see what I mean about Easter Eggs!). Sawyer writes about him as a “gentle soul who is an authority on emotions… [he is] so emotionally balanced that people feel waves of calm in [his] presence”. I attended Maddy Elruna‘s Tarot course, and one of the notes I made as she was speaking was that the King of Cups is a “good counsellor because he knows how to hold his boundaries”. So Sawyer’s vision fits really well with my own way of anthropomorphising the energy of the King of Cups. I also love the King of a Pents counting out his carefully earned money in front of his investment spreadsheets, and the King of Wands as a musician setting up to play for a crowd. If we think of Kings as having mastery over the energy of their respective suits, and also of having responsibility for something other than themselves, these drawings capture that perfectly. Sawyer describes her King of Wands as “a natural born leader, [whose] energy calls to the masses and has the ability to move the crowd,” noting that “musicians and performers often use their platforms to help make shifts in our world, they are masters of the inspirational spark”.

I just adore the Queen of Cups as a tea leaf reader, staring into your cup to offer you advice! Sawyer explains how “this Queen listens to your query over the brewed beverage, and then will help to decipher the message by analysing the symbols left behind. She helps to guide you through any emotional elements”. I love the little wild child Page of Wands strapping on her skates, ready to go out and take that risk (and show off at little bit while she’s at it). I always think of the 7 of Wands as a “protest” card, but this kind of energy also works really well for the Knight of Swords. Sawyer writes, “this is a call to action! When you believe in something, you are all in! Whether it’s a cause, an event, or a product; when it’s something you advocate for – the world will know where you stand”.

The Knight of Pents was a close runner up for my favourite card in the whole deck (and I’m still thinking I made the wrong call tbh, as I just love it!) My two mnemonics for remembering The Knight of Pents when I was learning tarot were “workhorse of the deck” and “slow steady gains”, and I visualised someone at the gym plodding away on the treadmill. So I felt so seen when Sawyer had almost the exact same vision of this card as me! They write, “working at something everyday is the progress… even if the gratification is not instant. It’s intentional and well thought out.” Finally, look at this beautiful Queen of Pents, weaving her rich, homely tapestry.

Apparently I just love close ups of hands doing tapestry (lol), because I really like the Out of Hand Tarot’s Strength card. Just gorgeous how the creator has captured hands which look tired and worn (a suggestion of arthritis I feel?) – not the strong hands they once were – yet in many ways stronger than ever. The wisdom and experience of the years has given skill and strength of a different kind, allowing the seamstress to produce her most beautiful work in her twilight years. A really wonderful Fool card which captures the sense of adventure and journey with a cool, modern twist. The 7 of Pents really captures what Sawyer describes as “almost ready, but not quite yet”.

The 2 of Wands is just bursting with adventure and desire to explore, and the Ace of Wands beautifully represents the spark of inspiration (plus I’m a sucker for ‘wands-as-paintbrushes’).

Deck Interview with the Out of Hand Tarot

1. Tell me about yourself? What is your most important characteristic as a deck?

Strength: This deck is here to help me find my inner strength, to believe in myself

2. What are your strengths as a deck?

Page of Wands: The deck is full of can do, get up and go energy. It encourages me to get excited about the future and believe in my potential.

3. What are your limits as a deck?

4 of Swords: This is not a restful or meditative deck. It’s an energetic deck that wants me to maximise on current opportunities.

4. What do you require from me in return? How can I best collaborate with you?

9 of Swords: I need to be prepared to let go of my anxiety and catastrophic thinking – it only holds me back from taking exciting chances

5. What is the potential quality of our relationship?

7 of Wands: In some ways I think this card is calling back to the concept of inner strength again. But when I look at how your creator has chosen to illustrate it, I wonder if the deck is warning me that I might be too defensive of its positive, can-do energy. I shouldn’t be! I need not to be stubborn and let it help me.

6. In what space / with what type of query will you best communicate?

Death: When I’m prepared to make real and radical change, even if it’s painful

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