- Deck name: SUN-STEEPED
- Author/Artist: Shannon Christie
- Publication Date: July 2025
- Publisher: Red Wheel / Weiser
- RRP: US$19.95; GB£17.99
- ISBN: 978-1-59003-580-1
- Reviewer: MadeInChrome
SUN-STEEPED is a golden hour-infused affirmation deck that calls on the transformative moments of sunrise and sunset to empower and inspire us to grow into our best selves.
To be honest, when I received SUN-STEEPED to review, before I even ripped off the cellophane, and with the start of the – ahem – Great British summer, I thought “Great – a beach-buddy deck!” To be fair, it’s more than that, but first impressions can be hard to shake, and so those summery vacation vibes still stand.
Created by Oregon based artist/writer and mental health care worker Shannon Christie, Sun-Steeped is about harnessing the power of the Sun from outside and from within. With its sandy, earthy tones, the archetypal childlike imagery calls on the illuminating and energising nature of sunrise and sunset to both literally and metaphorically light up even the darkest winters of the soul.
Unashamedly centred around self-care, the 54 cards chart a journey of gentle and loving awareness. Highlights are pictured below.
Cards 1 to 10 are about seeding intention, freeing and exploring potential through daydreams and play, and paying fun-filled attention to what is without as well as within.
Cards 11 to 20 offer friendly challenges to negative self-talk and perception through reframing obstacles – usual triggers for self-doubt – while prioritising rest and relaxation.
Cards 21 to 30 highlight the realignment of action with values, and promoting freedom over perfection when handling loss or lack of confidence, one’s own dark corner.
Cards 31 to 40 redirect the challenge inwards as a way of promoting continuous development and growth, nurturing one’s relationship with and within community, which is elevated further in cards 41-50, where additional pressures can threaten, and so an encouragement to return to Self.
And with the final cards 51-54, acceptance of flaws and all, to conclude that You are enough.
I hope that doesn’t sound too deep for what I’ve referred to as a vacation-style deck, because it’s the simplest affirmations that tend to make the most meaningful connections.
So I tried a 3-card read, and asked the deck what it had to tell me for today. The cards I pulled were as follows: #27 – My energy is a currency – I choose to spend it wisely; #25 – I can keep going when it feels right to; and #17 – I forgive myself for past mistakes. Affirmations of particular relevance in these demanding, frantic and confusing times.
A note here on the production values which are good.
The cards are sized 3.5 x 5 inches with a crisp matte finish, of a standard thickness, and shuffle well, both riffle and overhand – but then as I’ve got big hands, overhand might be best for those with smaller hands. The backs feature a hot cup of tea, an image which is not reversible, so something to bear in mind for those who read reversals.
The booklet is a slip at 64 pages, but nevertheless expands on the affirmations on each card, with a couple of starter spreads at the end.
And they all come in a lovely mint-green sturdy 2-piece box.
Released just in time for the summer, SUN-STEEPED is the perfect deck companion for – well, all types of weather and seasons. With it’s bright and caring aesthetic, it brings a summery tone of simplicity, self-assurance and inspiration ideal for recharging after periods of stress, or for those lazy Sunday afternoons.
It is also suitable for any level reader, and can be used on its own or as an accompaniment to a gentle self-care focused Tarot deck.
SUN-STEEPED contains 54 cards and a 64-paged guidebook, and is currently available from Red Wheel Weiser here: https://redwheelweiser.com/book/sun-steeped-9781590035801/, as well as from all good online bookstores.
Shannon Christie (shannon-christie.com) is an illustrator and psychologist living in Portland, Oregon. Her work explores themes of identity and emotion featuring the whimsical and surreal. Shannon was a former editor-in-chief of Ragtag Magazine, a web publication for creatives in the Pacific Northwest, and now works with the Haven (thehavenpdx.com), an artists’ and healers’ collective, where her work is featured.
0 Comments