Deck Review: Trick Or Treat Tarot

Barbara Moore (author) and Johnathan Hunt (artist), Trick or Treat Tarot. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2022. ISBN: 978-0-7387-6510-5. (Link to publisher)

 

I first used this deck in October 2023. This kit includes a full size companion book and the 78-card deck in a solid box. Barbara Moore wrote the book; Johnathan Hunt is the artist.

The book features pages in full color with illustrations from the deck throughout the book. The book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. A bit of history and background on Halloween traditions and Tarot. 
• The Basics. This includes defining a Tarot deck, a bit of Tarot history, and steps to do a reading. 
• The Major Arcana. Entries for each card include card number and name, interpretation in two paragraphs, list of keywords, and a list reversed keywords. Each entry also includes an image of the card in full page size and in color. 
• The Minor Arcana. Chapter is organized by suits: wands, cups, swords, and pentacles. Court cards are included with their suits. Each suit has a brief suit description followed by the card entries. Card entries are same style as the Major Arcana.
• Spreads. This chapter includes 4 Halloween card spreads. You also get 6 traditional spreads including the Celtic Cross. You get a good selection of spreads to try out. 
• An afterword by Mickie Mueller.
   

The Wheel of Fortune-X

The book is easy to read and very informative. It is a good book for beginners, but Tarot readers at all levels can benefit from it. The card meanings are well connected to the Halloween season. Card meanings also integrate elements of Rider Waite Smith (RWS) system. I enjoyed the book.  You could read the cards intuitively, but I still recommend reading the book. One reason to read it is some cards deviate from RWS in interesting ways. 

The art in the cards embodies the spirit of Halloween. Some images can be spooky, but in a playful and light way. This is mostly a lighthearted deck that can be used with folks of all ages. Some cards do have some interesting depictions, such as the Justice-XI card that features Mr. Moneybags and the Statue of Liberty. That image is certainly one for serious reflection; in fact, I will be writing a reflection on that card over at Alchemical Thoughts soon.  That card shows how the deck can go in depth. In the spirit of Halloween, most cards feature people of all ages in costume. I found the cards easy to read and interpret. The art is colorful, detailed, and expressive. A fun element is cards that are tributes or homages to popular culture. 

Four of Wands

The cards measure abut 4 1/2 inches by 2 3/4 inches. The card art is borderless; a small strip at the bottom identifies each card. There are no changes from traditional card names. Card stock is a bit thicker than the usual Llewellyn card stock. It has a light gloss that allows cards to slide with ease when shuffling. As a result, the deck may feel a bit heavier in your hands. Still, the card stock seems like an improvement over the usual company card stock. The card back design is reversible. 

Overall, this is a great kit, especially for Halloween season. If you keep and enjoy Halloween year round, this is a good deck choice. It is a playful deck with good humor, but it can also deliver deep and serious messages. I'd add this could be a good gift for beginner and intermediate users, or just someone wanting something different that is not too heavy or too esoteric. I am very glad to have it in my collection. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

 

This kit qualifies for the following 2023 Reading Challenge: