Deviant Moon Tarot Review

The Deviant Moon Tarot: A Review

 

The Deviant Moon Tarot

 

What is the Deviant Moon Tarot?

 

This is a dark, cubist, surreal, slightly disturbing deck of 78 cards by Patrick Valenza, published by US Game Systems. The Deviant Moon Tarot is by far one of the more insightful decks I've seen, as well as the most blunt. This is not a deck to use if you are afraid of getting answers you might not like. It tells it like it is and forces you to really think about how you fit into the grand scheme of the world.

 

Cards from the Deviant Moon Tarot

 

What I like about this deck

• These cards have gorgeous artwork. I love the surrealist feel as well as the exaggerated features on the people and creatures. I find the artwork is very easy to read and I get a quick grasp on a feeling or mood for each card. The details in the artwork are astounding. The work is done with digital manipulation, but it is so seamless with texture and color integration, I find that I forget it was digitized. I tend to be put off by digital manipulation in other decks, so it might be the surrealist cubism that makes it work in this deck.

The back of the cards and the height of the deck

• The card backs are reversible and beautiful in their simplicity. The textures used are quiet visible on the backs of the cards and add a layer of depth that makes the roughness seem tangible.
• The colors used in the printing are vibrant and dark when appropriate, and the pictures are relatively crisp and not blurred at all.

The large box (left) that included the box of cards (right), spread sheet, and little white book

• I feel like I always get an accurate reading with these cards. They always make me think about things I need to address whether or not I wish to address them.

The Lunatic Spread sheet that came with the Premiere Edition, a unique spread to this deck.

• While the artwork on this deck is dark, the energy I feel in it is not. In a way it is almost playful. At one point I couldn't find the moon card. I went through the deck several times, checked all around the bed, the desk, the chairs, the floor. Couldn't find it. I searched for a good twenty minutes. My friend helped me look for it. We went through the deck over and over. Still couldn't find it. Later that night, I pulled my cards out of the box and it is the card sitting on the top of the deck. It was sitting right there, smiling cheekily at me. If that isn't a Deviant Moon, I don't know what is.
• I like the finish of the cards. It is slippery enough that they move against each other well, but they don't totally slip out of your hands as you are handling them.
• The thickness of the cards is flexible enough for shuffling, but thick enough that they don't feel flimsy.



The Title card and About the Author that come with the deck

What I dislike about this deck

 

• The cards are long and skinny which makes them difficult for me to hold and shuffle with my small hands.
• I dislike the white borders. They don't fit the mood or theme of the deck and they take up space that could have made for larger artwork. The colored skinny boarders are fine, but the white ones are distracting.

The Little White Book that comes with the deck. I like the descriptions of the cards and the little stories each one tells. This is one of the better LWB's I've seen. It is 41 pages long.

 

Cost

 

$20 regular deck, $24 premier deck (with spread sheet, this is what I purchased), $20 borderless.

 

Guidebook

 

At the moment, the Little White Book is the only guide book available. It has good descriptions of the card scenes add well as upright and reverse keywords and meanings. The back contains the Lunatic Spread, which cones on the fold out spread sheet in the premiere edition (see picture above in post). There is talk of a forthcoming guidebook on Valenza's blog. There is, however, no date for the books publication.

 

Favorite Cards:

 

 

The Hermit- The Hermit hides from the world in his alcove. Even though he shuts himself off from the city, he is never truly alone... This card, for me, is about that all consuming need to be alone, and the anxiety of overwhelming overstimulation that can happen when I need that most and it is impossible for me to escape from the crowd. Even though I seek to escape to solitude, I can never be truly alone and I can never get away from the thoughts running through my head. This is my favorite depiction of the Hermit in all of the decks I own. It is straightforward, but complex. The hermit is looking at the reader... he knows he is not alone.

 

 

The Ace of Pentacles- I love that this card is a dragon holding the universe in his hands. Think about the power in that! There is a lot of stability in this card as well as balance of the earthly and the mystical. I love dragons, and this card is so different compared to many of the other cards in the deck, that I can't help but love it.

 

 

Death- ...With death comes rebirth... This is my second favorite card in the deck. One of the things I love about it is the lack of title on the card. It doesn't need one. You can feel that it is Death without the title. I love the almost grotesque nature of the pregnant Death on the polluted beach with the city of industry in the distance. This is an ending of one thing and the beginning of something new. I think this card captures the feeling of change better than most cards. This is not a sad card. This is a card of metamorphosis and the ending of one era before the beginning of the new.

 

 

Two of Swords- Two mighty swordsmen of equal skill have reached a stalemate... I love the absolute symmetry and balance in the two fighters. They are truly equal and in a stalemate in their fight. I have gotten this card a lot during readings and for daily meditation. I feel a real connection to this card and the state of equilibrium it represents.

 

 

The Moon- The deviant moon casts its powerful influence over the city, controlling minds like a puppeteer. This is the illusive card that decided to hide from me. I find it appropriate that this was the card that hid from me as it is the card that represents illusions and trickery. To me this is about that unknown influence pulling the stings behind the scenes. No one realizes they are being manipulated until it is to late. The vacant eyes of the moon are like fogged glass; something that you can see a veiled image in, but nothing clear. This is a card of darkness and forces out of your control. I feel like this card is very important in this deck, considering the title.

 

 

The Nine of Swords- This is the card of worry, anxious thoughts, sleepless nights, and despair. This is one of my favorite cards in all decks and one that I immediately reach for when I acquire a new deck. Anxiety is an emotion I resonate with very well and if this card resonates with me, the entire deck usually does as well. I am curious about what the angry/demented cat represents at the foot of her bed. If anyone has any insight into that, comment below.

 

 

The Page of Swords- ...He is skilled in perceiving hidden truths and secrets... My favorite card in the deck, and the card I have pulled the most. When I first got this deck, I asked it which card it felt best represented the deck as a whole, and this is the card I pulled. I find this to be true. This deck is highly insightful and intuitive. I feel like the page's search-light-beam-eye is the illuminator that finds the deepest recesses of my mind and pulls out the information I try to hide the most from myself. This is always one of my favorite cards to pull in a reading. I felt a deep and immediate connection to it.

 

 

The Six of Cups- Last, but not least, memories of times past and nostalgia: a longing for something we have lost. I love the puppet show. It immediately reminds me of traveling shows and troubadours. This is an exciting and fun filled card that makes me smile.

 

Overall 4.75/5

 

I highly recommend this deck if you like the artwork style. If you are frightened, disgusted, or repulsed by the artwork, don't buy it. It will not be the deck for you. This is one of my absolute favorite decks and I have ordered a borderless edition to use as well.

 

To see my other Tarot Reviews click here for The Universal Waite and here for The Wild Unknown.

 

 

 Italics indicate text taken from the LWB by Patrick Valenza for review purposes. No copyright infringement is intended.