The cards are stunning. Feminine orientation with beautiful illustrations, these cards stand out in the melee of tarot decks. The cards include pictures of Goddess, astrological symbols, symbols which represent some aspect of the Goddess. She incorporates a variety of paths and pantheons including Greek, Roman, Native American, Asian, Norse, Indian and others. The major arcana gives a history of each goddess. There are some cards in the major arcana similar to all decks like the Moon, Sun, Star; however, there are other non-familiar cards in here as well. Silvermoon has rearranged the major arcana to fit her theory of moving from spirit to matter.
In the minor arcana, Silvermoon pulls the court cards out and treats them separately. The traditional court cards are Queen, King, Page, and Knight but in Silvermoon’s deck she has them as Priestesses, Shamans, Maidens, and Seekers.
This is a feminist deck and not meant for men at all. Silvermoon makes proclamations about matriarchy. The general theme being one where when women ruled the world it was a better place. While this sentiment is comforting to some it is not supported by historical, archaeological and societal data.
Silvermoon offers a connection to the divine through her cards and her book. The book is spiral bound which makes studying it and using it during readings very easy. She has wonderful tables relating cards with associated symbolism. Her appendixes are informative and helpful directing the reader back to the text within the book and furthering the understanding of the symbols. She uses charts very effectively throughout the book to give the reader an easy quick reference.
When it comes to layouts and shuffling, she is a bit strict. She doesn’t like inverted cards and always turns them right side up. This leaves off the affect of cards indicating a twist in any reading. She also has a complex way of cutting the deck into three piles. This rigidness prevents intuition in the shuffling process. On her layouts she offers five of varying size and focus. Some are traditional like the Celtic cross and others are a bit more unique.
Overall, this is a wonderful deck well worth owning. Silvermoon offers a positive feminine tool in her tarot deck and her book. Her writing is spiritual and connects the reader to the Goddess. She is well informed on the tarot and associations. Even with the few negatives about the book, this deck and book offer a great feminist tarot experience.
~review by Eileen Troemel
Artist: Flash Silvermoon, Illustrated by Barbara Vogel
Moon Fox Productions, 2002
Editor's note: Flash SilverMoon wrote to me after this review was posted. She was concerned becuase she felt the reviewer missed some key details and in particular feels strongly that the proof of matriarchy does exist in scientific data. I stand by my reviewer and her opinions, but in fairness to Ms. SilverMoon, I offer the reader this link to a different review, posted with the author's permission: http://www.ata-tarot.com/reflections/01-05-08/deck_review_-_the_wise_woma.html
