Review of the Everyday Witch Tarot
The Everyday Witch Tarot
Creator: Deborah Blake
Illustrator: Elisabeth Alba
Publisher: Llewellyn
Based on the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) tarot system, the Everyday Witch Tarot is an excellent deck for any level of reader, but perhaps even more so for beginners. Each card depicts a detailed scene that can be read intuitively without any prior Tarot knowledge, a big plus for anyone who feels daunted by the prospect of learning 78 card meanings. The full colour guidebook offers approachable explanations for the meanings of each card and advice on how to practically apply the lessons each card has to teach us. Bringing together the practical and the mystical, the Everyday Witch Tarot is great addition to any Tarot collection.
The Cardstock
The cardstock is glossy and quite thin, making the cards easy to riffle shuffle but perhaps not the most durable. That said, I’m not a gentle shuffler and the cards have still held up well with extensive use, so I personally don’t find the cardstock to be a problem.
The Artwork
The cards are borderless, which is a big tick from me. However, on the negative side, the backs are not reversible, which I always think is a questionable choice when this is often a deal breaker for people. But even so, I do like the backs.
I love the artwork in this deck. I think it captures the essence of the RWS tarot meanings beautifully without any of the esoteric symbology to complicate it. Featuring witches, black cats and broomsticks, this deck is not only fun, but has depth. My most intuitive readings have come from this deck. There is always an aspect illustrated within the cards that catches my eye and turns out to be the essence of the whole reading. This deck speaks to me in a way that no other deck does and is my go-to deck when reading for other people. However, there is a clear lack of diversity with the characters in this deck, which is surprising and disappointing given how modern this deck is.
The Guidebook
In typical Llewellyn fashion, the guidebook for this deck is large, full colour and each card is illustrated on one page with the meanings written on the opposite page. The minor Arcana get the same amount of attention as the majors do, with each card getting a phrase, a description of the card and some points to consider if you pull the card in a reading. It includes guidance to help you do a reading, a few spells to try and it also includes the creator’s interpretation of a few classic spreads. The guidebook does not specifically include reversed meanings, but the reversed meanings are weaved throughout the descriptions. This is a very well written and high-quality guidebook that does not disappoint.
The Box
The Everyday Witch Tarot comes in Llewellyn’s standard giant, magnetic clamshell box. I find the Llewellyn boxes inconvenient to store because of how big they are, but this is necessary to accommodate the large guidebook. The box is sturdy and of a high quality, so your guidebook and deck will always be safe if you intend to keep them inside the box.
Availability
The Everyday Witch Tarot is a mass market deck that is still in print, making it available and affordable. This deck can be purchased through most mass market Tarot deck retailers. For anyone located in Australia, you can purchase this deck through my shop.
Summary
So, what do I reckon?
A bit of alright. 4/5 stars.
This is hands down my number one most recommended deck for beginners. The illustrated scenes are detailed enough that you don’t need to refer to the guidebook every time you pull a card, but the guidebook is also a great resource if you do choose to use it. Learning 78 card meanings is a mammoth task and the Everyday Witch Tarot helps to break down the barriers to entry into the Tarot world. However, the lack of diversity is disappointing for such a modern deck and holds it back from getting a 5-star rating. Nevertheless, this is still a cracking deck and I highly recommend it.
