Shadowscapes Tarot Deck (Shadowscapes Tarot, 2) Cards – May 8, 2011

I have owned at least one tarot deck for over a decade, and this is my third deck. That being said, as recently as a few months ago I could give the meanings for less than half a dozen cards. The two decks I got first were simply not intuitive, they forced me to constantly consult the Little White Book. I realized that if I wanted to learn, I had to get something easier to read, something that calls more to me.Enter Shadowscapes. When I glimpsed the fuzzy sample images on Aeclectic it was love at first sight. I delighted in the availability of every piece of art on Ms. Law's website, poring through the pages and drinking in the fantasy worlds she had painstakingly created. I couldn't own a copy soon enough!My best friend didn't take long to buy this for me, insisting he give it as a gift, though he wasn't sure why. When I had the deck in my hands, complaints about card thickness and size seemed silly. The cards are the same thickness as my US Games Lord of the Rings deck, and thicker than my Lo Scarabeo Dragons deck. The full thickness is approximately one inch, but the cards feel like they won't bend at the slightest breeze. If you're worried, don't riffle your tarot deck.As for the size, yes, there are small details. Yes, they can be difficult to see. Use them as an excuse to lose yourself in the cards! Each card is a portal to a rich, vibrant world of dancing faeries and hidden dryads. The subject of each card pulls you in and leads you through a story. Some of my favorites include the playful leaping river of foxes the Five of Wands must wade through, the lock and key just within reach of the chained woman beneath the hooves of the Devil, and the delightful innocence of the Six of Cups' tea party.I actually received a copy of this version second, I do own the Companion. That said, the LWB included with this deck is respectable. It has far better information than my other two LWBs, and includes a brief introduction by Barbara Moore. Card meanings are given by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, and give insight as to why she has chosen certain imagery. Spreads include suggestions for one card spreads and two original spreads also available in the Companion. The box that this version comes in, while far from an impregnable fortress, is certainly sufficient for holding the deck and LWB until a pouch or box can protect them.The layout of this deck is relatively standard, and follows the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. Strength is VIII, Justice is XI. The court includes Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings. Suits are Cups, Swords, Pentacles, and Wands, and each is represented by a type of animal, canines and felines, birds, lizards, and fish respectively. Each card is bordered by a lightly metallic silvery purple. The backs are a detailed, reversible ring with representatives from the suits on a lovely purple starry background.This is an absolutely stunning, breathtaking deck, and I feel privileged to have it in my small collection. Readings are very intuitive, and I definitely recommend this deck for beginners and practiced readers alike. It is definitely a feminine-feeling deck, but don't let that stop you gents from snapping it up; the aforementioned best friend is pining hard for one of his own! I'll be returning his generous gift in kind as soon as I can.

I bought this as my first deck, and just wow. I was called to it and I'm really glad I have it. The artwork?? IMMACULATE. Very detailed and I love looking through each little one. When I read about the meaning of the cards, the artwork pretty much follows closely to it and it's interesting how the artist captures the essence of the cards and what they're supposed to mean. I love the colors, swirls, sense of movement, and emotions these cards invoke. It came with a standard guidebook that allowed me to get a better sense of the meanings of the cards as a beginner. It doesn't explain the reversed meanings but there are other sources for that.I am really drawn to these cards... just absolutely amazing. Even the back of the cards are cute. Purple is my favorite color too and I think it's an activity in its own to value the amount of detail put into this deck. Like, just taking some time to sit down and stare at each card, and notice new things that you haven't caught before at first glance. Everything really ties together into a cohesive theme, but with unique concepts to each card.It's not too flimsy and fits just right in my hands. It's on the thinner side, but still sturdy enough to not just easily bend. This deck has a very powerful energy to it and is my go-to.

As the title says, I bought these gorgeous cards for creative writing. I must be clear that I do not read the cards for tarot purposes, and in fact, I have no knowledge of how to do this, and have only seen it done once, years ago now. So, I have no idea whether they are good, bad, or indifferent for tarot readings. I think they probably are good, based on the other reviewers, but I have no personal knowledge to that effect.That said, I am very glad I bought these. I was looking for a set of cards to use to help me brainstorm with my fantasy writing. Cards like these can help with 'writer's block', plotting, character development, and so on. These are excellent for the purpose. The cards are just beautiful, richly detailed, and inspiring. I won't go into my 'method' for this, though I'd be happy to share it if someone wants to leave a comment here requesting me to do so.There is a good balance of cards, by which I mean, they aren't all peace and joy, and they aren't all dark and frightening. That's good from the perspective of writing (though I like happy endings, myself, I can't let the characters get there unscathed, after all). While these lend themselves particularly well to a fantasy novel, short story, or poetry, I think you could make them work for anything fiction.Like the other reviewers said, the cards are a tad smaller then they could have been (I wouldn't have noticed if the illustrations weren't so absorbing), but I wouldn't personally let that stop me from getting them. They are still worth every penny.I hope this helps!

I have several other decks, but I have not been able to find one that was easy to learn with. So I originally bought this deck just to have a small deck I could throw in my bag to encourage me to practice and learn more often. One that was cheap enough that I wouldn’t care if it got messed up being jumbled in my bag everyday.What I got was the absolute perfect learning deck! The cardstock is good. It shuffles well. The pictures tie in with their meanings, and making reading with intuition fairly easy. Not to mention they’re just gorgeous!! The little booklet that comes with them are precise. Gone are the pages worth of meanings and interpretations. Traded for a few key words and/or a short sentence. It gives you just enough for you to get the gist while leaving enough for an intuitive reading.I can’t say enough about this little deck. It’s gone quickly from “just a little deck to practice but not care about” to “man! This is one of my favorites”.