The Wildwood Tarot

This post is going to differ slightly from others on this blog.Instead of addressing a key issue within the Wiccan community, I will be offering my thoughts on my newest tarot deck. Roughly a week ago I purchased the Wildwood tarot. It was conceptualized by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, and illustrated by Will Worthington.
This deck is actually a reimagining of the earlier deck called the Greenwood Tarot. The Greenwood tarot  replaced the stark imagesof early tarot decks with beautiful depictions of nature. This included the depiction of the archetypes of the major arcana as natural beings.

The Wildwood tarot features illustrations that are less ethereal and more naturalistic. The meanings of the cards are very clear, and even I, who is just beginning to be able to read the tarot cards was able to access this deck fully and completely. The companion handbook that comes with the deck is both beautiful and informative, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that once I attempted to work with the cards I was able to make my initial interpretation of the meaning of the spread on my own, and only had to look at the companion handbook for clarification and verification. In the end, I could have just trusted my own instincts as my initial interpretation of the cards was correct.

My first introduction to Wicca, was a guided meditation in which I visited a forest of spirits. These spirits, whether animal humanoid or otherwise, are in reality ancient guardians. I have been visiting this forest each night before I go to bed since last May. I was very pleased to find that the archetypes depicted in the Wildwood tarot were already familiar to me due to my guided meditations. Even the animals, which graced the court cards corresponded with my understanding of their role within the forest.

This deck is also, as is explained in the companion handbook, specifically structured so as to be in tune with The Wheel of the Year. Even after only a cursory glance at the deck, I find myself beginning to understand how each of the suits and the various archetypes correspond to the Wiccan festivals and the seasons. I cannot wait to explore this deck further.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this deck to anyone who wishes to further their understanding of Wicca and its connection to nature. Contrary to other reviews, I would in fact recommend this deck for beginners, because of the clarity of illustration and the helpful nature of the text at the bottom of the car which not only titles it, but explains what each card in the minor arcana represents. This is something that older more traditional tarot decks do not do, and is one of the reasons that I struggled with the original deck I had.

I realize that this deck may not be for everyone, but I certainly encourage both newcomers and experienced tarot readers to consider it.

Blessed be.

Misha