May 2021

Join me as I unbox the Lux Ex Umbra Tarot, a visual feast of lush colours and beautiful artwork…

To purchase this deck: https://mystiic.com/en/products/lux-ex-umbra-tarot

My first impression of this deck is that it’s a high quality Tarot deck, full of imagery that seems to glow and pulse with life. But let’s dig a little deeper…

The name of the deck Lux Ex Umbra means light & shadow, which is based on the idea that each card has both light and dark sides. When I’m teaching Tarot, I always stress this – that no card is 100% positive or negative – there is a good/bad or light/dark side to all the cards, so I love that this is the theme of this deck!

The card stock is that high quality, velvety matte that I love so much and the deck comes with a little booklet (in both French and English). What I like about the booklet is that it gives both light and shadow meanings for the cards, which is very helpful.

This deck is a Tarot de Marseille style deck, which is different from the Rider Waite Smith deck in that the minor arcana are illustrated only with symbols and not elaborate scenes and characters. For example, the Eight of Swords in a Marseille deck just shows eight swords, whereas the Rider Waite Smith deck shows a blindfolded woman trapped in a circle of swords.

I find Marseille style decks (sometimes called pip decks) a bit trickier to read than a Rider Waite style deck – since there’s less obvious imagery to work with, it requires a better knowledge of the Tarot. For that reason it isn’t the ideal beginner deck. But what I love about these kinds of decks is that they force you to slow down and gain a broader understanding of the cards – making the Lux Ex Umbra Tarot a good deck for readers who are ready to dive a little deeper into their Tarot journey.

The Majors are absolutely stunning. They glow with so much light and almost seem to leap right off the cards. My favorite card has to be Le Pape (The Hierophant), which is a beautiful dark blue crow, holding a key in it’s beak. Even the minors seem to light up and radiate a mysterious glow that lends a feeling of magic to even the most mundane of readings! I love this!

I did find the court cards tricky to read. They are in French (as are the Majors) and are depicted as astrological symbols (not people). This made me really have to pause, think and refer to the book. I think if you use this deck regularly, and especially if you have some astrological knowledge, you’ll get comfortable with them, but I had trouble reading them right out of the box.

So how does the Lux Ex Umbra Tarot read?

It reads well, but it’s the kind of deck I gravitate to when I have some time to sit with the cards for a bit. It’s not a wham-bam, boom-boom deck that is super easy to read and gives quick insights – this is more of a slow burn kind of Tarot deck. It’s the kind of deck I plan to use for Tarot journalling and meditation.

This is a stunning Tarot deck of high quality that would be a wonderful addition to your Tarot collection. Perfect for readers looking for something a little different and maybe even a bit more challenging than your average deck!

To learn more about this deck and to purchase: https://mystiic.com/en/products/lux-ex-umbra-tarot

Happy Tarot Reading!
xoxo
Kate

Join me as I unbox the Black Cat Tarot Deck by Helena Isabel Isidro de Almeida!

Those who know me, know….I’m OBSESSED with cats!!! And I’m obsessed with Tarot. So when the two collide, I can’t help but get a bit excited….

To purchase this deck: https://de-almeida.art/product/black-cat-tarot-deck-pre-order-shipping-from-15-03-2021/

When I first took this deck out of the box, I fell in love with the card backs – they’re very cute and eye catching.

The style of this deck is simple and uncluttered with the only colours being black, white and ochre yellow.

I wondered how it would read – sometimes simple imagery is easier to read than busy images and sometimes it’s harder. I’m happy to say it was easy to read – very easy!

When I read with this deck, ideas and words come easily to me and I find the images help me de-clutter my mind and just focus on the cards and their messages.

Is this a beginner friendly Tarot deck? I think it is. The cards follow the Rider-Waite-Smith format in imagery and symbolism, making it a good deck for Tarot newbies (and cat lovers!).

Card stock is medium in thickness and quality (not thick, but not too thin either) and the finish is not really matte or gloss but something kind of in between. Cards come in a cute and sturdy black box.

The cards have a fun and mystical energy to them and whenever I read with this deck I feel like a witchy, fortune teller lady who needs her own Tarot reading caravan! I have a feeling this deck will be in my regular rotation for a while.

To learn more about this deck, visit the deck creator’s site: https://de-almeida.art/product/black-cat-tarot-deck-pre-order-shipping-from-15-03-2021/