Deck Review: Modern Witch Tarot

Lisa Sterle, The Modern Witch Tarot. London, UK: Liminal 11, 2019. ISBN: 9781454938682. (link to publisher). 

Genre: Tarot decks

Subgenre: witches, modern, contemporary, LGTBQ, diversity

Format: small kit with small hardcover book and deck. 

Source: I own this one.

This small kit comes with a small hardcover book and the deck. The small book being in hardcover is a nice detail. The 56-page book is arranged as follows: 

• A foreword by Vita Ayala. This sets up the modern witch theme and its diverse representation. 
• Introduction. This is a short artist statement. 
• The Major Arcana. Each card entry includes a small image of the card in black and white and two paragraphs. The text provides interpretation and advice. 
• The Minor Arcana. The entries are not illustrated. The entries are about one paragraph per card. 
• Reading the Tarot. This is a suggested step-by-step instruction for reading the cards. You can do as much or as little as you want. 
• Spreads. In addition to single card and four-card layouts, you get three additional spreads. 

Queen of Pentacles

The small book is an easy ready, and it works well for beginners. The interpretations and text focus on a modern context that can appeal to anyone in any life path. The esoteric elements are kept to a minimum, making this an accessible and clear text. 

The deck is mainly a Rider Waite Smith (RWS) clone with modern figures of various styles and shapes. The originality lies in how Sterle depicts the figures and their appearance.  Otherwise the art is well within the RWS tradition. If you like and/or use RWS for your readings, but you have issues with the relatively homogeneous RWS, this may be a deck for you. 

For folks seeking representation, especially LGBTQ and women, this deck has something for them. The figures have various skin colors and body shapes. Their dress and fashion are modern. A few cards have some artistic nudity, but it is well within the deck's context. 

The art is very colorful and bright without being loud. The art is expressive with a good amount of detail. If you already read RWS, you can read this deck. For intuitives, the art with a modern context offers good material for readings. The modern context may offer additional insights to some folks. The deck feels very traditional and  yet it is modern and reflective of contemporary times. I was not sure what to make of it initially, but I found it to be easy to use, very responsive, and with good imagery that is detailed and nice to view. 

I first used this deck in November 2023, but it is one you can use any time of the year. Combined with the basic small book this can be a good gift for beginners. It offers the basic RWS structure with modern witches and folks of diverse groups. It is a good deck if you want a gift different from the usual. 

Three of Cups.

The cards measure about 4 3/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches. The card stock is on the thick side, and it feels a bit flexible. The cards have a glossy coat, and they slide easily when shuffling, fanning them out, etc. The deck overall can feel a bit heavy on the hands due to the cards' thickness. They feel durable. By the way, the deck includes two extra cards. One is an affirmation card with a motivational message. The other is an alternate version of the Ten of Swords. You can exchange the Ten of Swords in the deck or leave both. The affirmation card is for you, like a blessing, so remove it before you use the deck. 

This is a really nice deck that may seem ordinary until you start using it. Then you warm up to it, and you end up really liking it as I did. I can see myself going back to it. The deck retails for about $25, which I think is good value, though you may be able to find it on sale here or there like I did. For queer friends and/or that quirky off beat person, this deck may be a good choice. 

4 out of 5 stars.