Review: The Poe Tarot

The Poe Tarot

Author/Artist: Trisha Leigh Shufelt

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2021

Description: 78 card deck, 192-page guidebook, box with magnetic closure lid. 

Card Size: 3 x 5

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” ~The Raven

The Poe Tarot is a very intriguing deck based on the Rider-Waite Tarot, but immersed in the world of Edgar Allan Poe. The images are presented in simple black and white and yet reveal so much. The quotes, deriving from Poe's immense library of poems, stories, letters and interviews, are thought-provoking and engaging.

The Fool - Poe joined by Pluto from The Black Cat - "There is no passion in nature so demonically impatient, as that of him who, shuddering upon the edge of a precipice, thus meditates a plunge." ~ "The Imp of the Perverse"

Shufelt stays with the traditional names of the Major Arcana, with one exception. The Hanged Man becomes The Hanged One.

The Minor Arcana cards suits have been changed to Wells (Cups), Quills (Swords), Candles (Wands), and Paws (Pentacles). 

Three of Candles - "I can conceive nothing more sublimating than the strange peril and novelty of an adventure such as this. May God grant that we succeed!" ~ "The Balloon Hoax"

As I began looking at the images and reading through the guidebook, I felt the need to start exploring the works behind the inspiration for the deck. But I had to pull myself back, and set such research for a later goal, in order to give you this review. 

This deck will send you into the depths of the work and creations of the famous Edgar Allan Poe. Don't be surprised if the Tarot aspect gets pushed aside. But whether you dive into this deck with divination in mind, or get sucked into the references of the quotes and referred text, this is a deck anyone intrigued by the man will definitely appreciate. 

The deck and guidebook, in my opinion, are a work of genius. Do not pick up this deck lightly. It is definitely heavy with history.

The Guidebook opens with a Foreword by Chris Semtner, curator of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. He begins your journey into this man's life with his shared information on Poe's tragic life and legendary career. 

The Welcome section by Trisha Leigh Shufelt sets you up to fall in love with the deck as she shares her love of her own creation. 

"The Poe Tarot reminds us that we are all fools on this journey through life." 

After a short introduction to the deck, Shufelt dives into the The Major Arcana. Each card is presented by the title, image, quote, insights, and keywords - upright/reversed.  

An introduction to the Minor Arcana covers the court, numbers and the suits. The Suits are divided into sections and given a short introduction which includes season, signs, timeframe, and denotes. Each card is presented by title, image, quote, insight and keywords - upright/reversed.

The guidebook closes with a Bibliography which gives reference to the authors quotes and insight sources.

There is a slight issue with the card stock. The red edging seems to be wearing away due to the tightness of the box. I altered the cardboard insert to avoid further damage. 

And, there seems to be some wear and slight curling on the corners of these cards. The cards are thick, so I'm hoping the damage will not increase with use. Only time will give the results to the quality of the cards. But even with that, I love this deck and it will remain in my collection.

Overall, I'd recommend this deck to anyone interested in learning more about Edgar Allan Poe. I would not suggest this deck to a new reader without additional sources. The guidebook focuses on Poe more than it does divination. 

The Poe Tarot could easily be used as an Oracle deck with its thought-provoking quotes. 

I intend to dig deeper into the world of Poe. Feel free to join me. 

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: Tarot of the Enchanted Soul

Tarot of the Enchanted Soul 

Author: Yasmeen Westwood

Artist: Yasmeen Westwood

Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing, 2022

Description: 78 card deck, 144-page guide book, box with magnetic closure lid.

Card Size: 3 1/2 by 5 1/2

"There are those who believe in the magic of the Soul. Now there is a tool to access that magic and hear the whispers of your inner spirit." 

The Tarot of the Enchanted Soul is an interesting deck based on the Rider-Waite Tarot. The images are of a fantasy/steampunk themed style. 

A couple of cards have been renamed. The Hanged Man is Perspective, and The Hierophant is The Mentor.  

The 78 cards are edged with gold. The larger size allows for detailed scenes, although it does make them a little difficult to shuffle. 

The beautiful blue backing design gives this deck a cool vibration, while the light blue borders allow the main focus to be on the images which are exquisite. Each card contains keywords to enhance the learning curve of understanding the Tarot. 

The guidebook is designed to take you from beginner to reader and explores the cards on a deeper level of understanding the soul. 

Beginning with a short introduction to the Tarot, the book covers explanations of the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana, and the Court Cards. You are also introduced to how to begin a reading, learning the Tarot, keeping a journal, and a walk through 7 Tarot spreads.

The bulk of the guide is devoted to card meanings. The Major Arcana section includes the image, title, quote, keywords, a short story reference, meaning, person, and thoughts for journaling. The Minor Arcana section, which is divided into suits and contains the court cards, includes the image, title, a quote, card description/meaning, and thoughts for journaling.

Tarot of the Enchanted Soul would make a great collector's deck, but is also suited for readers of all levels. This deck has found a place on my shelf. I simply love the images, and look forward to digging deeper into the guidebook, which is full of interesting insights.

King of Swords - The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die. ~ George R. R. Martin

Grab your copy at Red Feather/Schiffer Publishing.

(Review Product supplied by Schiffer Publishing)

Review: The Mitchell Tarot

The Mitchell Tarot

Creator: James Himm Mitchell

Self-Published, 2021

Description: 80 card deck, custom rigid box. No guidebook is included with the deck.

Card Size: 2.75 x 4.75

"The Mitchell Tarot is the flagship deck of cartomancer and intuitive James Himm Mitchell, who has been reading Tarot professionally for over 20 years."

James Himm Mitchell has created a vibrant deck based on the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. The images range from fantasy style to realistic scenes. The suits are named by the elements: air, water, earth, fire. The card stock is exceptional, making the shuffling of the cards very easy. 

Although a guidebook is always welcomed with a new deck, one is not needed when the deck follows so closely to the Rider-Waite-Smith system as does The Mitchell Tarot. If you are familiar with the system, you can see from the above images that the deck will be easy to follow.

I instantly felt a connection with the deck before even looking through the images. The card backs are filled with energy. The deck vibrates to the touch, giving extremely accurate readings. 

A traditional deck includes 78 cards, while The Mitchell Tarot includes 80 cards. The creator has included two alternate cards to the deck: The Jester and a secondary 10 of Water.

I highly recommend this deck to any tarot reader, new or experienced. The images are easy to follow. The deck has an energy that we readers seek in a deck. This would make a great first deck for anyone wishing to learn the tarot. The Mitchell Tarot would also be a great addition to any reader's shelf.

If you're a new reader, I recommend Tarot Plain and Simple as a guidebook into the tarot and to assist you in understanding this deck.

As stated above, there isn't a guide book available at this time, but for some thoughts on the deck's creation, example interpretations, and suggested spreads visit Mitchell’s site - https://www.life-plan-blog.com/mitchell-tarot/

Grab a copy of The Mitchell Tarot at Making Playing Cards. 

To purchase other decks by the author visit - https://www.makeplayingcards.com/sell/jameshimm

(Review product supplied by James Himm Mitchell.)