This tarot deck literally just came out and I have had my eyes on it when it's still in pre-order. The imagery is gorgeous and captivating. After some play around, this is my comment on this deck for those who are considering getting one.
Author: Leeza Robertson Illustrator: Julie Dillon
First Impression:
The Mermaid Tarot is obviously, a mermaid themed tarot deck. It has 78 card and follows the traditional Rider-Waite Tarot system. There are 21 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards (the suit cards). Since this deck is ocean themed, there is a strong aquatic energy to it. That being said, the minor arcana cards still carry significant elemental energies. For example, as we could see from the images below, red is the main colour theme for the suit of wands and the element of fire is very prominent throughout the suit.
The illustration of this deck in general is very well done. I especially like how the minor arcana is depicted. There is a general theme to each of the suit. The suit of wands have a rapid and volcanic energy to it; whereas in the suit of swords we can see a lot of ice and snow, which corresponds with the element of air, and inevitably reminded me of the coldness of steel.
Indeed the minor arcana is very well crafted but it was the major arcana that made it a unique deck. Although the deck generally follows the Rider-Waite system, the authors implemented their own understanding on the meanings of each of the cards into their creation. As a result, the meaning of some of the cards are made different from the original Rider-Waite tarot. For example, the Lovers and the Death. In this two cards, I find that the symbolism and meaning of both of them are quite distinct from the original Rider-Waite. This is not a bad thing, depending on your personal taste. Regardless, I think this made the colourful guide book especially important, because it was necessary for me to use it to understand the meaning and symbolism I see in this particular deck. The guide book is well written and beautifully illustrated. The full sized image for each each card could be found in the book alongside with an in-depth explanation. It is, however, important to note that the symbolism of the cards are not directly pointed out and explained in the guide book; instead, the book tells a story, a story about the card and what message it is trying to deliver. This made it interesting to read but could also be a drawback for beginners.
The complete deck:
The Guide Book
Appreciation:
All the images from this deck are very well drawn. Great attention have been given to the details in each drawings, which I absolutely love. Even non-tarot readers could appreciate the artwork presented in this deck. The guide book tells beautiful stories on each of the card and explained in details their meanings. I like the way of how all the suits are themed, and that I could pick up the general energy of the cards quite easily, simply by looking at the images. The cards have a glossy finish, meaning that 1) they look nice, and 2) they do not stick to each other, which makes shuffling easier.
Critics
On the contrary to the stunning artwork, the actual quality of the cards did not live up to my expectation. The card stock is extremely thin, to a point I find it difficult to shuffle normally without a tarot cloth (where I can shuffle the cards on the table), because the edges of the cards are so fragile and easily damaged.
Who I think this deck best suits:
In my opinion this deck is best for those who have a real passion for mermaids and the ocean, as well as tarot deck collectors in general. I however would not recommend using it for day-to-day readings because of its fragility. I also would not recommend this deck to beginner readers, because a number of cards in this deck have nontraditional meanings. For beginners who are looking for a Rider-Waite system based tarot deck, I would suggest something that carries a more stringent 'traditional meaning' to them, before you are ready to deviate from the main stream.
Get your Mermaid Tarot deck here today.
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