When I first watched Doreen’s promotional video for her Angel Tarot Cards on YouTube and heard her say that this deck was a “totally safe and gentle deck”, I thought oh great, a tarot deck for wimps. Virtue wanted to create a tarot deck that was 100% safe and positive without sacrificing any of the depth and wisdom of traditional tarot cards, so she teamed up with tarot expert Radleigh Valentine and Artist Steve A. Roberts to create Angel Tarot Cards.
The scarier cards like Death, The Devil and The Tower have been re-imagined so that their images and messages are more uplifting. I was anxious to find out whether these cards would be a unique and useful addition to my tarot collection or just another deck that I use for bookmarks and coasters….
Likes:
- Court cards are easier than ever to interpret
- Card meanings are written right on the card
- Artwork is appealing and interesting to study
- Cards are slightly larger than a regular tarot deck
Dislikes:
- The water suit is very dark in color and the mermaids are a bit spooky
- Large size of deck makes it difficult to shuffle
Angel Tarot Cards remind me of oracle cards because they are slightly bigger than most tarot cards and the card’s meaning is written on the bottom. This makes it a perfect deck for those not familiar with tarot – and also good for days when you are feeling lazy and can’t be bothered remembering what the card meaning is!
However, the larger size of the cards, combined with their thickness make it a pretty hefty deck that is not the easiest to shuffle. On the plus side, these cards are sturdy and glossy and will wear very well over time. They don’t have the gold edges that many of Virtue’s oracle decks have, but honestly, I don’t miss it. (update: these cards now have silver lined edges)
I especially like the court cards. Just below the cards name are four characteristics of that court card. For example, the King of Earth is “generous, professional, responsible, practical” and at the bottom of the card is its meaning: “A successful time. Confidently accept opportunities you’re offered. The Midas touch.” I find court cards can be tricky to interpret sometimes, but having the characteristics and meaning right on the card makes it a breeze.
You can spend quite a bit of time just examining these cards, as the artwork by Steve A. Roberts is both beautiful and intriguing. Many of the cards depict life on some other planet, with multiple moons glowing in the background and magical creatures like mermaids, unicorns and dragons prancing about. Even Doreen Virtue herself shows up in the Nine of Water as a happy mermaid.
Angel Tarot Cards are unique in that they are truly uplifting and safe without being sappy and meaningless. Often, I find decks that are all rainbows and lollipops can be as infuriating and insulting as the time when everyone in my elementary class got an “A” for effort. Huh? What’s the point?
Not so with this deck. For example, Life Experience replaces The Tower and the caption on the bottom says “A significant life event. A powerful revelation that leads to change. Time to spread your wings.”
So you can see how you could interpret this card in both positive and meaningful ways without scaring the crap out of your client!
Another thing I really appreciated about Angel Tarot Cards is that apart from all the angels it is a non-religious deck. Some of Doreen’s other decks make reference to God and Heaven. While this doesn’t bother me personally, I hesitate to use it with clients whose religious attitudes are unknown to me.
Enough gushing. Now onto my major complaint…..
I don’t really love the Suit of Water. The mermaids look like corpses or ghosts on some of the cards and in a couple water cards, I can see a shark lurking in the shadowy depths. Ahhhh!
The coloring of this suit is very dark and has a foreboding feel to it, like a storm is brewing and it just gives this suit a generally cold and depressing vibe. But I will say that the water court cards are my favorite in the whole deck, particularly the Queen of Water.
Buy this deck if….
- You have little or no previous knowledge of Tarot
- You are an avid deck collector and want something a bit different
- You find traditional tarot cards to be scary and harsh
- You like angels and you are a fan of Doreen’s other decks
- You love gorgeous fantasy art
Doreen Virtue cranks out a few oracle decks each year and if you already have some of her other decks then it can feel like just another Doreen Virtue deck. However, this deck is different and even if you already have all of her other decks, you wont be disappointed in this one.
A lot of thought and creativity has been put into Angel Tarot Cards and while it is a more positive and safe re-imagining of the traditional Rider-Waite deck, it does not lose its power as a tarot deck. Angel Tarot Cards are definitely a tarot deck worth owning!
Click here to purchase this deck on Amazon (this is my affiliate link).
Life Purpose Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue
Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso
Can someone tell me what the meaning of these two tarot cards I drew might mean? They are the are the justice card and the star card?
They are from the Angel Tarot deck by Doreen Virtue. My question was in regards to a man I had dated who hurt my feelings bad enough for me to walk away. It s been two months. I m okay with having walked away, I just did it without asking for an apology from him and he never ventured to give me one. I haven t had any contact since then, in fact it feels final but you never know. It s bothered me because I thought he was my friend and I felt so betrayed when he lied. So I used tarot to see if I would receive an apology from him, I pulled two cards where the first card would signify where his mind/situation was like in regards to me and the dilemma and the second card would signify the likelihood of getting said apology. First card I pulled was justice and second the star card. I m a beginner so I would love to hear a more experienced interpretation. Thank you
My card is the 5 of swords, the last man standing
I love this deck so much! It’s so magical and positive. 🙂 Actually, I love all my decks but this one is my favorite to go with the Psychic Tarot Oracle Deck.
These cars where my first deck I ever came in contact with and the first deck I ever used but over time I got a secand deck that I us more. This deck I love the artwork but this deck over tie just stoped calling out to me and now I rarely use it.
This is MY first Tarot Deck. I have other “oracle” card decks. By far this is my favorite of decks I own.
I agree with your review 100%. That was funny about “A for effort”, I agree! I started collecting decks about 12 years ago and my first deck was from Barnes and Noble and was exactly that! Silliness. I love the Angel Tarot and YES it is a pain to shuffle but even though I sometimes mix the Rider Waite meanings with her meanings, I love the images and suit names so much more. I also have 5 other decks of hers and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one the most. 🙂
Hello Kate. L looked at these cards and l like them, l have a question do you know if they publish them in spanish? thank you and for your videos….hugs.
I have watched and read your review the time you published them, and waited until I get them for myself to write my thoughts about them. First of all, this is really my wish being granted, last year I just wondered if a more sensitive rendition of the Tarot was possible to be made, and if this special kind of Tarot would have some angel touch… And here it is. 🙂 After your review I was very happy because it was obviously worth having, and I was really excited to see and feel the deck by myself. This deck also granted another wish of mine, by surprisingly (and unusually, because finding original decks over here is quite hard) appearing in a local book store over the seas in my city (Izmir, Turkey), saving me from having it shipped and paying so much more money. I totally agree with your comment on the edges of the cards, silver is really better than gold. The Court Cards are easier then ever for me to interpret, expanding my perspective about these people. The messages and key words are absolutely uplifting and the images are beautiful, and in my opinion this is one of the few best decks Doreen Virtue has ever created. After spending some time with them, I decided to call them Angel Tarocle (Tarot+Oracle) for some reason, because the deck definitely provides the insight and energy of both traditions. As you mentioned, they are totally safe, sensitive, but don’t short cut any deep insight a traditional Tarot deck has to offer. I’m getting really nice answers and guidance so far. It is perfect to use with almost everyone I guess. By the way, the water suit is definitely a bit spooky, but still very nice to me since I am an eternal fan of everything mermaid and ocean. Many blessings and hugs!
Deniz, that is so great to hear that your were able to find a copy of these cards in your city and that you are enjoying them! I love this deck – and yes, your right, it is like a combination of a Tarot and Oracle deck – I think that is what I like about it, since I love Oracle cards so much. I am so glad that this deck really resonates with you.
Warm Regards,
Kate