In my humble opinion I feel that these cards really poke fun at life and death. The characters in the cards are really whimsical and the colours have a strange washed out vibrancy like the velvet interior of a water logged coffin (sorry, couldn't contain "dark spooky Tasha" lets tuck her back into her dark corner and wait for Halloween...). The images are modern with a twist of the flashiness of the past. Its hard to pick the best part of this deck as far as the art goes but I think I would have to go with the backs of the cards which is kind of odd but look at this picture below, beautiful. I love the design of the two skulls mixed with the roses.
The deck is interesting because the author (designer? Serious moment... what are the people who design and write Tarot decks and books called? Masters of the Tarot Universe? I am going to go with that...) has changed the suits in the Minor Arcana to more modern items. Cups are Coffins which I think is delightful; Swords are Pistols, to be honest I don't really care for, however that is my overall opinion on gun imagery and those opinions can be saved for myself; Wands are Pens which are in a way a perfect image for Air and Communication and last but not least are Pentacles which are depicted in this deck as Reels. I am on the fence on the Reels. I love movies but I just don't get an earthy vibe from them. I am not going to post pictures of all of the different suits and what they look like so I would recommend giving them a Google.
The Major Arcana is quite heavy with the modern fused with the past I was speaking about above and is very much a huge nod to Day of the Dead. The skeletons depicted throughout the 22 cards are for the most part quite cheery looking. They are captured doing many different things however they all do link back to the Rider Waite. As I had said before if you can read the Rider Waite I promise you can probably pick up any deck and see the connections. The Fool card below is a perfect example. You can see him going along with his bag and dog, except this time the dog is a totally cute skeleton. He is beginning his journey and is hitching a ride into the unknown. This card like the others is really fun to look at and the art is really well done.
Behold my amazing talent for photography and stretchy pants... oh dear.
I wish I could provide better picture quality but right now its just my iPhone and I and this is as good as its going to get for tonight. You can see the similarities and differences between this one and Rider Waite. One of the most intriguing cards in the deck is the Death card. Oh the things you can do with Death in a whole deck devoted to the topic and this deck really does it right. Instead of going traditional Grim Reaper the artist goes the complete opposite direction and depicts a jolly pregnant lady. Note: I had to use the word jolly, I mean come on 2 days til Xmas, I need to get something in there.
Would I recommend reading with this deck? Lets put on our honest hats and the answer would be no. I would not use these cards to do readings for a few reasons. Number one would be that I want my clients to feel comfortable. I might think these are cute and funny but someone else might be disturbed by them. It is so important when you are reading for people that you keep in mind that it is about your client (I hate that word, client, sounds so clinical. I must find a better word- I sense a thesaurus adventure in my future). It is never about yourself. You get the pleasure of guiding them and sharing your gift but you need them to be comfortable so always consider this when you pick your deck or decks. Secondly I would not read with these because of the shape. They are kind of square and do not fit in my hands well. Someone with bigger hands might just love the feel of them though! The last reason I personally would not read with these particular cards is because I am a little too old fashioned I suppose. I prefer things to look a little old school. This is my own fault for living in the past with the dinosaurs. Someone who loves the modern world would connect with these cards for sure. These are only my thoughts and you know what, my thoughts do not matter. Its about what you think. If you think you would read with these puppies than good on you! Gold star for not being an old fart like me!
I use this deck as an art deck. I love the pictures and will bring it out from time to time just to look at the pictures. I also love showing people the deck because it makes me feel all "dark and cool". This is a great deck for anyone who enjoys a little macabre in their life.
Until next time, Merry (insert whatever you celebrate here)! Happy reading!
