Often times when people, sometimes including myself, talk about different tarot decks we can get tied up discussing detailed symbolism, the history and/or credentials of the designer, or the mechanics of the deck itself. What I’m saying is that although interesting, sometimes we suck the fun right out of a deck.
With the deck I have for you today, I don’t want to talk too much about it. I just want you to try and experience the joy and whimsy of it. In fact, it’s called the “Joie de Vivre Tarot” by Paulina Cassidy and joie de vivre is French for the joy of living!
I don’t think my scans really do them justice, but just look at Cassidy’s “High Priestess” and “The Fool”.
And folks, it’s been a long time since the Minor Arcana has thrilled me. When is the last time a “Seven of Cups” has delighted you this much?
The introduction to the book accompanying the deck says, “The Joie de Vivre tarot deck is designed to access the child-like energy in each one of us to help stimulate, enhance, and inspire joy in our own lives.”
Mission accomplished Ms. Cassidy.
I believe this deck would help me with a renaidg I have coming up. I specialize in renaidgs that use multiple decks; one for the situation and for the querant, another for emotional aspects of the renaidg, and another for financial or enterprise. Finding the right deck, one that will co-habitate well with the other decks and yet also bring its own unique vision to the renaidg is an interesting challenge.Right now I’m using the Robin Wood deck as the primary focus for the personal aspects of the renaidg, and I’ve been looking for a deck that also has a very strong Wiccan inspiration, but is less, dare I say it, cheerful . The Robin Wood deck is very bright and very present it speaks very clearly about things that are physical and manifest, and when doing comparisons between paths chosen and paths avoided I think the Book Of Shadows tarot would help me explore pre-manifest and subconscious aspects of the querant and their situation.Right now I’m using the Chinese Tarot, both for its color and magnificent beauty, and the pips on the minors force me to use my intuition.But I’ve seen samples of the Book Of Shadows deck, and received almost exactly the same impression of subconscious awakening when I looked at the images.Like the Aquarian Tarot it has a coolness to it a sense of lingering presence that is waiting to be uncovered, yet like the Robin Wood it speaks directly to Wiccan and Pagan themes, and is much more present and active than the Aquarian Tarot. There is a sense of dancing, of the spirit manifesting very much like the Shadowscapes deck (which I also love and use) but with a more conventional use of elements.The Book Of Shadows Tarot is on my to-buy list and I will certainly get one (or three ^_^) no matter what.But when doing renaidgs that involve more than a single deck I prefer to use decks that I have received as gifts from friends.To whomever receives these decks I wish the best of luck, and the greatest joy in renaidg ^_^