Fantastical Creatures Tarot [Cards]

This is a wonderful, mystical deck. I almost did not buy it because other reviews warned "this is not a beginners deck" and that it did not line up with traditional decks. However the deck kept calling out to me so I purchased it off Amazon. I am a beginner and I find this deck teaches me and leads me to greater understandings.

I would have to agree that this is not a "beginners deck" because it is the most slippery, tricky, insightful deck I have come across. It has a very definite personality. Where other Tarot decks will give you accurate, pedantic readings. This deck, for me anyway, gives deeply incisive readings full of sassy and sometimes humorous insight.

If you want just the facts get another deck. If you enjoy a deck with personality and are not put off that it has a mind of it's own (very stubborn! - it keeps saying what it wants when it wants!) then this deck is wonderful. It will show you deeply (too deep for most people as it shows stuff you don't want to confront or admit even to yourself!). But beware - this deck is sassy!!!

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous. It does not try to follow tradition, but I find they speak wonderfully to my intuition. The only real break is with arcane 15 which is renamed "chains" but I personally like this change and find it consistent with the readings.

One final warning: those that want to keep their belief in the lie of the material universe walk away and do not purchase this deck. As Friedrich Nietzsche so eloquently says: "When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you."

It may seem that the world of Tarot is entirely overrun with copy-cat decks and deck "creators" who barely know a thing about magick and mysticism. That is not the case with this deck (nor is it ever the case with D.J. Conway!).
First of all, this deck is really original. It's not a remake of a bajillion other decks. The Fantastical Creatures are not ones you have heard of, at least not most of them. But that is only part of what makes this deck so exciting. The fact is that after more than a decade as a Tarot reader, a Witch, a Ceremonial Magician, and a student the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, I see in this deck that Conway grasps the underlying mystical, magickal sense of each card more fully and deeply than, really, almost anybody else out there who has produced a Tarot deck. I feel that the Fantastical Creatures Tarot is comparable in depth to the Haindl. And the artwork is just gorgeous; the scenes are enthralling, and the quality of the cards themselves is excellent, too. I also like that the cards are sized for a normal person's hands, not sized as though they were created for some giant! Another great thing about this deck is that if you have older children or teens, they can use this as a great deck which will capture their imagination and "grow" in meaning as the young people grow in their ability to understand. Such is not the case with other decks that children are typically introducted to, such as the Whimsical, the Hello Kitty, or the Starter Tarots. And, of course, the Fantastical Creatures has no "blinds" to deal with like the Rider-Waite. All in all, a great deck.

"It is possible to re-learn the ancient art of communication with fantastic creatures. When approached in the proper ways, these powers can help us. By tapping into these astral sources, we can use the ancient images in divination to gain a clearer picture of what is causing life problems and what we can do about it." - From the Little White Book

From the Lady of the Lake to the Kraken, Griffin to Jenny Greenteeth, the Fantastical Creatures Tarot brims with a dizzying array of gods, goddesses, mythological creatures and the stuff of legends.

Featuring the luminous artwork of Lisa Hunt, each card of the Major and Minor Arcana is dedicated to a specific being (or group of creatures). You'll find dragons, a unicorn, faeries, a werewolf, a vampire, selkies, valkyries, gnomes, brownies, firedrakes and lion-dogs. Pegasus makes an appearance, as does a centaur, faun, minotaur, mermaids, harpies, The Djinn, firebird and The Sphinx.

Titania, the "mistress of glamour and matriarch of magick" finds representation in the Fantastical Creatures Tarot, as does Oberon, Gilgamesh, Kali Ma, Tiamat, Yemaya, Lilith, Quetzalcoatl, Circe and the triple-goddess Morrigan.

The cards retain traditional titles rather than the creature depicted, although Trump XV is cleverly re-named "Chains" in this deck. Minor suits are Wands, Cups, Pentacles and Swords and although Wands are associated with Air and Swords with Fire in this deck, the association isn't obvious by illustration alone.

As always, Ms. Hunt's stunning art shimmers with light and color, enlivening the fanciful world of creatures that are sometimes awe-inspiring and other times frightening, yet remain a ready menagerie of aid for those bold and trusting enough to call upon their energies for magick or insight.

The glossy cards measure approximately 4 ¾ x 2 ½ inches and have a simple circular filigreed motif centered on an ecru background, making the backings fully reversible.

Unfortunately, this lovely deck isn't accompanied by a full-length book--only a 71-page Little White Book by D.J. Conway. Several times, the LWB description doesn't seem to jive with card image. For example, the creatures in the 2 of Pentacles are described as Fey who are "human-sized, wingless members of the Fairy Kingdom". However, the Fey in the card clearly have wings.

Although the brief mythology of each card is adequate, some of the interpretations seem a bit repetitive, as well as the descriptive elements of some of the images.

In addition, some of the choices of fantastical creatures seem ill suited to their particular cards and meanings. For example, the 3 of Pentacles represents mischievous hobgoblins that "like nothing better than to spoil luck, create nightmares, hide things and frighten people". Yet, the divinatory meaning given is "opportunities will soon come from you to learn new skills".

Two quick reference cards come with the Fantastical Creatures Tarot, providing keywords for both Arcanas. A large, two-sided illustrated fold-out with five spreads is also included in this kit. However, the keywords for the suits don't seem right on the fold-out. For example, the Air/Mental realm is said to be made up of "thoughts, ideas, communications, emotions, relationships and love." The first three, yes--but the last three? That's the realm of Cups/Water/Emotions.

If you love Lisa Hunt's artwork, particularly the Animals Divine Tarot, you'll want to get your hands on this lovely deck. Those inspired by mythology and otherworldly creatures will also likely enjoy the Fantastical Creatures Tarot. (I also think fans Paul Mason, particularly the Fairy Ring, would also like this deck--especially since Jenny Greenteeth and others found therein).

However, this isn't a good deck for beginners, especially with some of the confusing and contradictory elements found in the LWB and fold-out.

(To see 13 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)