This is the Tarot deck I was using in December 2020. I wanted a deck with a bit of winter vibe. Naturally, you can use this deck year round, but I found it works well for the winter season, and I may keep using it as a midwinter deck down the road. In addition, given the horrible clusterfuck that was 2020, I wanted to end that horrible year using a more positive deck. Darker decks do not mean negative deck, but I wanted something lighter with an uplifting note, and The Good Tarot works well for that.
- Author's note.
- How it works.A bit on how the deck works and how to work with it.
- The 22 Trumps. The Major Arcana cards. We get a basic "The Cards" introduction which goes over basic Tarot deck structure and outlines some of the differences from more "traditional" Tarot. We then get all the trumps. Each card page gets a small photo of the card, card name, and number, a keyword, and a small affirmation/interpretation.
- The Four Elemental Suits. The Minor Arcana. Suits are identified by elements: Air (swords), Fire (wands), Water (cups), and Earth (pentacles). For each card, we get a small photo of the card, card name, some keywords, and a small affirmation/interpretation. All numbered cards are numbered with Arabic numbers, including the Major Arcana.
- Readings. This is a small series of sample card pulls with interpretation. This section also discusses a bit how to do readings with this deck.
- Things to think about. Author's final thoughts and some insights on how she developed the deck.
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| King of Fire (King of Wands) card. |
Overall, the guidebook is a nice and compact basic book. Text is relatively minimal, but it gives you enough to get started. Card meanings are designed to reinforce the idea of serving your highest good; serving your highest good is a common theme in the author's works, and it is a theme that resonates with me. The emphasis is to help deck users find empowerment and solutions, to help users find guidance from the negative to growth. As she writes:
"My intention is to help you see that in all aspects of life, you can find solutions and positive lessons. To predict suffering without offering a solution for easing that pain is, to me, a grave disservice and, well not at all what I believe I should be doing" (96).
That second sentence resonates with me, and when I read for others, if I see suffering or a negative I try to also provide a solution or some advice to ease the suffering or find a path of healing. Still, the book's content on the positive is uplifting and emphasizes healing and learning. It's not that it downplays the negative. It's more about figuring out how to move to light. On a negative, content as I mentioned is minimal, but still you get starting points. I'd add this book and deck may be good for journaling and reflection.
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| Hanged Man-12 card. |
names have been changed to soften things a bit. For example, Death becomes Transformation and the Devil becomes Temptation. Those names are within "traditional" meanings, but some Tarot practitioners may feel changes like this may soften things too much. It works for me, but as the saying goes, your mileage may vary. The rich imagery in the art does offer much for intuitive readers. If you read within Rider Waite Smith (RWS) system, there is enough for you, but this is not really an RWS deck. It is colorful in a soft way. Minor Arcana colors match their elements in a subtle way. Earth cards may be a bit more brown or green for example. By the way, on this deck, Strength is 8 and Justice is 11.
I enjoyed using this deck. For me, at times it had a bit of a learning curve due to its strong positive element. If you are a serious pessimist, or a reader more into the dark side, this deck may not be for you, and that is OK. If you do want a more positive and lighter deck, and one without "scary" elements, this may be a deck for you. For me, the learning curve was in learning to see more the positive paths, remind myself not to dwell in negatives so often. Yes, bad things do happen, but often the lesson, the healing come in how we deal with those bad things. If you need a bit of a pick me up or a bit of a lift from doldrums or sadness, this may be a deck for you.
The cards measure about 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches; this makes them larger than most standard Tarot decks. The deck is closer to oracle deck size. The card stock feels thick and good, flexible, and it has a bit of a glossy coating. If you riffle shuffle, this may not be an easy deck to shuffle. Though can use these cards to read for others, I think the real strength of this deck is for self readings and meditation work. These cards are good for a daily pull for personal reflection. In that regard, larger cards work well so you can better view and appreciate the details.
Overall, I really like this deck, and I am happy to have it in my collection. For me, this is a deck to use when I need an uplifting message and/or a bit more optimistic outlook. I may keep using it mainly in winter, but I may give it a try during the year. If you've enjoyed Baron-Reid's oracle decks, you may likely enjoy this one. It does have a bit of an oracle deck feel to it.
4 out of 5 hats.
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