Flip-through of the Elemental Power Tarot

I want to start off by saying that I love this deck. The Elemental Power Tarot comes with an impressive guidebook, and Melinda Lee Holm’s artwork is phenomenal. [Oops–inaccurate statement; she’s not the artist, but I’m going to leave that sentence as-is for now, to make a point. Will give correct attribution later in this review.] Production quality is impeccable– the beautiful matte finish, great quality cardstock, the packaging, the full-color guidebook, all of it.

I mean just look at that card back design. I love it. Some reviewers grumbled about the cardstock quality, but I didn’t have any issue with that at all. I’m also digging the unconventional size dimensions of the cards (at least as it goes for tarot decks).

For me, the issue is miscommunications in how the publisher may have set consumer expectations. It isn’t fair to pin the issue on the artist/deck creator, so really accountability rests on whoever was tasked to do the marketing and promotional materials for this deck. Yes I’m being intentionally cryptic for now. You’ll see what I mean soon enough.

Let’s start with how I came to acquire this deck. A fellow tarot friend wanted to put me through a bit of an experiment. He pitched to me: I want to send you a deck, but you have to first promise me you won’t look up any info about it, or read any reviews, or try to find reviewer card images of the deck, okay? The only thing you are allowed to look at before receiving the deck is the publisher’s marketing copy and the sample card images presented on the deck box itself. Okay?

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Flip-through of the Music in She Oracle

This is a quick flip-through of the Music in She Oracle deck of 42 cards, and not a formal review. As the marketing copy for the deck notes, these cards are designed to guide you through life events and challenges, from the inspired perspective of music industry icons.

The art is by graphic designer and NYC-based art director Natalie Mertz, who is also the proprietor of Math and Medium, a graphic design and brand consulting firm. Music in She Oracle is published under Math and Medium.

Each card features the portrait of a musical artist in a pop art style, and corresponds to a particular archetype. For example, Bob Marley is The Peacemaker, Jimi Hendrix is The Alchemist, John Lennon is The Activist, Johnny Cash is The Straight Shooter, Ozzy Osbourne is The Madman, etc.

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Tarot of Mystical Moments: A Flip-Through

The Tarot of Mystical Moments by Catrin Welz-Stein and published by U.S. Games Systems came out in January of this year (2021) as a companion to the Oracle of Mystical Moments published back in 2018. I’m not familiar with the Oracle, so I’ll be giving my impressions of the Tarot on its own merits.

With a graphic design background, the artist digitally collages with mixed media, working from vintage photos, public domain art, and master paintings. Prior works from the times of yore are then transformed into surrealist compositions. That’s where this deck shines– the transformative aspect of taking masterpiece art or art styles that feel familiar to you and transforming them into fresh, surrealist, high-concept compositions.

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New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic by Cory Thomas Hutcheson

New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic by Cory Thomas Hutcheson and published earlier this year by Llewellyn is a must-have for your personal occult library, and this book review will try to convince you of why.

The text is subdivided into Twelve Rites, from defining witchery and discussing initiation to coverage of common practices in North American traditional folk witchcraft, with exercises and practical work, all the way to commentary on witchcraft in pop culture.

That is one ambitious scope, and Hutcheson pulls it off– this is quite the hefty tome of a book!

Let’s start with defining who is a witch. I appreciate Hutcheson’s acknowledgement: “Whatever image pops into your head when that word passes by in conversation–whether whispered reverently or barked in anger– that will be the definitive image for you.” That kind of has always been my own bone to pick with the term “witch.” What does it even mean? How is the label useful today? He continues, “Many magical practitioners reject the term ‘witch’ either because of its negative or its religious connotations.”

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Thoth Journey Tarot: The Oracle of Change by Joanna-Kate Grant and Aia Leu

When I first saw the Thoth Journey Tarot, it was love at first sight. If you like the  art style of Mary-El Tarot, Navigators of the Mystic Sea, or the Mystical Dream Tarot, then Joanna-Kate Grant’s Thoth Journey Tarot is right up your alley. The artwork is done by Aia Leu. If your aesthetic is vibrant colors, surreal dreamscapes, and pagan-leaning, you’re going to love this deck.

Also, apologies for inadvertently giving anyone FOMO (fear of missing out), but according to the Seedpress website, there are only 45 copies of this deck left, so if you know for sure you want this deck, get on it. Order page here.

The book, to me, is really the main focus here. It reads like meditations, poetic and zen-like. We follow the journeys of a character, a she. One card entry progresses into the next like pages of a journal, accounts of her life and world. Reading each chapter is a magical act– I’d always feel uplifted and rejuvenated after.

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Book of Maps Files in Your Inbox! ;-)

Later today, tomorrow, or Friday, if you pre-ordered the premium package for the SKT: Revelation, then the e-mail for the Book of Maps will be in your inbox shortly.

I apologize for the delay. In a previous status update I said I’d get it to you in the first two weeks of May, but regrettably, that didn’t happen. Life got in the way. =)

If you do not receive it, first make sure to check every single e-mail inbox for the addresses you might have given to us. Second, make sure to check the Social or Promotions tab in Gmail or your spam folder. Our communication might’ve gotten caught up in there. If truly a glitch has happened and you did not get the e-mail, please reach out to abelldelivers@gmail.com.

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SKT Production Status Update: Still on Proofs

Comparing the First Edition, Vitruvian, earlier prototype (came out darker than I wanted), and most recent uncut proofs

Above, bottom row of cards right to left: The Lovers card from the black & white First Edition, the Vitruvian Edition, one of the earlier test prints (see how it came out too dark?), skip over The Chariot, and way on the left-most side bottom row is The Lovers card from the latest printed color proofs (in sheets).

Here are the color proofs of the cards in uncut sheets. Top row: Justice, Hanged Man, Death. Bottom row: Magician, High Priestess, Empress. (Using standard tarot titles for your convenience of reference, rather than referring to them by their SKT titles.)

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Deck Production: About the Gilding (Gold Edging)

Pictured: 2019 Vitruvian Edition box and gilding with forthcoming 2021 Book of Maps

While all of us are waiting on production, I thought I’d take this time to talk about gilding, and why I decided to once again go with gold edging for the third edition. The Revelation Edition decks will have the same gilding applied that both the First and the Vitruvian editions had.

Pictured: 2019 Vitruvian Edition box and gilding with forthcoming 2021 Book of Maps

Y’all… I do have my ear to the ground of the tarot community and I almost always agree with the general circulating sentiments du jour. Gilding is a controversial matter (said lightly, tongue in cheek of course). It irks some people, and I get it. When it’s that crusty, glittery gilding that’s coarse, I totes agree. Bleh.

But when it’s smooth and silky…

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Book of Maps Proofs (SKT Revelation Production Status Update)

I printed out a physical copy of the Book of Maps just to make sure everything is as it should be, before releasing it to those who ordered the premium package. I am so in love with how this cover art came out.

After finishing the graphic design on my computer, I wasn’t 100% sure I was loving it. Maybe it’s too yellow? (I was hoping it’d look more gold.) But the dominant-gold with floral-green accents was the color symbolism I wanted to go for, with that pearlescent pattern for the background.

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A Lenormand Deck Showcase

I’ll be showcasing six Lenormand deck recommendations, each one different from the others in art style. Four of them are indie and two are traditionally published. These are decks that have been sent to me and for these types of collection showcases, I typically choose only from the decks sent to me for my collection.

Let’s take a look at how the Lenormand is illustrated in six different art styles. The first is what I’ll call contemporary kawaii cutecore; the second is Western European medieval art; the third is inspired by the Italian Renaissance; then the Lenormand in a black and white Victorian illustration style via digital collage; children’s picture book fairytale art; and fin-de-siècle, rendered through digital collage of illustration works by Pamela Colman Smith.

If you haven’t jumped onto the Lenormand bandwagon quite yet and you’re interested in learning a bit more about the system, I have a nutshell summary write-up from seven years ago, here (“The Lenormand: Nutshell Summary of the Petite Lenormand, from History to Practice“).

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