Review by Terri Clement
Deck
and Book Set
By Paulina Cassidy
Published by U.S. Games,
Inc.
www.usgamesinc.com
ISBN-13:
978-1-57282-823-1
ISBN-10: 57282-823-9
Retail U.S.
$23.95
Released 2017
The Spiritsong Tarot is the deck I have been waiting for this year and Paulina Cassidy and
U.S. Games, Inc. definitely knocked it out of the park with this one.
The Spiritsong
Tarot is a 78 card tarot deck with a 105-page guidebook.This wonderfully
ties together the Tarot, Animal Guides, Native American Symbolism,
and Shamanism.
The deck is housed in a heavy-duty, lift off top box.
The deck is sealed in plastic and placed under the companion
guidebook. The deck does have a bit of an inky smell when I took the
plastic off, but that shouldn't take long to dissipate with use.
The
cards are a little larger than a standard tarot measuring in at 3"
wide x 5" tall. The cards are flexible but the deck itself is a
little stiff and will need a little breaking in. The cards have a
light laminate and the deck fans very well.
The card backs feature
two water lilies. The deck is reversible friendly. The card faces
have 1/8" borders on the top and sides, the bottom has a 3/4"
inch border with the number of each Major, the title, and keywords.
The bottom border for the Minors includes the card title keywords and
elemental symbol. Strength is numbered 8 and
is Justice 11. Many of the Major Titles have been changed, for example, 0. The Traveller, 5. Shaman, 6. Love, 13. Transformation,
15. Shadow, and 20. Awakening.
The
four Spiritsong Tarot suits are Acorns for Wands/Fire, Feathers for Swords/Air, Shells for
Cups/Water, Crystals for Coins/Earth. The courts are Page, Knight,
Queen, and King.
The
artwork is stunning. I love the use of soft pastel colors that we
have grown used to seeing from Ms. Cassidy.
The
Hermit shows a lovely, smiling koala bear sitting in a tree. He is meant to
be a beacon of well-being. He lights the way for others to follow. He
is a reminder to slow down, let go of distraction, take time to
gather one's thoughts, and find balance.
The
Sun is represented by a colorful hummingbird fluttering his wings while
hovering overa
patch of beautiful flowers. The sun shines brightly in the
background. He is a playful messenger of joy. As the hummingbird can
fly forwards and backward, he can help tap into memories from the
past, which brings renewed energy. When he shows up it is time for
joy and celebration.
The companion guidebook gets right to business. It opens with a brief introduction and jumps right into the cards. The book is not fully illustrated but filled packed with information. For each card, you will find a message, keywords, a reversed message, and reversed keywords. At the end of the book, you will find a handful of spreads, 3 of which are original, which I find refreshing. The Spiritsong Tarot The Witchlings, Joie de Vivre Tarot, the Paulina, and the Faerie Guidance Oracle. is a fantastic deck for those who are fans of Paulina Cassidy's other decks; For those unfamiliar with Animal Guides and Shaman or Native American Symbolism, this deck might take a little studying. That being said, I think this deck can be used by beginners through the professional as long as you are willing to spend some time with it.