Review: the Fool's New Journey Tarot

The Fool's New Journey Tarot 

Sixty Triumphs for a New Dawn

Author: John Matthews

Artist: Charles Newington

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2024

Description: 60 Cards, 248-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid, and cardboard slipcase.

Card Size: 2 3/4 by 4

"John Matthews's idea to reinvent Tarot is, to put the matter in simple terms, sublime." ~ Andrea Aste

After a praising foreword by Andrea Aste, the author gives an introduction of the history of the past and present tarot and explains why he felt the need to create this deck.

"The Fool's New Journey Tarot avoids misreadings of its symbolic language by representing recognizable aspects of the human condition without losing the resonance of traditional Tarot."

Part One of the Guidebook covers the Sixty Triumphs. "The less you compare these with the older traditions, the better, though there will be some overlaps and references that you will recognize." Each card is covered in two pages - a small card image, number/name, card description and meaning, reversed meaning, upright keywords, and reversal keywords.

Part Two of the Guidebook the author tells two fables which follows the Fool's journey through the traditional Major Arcana Cards and then the New Journey Tarot Cards. "These are designed to illustrate the differences between the traditional Tarot sequence and this wholly new sequence of The Fool's New Journey Tarot."

Part Three of the Guidebook covers working with the deck - questions, sample readings, interpreting, dealing with reversals and other techniques. Three spreads are offered to use specifically for this deck.

Overall, I was very impressed by the guidebook. I enjoyed both stories of the Fool's journey. The card descriptions were interesting. The only issue was the guidebook doesn't open fully. I tried bending the bind, but I couldn't get it to flatten out for easier reading.

The cards are easy to shuffle. The card backs allow for reversals. The images are simple, and somewhat cartoonish.   The card box is very tight and makes it hard to get the cards in and out.

The cardboard slipcase fits tightly over the box, which makes it difficult to pull off and back on. Not sure if it would be worth the trouble, unless its plan is to sit on the shelf.

Although I saw glimpses of the traditional Tarot throughout this deck, I would have to call this a Tarot Oracle. In my opinion, this deck could not take the place of the Tarot deck. But, I'm not sure if it's meant to. The author states, "literally a new journey for The Fool, resetting the style and purpose of the deck more or less back to zero, then taking it to places it has never been before."

While working with the deck, The Wasteland became my stalker card.

"The Wasteland is the place we make when we forget the meaning of life and take up the dark path of warfare and destruction." 

Keywords include: Desolation. Destruction. Stagnation. Loss of direction. Loss of purpose. Abandonment. Environmental failure. Old wounds. Madness.

As I read through the description of the card, the image of the 5 of Swords popped into my mind, but also the 9 of Swords, and a few other cards. "In the individual this speaks of a deeply hidden sorrow for which there seems no cure; yet, we have hope, and if our will allows us, we can search for healing for ourselves."

For a deeper look into this deck, here's a sample three card reading. Past, Present, Future position. Question: an overview of where I am, and where I'm going. 

44 The Star - "Here we have chosen to show a dancer in the spotlight, symbolically representing you in your desire for success and clearer insight." As a representation of the past, The Star suggests you had an expectation of where you might be at this moment in your life. "-literally the star of your own life."

41 The Clown - "When this card comes up in a reading, you should be wary of your own actions, as well as those of others, being careful not to use mockery as a weapon, which may all too easily turn against you." The Clown, representing the present, may suggest feelings of imposter syndrome. "The face may be painted on in the form of a smile, but beneath this The Clown may be angry, sad, or vindictive." You may feel like you haven't fulfilled your expectations.

47 Judgement - "For most readers today, it is more likely to be seen as a call to rise, not to heaven but to a new direction or purpose in life." As representation of the future, Judgement suggests a time of change, of redirection. "In most readings, depending on the adjacent cards, Judgement reflects a need for change-" If you currently feel you're not where you want to be in life, a change will be necessary to redirect your path. "The card often appears at a time when you may be at a crossroads and need to make the appropriate decision as to which path to take, on the basis of your own judgement."

Overview - Your hopes and expectations may have failed to come to fruition. Instead of sitting with the disappointment, a much-needed change needs to occur in order to redirect your energies toward your dreams. It's never too late to accomplish what you may have strayed from. Take some time to sort out your thoughts and expectations. Make a plan and follow your chosen path.

I was impressed by the resulting readings of this deck. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new type of reading. The Tarot messages are here, just in a different form. The Fool's New Journey Tarot would make a good deck to any collector, or reader. 

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Tarot

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Tarot

Author: Nick Lawyer

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2023

Description: 78 Cards, 111-page guidebook, top-lift lid box.

Card Size: 3 x 5

"In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Tarot, artist Nick Lawyer takes the gothic subject matter of Irving’s novel and intertwines it with the profound themes of the Tarot to create a powerful tool for self-discovery."

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Tarot is a collection of vivid, sharp images based on Washington Irving's gothic novel. The deck also "includes additional characters and scenes pertaining to the local culture, history, and folklore of Sleepy Hollow and eighteenth-century New England, as well as Irving's short story "The Devil and Tom Walker.""

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Tarot is printed on average card stock, making them easy to handle and shuffle. The card backing is an interesting feature, with its gold on blue background. Overall, this is an impressive quality deck.

The deck follows the Rider-Waite theme, with some variations in images.

The Major Arcana begins with The Fool - Ichabod Crane and ends with The World - items found in his schoolhouse in The World. Each card contains number and name.

The Minor Arcana are labeled only by number. The author chose various items to represent the suits.

The Wands range from broomsticks, trees, logs, and in the case of the Three of Wands, - "An Algonquin warrior watching ships sail by. He carries a musket, tomahawk, and war club." 

The Cups contain many types of cups or containers, ranging from tea cups, beer mugs, and in the case of Ten of Cups, - "Brom Bones and Katrina walking together" down a path lined with flower vases.

The Swords are the easiest to recognize with their many swords. Ace of Swords shows "The horseman holding an impaled jack-o'-lantern." The Seven of Swords, "A smuggler rowing a boatful of swords out to ship." 

The Pentacles cards contain some form of pentacle, ranging from coins, tin lanterns displaying pentacles, and to carved pumpkins. The Ace of Pentacles holds a single coin. In the Six of Pentacles, "A man distributing carved pumpkins", each carved with a pentacle.

The Court Cards are titled with their name and suit. The Page of Cups features "Ichabod sipping gin as he reads Cotton Mather's History of New England Witchcraft."  The Queen of Wands, "A mischievous old witch flying on her broomstick."

The Guidebook, after a short piece about deck and author, goes straight into information about the cards.   

The Major Arcana cards are presented with a full-page image along with a short description. A second page gives number and name, a fun fact, and the upright and reversed keywords.  The Hermit features, "The Woman in White haunting Raven Rock." The fun fact shares, "Raven Rock is a historical landmark found on Buttermilk Hill in Rockefeller State Park Preserve, New York."

The Minor Arcana is divided by suits. A two-page display of the fourteen cards of each suit begins each section. The individual cards are covered briefly - name, short image description, and upright and reversed keywords. The Two of Wands image description states, "A witch looking over the little village, holding a broom and a crystal ball."

The author closes the guidebook with four Sleepy Hollow Themed Spreads, a short conclusion and bibliography.

In my opinion, this is a deck for fans of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Washington Irving. With its close representation of the Rider-Waite theme, the cards are fairly easy to follow. The guidebook seems more of a tidbit fun fact book, rather than a Tarot guide. The keywords do follow the traditional meanings.

This deck would make a good collection piece for any Tarot enthusiast who also has an interest in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: The Magick of Lenormand Card Reading

The Magick of Lenormand Card Reading

Author: Kalliope

Artist: Yasmeen Westwood

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2024

Description: 280-page paperback book

Book Size: 7 x 10

The creators of the Lenormand of Enchantment have created a book that goes beyond the original guide available with the deck. The Magick of Lenormand Card Reading takes you into the depths of Lenormand, covering a multitude of topics and situations.

"The system outlined in this book is my personal tried-and-true method that works and can be easily applied to any life situation. This current volume is written with the professional reader in mind, with expanded meanings and new combinations, allowing you to foster an even-deeper, more magickal relationship with the cards."

The Author covers the basics, from how to use the book to journaling and practice exercises. The Tips and Tricks section shares a multitude of information, from The Red-String Method to card order and word play combinations.  

The 36 Magickal Moments chapter supplies you with spells for each Lenormand card. How to Read the Cards offers a few pointers and delves into casting the cards from the simple yes/no method to in-depth tips on the Grand Tableau.

The bulk of the book covers the cards, both individually and in combinations. Each card presentation has number and name, a poem, and an image of the card. The illustrations are from the Lenormand of the Enchantment. The cards are described in length, along with keywords, timing, meaning, the card in aspect to love, career, wellness, finances, and modern day, and affirmation, cartomancy, Combinations, and ends with a quote.

This is a very extensive guidebook that will take you further into the Lenormand world. There's so much here, it's a little hard to share the depth. Each card has seven or more pages of information. You may get a little overwhelmed. 

It's important to remember when diving into Lenormand to take what feels right for you in the guides, and discard the rest. As said, there's a lot of information in this book, but the Lenormand is a never-ending journey. Just remember to take it slow to get the most growth from your connection with the cards. 

The Scythe pages begin with number and name. The poem begins the text.

"Sharp and dangerously slicing, cut down to my very core

Sudden and unexpected accident, left me disconnected and sore

Irrevocable divisions, splitting halves the rendering them apart

Separating quickly, leaves a wake of broken shards in my heart"

After the image, you see the first part of the description.

"As the sun sets on the year's final harvest, the Scythe emerges from the field of golden wheat, catching the last wisps of fading light glinting off its sharp edges. Shimmering flaxen shafts of wheat are swaying in the breeze …."

Further into the Scythe pages, you find the card in different aspects.

Scythe in Modern Day - "The Grim Reaper, a motorcycle club (Sons of Anarchy), symbol of death, injectables/vaccine."

Affirmation - "When things suddenly and unexpectedly leave my life, I will trust in that wisdom and let them go with compassion and love."

The Cartomancy of the card takes you to an even deeper level of the Lenormand. The Jack of Diamonds - "This Jack is preoccupied with having the need for security, both emotionally and financially, but keeps this vulnerability to himself."

The sections on Combinations dive deep and are expansive. The Scythe and Clover - "green wound (infected), very risky, temporarily detached, brief separation, wild accident, brief division, temporarily disconnected, easily broken, temporarily cut off, brief threat, very risky, brief emergency"

The most important thing to remember when reading with the Lenormand is to maintain context to the question, which should be very focused in order to receive an understandable answer.

I'm not sure if I would recommend this book to a beginner. It's so easy to get overwhelmed by information when dealing with this simple 36-card deck. You really need to begin at the beginning and slowly delve into deeper parts of this system. In my opinion, too much information will kill your intuition and confidence.

With that said, I highly recommend this book to the seasoned reader. You're bound to discover something useful within the text. 

Grab your copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)