Davezilla’s Tarot of the Unexplained has been an excellent deck from unboxing, to using it for a simple three-card spread.
The box is a really good and sturdy one, and upon removing the cards, I was delighted by the “We are not alone.” message written on the inside. The cards themselves have a lovely mirror edging in silver and are sturdy, but also easy to shuffle. The guide is a packed 96 pages of excellent information (and the cover has two Men in Black on it, spotlit by two UFOs with a strange cryptid just above the UFOs).
The cards are similar to other decks in that there are major and minor arcana, but they have been renamed to suit the theme of the deck. The Minor Arcana are split into Knockers (Wands), Portals (Cups), Ghosts (Swords), and Saucers (Coins); the Major Arcana, which I won’t list all of here, have been renamed as well: the High Priestess becomes The Bell Witch, and the Hermit becomes The Yeti.
The artwork is also a lot of fun, and I particularly liked the Ghosts suit, and all the Major Arcana, though all the cards are terrific. There’s a moody sort of palette in terms of colours that serves to highlight the strange and unusual, which makes looking at each card enjoyable.
I decided that rather than just talk about the deck, I’d try using it the way I use my regular deck. Prior to rituals I attend with my coven, I always do a three-card draw to see what I might wish to pay particular attention to during the ritual in terms of messages to take away, or feelings and thoughts that might influence my takeaways from the ritual. Before a recent full moon ritual, I drew the following cards: 2 of Knockers, 2 of Saucers, and Fan of Knockers (a Page card, I believe). Looking into the accompanying booklet, I was delighted to find it to be more thorough than many others I’ve read. There is an Upright and Reversed reading, the Phenomenon associated with the card, the card’s fuller meaning, and then a Meditate section that offers you a question or two to think about and carefully consider.
As an example, here is the Two of Knockers information included in the booklet:
Upright: Making headway. Risk committing to a course of action. Courage. Progress. Generosity. Patience.
Reversed: Being risk-adverse. Forgetting to plan things out fully.
Phenomena: More clues that indicate a path of causeway. Trooping fairies.
Our Sasquatch is at the top of a hill. It has gotten darker out, indicating that there are still unknowns. She is certain of her path. The saucer is closer and Aries fills the sky. She has two sticks in her hand and is flanked by two tall pines. Both represent the options she has: one is risk, one is safety. She stands at the edge of her forest home, preparing to her leave her comfort zone. She has committed to an idea or venture, but she is she starting to feel the slight pang of fear?
Failing to plan is planning to fail. You’ve jumped in, and you know your way, but do you know how to get there? As philosopher Alfred Korzybski said, “The map is not the territory.”
Meditate: You know your idea or venture, but have you thought of all the details? If you are a big thinker—seeing only the big picture—work with someone who is detail-oriented.
I found this card to be very relevant not only to the ritual I was taking part in, but to current things happening in my life. I love the guidance that every page for each card offers.
I am definitely going to continue to work with this deck as I feel it has a lot to offer and is extremely approachable. I think even a novice with tarot cards would be in very good hands with this one.
~review by Mara McTavish
Author: Davezilla
Publisher: Red Wheel, 2024
Pp. 96, Price: $22.95 (USD)
