The Watersprite Tarot
- 78 Cards and “The Blank Card’
- 109-page book – A gold medal winner in the American IP Book Awards for 2014 (Living Now – Metaphysical section)
- Creator, artist and writer: Alison Muir McDonald
- Standard Edition 12 x 7 cm, Professional Edition 14.5 x 8.5 cm
- Box 16.5 cm x 11.5 cm
- Available at waterspritetarot.com
- 5% of sales are donated to animal welfare organizations
I discovered the Watersprite Tarot on Aeclectic Tarot just browsing through their list of say a thousand decks. I fell in love with the watercolor images immediately! Alison Muir McDonald created this stunning deck and wrote the accompanying book – a gold medal winner in the American IP Book Awards for 2014 (Living Now – Metaphysical section). Be sure and read an interview with Alison and other reviews at http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/watersprite-tarot/ .
The images are painted in watercolors! The colors are sumptuous and inviting. The medium is “high touch” rather than high tech. The root messages are all here and not blunted, yet there is a subtle difference from many decks. Even the typical “challenging” cards leave one with the impression that “I can deal with this!” The more uplifting cards will make your heart sing!
I choked and got the smaller Standard Edition in the book and deck bundle because of cost. After falling in love with these cards I wish I would have bought the larger edition and I may yet!
Rounded corners are featured and there is a title strip at the bottom of the cards. Cardstock is pretty thick, but still manageable when shuffling. The card surface is glossy, but does not stick and enhances the artwork.
I felt right at home with the majors, rendered in the original Tarot de Marseille order with Justice as eight and Strength as 11. All minors are fully illustrated. The messages are in the medium of color, energetic focus and mood. You can tell that a lot of work went into these images and Alison confessed to repainting some cards up to 13 times. There are no additional overt references to occult symbolism on the cards. No Hebrew letters, Kabbalistic references, alchemical references, astrological signs, etc. appear. Even without these common embellishments, there is a lot going on in the cards as conveyed in the medium. I am reminded again of the clean, clear messages of many of the older decks.
The book is a nice addition to understanding the cards as processed through Ms. McDonald’s artistic lens and understanding. Each card is featured (in color) and explained in full with upright and reversed interpretations. I appreciated the accompanying chart of concise Standard and Jungian analyses of the major arcana. Alison was nice enough to write me a little note on the book!
So, how do they read? My experience is quite nicely! I was a bit worried that, because I loved the images so much, my infatuation might cause bland or saccharine interpretations. I have had this issue with some Angel Card decks on occasion. That didn’t happen. I read for myself concerning a business transaction that was causing me a lot of consternation. The advice was for me to advise my clients in an especially sensitive way, to hire experts and then disengage. I am doing this although the disengaging part is hard.
I usually break a deck in by research and self-readings for at least a week before I bring it out to clients. I couldn’t wait though! I wanted to see what the visceral response to the deck would be from others so I did a set of short readings for a client right away. Maybe I’ll meet someone who doesn’t like the deck, but I don’t think so! Her response was like mine, although not as pronounced. Lots of visual and emotional engagement occurred along with some compliments of the art. The suggestions in the readings were accepted and understood.
OK that does it! I’ve talked myself into the professional sized deck!
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Who is Brian Bailey?
I am a tarot and oracle card reader with several decades of experience and some certifications. I have a lot of tarot and oracle card decks. Don’t ask. I probably use 10 of them constantly and keep a trove of historical decks for research and reference. I love to write too. I keep hours in Santa Barbara and Ventura, CA and do email and Skype readings too. Check out my website at www.InspiredAnswers.net and my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/inspiredanswers/
All images used with permission.