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.

Universal Waite Tarot Review

Universal Waite Tarot Review

The Universal Waite Tarot

After I got my first tarot deck, The Wild Unknown Tarot (you can see my review here), I decided I needed to get a Rider Waite Smith deck so I could get the basics of tarot down before I started getting confused. I went to the store and picked this one up since I like the coloring a little better than the "Original" Rider Waite.

The Universal Waite Tarot- cards

What is the Universal Waite?

This 78 card deck is a recoloring of the Rider Waite deck by Mary Hansen-Roberts. It was first published in 1990. It comes in regular, pocket, and tiny size.

The Front of the Box (it was a little banged up when I got it) showing the fool.

What I love:

• Size- the size of the cards are just small enough that I can hold the cards longways in one hand. I have small hands and I find many tarot decks too hard to hold so I end up spilling them all over the floor or table when I work with them. 
• Watercolor-like artwork: I believe the cards are actually done with colored pencils, but they have a watercolor-esque quality to them that is visually pleasing. The colors are soft, but not muted, bright but not harsh.
• Reversible card backs: for easy reversal readings.
• Easy to shuffle- because of the size of the cards and the shiny coating, these cards are ridiculously easy to shuffle. I love having them in my hands and feeling their energy.
• Good deck to learn meanings with: this deck is perfect for learning meanings. The drawings are simple, the meanings are straightforward, and the size is good for easy reading.

The Back of the Box, showing the Empress.

What I hate:

• Pictures aren't quite crisp: there is a blurriness to these cards that makes me feel like I have fingerprints on my glasses. I can't tell if this is a printing quality issue, or an issue with the original drawings, but I feel like I'm looking through a slight fog or haze when I am reading these cards.
• the little white book... it's useless: It basically repeats word for word the definitions found in The Pictoral Key to the Tarot (see below), but without giving much background information, so the words are nearly meaningless unless you understand the convoluted writing style of the book. I use the Galaxy Tarot free android app to help jog my memory for cards I can't quite remember and I find that their wording is easier to understand.

The Back of the Cards (reversible and sleek design)

Cost: Regular $20 (Pocket $18, Tiny $7) I bought it in a set with the book The Pictoral Key to the Tarot by Arthur Waite (and a card spread sheet) for around $30 with a discount from Barnes and Noble. The book is 340 pages black and white illustration. It cost $9.95 by itself or you can find it online for free at the SacredTexts.com. It is a nice book to have for the historical aspect of the cards, but as a tool to help with understanding the meanings it is relatively useless because the wording is tricky and dense. You can read my more in-depth review of the book here on Shelfari.

The LWB (little white book) of uselessness.

Guidebook: See above

My favorite cards:

Death

 

 

This is One of my favorite cards. The imagery on this card is so beautiful. I love that you can see Death coming to the king, child, a woman, and the bishop or pope as equals because death is the great equalizer. The red eyes on the horse are also a lovely touch.

 

Queen of Pentacles

 

 

The proliferation of green growing things in this card is lovely. I love the queen's facial expression and the details of the pears on her throne.

 

 Ace of Cups

 

 

The baptism symbolism with this card is amazing: the dove (Holy Spirit) bringing the Host (Jesus) to the cup overflowing with water (baptism and Eucharist, water into wine, etc.), the hand reaching down from heaven (God)... the list goes on and on. This is a seriously great card to look at and draw.

 

World

 

 

Again, the symbolism in this card is beautiful: the ox/bull, lion, eagle, and man (the four gospel writers mentioned in revelation), the infinity symbols tied around the world, the woman holding staves, and more. 

 

Wheel of Fortune

 

 

This card is related to the World. The Tetragrammaton, the gospel writers, and the sphinx all have wonderful meanings and the idea of "fate" is readily abundant on this card. 

 

IX of Swords

 

 

I pulled this card a lot when I first got this deck. It nails that feeling of horrible fear, depression, and night terrors. The oppressive and solitary nature of this card also slaps me in the face. I love the feeling of this card.

 

VI of Cups

 

 

The happy feeling of childhood memories infuses this card. Happy nostalgia and childish happiness is evident and prominent. I love the young girl's face. She looks excited about the flowers.

 

Judgement

 

 

The final judgment of the earth, the re-awakening of the dead, signs, and rebirth are what this card is all about. The angel's wings draw me to this card. The pink and purple colors are scarce in this card, and make this card special and otherworldly.

 

III of Cups

 

 

This is a silly reason to love this card, but it reminds me of my two friends. We always joked that we were the blonde, the brunette, and the redhead. It works because this is a card of friendship, but I see my friends Sara and Ashley every time I pull this card.

 

V of Pentacles
 

 

This card reminds me of Christmas and the stories of the poor shut out in the cold. The stained-glass window is lighted from the inside, and leaks warmness to those shut out to the cold. The alienation inherent in this card is made even more poignant as the scene in the window is of a green, growing, warm fruit bearing tree.

 

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot came with my deck in the set at the store.

Overall: 4.5/5

I like the size and feel of this deck as well as the recolored artwork. I do not like the LWB and I recommend buying another guidebook or app for card reading when first learning this deck. Overall, I love working with this deck and find it very accurate and easy to read.

 

This Celtic Cross Spread Sheet also came with the kit. I've only used it once and did not find it very helpful.

Wild Unknown Tarot Review

Review of the Wild Unknown Tarot

I've now had the Wild Unknown Tarot in my possession for several months and I feel like I can do a pretty in depth review of the cards. You can check out my first impressions of the deck here.

What is the Wild Unknown Tarot?
This tarot is a nature based tarot deck of 78 cards by artist Kim Krans. This deck comes with a double sided instruction sheet with key words and blurbs about each suit in the minor arcana and the archetypes of the major arcana. This deck is unique in it's sparing use of color amidst a black and while color pallet and the use of flora and fauna as the sole occupants of the deck. There are no humans in this deck.

The Box

What I Love:

• The use of color: The black and white ink drawings with hints of color allow the colors to really pop and take on more meaning than if they were completely saturated. The use of specific colors on specific cards is ingenious and causes the cards to completely capture a mood.
• Aesthetically Pleasing: I find this deck incredibly gorgeous and extremely easy to look at. It is highly detailed, but clear in the depiction of the picture, allowing for easy, quick reading and in depth meditation. 
• Nature Based: This entire deck is based on the animal kingdom and the meanings draw on symbolism typically known throughout literature. For example, owls are wise and therefore make up the court cards for the suit of swords (the suit of action and intellect) as well as the element of air (bird).
• Human Free: Completely devoid of humans, the animals and plants become the focus on the deck. Instead of trying to figure out the emotion on a tiny depiction of a man's face, animal body language can be read to more fully understand the cards.
• The Box: This is a collector's dream box. It is sturdy, elegant, and includes a black wide ribbon for easy card removal. The inside of the lid reads: Welcome to the wild unknown tarot. You'll find no wrongs or rights inside this box, only mirrors for reflection. Open your mind, draw a card, & have fun on your journey.
• The Cheat Sheet: This double sided sheet contains key words for each card (2 for the minor arcana, 3-4 for the major arcana) and explanations for the suits.
• Reversible Back: The card back is a beautiful hand drawn diamond pattern that resembles the cross section of a pine tree. It is easy to read reversals if you wish.
• High Quality Cardstock: The cards are very thick and durable, coated in a matte finish, and a nice size to see the quality of the images.

Inside the box lid

What I Didn't Like:

• Shipping: Because I ordered it in the winter, there were shipping delays due to weather, so it took my order twice as long as I expected for it to arrive.
• Size of the Deck: Because the cards are so thick, the deck is quite thick, causing me to have problems shuffling the cards since I have small hands.
• The Cheat Sheet Contains No Reversals: I like reading reversals in my cards and this sheet does not contain reversals. This is easily remedied by simply using the opposite of the written meaning, but a thesaurus might be necessary for that to happen if you aren't completely familiar with the cards or the description words she uses. I find it strange that there aren't reversals listed on the cheat sheet, since the backs are reversible.

Front of the "cheat sheet"

Cost: $40 plus shipping from TheWildUnknown.com

Guide Book: Not included with deck. $20 on TheWildUnknown.com. 200 pages. Black and White.
I did not buy this book, but I probably will in the future to further my understanding of the cards.

How I use the cards:
I use these cards mostly for daily card drawings. I find them full of symbolism and meaning that is perfect for daily meditation and thought. I do not read these daily draws with reversals.

Back of the "cheat sheet"

My favorite cards:

The Fool (0): Innocence, naivety, spontaneity, starting out. Here you can see the adorable duckling about to take a step off the branch. The pop of yellow color in the background is reminiscent of dawn (another "starting out") and the gaiety of the blossoms on the branch continues the theme of youthful innocence and beginning. This card is a very positive take on the fool. There is still that feeling of expectation that we get knowing that there is empty space before the hapless baby, but it is not a sense of impending doom, but of new exciting adventures.

The Magician (I): Action, self-empowerment, purpose. I love that she uses a leopard for the magician. There is something inherently magical about this card. The infinity symbol on the cat's chest is also a lovely touch.

The Empress (III): The mother, sensuality, creation, nature. We have a gorgeous oak with fiery pink leaves at night. This card is feminine and embodies an inner peace that is present in the creative nature of the outdoors. Trees are some of my favorite plants, so this card has an even more special place in my heart.

The Hierophant (V): Mentor, working within the system. Probably my favorite card in the deck. I love the flash of colored lightning hitting the key as well as the crow himself, crying out from his perch on the key. This card if full of energy and action.

Wheel of Fortune (X): Destiny, fate, change of course. This card is epic on so many levels. The medicine wheel/ dream catcher of colored threads (threads of fate?) binding the world together is stunning. I also love that the stars, moon, and sun are all included with this wheel, as well as the owl watching over all.

Death (XIII): Necessary ending, closure, transformation. The circle of life is represented brilliantly in this card as this bird decomposes and is ending this section of life. The transformation happens as it slowly returns back to the earth.

Temperance (XIV): Healing, renewal, balance. I really just like this card because it has a great blue heron in it.

V of Swords: self destruction. I got this card a lot when I first started using this deck. The worm reminds me of one of my favorite line in psalms: But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. (Psalm 22:6) Sometimes when I am feeling particularly depressed, I get into a cycle of negative thinking that is incredibly self destructive. This helps me to remember to step back and see the bigger picture. I am not a worm. I don't need to only view the world from ground level. I can look at it from many more angles.

IX of Swords: nightmares, anguish. I find this card creepily beautiful. It is rotten and disgusting and the stuff of nightmares, but also still a part of the natural cycle.

Mother of Swords: experienced, all-seeing. I have a thing for snowy owls. I have a huge print of two snowy owls on my wall and I made one out of socks in fourth grade for a school project. Krans did a spectacular job of getting the facial expression right on this card. I feel like this owl is staring into my soul and through me into the future. Such a great sword card.

VI of Pentacles: prosperity and growth. The pentacles are berries growing on a branch. How much better can imagery get? This card immediately screams growth and health to me. I feel like I can really connect to this card's message without having to dig too deeply.

VI of Wands: Victory, rising up. What could be more victorious than a butterfly rising up out of the brambles, a butterfly flying to the sky. It is free of its cocoon and has faced the world and won. The coloring on this butterfly is stunning as well.

VI of Cups: Memories, childhood. Our roots. Our past. Our treasured memories. The colorful roots deep in the ground are the foundation for this mighty tree reaching up to the heavens. The roots give it life and keep it firmly on the ground, just like our own histories. Some memories might be better than others or have a different place in our hearts, ergo the different colors.

The backs of the cards.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5
If this were a little bit easier for me to hold in my hands, I would have given it a 5/5 rating. This is my first deck and it will always have a special place in my heart. I highly recommend this deck.