Do not walk - RUN to your computer or smart phone and order a copy. I could load up this review with superlatives, but you can find those in other reviews elsewhere. This thing to know about this deck is to get a copy as fast as you can.
It’s absolutely incredible - you’ll rejoice when it arrives.
Like a strange dream recollected in intermittent bursts, the Wild Unknown Tarot deck is leaking into the frontal lobes of the tarot world in fits and spurts. Very little in the way of publicity accompanied the release of this deck. In spite of this, the deck has snuck up on the tarot marketplace and – like a psychic creeper buzz – captured a great deal of enthusiastic attention and incredibly good notices all around.
There are so many things that set this deck apart it’s hard to know where to begin! The Wild Unknown Tarot is a black and white deck with judicious dribbles of color. It has hints of Smith-Waite deck symbolism, but it’s a stunningly original presentation of the 78-card format. The artwork is very good and skillfully composed, but not on the order of artists like Ciro Marchetti or Will Worthington. It’s a strictly minimalistic approach – there’s nothing on the cards that doesn’t need to be there.
That said, the Wild Unknown Tarot is one of the most amazing reading decks that’s been published in the past several years. Any reader who knows basic card meanings will be able to use this deck. The concept and thought that went into this deck are rock solid and executed with confidence and elegant sensibility.
There aren’t any images of people on this deck and you won’t miss them. All of the cards feature animals, flora or fauna. The trump cards are mostly populated by large animal portraits, with a few cards featuring portraits of trees. The court cards are titled Father, Mother, Son and Daughter. All of the suits show some kind of developmental progression through the court cards – either the animals representing the members of the court get bigger, or they become more mature. The Wands feature snakes curling around branches, the Cups feature swans from the baby gosling as the Daughter to a black swan as the Father. The Sword court is made up of a variety of owls. The Pentacles are mature from fawn to stag. It makes absolute sense when you see it. The pip cards (ace through ten) are disturbingly concise. Ink lines and cross-hatchings are used to good effect to frame images that effectively convey the card’s meaning.
The deck is packaged in a two-part box with printing inside and out. There’s a very brief, mostly hand-written one-page LWB folded up in the box. It’s simple and beautiful. The designer’s name doesn’t appear anywhere on the deck. The cardstock is good quality and at a size equivalent to other tarot decks. The deck and guidebook are available directly from the producer at www.wildunknown.com.
Since this is a privately published effort, the supply is most likely limited.
~review by Elizabeth Hazel
Deck and book by Kim Krans
78-card deck and LWB in a 2-part box
Deck $40, guidebook $20, plus shipping
Available at www.wildunknown.com
