The Shadowscapes Tarot, published in 2009, is a popular deck and rightfully so! The images on these cards are delicate, beautiful, and powerful at the same time.

Deck creator Stephanie Pui-Mun Law is a painter and illustrator with a wealth of experience in the publishing industry, working with such clients as Harper-Collins and the children’s magazine Cricket. In the Shadowscapes Tarot deck, the images are set in a fantasy world of fairies, dragons, mermaids, crows, and other creatures from nature, legend, and myth.

The basic interpretation of the cards follows the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition without duplicating the imagery. For instance, the Death card shows a phoenix lifting their head as they voice a tragic song of pain. The Eight of Wands shows a woman blowing dandelion seeds to scatter with the wind. The Knight of Cups is riding a unicorn on a quest to follow their dreams.

Each card has a story to go along with it. Pui-Mun Law describes each illustration in detail in a beautiful guidebook that is more than 250 pages long and includes a full-page picture (black and white) of each card.

Interpretations for each card are provided by the guidebook’s co-author Barbara Moore. Moore is a writer and Tarot/Oracle card expert who has a long career writing guidebooks. Her credits include the guidebooks for the Mystic Faerie Tarot, the Gilded Tarot, the Tarot for Hip Witches, and the Enchanted Oracle.

The Shadowscapes Tarot guidebook includes sections on Tarot basics, Tarot spreads, and how to incorporate your own personal experience when reading the cards. Pui-Mun Law did not intend for the Shadowscapes Tarot cards to be read in reverse; however, they encourage readers to use reversals if they wish.

I adore this gorgeous, imaginative deck that both new and experienced Tarot readers can enjoy. From my own experience using this deck, I would say don’t let the pretty pictures fool you! This deck is capable of answering the hard questions with love and with brutal honesty.