Fifth Spirit Tarot Deck Review

Deck : Fifth Spirit Tarot
Artist/Creator: Charlie Claire Burgess
Publisher: Independent 
Purchased: 2020
​Where to buy? littleredtarot.com

It's Pride month in the UK so I thought the Fifth Spirit Tarot would be a great deck to review. If you're looking for something diverse and inclusive, the creator is quoted on the box as saying this deck is "For a world beyond binaries". There are a number of great decks on the market that represent themselves as 'inclusive'. The difference with this deck is that it includes without excluding. 

What do I mean by that? Well, as you can see from the small number of cards shown here, there is a wide range of diverse people in the deck. There are also some animals and some illustrated pips. Some cards are colourful and some are more muted tones or monochrome. What a wonderful mix so far.

When it comes to the titles in the Majors and the court cards, Charlie Claire has stuck with tradition with one small adjustment to the Hanged One rather than the Hanged Man. That means less brain effort if you're used to reading the standard RWS system. 

For me, the unexpected USP for this deck is the card stock. It's perfect if you're a riffle and bridge cardslinger. It's as soft and pliable as the Way Home Tarot but more textured, not so slippery. The closest in feel would be the Pagan Otherworlds. But, and this is going to be a bold claim, I'd say this deck is even better card stock. In fact #cardstocksnob alert, in terms of usability I'd say this is the best card stock I've come across. 

I hope the linen finish shows okay in the photo above. Now if you don't like playing-card stock, I appreciate you might find it a bit thin. However, the other benefit of that for me is that the two part box is slim and easy to carry. Again it's very like the Way Home Tarot box but with finger cut outs in the lid.  The cards are a standard 7x12cm. 

There's a little white book that comes with the deck and fits in the box. It has keywords and phrases for upright and reversed meanings. You can also purchase the full-size guide book that has 202 pages of comprehensive information with black and white images. Well, when I say black and white I actually mean they're just not coloured in. The paper in the guidebook, as with everything in this deck is a muted and lush cream colour. 

This isn't a shouty deck like the Next World Tarot nor does it have you working out what the bells and tomes stand for, like in the Numinous. It's chilled and serene, inviting you in and welcoming you to find yourself reflected in its wonderful images.  

Can this deck tick anymore boxes? (Try reading that without conjuring up Chandler Bing in your head!) Well, yes it can, and it's probably the most important box of all. Even though the Fifth Spirit is a cool, calm, laid back kind of a deck, it gives the clearest, sharpest readings you could ever ask for.