Category Archives: Tarot deck review

The Night Magick Tarot: Review

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The Night Magick Tarot is a stunning example of how modern Tarot decks can both rely on traditional interpretations and still be radically unique in presentation. This 78-card deck was self-published in 2022 by artist and experienced Tarot reader Wryteril.

The deck came with a velvety dark blue Tarot pouch. The front and backs the cards have a dark blue background. The artwork itself can be described as nebulous formations of light against a dark background, mostly resembling stars, moons, and other objects in the galaxy. The images on some cards seem to be set in deep outer space, while others show the night sky as seen through the branches of trees here on earth.

Knight of Clouds

The “intuitive artwork,” as Wryteril calls it, are abstract, rather than the realistic images usually portrayed on a typical Tarot deck, including those published relatively recently. For some, the images are so outside of expectation that at first glance it may seem as if the images are confusingly similar to each other or that there is nothing to see but shadows and light.

Two of Moons

However, the Night Magick Tarot has great potential for deep and meaningful interpretations—as great as any deck I have ever worked with. Looking for meaning in these cards is almost like scrying. It’s quite possible to get lost within the images to see far beyond what the artwork suggests.

King of Wreaths

The guidebook says, “Combining the energy of the universe with the intellect of the ancients, you will connect with your guides on an alternate level. The Night Magick Tarot may not provide answers directly, but it will guide you through the magic that is within oneself, and through the subtlety of the symbols within each card.”

The Hierophant

The guidebook is a poetic, beautifully written 71-page .pdf sent to me from the authors upon request. Written by Wryteril and Morrighan Moon, the guidebook is comprehensive in its scope. It provides interpretations for each card that correspond to the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, including upright and shadow (reversed) meanings. The suits in this deck are Branches (Wands), Clouds (Swords), Moons (Cups), and Wreaths (Pentacles).

Seven of Branches

To my delight, the guidebook also explains the artwork from the artist’s point of view so that anyone using the deck can pull deeper meaning from the images. For instance, the Two of Moons is described as, “The energy of the two crescent moons revealing their light to one another shows that balance and harmony that is beckoned forward.” The King of Wreaths: “With the gold crusting the wreath and the planet, you will see the planet is surrounded by leaves. This shows … abundance and comfort…” The Hierophant: “The tallest tree stands fierce, surrounded by wise others. Trees communicate with one another…” The Seven of Branches: “Learning from the echoes of others.”

Granted, the author’s descriptions may differ from what you see on the card. But at least the user is given an example of how one can approach reading with these cards,

The World

I became aware of the Night Magick Tarot through my interactions with Wryteril on social media. I’m so happy that I jumped at the opportunity to purchase this deck in a timely fashion since I have lost contact with Wryteril and as of this writing, the deck is no longer available at the publisher I bought it from. If I ever get more information about the availability of this deck, I will share it here.

The Night Magick Tarot calls to me. The moon is prominent in my astrological chart, which is a reason why I resonate quite strongly with the night sky theme and the vast number of moon depicted on the cards. I expect using this deck will give me an opportunity to develop my intuitive abilities even further.

The Antique Anatomy Tarot: Review

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The Antique Anatomy Tarot, published in 2019, is a delightful and quirky 78-card deck by digital artist Claire Goodchild. The imagery was inspired by the pictures in medical textbooks dating back to the Victorian age (1837-1901). In the guidebook, Goodchild explains that she was also interested in the local apothecaries used at that time—pharmacies where people bought herbal remedies and potions for any number of ailments.

Illustration from Gray’s Anatomy

Of course, the premiere medical text of the Victorian age was Gray’s Anatomy, written by Henry Gray and illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter. This influential work and highly recognizable drawing style is well regarded to this day. True to its source of inspiration, the Antique Anatomy Tarot is densely populated with bones, body parts, and whole skeletons.

The Sun

Instead of the artwork being dry, academic, or morbid, Goodchild manages to make these figures fun, alive, and relatable. Part of it is the way the figures are decorated with flowers in nearly every card. Part of it is the frequent use of medicine bottles with labels that help with the card interpretation. Mostly, though, it’s the way Goodchild finds imaginative and whimsical ways to represent the traditional interpretations of the Rider-Waite-Smith divination system, which very much speaks to the affairs of the living.

Packaging and guidebook

The deck is beautifully packaged and is accompanied by a handsome, perfect bound guidebook. The guidebook includes pictures of each card, detailed card meanings per the RWS tradition, and numerology/astrology correspondences.

Card Back

The cards themselves are sturdy, have a matte finish, and are easy to shuffle. The backs of the cards are simple, showing the four suits—Rods (Wands), Coins (Pentacles), Blades (Swords), and Elixirs (Cups). The front of the cards have an old textbook-like, tan background, with fantastical images and bright colors that are interesting and lively.

Page of Coins

Although the guidebook explains card meanings based on the RWS tradition, the images do not duplicate the pictures of the classic deck. This is an interesting deck for beginning Tarot readers to start with, but as an FYI, there is nothing imagery-wise to connect the Antique Anatomy Tarot to the RWS. But for those familiar with RWS, these cards can help expand and deepen your Tarot card understanding.

The Emperor
The Empress

Some of my favorite cards from the Antique Anatomy Tarot are the Pages, whose skulls are clearly that of an infant (the skulls are not fused and you can clearly see the fontanelle). The Emperor and Empress are interesting in that they are almost identical images except that in the thigh area, one appears to be more “masculine” and the other more “feminine” than that other, and one appears to show more muscle and the other more bone. The Hanged Man, shows a full skeleton that is not upside down and unlike in the RWS, appears to have been hanged as a criminal.  

The Hanged Man
Justice

Some cards depict body parts other than the bones, such as Justice, which seems to be a fusion of the brain and the heart. Other cards feature medicine bottles, as in the feel-good potions in the Three of Elixirs. Others have a mixture of human elements and bottles, as in the Knight of Elixirs.

Three of Elixirs

It must be noted that Goodchild does not explain her choices when it came to the design of each card. She does not label the names of the bones or body parts. She also does not explain how the specific images she created relate to the interpretation of the card. All of this is left up to your imagination, knowledge of anatomy, or lack thereof.

Knight of Elixirs

I’m not sure why some authors choose not to explain their work in the context of the card interpretations. On the one hand, I would love to understand their thought process. But on the other hand, not knowing their reasoning allows me as a Tarot reader to tap into my own subconscious to come up with meanings. In the long run, coming up with my own reasoning helps make me a clearer channel for messages from the Universe, as told through the cards.

The World

With that small gripe aside, I absolutely love this deck. It speaks directly to the part of me who has spent many years working in the field of medical publishing. In its unique way, the Antique Anatomy Tarot strips us down to our most basic form as humans, physically and spiritually.

The Somnia Tarot: Review

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It’s taken me a long time to review the Somnia Tarot because once I buy a deck, my tendency is to play with it for a while before I use it publicly. I’m not the type of person to collect decks just to have and not use them, although there is nothing wrong with collecting decks for art’s sake. But if any deck would lend itself to being a part of a beautiful deck collection for the artistry alone, this one would certainly fit the bill.

The Somnia Tarot is one of the few decks around that uses photography to tell the story of the Fool’s Journey. The photos are staged to reflect the dream state and subconscious mind of deck creator Nicolas Bruno. Although the basic concepts follow along with the interpretations of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the photos have a unique, surreal quality that drew me in immediately.

In the small pamphlet included in the deck (a full-length companion book is sold separately), Bruno explains that he had an interest in Tarot since childhood after discovering a hidden a deck that belonged to his great grandmother. Because Tarot was taboo in his religious household, he would look at the cards in secret.

Development of the Somnia Tarot began in 2020 during the early months of the COVID pandemic and the deck was ultimately published in 2021. The symbolism of this deck comes from Bruno’s dream journals and sleep paralysis experiences to add a unique flavor to the Tarot themes.

And that’s what I enjoy about this deck. Even though Bruno’s symbolism is unique to him, everyone can relate the strange world of dreams. These photos use sculpture, costume design, and the aid of Bruno’s family and friends as models, yet it’s easy to overlay my inner world onto these images to come up with my own personal interpretations.

I have not purchased the companion book, so I can’t vouch for what’s in it. I am interested to know what some of the symbolism means to Bruno, if that information is available. However, I also enjoy exploring this deck on my own without a roadmap. In the pamphlet that comes with the deck, Bruno includes a few key words for each card based on the traditional RWS Tarot.

For me, the appeal of this deck is the quirkiness of the photos. One thing that stands out is that all of the characters in Bruno’s deck (including horses) have their faces hidden—either in the shadows or else covered with a cloth. In some ways, this reminds me of artist René Magritte’s paintings. The obscuring of faces in the Somnia Tarot can possibly encourage readers to fill in their own blanks and not feel as if these quirky images are too specific to relate to.

Another theme that pops up often is the inclusion of a ladder in the images throughout the deck.

I’ve had this deck for a while: I’m proud to say that I supported it during the its Kickstarter phase and was one of the first people to have it. As of this writing, Bruno is creating an illustrated version of this deck that is scheduled to come out in the fall of 2022.

The Steele Wizard Tarot: Review

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One of the things I like most about being on social media is meeting people I may not have otherwise. One such happy synchronicity is my connection with artist Pamela Steele. Steele is the creator and illustrator of the Steele Wizard Tarot, among other Tarot and Oracle card decks. She kindly gifted me a copy of the Steele Wizard Tarot deck. It is enchanting and powerful, and I was immediately drawn to its energy.

Steele, who has been a Tarot practitioner for decades, shared with me her long-held vision of bringing Tarot into the mainstream. She sees Tarot not just as a divination tool but rather as a tool for spiritual and personal development. I totally agree with that viewpoint and the Steel Wizard Tarot comes through beautifully in this regard.

First published in 2006, the Steele Wizard Tarot is an 88-card deck that follows the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. It includes four additional court cards—Maidens for each suit. It also has six additional Major Arcana cards that are placed after the World card—in order, the Weaver, the Universe, Truth, Evolution, Soul Twins, and I AM. I have found that these cards add a rich resonance to the readings in which they appear.

The illustrations are beautiful and resonant. The scenes are set in a fully realized fantasy kingdom where both magic and simplicity play a part. While there is a touch of the supernatural, there is also evidence of real human struggle. Those who are familiar with the RWS system will be able to follow along. However, the pictures are not exact duplications and many include some subtle and interesting differences. One example is the Six of Swords, which shows only one person in the boat and the swords are not taken with them, but left behind. In the Five of Cups, only two cups are spilled over and three cups remain standing. The Strength card (not pictured) features a dragon instead of a lion.

Among the court cards, the Maiden comes between the Page and the Knight, giving a more nuanced transition between these youthful characters. In the guidebook, Steele gives brief interpretations of the cards upright and reversed, yet strongly encourages the reader to use their intuition when it comes to card meanings. Generally speaking, though, as I understand her guidelines, the Pages carry the elemental energies of new beginnings as it relates to the suit. The Maiden is an introspective energy and the Knights indicate outward action.

The Major Arcana in this deck is similar to the traditional Rider Waite Fool’s journey in some ways and different in other ways. In the Steele Wizard Tarot, Death is called “Transition” and the Devil is “Materialism.”

The Weaver, according to the guidelines, “shows you where you are on your path”—your destiny, if you will—following the events of the World card. The Universe indicates an awareness of infinite possibilities, not just those confined to 3D existence. Truth represents authenticity as you allow yourself to be seen for who you truly are. For me, Soul Twins is essentially the “shadow work” card—that is, the ability to accept yourself for who you are and who you are not, and loving yourself unconditionally. Evolution represents personal/spiritual growth in new dimensions across the expanse of the universe. And finally, the I Am card represents the awareness that each of us are connected as individual expressions of Source (unity consciousness).

The deck is rich with meaning and I love working with it. I recommend it for newbies and experienced readers alike. The third edition of this deck will be released in 2023. Visit Pamela Steele’s website for more details.

The HooDoo Tarot: Review

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The HooDoo Tarot is an amazing deck that I am adding to my rotation of cards used for my daily Tarot readings for the collective. Published in 2020, this deck is a powerful divination tool and can also serve as a way to connect with the ancestors. Deck creator Tayannah Lee McQuillar did a great job of applying HooDoo concepts to the 78-card structure of the traditional Tarot. The result is a deck that is completely unique. It is beautifully illustrated by Katelan V. Folsy.

For many African Americans, bits and pieces of HooDoo tradition are interwoven into our everyday lives, whether we are aware of it or not. Because HooDoo is not centralized, many of the practices and philosophies are casually passed down through the generations and thus can be taken for granted. Using this deck has helped me connect more fully with my cultural background. However, anyone regardless of cultural identity can enjoy this deck. Watch the video here for details about the HooDoo tradition, the Tarot deck, and my impressions about it all.

(Photo credits: August de Richelieu from Pexels; Kebs Visuals from Pexels)

The Tarot del Toro: Review

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This beautiful deck, illustrated by Tomás Hijo, was inspired by movies of director Guillermo del Toro. It called to me because of the strange and beautiful images, as well as my connection to del Toro’s movie “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Check out the video for the full review.

The Frida Kahlo Tarot: Review

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The Frida Kahlo Tarot is a 78-card deck published in 2019. The deck is copyrighted by the Frida Kahlo Corporation, which owns the trademark rights and interests to the name Frida Kahlo worldwide.

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is a well-known Mexican painter often described as a surrealist who was married (twice) to renowned painter Diego Rivera. In addition to her magnificent paintings, Kahlo’s backstory has drawn a huge amount of interest. As a teenager, she was involved in a horrific accident that left her physically and emotionally scarred for life.

The power of her stunning artwork lies in how she expressed her pain through her paintings. I personally compare her to confessional poets such as Sylvia Plath. Both Kahlo and Plath are highly influential in my work, both as a poet and as a person.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to describing the influence of this artist. Yet as much as I admire Kahlo, objectively, this deck leaves a great deal to be desired. Subjectively, I love it all the same because of the connection I feel to the artist that inspired it.

One thing to keep in mind is that Kahlo has incredible appeal and her popularly has grown over the years to its current all-time high. As such, her image and reprints of her artwork are not readily available for commercial use.

I’m sure that many Tarot devotees who are Kahlo fans would be disappointed to know that the images in this deck do not deliver the full glory of Kahlo’s work. But there may be others, like me, who will overlook the considerable shortcomings of this deck. For the time being, this is probably as good as a Frida Kahlo deck is going to get.

So, getting down to the details, the cards are small and the card stock is thin but not flimsy. They’re glossy, but not overly so, and I find them easy to shuffle. Packaging is attractive but minimal.

The unbound guidebook is written in Spanish, English, French, Dutch, and Portuguese. It includes a brief history of Tarot, short card interpretations for both upright and reversed card positions, and a section on Tarot spreads.

The titles of each card are written in English, French, German, and Spanish. As for the images themselves, they generally do not add much in the way of interpretation. Those who do not have a firm grasp of the Rider-Smith-Waite system will not get far at all.

The Major Arcana features Kahlo’s image or details or her paintings rendered as clipart. Some cards do not even go that far. For example, the Sun card has a decorative symbol on it, but even that symbol, as far as I am aware, was created for the deck and does not appear in any of Kahlo’s paintings.

A few of the Major Arcana cards fare a little better, with images that connect directly to Kahlo’s original artwork (although such images are scarce in this deck). With the Strength and the Lovers, there even may be something to be extracted for interpretation.

The Court cards feature Kahlo’s image from various photos that have been stylized and filtered.

As for the numbered Minor Arcana, they are merely pip cards.  The Cups are adorned with clipart images of Kahlo, the Wands remind me of caveman clubs, and the Pentacles depict coins embossed with Kahlo’s image. Somewhat interesting are the Swords, which feature hearts impaled by daggers.

On the one hand, the intent of the Swords icon, I think, is to connect to Kahlo’s sensibility when it comes to heartache and her tendency to depict bloody images in her paintings. And I personally agree that the suit of Swords relates to difficulty and challenge. However, I wonder if the bloody heart imagery is as appropriate for the 2, 4, 6, and 8 of Swords as it may be for the others.

Yes, this deck is spectacularly flawed. Indeed, in real life, Kahlo has her critics, she constantly critiqued herself, and in some ways her life was largely shaped by restrictions placed upon her. Yet her spirit manages to shine brightly regardless. For me, that is the energy that this deck has to offer. I feel truth coming from these cards when I read with them.

The Wild Unknown Tarot: Review

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The Wild Unknown Tarot is an incredibly popular deck by Kim Karns that has been around since 2016. I think its calm, grounded approach to Tarot is the reason for its popularity. It’s a 78-card deck in the tradition of the Rider-Waite-Smith. However, the images follow the theme of nature, mostly with animals, flowers, trees, and such.

The color palette is fairly muted, with splashes of color scattered here and there. The card stock is sturdy and the packaging is elegant. The guidebook is comprehensive—over 200 pages—with pictures of each card alongside Karns’ interpretations in addition to spreads and an explanation of how the Tarot deck is structured in general. The cards are meant to be read upright only, but Karns does not discourage using reversals if the reader prefers to do so.

Karns makes it clear that this deck is meant to be for beginners. As such, the author’s interpretations of the cards are simplified versions of the traditional Tarot meanings. Because the images on these card don’t necessarily mirror the Rider-Waite-Smith, there’s a looseness and freedom of thought.

From a personal standpoint, I think it is invaluable to have a good understanding of the traditional Tarot. If you know the RWS, you can use that knowledge to read any alternative deck. But I absolutely respect if others would prefer to start somewhere else or even never learn the Rider-Waite-Smith system. People change over time and as they change, the world changes. New ways of expressing the changing times is important.

I compare it to the English language. I remember taking a class about the 14th century poet Geoffrey Chaucer in college and marveling at how the Old English spoken at that time sounds like a completely different language from what we speak now. Perhaps Tarot interpretation will be completely different centuries from now, if it still exists.

Part of the appeal of the Wild Unknown Tarot for me is the use of the natural world for the imagery. It’s nice to detach from the workings of human thought and belief systems and tap into the essence of our physical and instinctual being. I think that this deck offers that opportunity.

The Illuminated Tarot: Review

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Illuminated Tarot: Box, backs of cards, and guidebook.

The Illuminated Tarot (2017; by Caitlin Keegan) is a beautiful 53-card deck “for divination and gameplay,” as the guidebook says. Strictly speaking, it is not a Tarot deck but rather an Oracle deck. However, the card meanings assigned to the Illuminated Tarot includes many of the same interpretations as in the traditional Tarot.

The artwork is fun and fanciful. I could actually see these images being in an adult coloring book, which I hope doesn’t sound like an insult, because it’s not intended to be. These images make me happy and that is why I was drawn to this deck.

The Joker

Getting to the more technical aspects, the suits follow those of a regular deck of playing cards with spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs. These correspond, in order, to the swords, pentacles, cups, and wands of the Tarot. Like in a regular deck of playing cards, the suits are numbered from 1 to 10 and there is a jack, queen, and king. The 53rd card in the Illuminated Tarot deck is the Joker, also known as the Fool. It is given the number 0.

The interpretations of the Illuminated Tarot only loosely follow the Rider -Waite, with less of an emphasis on astrology and numerology. It might help for a reader to know something about the traditional Tarot to get the most from this deck, but a beginner who trusts their intuition could start reading the Illuminated Tarot right away. Keep in mind that using this deck won’t necessarily help a new reader learn traditional Tarot meanings.

Ten of Swords versus 10 of Spades

For instance, the focus of the Ten of Swords in the Rider-Waite is on endings. The image on the card is of someone lying on the ground who has been stabbed, and in the distant background the sunrise is coming up to represent the dawn of a new day.

But in the Illuminated Tarot, the corresponding 10 of Spades features a beautiful picture of a rooster. The focus is more on the new beginnings than on the endings and the meaning of the card is “waking up.” This 10 of Spades card also corresponds to the Rider-Waite Judgment card.

Ace of Diamonds (The World)

And that is one of the most interesting aspects of this deck—that the Major Arcana is incorporated into the meaning of select cards within the suits. You may have noticed that I always use the World card as the mascot for this website. In the Illuminated Tarot, the Ace of Diamonds is the card that corresponds to the World card, with the meaning of peace, travel, and open mindedness. The guidebook doesn’t mention the idea of new beginnings, money, and practical matters like the traditional Ace of Pentacles Tarot interpretation. But for those who know the Rider-Waite, you can see how the traditional meaning can be applied and expanded here if you wanted to.

The guidebook

The guidebook is quite colorful but minimalist. The opening pages briefly explain the origins of tarot and cartomancy, and provide a few spreads that you can try. As for the card meanings, each card is given three or four keywords listed in brightly-colored block letters. For some people, that may not  be enough, but for my tastes, I love that there is not too much symbolism to distract from my own impressions and intuition.

Like in a regular playing deck, some of the cards in the Illuminated Tarot look the same whether the card is upright or reversed, like in the example of the Joker above. But some cards  look different when reversed. It’s not a deal-breaker, but I wonder why there wasn’t consistency—either all different or all the same.

10 of Diamonds

One example of differences is the 10 of Diamonds that uses a bright yellow color on the top half and a darker blue-green on the bottom half. In some cards, the difference is extremely subtle, like in the Ace of Diamonds shown above (Saturn on top but not on the bottom). And with some, like the 10 of Spades above, there is only one possible choice as to which way is upright. The guidebook doesn’t address reversals and perhaps in cases where there is a difference between top and bottom, a reader using this deck may want to take that into consideration if they want to include a reversal or shadow interpretation.

What I love about the different decks that are available to us all these days is the diversity of ideas they provide. While some stick to tradition, each brings a new perspective in terms of artwork and variations in meaning.

Me and the Ace of Diamonds

Lately, I have become interested in cartomancy and I am in the process of developing interpretations for my own deck. Although I will draw on my knowledge of Tarot and astrology, I want the meanings to be a product of my unique world view. I’m taking my time with that project, so I don’t know when I will be ready to show it to the world. But in the meantime, I have a wealth of riches with the various decks out there to enjoy and use. The Illuminated Tarot is one of those decks and I highly recommend it.

 

The Deviant Moon Tarot: Review

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The Deviant Moon Tarot is highly recognizable deck with quirky, dark, and unique images. It was published in 2013 and the illustrations were done by Patrick Valenza.

In the guidebook, artist Valenza talks about some of the methods he used to design the cards. He says that the clothing worn by the characters on the cards are actually photos of tombstones bent and twisted through the use of computer technology. The buildings seen in the background of many of the cards were created from photos of an abandoned mental hospital using the same techniques. All I can say is wow!

For me, the most striking motif is that the faces of the characters on the cards are distinctly dualistic. This is not discussed in the guidebook, but on most cards, one half of a face is bright and the other side is dark. These two sides represent our actual moon, a celestial body where one side always faces the earth and appears bright when illuminated by the sun, and the other “dark” side always faces away from the earth. My interpretation is that the bright side of the face represents conscious thought and the darker side represents unconscious thought. In addition, as you look at the images, the eye on the bright side of the face is usually wide open and the dark side is closed or half closed as if it is asleep or not fully conscious or aware.

Some cards, however, are exceptions to this rule. One of my favorites is the Seven of Cups, which can be interpreted to represent being overwhelmed by emotion or having a heightened imagination. On this card, the dark side seem so be in full control while the conscious side seems to be dormant.

With that being said, the basic interpretations of the cards line up with the traditional meaning of the Rider-Wait deck, but even in the best of circumstances the images lean more heavily to the shadow side of human experience. One need only to look at the Two of Cups for a perfect example. According the guidebook, the interpretation of the card is love, partnership, and a harmonious union, similar to the traditional Rider-Waite interpretation. However, Valenza names the feminine character Midnight and the masculine figure Death

I do have a couple of criticisms about the deck. One is that the card stock is a little thin for my tastes. I tend to have a heavy hand, but when I shuffle these cards, I’m gentler because I get the impression that they will damage easily. [UPDATE October 4, 2021: I have to take this statement back.  Over time, these cards have held up beautifully despite heavy use—better than many of my other decks!]

Also, for such an iconic artistic style as far as the images go, the guidebook seems to be lacking. It’s not perfectly bound but more like a pamphlet, and not in color. The descriptions are the bare minimum—but maybe that’s a good thing. I certainly am able to get a lot out of the images just by looking at them. But if you need a little more direction, you won’t find it here. [UPDATE October 4, 2021: A stand-alone, perfect-bound, hardcover guidebook is available for this deck. Considering the thought that went into creating these images and Valenza’s unique worldview that informs the interpretations, it makes sense that the book would be sold separately. It would be well worth investing in the book for anyone interested in knowing the process of creating this deck.]

Despite these minor complaints, this deck really speaks to me. It helps stretch my consciousness and adds to the depth of my readings. However, I have heard some people raise concerns that this deck is somehow evil or demonic. To that I say, to each his or her own and I can see how this the Deviant Moon Tarot may be too intense for some. But if you are like me and consider working with different Tarot decks  as opportunities to learn more about Source and collective consciousness, then I heartily recommend you give this deck a try.