Witches Tarot Deck Review

​Deck Title – Witches Tarot
Creator – Ellen Dugan
Artist - Mark Evans
Publisher - Llewellyn
Date purchased - 2019

Introduction

So, we're not talking Salem or Tam o' Shanter witches in this deck. They're a little more polished, a little more Hollywood. There are no pointy hat's like in last week's Everyday Witches Tarot. In fact, if you didn't know the name of the deck you might not realise they're witches at all. I've heard and read that the 'real' faces of the people in the cards makes it a marmite deck. I sat on the fence for a long time on this one and only recently purchased it. I think that sometimes seeing faces makes it easier to 'hear' the messages, whether they be human or animal. So I went ahead and added this deck to my collection, here's what I found. 

What's Good?

• I like the theme from the Middle Ages with a bit of fantasy kind of feel to the deck. The images follow the RWS system in the main so are easy to read right out of the box and the colour scheme and colour saturation is great
• Talking of boxes, this deck is encased in one of those large sturdy book-style boxes with the magnetic closure and includes the deck and an A5 guidebook
• The guidebook has information about symbolism which is very helpful and some spells involving the cards 

What's Bad?

• This deck was originally published in 2012 and there are a few things that date it somewhat
• The deck is bordered. The positive side of this is that they are fairly thin black borders with titles in white font and aren't too obtrusive. They don't shrink the images too much but I suspect if this deck was to be updated, it would look better borderless
• I edged mine using a black Sharpie but they come with plain white edges
• The guidebook aligns the courts with hair and skin colour. This is something I haven't found helpful in readings
• The card finish is glossy. They are easy to shuffle and the card stock is fine but if you need to photograph your spreads it can be hard to avoid glare
• The backs aren't reversible. There's a triple moon with a background of a night sky with stars and red and blue lighting. The backs are pretty but I wouldn't say they are the most appropriate for a witches deck 

Stand Out/Favourite Cards

There are a few other animals in the deck but the dogs are so adorable. From the scary wolves in the Moon cards to the cheeky little westie in the Fool, these gorgeous pups will melt your heart.

Here are some of the cards with the 'real' faces that may be the deciding factor in working with this deck. 

There are some lovely touches among the cards. Such as the fairies that pop up in the Two of Swords. There are a couple of mermaids and they are beautiful. I love the Eight of Pentacles polishing her gold and the Six of Cups is a delightful representation of nostalgia, looking at an image of the perfect childhood.

Summary

This is the best deck for......the traditional look but with a slight fantasy twist. The images aren't overly 'witchy' so don't let the title put you off. I find it easy to read with the 'real' faces and overall it's a good solid deck, perhaps just a little dated by the production values. 

Where to Buy

Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=witches+tarot&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 for a very reasonable price.