So Below Tarot Deck

Ya that's right, I like the thin, matte cards better than the As Above deck. Much easier to shuffle, and the texture is pleasing. The two decks look great together. I've done readings using both already. I would really love to develop even more spreads than the ONE (really?) that the book provides.Feminine deck through and through. I don't bother using it for mens' readings. It's also difficult for me to do readings about companies or other entities, but that could be personal.If you know your Smith-Waite, this follows right along. Colors are used to excellent effect. The Tower, for instance, has a woman in red and her environment is blue. She's got a phone to her ear and dropped her mug of coffee in shock at the news she's just received. Sudden, shocking fear - a root chakra response, red... her personal world is unstable, unknown, and feels colder and more unforgiving in light of this news - blue.One thing that is unusual is that the court cards of the same suit depict the same person in different phases of expression. There's men for both pentacles and chalices (cups) and women for swords and wands. This is the opposite of Hermetic wisdom. So, is the deck asserting that we all contain anima and animus, male and female qualities? Sure, but I thought the Tarot was a depiction of archetypes.Anyway, there's a Knave (page) with the symbol of the element above (air-swords, fire-wands, water-chalices, earth-pentacles). Knight is the waxing moon. Queen is the full moon. King is the waning moon.Every ace card has a hand brandishing the symbol of the suit. Of course, these are modified a bit in keeping with the Wicca theme of the deck. Every other card has at least one person in the image and they are all ordinary people.I feel that the cards are of great benefit to the sensitive female client who needs something soft without being fluffy. There's a few cards, 3 swords, 5 chalices, that appropriately depict their negative themes. But overall, the images are of everyday scenes that almost anyone could relate to right away. The Death card is of a woman selling her house, and the husband is in the background packing boxes into the back of a car. Colors are purple (terminal, Pluto) and orange (expansion, Jupiter). Something must die to create growth in character and make room for new experiences. This seems like a divorce shown in this card. The change is emotionally troublesome but there is hope and understanding already here if we acknowledge it.This deck together with its companion make an excellent personal set for your own readings, or it can be used for friends and family as it seems very personal. Anyone who likes a bit of idealism and fantasy, or a holistic, earthy approach to the occult, will appreciate it too. There are other decks far better for the professional, though... because they are versatile in their meaning and don't insist a certain frame of reference.

I did receive the second deck to The Book of Shadows Tarot Kit about a month ago but held off on this review until I did some research. You see I was a little disturbed about the thinner card stock in volume 2. I had hoped to eventually do two deck readings using Volumes 1 & 2 but now the cardstock being different will make shuffling together a bit odd... I contacted the company to inquire about the inequity.I received a reply from Riccardo Minetti, a tarot artist and executive with Lo Scarabeo. He gave me some important information about the thinner cards of volume 2:"The carsdstock is slightly lighter, but what should make up for it is that the cards have an all "black" layer in the middle. It is a card quality used for Playing Cards in Casino (where the black layer is necessary to block any possibility of a see through on the cards). The added bonus is that, even if the cardstock is lighter, it should resist shuffling usage wearing for a long time."This was an "ah-ha" for me as I've been shuffling and reading with my New Vision deck for years and it shows little to no wear. I don't know about Llewellyn's other flimsy tarot decks but the Scarabeo decks are not as flimsy as they feel and the softer printing stock does make for an easier shuffle.what he also had comment about my idea of two deck readings with the 2 volumes:"I love the twin decks project. The two decks, however, are different in feeling (and artwork). As Above is a deck about expansion. It creates frames, ladders, pathways... it is supposed to make you look upward, to bigger, higher and deeper things. So Below is a deck about being human and suggests you to look inward. It creates moments, snapshots, feelings of recognition."The artwork is significantly different. Volume 1 has more depth of field making it more photo realistic where as Volume 2 is flat and more graphic novel like. Don't get me wrong...graphic novel artwork is very sophisticated... it's just jarringly different from Volume 1. But I personally think that the difference, in an odd way, compliments each other. Also Volume 2 is just as female centric as Volume 1... its like the teachings of Volume 1 applied in modern day to day... I still think shuffling these decks together could garner some very powerful readings/teachings with the mystery of the first volume cards being clarified by the lightness of the 2nd volume. Ok I could go on and on and on; the artwork is a lovely celebration of the sacred feminine and when I finally get my office cleaned up and have figured out how to use my new all in one printer scanner I will post some side by side pics comparing the two decks...

AMAZING tarot deck that "updates" the RWS to the modern world of the 20th/21st century. I marvel over the images each time I use this deck for readings whether for myself or others. I saw a few of the images of cards from this deck cut from a magazine where you could not tell what deck it was. I posted a picture in an online tarot forum asking if anyone could identify the deck. They pointed me toward this "So Below" deck. It is BETTER than I even hoped! The art is fantastic, the images are modern and relatable, and the colors are rich. The card material is easy to sort. Note: cards are slightly narrower than the "standard" tarot size. This is NOT a deterrent for me, per se, just note it in case you are thinking of combining decks or something with this. The mini book in the box ("white book" as they're known) offers basic meanings so this is usable for beginners and those without a lot of knowledge of tarot reading. I use this deck all the time for myself and others and people also LOVE the imagery!