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Deck Review: Green Glyphs Tarot
The Green Glyphs Tarot is part of the latest collection from legendary Tarot creator James R. Eads (he of Prisma Visions fame). I really like its simple style and muted palette; for some reason it reminds me of the 50’s art my grandparents used to be in to (and the overall G-Plan-chic vibe of their house when I was a little kid). Eads writes about how he created the Green Glyphs collection (there’s also a Lemonard and some Rune cards) to feel purposefully familiar. “It finds itself in your daily life. A yellow butterfly. A day old cup of coffee. The Sun. The Moon. You. Me. It’s all there, woven…
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Deck Review: The Twice Told Tarot
I fell in love with the Twice Told Tarot when I saw it on Kickstarter last year, and immediately backed it. Created by Travis McHenry, alongside artist David Scaglione, its quirky style really appealed to me. Unfortunately the Kickstarter was cancelled – boo. But then the deck was included as a possible add-on to McHenry’s next project, the True Oracle of Nostradamus – hooray! So I bought the TOoN just to get my hands on the Twice Told Tarot (as I thought that would be the only way to get hold of a copy). Turns out you can currently pick up a copy via the Bloodstone Studios online store –…
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Deck Review: The Curious Travels Tarot Deck
I sadly missed the Kickstarter for the Curious Travels Tarot Deck by Arozear (Amelia ‘Mia’ Rozear) 💔. But then discovered the artist was releasing a mass market version with US Games ♥️ (NB the mass market version is now available, and you can buy it through a variety of retailers, e.g. here). Even better, they then did one last print run of the indie version, which I managed to get hold of. This made me v v v v v happy as I’ve had my heart broken before by missing out on the indie versions of gorgeous decks. My only sorrow is not being able to get one of the…
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Deck Review: Queer Revolution Tarot
The Queer Revolution Tarot is a Kickstarter deck I recently backed by Utah-based artist Kate Wilhite. Salt Lake City (and its inhabitants), which we see throughout this deck, is the real star of the show. Wilhite writes about her art: “because the state is religiously oppressive, queer and trans people tend to collect in the city, creating a queer bubble where we can live authentically and safely. I paint people in my community who live between binaries as a way to explore my own identity and to show the world how beautiful queer radical authenticity is.” What shines through in this deck is the love and kinship the artist feels…
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Deck Review: The Tarot of Oneness
The Tarot of Oneness by Robyn Voisey arrived when I was going through a rough time due to a bereavement, and I really appreciated its gentle, healing energy. I um-ed and ahh-ed over backing it on Kickstarter when I first saw it, as it’s not my usual bag of tea. Too kitschy, too twee, too happy-clappy; the images too hyper-realistic. But I am so glad I did, because it reads like a freakin’ dream. SO intuitive. It doesn’t so much speak to me, as sing me a personalised love song. The Deck: Look, Feel, and Finish It really is such a bright, joyous deck (look at those colours!). It’s all…
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Deck Review: Tarot of the Crystal World
One of the most recent Kickstarter decks to land in my hot little hands is this amazingly weird creation from the genius brain of Brooke Penrose. The creator describes the Crystal World as “the world reborn inside a fun-house mirror”, and that ‘beautiful-freak’ air permeates the whole deck. It really is just brilliantly odd. Part unsettling, part hugely up-lifting. The aesthetic is quite Country & Western (more than anything else, it feels like a deck a fortune teller would be using in one of my sadly missed favourite TV shows, Carnivale), and the colours are very muted. Almost sludgy; bruise coloured; the sky right before a storm – which I’m…
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Deck Review: The Literary Tarot
I’ve been waiting for this deck for eons, and was very excited to finally get it in my hot little hands. Obviously I firmly believe in the importance of supporting indie artists, which is why I love Kickstarter. But this deck is a bit special, as it’s created by a non-profit in support of a great project, the Brink Literacy Project by F(r)iction that aims to increase worldwide literacy rates. They do a lot of work in prisons, which is an area very close to my heart. As a criminologist who has spent time working in prisons, I cannot tell you what a difference learning to read can make to people…
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Deck Review: The Mike Willcox Tarot & Oracle
This week I’ve been doing my deep dive into the latest edition to my Tarot collection, the Mike Willcox Tarot & Oracle. I don’t, as a rule, normally buy oracle decks (I’ve only got one other in my whole collection, plus one on my wishlist) or ‘Majors Only’ Tarot decks, as I just don’t use them. I try and force myself to ask two questions before buying a deck: is it useful? And: is it functional? (As well as: will buying it necessitate you feeding your children cold baked beans ’til payday?) And I only go ahead if I get two for two! (Or rather, three for three – I…
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Deck Review: I Am The Artist Tarot by Sakki-Sakki
My most recent deep dive was into the ‘I Am The Artist’ Tarot by Monicka Clio Sakki. I love the OG Sakki Sakki Tarot, but by the time I got into Tarot it was already out of print, and second hand copies were $$$ 🥵. So I was super excited when the creator announced she was doing a second (revised) edition. It’s such bright, beautiful, joyous deck! Also: hooray, Spring is here and I can photograph with proper flowers in my garden/local park again! The deck comes with a thick, paperback sized guidebook, Playing With Symbols, that gives plenty of detail on each card, as well as an overall guide to…
