- Author: Joanna Watters – Website
- Illustrator: Barbara Tamilin – Website
- Publisher: CICO Books
- ISBN: 978-1-80065-345-0
- Published: August 2024
- Retail Price: £20
- Reviewed by: Scorpio
Joanna Watters is an astrologer and tarot reader who lives in Greece and runs courses in astrology and tarot. Previous publications include “Essential Astrology” and “Be Your Own Astrologer”. The publisher’s flyer describes the cards as “Specially Commissioned” but it does not name the artist. She is named in the handbook: Barbara Tamilin, a freelance from Brazil.
The book is 64 pages, slightly smaller than A5, printed on coated paper. There is a short introduction followed by suggested spreads. Some will be familiar e.g. Celtic Cross, (with the reading order different from the traditional), Horseshoe, Past-Present-Future. There is also a relationship spread which includes a card for the querent and a card for “The Other”. As I understand the interpretation this seems to be veering towards Third Party.
There is a table of Astrological Correlations, three columns, “Traditional Primary”, “Traditional Secondary” and “Suggested Addition”. The Magician, for example, is Mercury, Virgo and Gemini; The Lovers Gemini, Mercury plus Libra, Venus and Mars. The Devil is Capricorn plus Saturn with Scorpio and Pluto added. An extra planet for The Tower is Uranus, which works well.
Each page has a copy of the appropriate card with traditional tarot meanings followed by astrological interpretations. Some of the Tarot interpretations can seem predictive and at times limited. The Empress is linked to all aspects of mother/grandparenthood and relationships; with just one sentence about a possible interpretation if the question is not pregnancy related. The Lovers is only concerned with serious relationships or love triangles. The Star is linked to a new lover or a pregnancy. The Sun is described as an excellent omen for health questions and can represent someone supportive. It is unclear if this supportive person is the querent or a third party. One or two other Major interpretations seem to have a third party or Court card feel.
The Minors from Ace to Ten are non-pictorial, two per page, without astrological attributions The Courts are illustrated and all are linked to a sign of the zodiac. Usually Pages are not. Three of the Queens are linked to the fixed sign of their suit – Cups isn’t; she is assigned to Pisces rather than Scorpio. None of the Kings are assigned to the Cardinal sign of their suit which diminishes their rank.
The artwork for this deck is unmistakeably of the country of the Artist. Colours vary from strong yellow and burnt sienna, to purple and strong pink, to quieter greens and blues. The complexions of the figures reflect the multi-ethnic population of the Artist’s home.
In general, the images of the Majors stick to the RWS, though the Fool, in deck-chair striped trousers, is female. The Magician is a blonde woman. The High Priestess is dressed in shades of purple, with pomegranates decorating the card. She has a Scorpionic look, perhaps at odds with the usually serene qualities of this card. The Moon card is quite intensely coloured: dark blue and orange, with the dogs and the luminary light yellow. With plants included, the customary starkness of this card is missing. Cards such as the Hermit, the Hanged Man, Temperance and the Star are more quietly coloured soft blues and greens.
The Minor cards from Ace to Ten are not illustrated. The Wands are depicted as rough sticks on a pale yellow background: Pentacles are on light green; Swords gleam on mid-blue, and the Cups (patterned, not golden) are printed on duck egg blue/green.
The Courts are all illustrated, Wands with a light yellow background, the figures dressed in varying tones of orange and dark russet, except for the Knight who wears grey. The Pentacles appear against the green background of their Minors dressed in various shades of green. The Swords are blue-toned with the King heavily-bearded, dressed in very dark blue, with his sword pointing down. The Cups stand or sit near stylised water, the Page and the King wearing the same dark blue as the King of Swords.
The cards are a tiny bit longer than standard RWS and a tiny bit wider. I have long fingers but small hands so this size is awkward to shuffle, and with the deck being new, shuffling is difficult as the cards stick. The backs are dark purplish-blue with a fairground-type scattering of crescent moons and stars.
I would be happy to use this deck myself as the artwork is different and lively and the absence of illustration on pips 1-10 is something I can work with, the same for any experienced reader. I can see this deck being offered as an eye-catching option for readings at events. Readers could enjoy this deck without reference to the astrology if they so wished, or readers who want to add some astrology would find this book and deck set both informative and pleasing to the eye.
I asked the deck what it would like to tell me about itself: The answer was Strength and the King of Wands (they stuck together!). Strength is the Reader, perhaps, coaxing the Lion to be still so she can gently tease out all the new ideas in this book and deck. The King of Wands is just saying “Enjoy this”.
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