The Wanderer's Tarot is a 78-card deck, black with silver edging, plastic coated on heavy but flexible card stock. The images are done in white line art on black background. The cards are somewhat large, but are easily manageable for small hands. The deck comes with a black heirloom hinge box and a small fold out describing the suits and court cards.
The symbology for most of the Major Arcana are fairly traditional; such as the Strength and Tower cards, which hearkens back to the old Waite/Rider decks. The less traditional cards include the Emperor, Temperance, and Judgment. I am especially intrigued by Zabala's depiction of the Hermit, which depicts a robed figure with a candle for a head. That one appeared in my dreams numerous times. This is a very feminine deck. However, the male members of my family went nuts over it. My husband and son loved my review deck so much that they got decks of their own. When I asked them why they found it so attractive, they said that the images resonated with them. The symbolism spoke so deeply to my son he could barely tear himself away from my deck. So, feminist deck or no, witchy guys will love the Wanderer's Tarot as well.
This beautiful deck is useful in not only divination, but also with spell casting and guided meditation. It also plays very well with oracle cards. I used it with my oracle deck with outstanding results.
This is not a deck for new Tarot practitioners, as the imagery on some of the cards, especially the suit of stones, is sometimes confusing. Also, the court cards are quite different, and court cards are difficult even with Waite decks. I had a little trouble deciphering them myself. The Minor Arcana are pip cards. The suits are renamed Stones,(Coins) Feathers, (wands) Moons (cups) and Knives (swords). The court cards are most unusual in that they have been renamed Philosopher, Goddess, Prophet, and Wanderer, and don't seem to have any real connection with the original court cards of the Waite, but have meanings of their own, which new readers could find somewhat daunting.
Meditation, keeping a journal, and using oracle cards in combination with the Wanderer's Tarot will provide a deeper understanding of one's personal journey. I also recommend keeping a dream diary as well, because these cards have a way of wandering into one's dreams.
There is a small fold out that doesn't provide enough information to truly access this deck. And for nearly thirty dollars, I'd expect at least a small booklet if nothing else. I hope when the publisher issues another run of these cards, they'll add a guide book complete with spells, guided meditations, rituals and a deeper understanding of Zabala's court cards. A companion book or workbook would really add to the enrichment of one's personal journey.
~review by Patricia Snodgrass
Creator: Casey Zabala
Weiser Books, 2021
$29.95
