Wickwillow Tarot
The Wickwillow Tarot is designed to transcend any particular theme, and offer deep symbolism without being too esoteric. It has 78 colourful cards, loosely based on stained glass and mosaic art. They're also borderless and without numbers, titles, or other distractions.
Review by Tabitha Dial
The Wickwillow Tarot fits comfortably in the palm. Its images resemble stained glass or mandalas, giving it a clear potential as a meditation tool. This Tarot radiates intent, and has a few unique features -- Hal Weeks designated the Knights as Heroes and instead of Pages, he has brought Princesses to the court, like other designers before him.
This beautiful deck has details that make it a great addition to any Tarot collection, like those on The Fool, who enters the mouth of a great snake, Balance, (Justice), who belly dances under scales, and the Five of Cups, with its bubbly concoction.
Rising, or the Judgment card, is an extraordinary and deceptively simple card. It appears to depict an angel emerging from a deep chasm in the world. The wings may be composed of fire, or they are phoenix wings -- they rise above the torso of the awakened figure, a body which resembles a tree trunk. But Wickwillow Tarot creator goes further in his design, adding a stunning depiction of a lemniscate made of two snakes who are shedding their skin, and an orange heart that draws one’s eyes to the heart chakra of the Rising figure.
The Wickwillow Tarot offers visual treats and thought-provoking rewards to both casual and careful observers. Immediate resonance is conveyed by the cards, while further use reveals details that help in using the cards for divination.
The minor cards encourage stories and wide interpretation. Their vibe is moody and rich.
The Wickwillow Tarot is useful for readers, particularly those who feel comfortable reading without numbers or titles on their cards, as the cards do not include them.
Even without the help of numbers and titles, the Wickwillow Tarot is worth a purchase. By using colored pencils for art that draws on Waite-Smith Tarot but is certainly no Waite-Smith clone, this deck has the potential to be timeless. The design is at first subtle but frequently infused with a touch of whimsy. The Princesses and other court cards capture some of the quirk and fun in every archetypal personality.
Artist Hal Weeks’ intuition to improve or change the art on some cards feels spot on, but the Wickwillow Tarot remains a gorgeous deck worth buying and exploring. Weeks explains that the deck is “always in a state of flux and every copy already sold is a collector's item. Soon the Wheel of Fortune will be replaced with an update.”
For a vibrant,
eye-catching, and in many ways humorous (but not over the top)
and creative deck that opens into fresh ways of using
and thinking about Tarot, consider the Wickwillow.
Complete Deck Details
Creators: Hal WeeksPublisher: Self Published 2013
Deck Type: Tarot Deck
Cards: 78
Major Arcana: 22
Minor Arcana: 56
Deck Tradition: Rider-Waite-Smith
Minor Arcana Style: Unique Scenes With Suit Symbols
Card Size: 2.50 x 3.50 in. = 6.35cm x 8.89cm
Card Back: Reversible
Back Design: Multi-coloured, multi-point star in the centre, surrounded by four green, brown and yellow segments
Companion Material: Quick Start Guide in PDF format
This deck is rare or out of print and isn't easy to find. Search for it on eBay or Amazon.com, or browse our most popular Tarot decks.
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Category: Borderless Tarot Decks, Print-on-Demand Tarot Decks