Next in my series of deck reviews, I bring you the deck that (at least in my collection) transcends the “normal” perception of what a tarot deck is, or should include. In my opinion, this deck is one that you should get if you want to have your tarot understanding reinterpreted, challenged, or redefined somehow.
As I will show you here with the accompanying pictures and text, this deck does not follow any sort of tarot school or system (Rider-Waite, Thoth, Marsailles are the big three). Instead, this deck was created in 2019 by Janet Piedilato with the artwork done by Tom Duxbury, and publishing by Eddison Books. The illustrations were first created as paintings by Piedilato, and all are based on her dreams. Then the paintings were turned into woodcuts, which then turned into the card images we have with this deck.
Like all my reviews, I will break down the different sections of the deck, showing you the imagery. This way you can see if you want to bring this deck into your collection. I will also discuss the deck quality, card size, packaging, and the guidebook. I will give you my honest opinion on this deck, and if I feel you should have it. I will tell you what I like and dislike about this deck and share any lasting thoughts.
The Majors
Starting with the Creation line (and the Fool pictured first), you will see how these images are much more stylized, fluid, and nothing like images that we are used to seeing. The names on most of the Majors have also been changed. The color palette is muted with that bright pop of pink-lavender that we see in the Chariot (Moon Chariot). Some of the cards are quite simple, like the High Priestess, while others like the Chariot or Hierophant will require a peeling back of the symbolic layers.
Because this deck was created by Piedilato who is an author, Transpersonal Psychologist, Complementary Health Care Consultant, and Ordained Minister, and focuses on visionary shamanic, or dream symbolism, these images are not going to be a cut-and-paste of what you are used to seeing. She even says in the guidebook that this deck was created with the mindset that your own connections to the symbolism found in each card would provide the intuitive answer to what the card is saying. For instance, snakes for someone like me may provoke a positive, spiritual, or feminist reading of the card. Someone who dislikes snakes or has Ophidiophobia may read the card in a more negative light. Piedilato encourages both interpretations.
She aligns the profound understanding we can gain from our dreams as similar to reading tarot cards. Through symbolism, archetype, and mystery we gain wisdom and understanding. To this, I enjoy the approach and agree 100%.
Piedilato writes in the guidebook that her ritual upon waking is to jot and note her dream and then quickly transcribe it to a painting so that the image holds firms and remains steadfast. One of the things that drew me to this deck was how original it feels. Take the Death card for instance, here named Wise Fox.
Again, the magnitude of the symbolism cannot be understated, but Death….the card with the skeleton rider through a battlefield now becomes a bright orange fox with a cherub on his nose… consider me intrigued. That is what this deck starts to open for you, an inner narrative that removes much of the “traditional” understanding of tarot meanings. However, I will say that I advocate for removing rote or memorized interpretations regardless of the deck. Any deck can be read like this one. I think this deck highlights how we as readers or collectors of the tarot have come to expect certain tarot depictions. When that expectation is thrown off guard by images like this, we feel we can’t connect to the cards.
We absolutely can, we just need to approach this deck, and our tarot practice from a place of letting the symbolism, imagery, and archetypes be the tour guide for our readings. Maybe we need to remove the autopilot from our tarot interpretations. This deck is going to make you let off the cruise control.
With all that being said, this is a deck where I connect strongly to the image, or I don’t. There is not a lot of middle ground. The first four cards of the Evolution line I think are beautiful. The Devil (Sorcerer) card invokes a shedding of the skin, a dualism with the Moon and Sun, and a higher and lower energy with the Snake and the Dragon.
The last three just do not cut the mustard for me. These three just really turn me off. I will say that I think Judgment has some intrigue again with the colors, structures, beings, and fish, but The Sun and the World leave me bored, and uninspired and also gives off a cheesy vibe….
I will say I dp respect such a departure from the images we have come to know. In the review I gave of the Ostara Tarot deck, I said the exact opposite of the World card, that it was too plain, and did not give enough imagery for such a powerhouse card like the World. Here, I think we almost get too much. This deck is going to put you in a space of digging deep to read the cards. I enjoy that, and I will say this is a deck that I am still, years later, sitting with and attempting to go into the depths. This is a deck that constantly brings me into my inner reflections and wisdom, no matter how much I have used it.
The Cups
One thing that immediately becomes clear is that you are going to have to look at these cards with a new perspective, a bird’s-eye-view. Looking at the Suit of Cups, we may see some similar symbols we are used to, but they are given in such different ways. Even looking at the whole of the suit may feel like they don’t go together. I mean we have people falling down the bellies of fish, an atom, an egg… what is going on here?
If I had to give a few keywords for this suit I would give journeys, joinings, and cycles. Coming back to a known understanding of the cards, that actually stands well for what the Cups speak to, even if we are immediately thrown off by the imagery. Another contradiction is that while I said before that the focus of this deck was to encourage an intuitive and symbolic approach to reading the cards, letting the higher wisdom between you and the symbols come together in a reading, it may do you well to start researching what some of the symbols mean in the collective understanding.
For example, the Ace of Cups denotes a beautiful coming together, giving off a lot of LOVERS vibes. These two beautiful beings are watched and in safe regard by the Cranes. If you Google the symbolism of Cranes, you will read that they speak to longevity, abundance, and good fortune. The text goes on to read, “Buddhism: In Bhutan, monks revere cranes as Bodisatva, beings who have achieved enlightenment and seek to help others. The monks pray for the safe return of the cranes.”
This completely elevates the power of the Ace. It’s not just some frivolous puppy love. It is an opening of your heart by what has touched it, allowing that to move you towards long-term blessings, and see and receive them when they come. If you get this deck, do yourself a favor and start to get curious about what the understandings are around these symbols. Your readings will be transformed.
The Pentacles
The Pentacles overall give a simplistic feel to the Suit that I like, of course with a few exceptions. The 9 and 10 of Pentacles give me a feeling of disconnection from the rest of the cards. There are beautiful and tender moments in this Suit that resonate from experience alone. The manifesting of the spiritual into the physical is what the Pentacles are all about, and we see that in some cool ways here. The Onion encourages us to continuously peel back the layers, however much we don’t want to, for a deeper understanding. The Frog’s body showcases the energy capacity- again a beautiful approach.
I will say this deck has some symbolism that starts to get REALLY repetitive. I have not tried to count them, but the amount of Fish in this deck is numerous, to say the least. I like Fish too, but given that this deck was created from Piedilato’s vast landscape of dreams, I feel we could at least get some varying symbols in there.
The Swords
The Swords suit is probably my favorite within this deck. I love the visceral symbolism that lends itself so beautifully to a suit that is all about the mind, perspectives, understanding, and wisdom. The 8 of Swords, for instance, shows us a woman perched on a bridge or overpass. Beneath is a witch that holds a tome of spiritual understanding and transcendent wisdom. The veil over her eyes and the on the side of the entrance to her speaks to that need to remove our outer knowing so that we can go into our inner knowing. The woman within the dark cave couldn’t be seen from the approach on either side. She is only visible if you are standing on the bridge, and looking down. This is a beautiful way to symbolize what the 8 of Swords speaks to: a need to find deep clarity within the self, even when we feel we understanding the situation in it’s entirety.
The Wands
The Wands cards are the ones that surprised me the most. Starting with the Ace, we have a lotus flower. This feels like it should belong in the Cups suit, but Piedilato chose this image for this card. The Six of Wands gives me a lot of Pentacles vibes, and the 3 of Wands is just a strange image. There are also a lot of buildings and the overall color palette moves between lavender and green.
I think this suit is going to be one where you really have to dig and spend time with the images to get a good grasp on what symbols are articulating themselves to you. This is a deck where I lean into my journaling, writing down what I see and how it resonates so that I can go back and reread what I wrote.
The Court Cards
The Court Cards, again, are either an image I love or don’t connect with at all. I have to say, baring the Lord (King) of Pentacles and Wands, the Lord’s cards are woefully disappointing to me. Even the Lord of Pentacles and Lord of Wands cards are simply alright. They are not pulling on my heart in any way. The Dreamers (Pages) are definitely my favorite from the Courts.
This whole deck is one that is going to ask a lot from you in reading. In all my decks, and in all my years of reading, this is still the one that I have to sit with and investigate with a willingness to open to interpretation, to not try to immediately hand out what my knee-jerk reaction to what I think the card is speaking to; these images simply won’t allow that.
Some Deck Notes and Final Thoughts
I bought this deck a long time ago, so I don’t remember the price I paid specifically, but you can find this deck online for prices around $25.00 which is more than reasonable for a tarot deck. The cards have a laminate gloss finish and measure 3 inches by 4.75 inches. I love the box, with the double-sided slide-in packaging. Not only does this feel expensive and higher-end, but I also feel like the cards are protected.
The backing image did not want to show up in the picture, but it is a Sun with the rays we have seen in the sky in almost every image. I like this image because it is universal whether I am reading upright or reversed.
Let’s get to the part of this deck that I hate the most- the guidebook. I know that I am extra picky when it comes to guidebooks, but this one is one of my least favorite guidebooks of all time. It is so esoteric and “out there” that I find it to be confusing, and rambling. It’s a weird combination of giving some details on the symbolism (sometimes good insight), but then giving completely unrelated or unconnected interpretations below.
So, let me just get really clear about how I feel about this deck. This is a deck that I have a love/hate relationship with. I love that the images challenge me and my preconceived notions of tarot interpretations. I think many of the images are beautiful, and I value the complete departure from any other tarot school or foundational foothold. If you want a deck that is going to give you the same interpretations with minor artistic changes like the Rider-Waite, this is not your deck.
I enjoy the fact that to this day, this deck still challenges me, and asks me to sit in the place of a student. I think that is the best part about this deck, you need to be willing to remove what you know about tarot and sit with this deck as it is. It will make you a better reader. There are cards in this deck that have completely altered and deepened how I read them, regardless of what deck I am using, and for that I am grateful.
On the flip side, some of the imagery in this deck is, like I said, not to my taste. Some of it screams cheesy to me, like the Lord of Cups and the Sun. I don’t think I have seen worse depictions so far. The other thing I will say is that this deck is one I haven’t had the best luck with when I have used it at fairs. In those spaces, you don’t have all the time in the world to peel back all the symbolic layers. You’re readings need to be short and sweet. Also, the images are so out there the people I sat with struggled to form immediate imagery connections of their own. The images felt inaccessible to them, and I didn’t enjoy that.
My final thoughts, do I feel like this is a deck you need? It depends. If you want to be challenged in your tarot understanding, I feel like you must have this deck. If you want a deck where you connect to with all the card images, maybe this isn’t for you with how out there the images are. I also don’t feel like this would be a good deck if you are someone who isn’t as influenced by the imagery. That’s the main claim here with this deck- the imagery. Finally, I feel like this deck is not a beginner-best. The guidebook, imagery, and symbolic/archetypal understanding outside of tarot would make this deck hard to learn on, in my opinion.
I hope you have liked this review. Do you own this deck? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading.