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)

Review: Steele Wizard Tarot

Steele Wizard Tarot
Author: Pamela Steele

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, October 2023

Description: 88 cards, 192-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 3 x 5

*3rd Edition, previously self-published in 2006 and 2010

"As “a picture is worth a thousand words,” the Steele Wizard Tarot speaks the “language of the soul.”"

The Steele Wizard Tarot is based on the traditional Rider Waite deck, but includes 10 additional cards: six Major Arcana cards: 22 Weaver, 23 Universe, 24 Truth, 25 Soul Twins, 26 Evolution, 27 I AM and four Court Cards - the Maidens. Two cards have been altered: 13 Death to Transition and 15 Devil to Materialism. 

The Steele Wizard Tarot is printed on thick, high quality card stock, producing a 1 5/8-inch-thick deck. I found the deck a little hard to shuffle, hand over hand, but not impossible. 

The Steel Wizard Tarot contains a soft, feminine energy. The images are relatively simple and yet very detailed. The pastel coloring creates a calming effect. The bottom borders contain the card title and are color-coded: Major Arcana - Purple, Wands - Yellow, Cups - Teal, Swords - Blue, Pentacles - Dark Orange. 

The 22 Weaver is one of the extra Major Arcana cards. The coloring of this card is amazing: the calming blues, the vibrant greens, the striking purple of the rug, and the simple brown of her tools. The Weaver card is definitely one of my favorites. These colors combine to create a simplicity within a detailed image.

The Steele Wizard Tarot is a lovely set of cards. Each card presents its own unique vibration through coloring and detailed images.

The Guidebook covers the basics of Tarot reading - Tarot Ethics, Caring for your Cards, Using the Court Cards, Reading the Cards, and more. 

The Card Spread section is especially interesting, providing simple to advanced layouts. The eight card spreads range from the simple one card layout to the twelve card Celtic Cross Extended Spread.

The Major Arcana cards are covered as a whole and then individually. Each card is presented by number and name, a phrase, the card image, a detailed description of the card, guidelines, reversed meaning, a quote from the "DragonSteele Meditations" by Reverend Den Elder, and a space for notes. 

The Minor Arcana cards are separated by suits. Each suit is introduced as a whole, including elemental aspects and the associated Zodiac signs. Each card is presented by card name, image, a phrase, a detailed description of the card, guidelines, reversed meaning, and a quote from the "DragonSteele Meditations" by Reverend Den Elder.

The guidebook closes with words from the Wizard - Pamela Steele, The Elder Futhark system, acknowledgments, and testimonials.

The Steele Wizard Tarot is an impressive deck and would make a nice addition to any Tarot shelf. I would recommend it to beginners and advanced readers. 

If you prefer a traditional 78 card Tarot deck, you have the option to remove the extra cards, and still have the experience of this vibrant deck, although the extra cards do add a nice element of accuracy to the readings. 

If you already own a previous edition of this deck, go to Brandy Rachelle's website for a detailed comparison of the three different editions.

Grab your copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: Swagatam Tarot

Swagatam Tarot

Author: Pankhuri Agarwal

Artist: Aishwarya Ravichandran

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, June 2023

Description: 92 cards, 200-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 3 1/4 x 4 1/4

*Reprinted and Revised, June 2023

"Welcome to the Swagatam Tarot. The word Swagatam means “welcome” in Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages in the world. Based on Indian culture combined with the philosophies of Hinduism, the rich and unique images of this 92-card deck invite you to explore concepts of healing and self-exploration that have been around for centuries."

The guidebook begins with a short introduction. "This deck is based on Indian culture. It contains healing and lifestyle concepts that have proved to be of importance to well-being over many centuries. In this deck you will find details on how to use these for your personal benefit..."

The Swagatam Tarot introduces an extra suit - Smoke, which represents the element of Ether. The Minor Arcana has been grouped by numbers. For example: the Aces are represented by mudras or hand gestures, and the Eights are represented by Trees. The Major Arcana deals with traditional Indian concepts of well-being. 

Two spreads, Elemental Spread and Lifestyle Spread, are given to guide you in using the deck.

The Major Arcana are presented with a full-page card image, card number, keywords, reversed, and meanings of the illustrations. 

As you can see, the keywords and reversed keywords are based on traditional Tarot meanings. The paragraph covers the traditional Indian concept of the illustration. The author suggests, "The Major Arcana deals with traditional concepts of well-being but are applicable to every person worldwide!" 

After a brief overview of the suits and how to use the gestures, the Minor Arcana cards are grouped by number, with a full-page image of the first card, the group, its representation, and a short summary of the group as a whole.  

Each card is presented with a full-page image of the card, the name, representation, the Keywords, Reversed, and the traditional Indian concept of the illustration. 

After reading the reviews, I really wanted to love this deck, but I couldn't connect to the images. The concepts of the illustrations seem like a snap-shot education on India. I couldn't find a way to apply the grouped representations and the concepts of the illustrations to a reading. And, the many unknown words on the cards were distracting.

I took a step back from all of this and did a short 3-card reading, focused on using the deck without all of the above. I focused on the traditional Tarot meanings, but also referred to the guidebook. I was impressed by the results and found myself incorporating impressions from the book. 

The short 3-card reading, with images of the guidebook page for each, will give you a glimpse into the cards and the concepts of the images.  

Layout: Past, Present, Future

Question: What do I need to know right now in this moment?

The past position revealed, Ten of Smoke, a card from the extra suit. Referring to the guidebook was a must to get an idea of what the card was signifying. 

Ten represents Seasons and in this case Early and Late Winter. The concept of the illustration covers what constitutes an India winter and an association with foods. The fact that the Winter card shows up as we approach the end of winter was impressive as the cold weather collapses into the past.

The keywords: much need break from trials, respite, rest, finality, peace, suggests: I may be coming out of a long winter's rest. I have definitely used this winter to find peace with things in my life. 

The present position revealed, Four of Swords. Four represent Colors (Natural Dyes), in this case Sindoor/ Kum Kum. I assume after reading the concept of the illustration section this is Red. It is produced by crushing the red seeds of the Sindoor tree fruit. Uses of the Kum Kum are included in the summary paragraph. 

The keywords: prayer, faith, trust, peace, quiet, suggests: I may have found, or am still searching for, the before mentioned peace and quiet. I do feel I'm close to figuring out how to relax and just be in the present. 

The future position revealed, Ace of Pentacles, represented by the Hand Gesture, Prithvi Mudra, which balances the Earth element. The summary paragraph mentions healing the root chakra, which was also mentioned to be strengthened by the Kum Kum.

The keywords: new beginnings, completeness, prosperity, grounding, suggests: A possible future of success in finding my way, discovering new beginnings.

Overview: What I need to know right now in this moment is... My periods of rest and search for peace are bringing me toward the moment of success in finding my way to a new beginning. I may feel like I'm struggling through this, because trust me rest is not something I do often, to the point that my body is insisting rest and not taking no for an answer, but I am almost there. The light at the end of the tunnel is very close. Have faith, send out prayers, and I will begin to see success. Doing some work with my Root Chakra may help ease the feeling of struggle. 

I recommend this deck to anyone who wants a glimpse into Indian culture, a seasoned reader looking for a change of pace, and/or deck collectors. If the images above speak to you, this deck may well be worth your consideration. 

*As mentioned above, this is a reprint of the original, which had some publication issues. When purchasing, be sure to get the new print.

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: The Magic of Numbers

The Magic of Numbers: Numerology's Power Revealed

Author: Lori Reid

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2023

Description: 80-page paperback book

Book Size: 5 x 7

The Magic of Numbers is an easy-to-use, simple read. The guide will give you a glimpse into the doorway of Numerology.

After a short introduction to Numerology, "Depending on the different levels of interpretation, numerology can be as easy or as complex as the practitioner might want to make it..."

Chapter One: Birthdays offers you the calculations to obtain your Destiny Number, an overview of each number, and an exercise that will open your eyes to the cycles within your life. 

"...the critical importance about your actual date of birth is that this number will reveal insights into your life cycle and into the sequences of events that are likely to occur to you throughout your life."

Chapter Two: What's in a Name? gives you the calculations and methods to obtain your Expression Number. "When decoded, the Expression Number of a name yields valuable insights into the power of its sound." Each Expression Number is explained in the personality profile. There is also a table of Harmonies showing the numbers that will be harmonious or at variance with your Expression Number.

Chapter Three: Love and Attraction gives an overview of each Expression Number in Love and In Partnership with other Expression Numbers.

Chapter Four: Work and Money offers suggested occupations for your Destiny or Expression Number with an overview of each Number at Work.

Chapter Five: Keys to the Door gives the calculations needed to find your home's personality. A House-Personal Compatibility Table identifies if your house number is compatible or discordant with your birthday or destiny number. Each House Number is explained in a Character Guide to your House.

A short Conclusion and an About the Author closes this short dive into Numerology.

"Understanding numbers opens our awareness, shows us the interconnections that govern our lives and gives us the knowledge we need to control our destinies."

I recommend this book to anyone who has the desire to take that first step into studying Numerology or if you are just a little curious about the whole aspect. 

The Magic of Numbers makes it easy and uncomplicated for you to get a taste of what the Power of Numerology is all about. 

Grab your copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: Nightfall Tarot

Nightfall Tarot
Author: Amory Abbott

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2023

Description: 78 cards, 128-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 3 1/2 x 4 7/8

"The Nightfall Tarot is a darkened interpretation of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, shrouding the scenes of the classic deck in eternal twilight. While maintaining each card’s original meaning, the Judeo-Christian symbols in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck have been interchanged with Norse runes, Icelandic staves, Wiccan, and other chthonic occult symbology."

The Cards are made of high quality, thick card stock and have silver edging. The full deck measures almost 1 1/2 inches thick. Traditional riffle shuffling seems impossible with this deck. But, as I tend to do overhand shuffling or smooshing to avoid damaging cards, this is not an issue for me. I've experienced very little flaking of the edging. 

The card back design: "The symbol on the back of each card is Skuld's Net, a Norse design more commonly referred to as the Web of Wyrd, the term Wyrd meaning fate. It represents the connectedness between past, present, and future: a net made of nine crossing staves which contain the shapes of all of the Norse runes."

The artwork of this deck is amazing. The darkened images are full of details and symbolism. Although the images vary from the Rider-Waite, they hold enough of the familiar to follow the traditional meanings.

The 5 of Swords contains two men, who the author suggests are twins, while the Rider-Waite features three men. The battle is still the same: no one wins, although one is defeated. Footprints in the sand give clue to the recent battle.

Three Swords lay against a large sand dune, while the other two lay abandoned in the sand. The clouds are dark, with no signs of blue, while the Rider-Waite features a blue, cloudy sky. The image is breathtaking. You feel the despair and devastation vibrating in this card. 

 

"This Wheel of Fortune features a Vegvisir, an Icelandic stave symbol used to guide travelers through rough weather. It is encircled by the Ouroboros-a serpent eating its own tail-to symbolize the cycle of death and rebirth. Surrounding the wheel in a storm are the four natural elements wind, water, fire, and earth, guiding each safely toward their destiny, in the endless cycle of self-renewal."

You can view the entire deck at https://www.amoryabbott.com/illustration#/the-nightfall-tarot/

The guidebook begins with a brief introduction to the deck and then dives into the cards. The Major Arcana cards are presented by number, name, keyword/phrase, image description, reversed keyword/phrase and a full-page image of the card. 

The Minor Arcana cards, divided by elements, are presented by a small image, card name, keyword/phrase, image description, and reversed keyword/phrase.

The Readings section offers a summary of three suggested spreads: the one-card, three-card, and Celtic Cross. The three-card spread summary offers two possible layout positions. The Celtic Cross spread is briefly explained, with short descriptions of each position. The guidebook closes with a four-page Author's Note.

While impressed by the quality of this deck, my main delight is with the amazing artwork. I can see this deck easily serving multiple purposes: readings, reflections, creative prompts, meditations, shadow work, and more. I'm very excited to add Nightfall Tarot to my ever-growing collection.  

I would recommend this deck to any reader: novice, expert, or anyone in between. When new readers ask which deck to start with, my go-to answer is the Rider-Waite deck. I would easily offer this as an alternative first deck.

Grab your copy at  Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)