I have wanted to learn to read Tarot card for years. Not just for my books, but for myself. I mean who doesn’t want a little help figuring things out from time to time? Over the last few years I've bought and tried several different decks before finally settling on a deck that I connect to.
The deck I’ll study is the Shadowscape deck created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. I’ve checked and you can get the deck and companion book on Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, or Walmart pretty easily - Bonus you can order directly from her website that is devoted to the deck and its art. (If you want to try the deck before investing in the book you can get the meaning of each of the cards on her website. Click on the image below and it will take you right there.)
The description given on Amazon is:
Surrender to the fantastical world of your deepest dreams, where butterflies float upon shifting mists set aglow by the rising sun. A place where twisting branches arc across shimmering skies, willowy fairies dance on air, and tree spirits sing from a hallowed oak. Delve into the shadows of your dreams and awake to the truth. Weaving together Asian, Celtic, and fantasy styles of artwork, this breathtaking new Rider-Waite-Smith-based tarot by renowned artist Stephanie Pui-Mun Law is infused with universal symbols found in fairy tales, myths, and folklore from cultures around the world. A companion guidebook presents the artist`s evocative interpretation of each card`s significance. It also features an introduction by award-winning tarot expert Barbara Moore that includes tarot basics, instructions for giving insightful readings, and practical spreads.
I mean how can you not want to dive into this deck? But if it is not your cup of tea I think you will still get something out of this because the basic meaning and title of each card matches the Rider Tarot deck’s major and minor arcana. So grab a deck that you connect with,
and tell me in the comments each week the difference between this one and yours.
Seriously. I wanna know. There are so many awesome decks out there I would go broke trying to buy all of them.
A precaution before I write this, anyone looking for decks on Etsy should be wary of counterfeit decks being sold, they tend to be smaller than the typical deck and bigger than the mini decks, typically the size of regular playing cards instead.
With that out of the way:
The universe is really out here reminding me that I need to do more tarot work.
I personally have the Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore and the Ostara Tarot by Eden Cooke, Krista Gibbard, and Julia Iredale. They both have unique energy and attitudes that I love. Harold (Steampunk) is a stately gentleman who is typically very polite, though you aren't to mistake his manners for being a pushover. I typically use him when working with Hestia. Then there's Lenore (Ostara), who is as chaotic and caring as the deity who claimed her, Loki. I rather enjoy working them together, as I tend to get clearer readings that way. I also have the Literary Witches Oracle by Katy Horan and Taisia Kitaiskaia, named Sylvia, that is fun when Dionysus decides he has opinions.
When reading Tarot I tend to rely on both the book for the deck and biddytarot, which has the meanings for the Rider-Waite deck and can be good for decks whose books don't provide information for reversals or don't give enough meaning, so it's good for clarification. Because while I've learned each deck is different, their overall meanings do tend to be similar enough and it's especially helpful in the beginning.
I look forward to this journey with you!