This deck is awesome! I initially bought the deck as it came up in a “We Found Something You Might Like” email from Amazon, and I was captivated by the deep blue colourisation of the cards. As a Tarot deck collector, I am always looking for new and different interpretations of the arcane mysteries, and this deck seemed to fit the bill.
First impressions on receiving the deck were, “WOW! What an awesome, sturdy box they come in!” Far too many of the mass-produced decks by the big Tarot publishers come in flimsy, weak flip top cartons that provide little protection for the cards and certainly are not impressive as keepsakes for the precious decks inside that are supposed to last a lifetime. Not so with this Wyspell deck! The box is heavy duty card, very strong – even stronger than the box my original RWS deck came in 60 years ago! It’s really pleasing to see that these newer publishers are prepared to put the time and money into decent packaging, and at a price point that is certainly on par with those mass-produced decks!
On
unwrapping and opening the box, I too encountered a strong, persistent smell,
either from the inks or the glues used in producing the cards, boxes and book.
I am sure this will diminish overtime as the deck gets used and aired out!
The LWB – or, in this case, maybe Little Blue Book – is well produced and clear, with a good amount of divinatory instruction for each card in both the upright and
reversed positions. The orange (or maybe sepia?) coloured paper is designed to match the colour scheme of the cards, and is easy and clear enough to work with.
And then the cards themselves! These are produced on great cardstock – 400 GSM or maybe even better – and are sturdy while still being flexible enough to riffle shuffle. They are also gold-edged, which adds to both the visual appeal of the deck and the rigidity of the cards. The matte finish is not so heavy as to inhibit shuffling, so really good production quality all-round. The colour
scheme of the deck is striking, and is what drew me to the cards initially. The main colours are black, shades of deep blue, shades of orange, some golds/browns and the flesh tones of the characters. The artist has used this palette to produce rich artwork that is both stimulating and yet easy on the eyes. The characters are well depicted with excellent detail, and many of them are facing forwards so that their eyes are looking right at you, which makes them all the more intriguing. Even the Star is boldly staring at you with just the hint of a smirk. The typically black backgrounds are star-filled and illuminating, as per the theme of the deck, and add an air of ambient mystery that compliments the scenes portrayed.
As for the scenes, they are based on the standard RWS model, but, as this is not a clone, there are a number of variations that are to be expected in the new design. None of these significantly alter the symbology of the deck, so an experienced reader could easily work with the deck to perform readings. Beginners could start with this deck, as it is easy to work with, given the detailed LWB, but would benefit at some point in their future learnings to invest in either the RWS deck or a detailed book about the RWS deck so they can see both the symbolic similarities and the differences that would lead to a deeper understanding of this deck.
All in all, an excellent deck that I thoroughly recommend to both new Tarot acolytes and experienced doyens of the cartomancy arts!
Get yours from Amazon.com: Wyspell Blue Starlight Tarot
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