Santa Muerte Tarot Deck: Book of the Dead

I know very little about the Central American and Mexican traditions surrounding Dia De Los Muertos (never mind Santa Muerte), but I’ve always admired the intimacy the traditions place on their deceased, which my culture notably lacks. I found the bright colors and the images of skeletons to really draw me into purchasing this deck. We all are skeletons at the end, regardless of everything else! I was truly surprised at how dang fun and cohesive this deck is—it doesn’t really use traditional RWS imagery in it’s cards (the major arcana are a bit more traditional), but it doesn’t take much to make the leap to what the card is trying to get across (with the exception of 9 of pentacles, I’m a bit puzzled by that one). It doesn't shy away from "scary" subject matter either, but because everyone in the cards is already dead, it allows the reader to put things into perspective. Some cards are utterly brilliant, out-of-the-box representations like the gunslinger in two of wands—making preparations, and other cards are delightfully esoteric and mind boggling, like XVI The Tower. I find reading from card to card quite easy and story-like, and the major and four minor all have their different color themes and shapes which make distinguishing them effortless. The numbers are on the side of the cards and if you rely on seeing the numbers you might struggle at first to distinguish the difference between 6 and 9. The cards are SUPER glossy, if that matters, but they shuffle easily and haven’t frayed for me after a months use. Can I just say that the backs are gorgeous? They really are stunning. The art work is amazing, there isn’t one card I’m on the fence about in regards to the art. If I was to make a change at all, it would be to edge this deck in ruby red. So, if you are intrigued and have a bit of RWS reading under your belt, this is a stellar, unusual deck.

I purchased this deck as replacement for the deck I had been reading with for over 15 years. I'm still working with it, but I have to say the artwork is amazing! It is eye-catching, vibrant and unexpected. You want to keep staring into it, because the images are just beautiful. It's a deck you just want to handle. When you take it out you simply want to thumb one by one through the cards and really absorb them. With that said, I read with a deck that was much more closely Rider Waite in form and function than this deck seems to be. Some of the cards seem to follow the Waite imagery, but by and large they have their own set of imagery. The 10 of swords for instance is a strikingly beautiful card but is nothing like the Ten of swords in a Rider Waite deck. This is fine, but does prevent this from being a grab-and-go deck. If you purchase this deck you will be having to relearn it. You won't just be able to grab it and start immediately pulling spreads like you did with your other Waite deck. That's fine, and I have enjoyed trying to get to know this deck, and I think that given more time this will become one of my favorite decks to read with. But I will admit that it would have been nice had it been more of a grab-and-go deck for somebody who is familiar with the iconography and meanings of the Waite decks. That said, the cards are big. I like to actually shuffle my decks, and they're just a little too large to be able to fit in my hands easily to bridge them. But that may not be an issue for a reader who doesn't shuffle, and Bridge a deck of tarot cards like they do a deck of playing cards. They're thick, and glossy. I typically leave my Tarot deck in a bag, but the box is gorgeous as well so I have left this deck in its box inside my usual bag because I couldn't bear getting rid of the box. I have no regrets with this deck, and while I had wished that it was a more in keeping with traditional waite imagery, the sales page was very honest with the pictures they posted.

Ohhh, this deck is so pretty! Packaging: Standard LoS stuff-the two piece box (same style as Tarot Mucha is given.) It's sturdy and quite pretty. Also a bit of gold on it to add some sparkle! Really makes it stand out to me. Book: Haven't read it in depth, but again seems pretty standard to the typical LoS booklet. It's a small bound book that fits inside the box and comes in multiple languages. Each description does come with a little "Advice of the Dead" at the end, which I think is a nice touch! The language sections are also separated by a full color picture, which I definitely appreciate--makes it easier to say within your wanted language, I think. Card stock: Again, typical LoS stuff. If you've bought any of their recent decks, you know what you're getting. It's not the best, but is by no means the worst either. Glossy and flexible--you shouldn't have too many issues if you don't completely abuse them. Images: The most important category! At least for me. The images of this deck are absolutely beautiful. I will say, though, that they definitely feel a bit more "Day of the Dead" than "Santa Muerte" to me, but that is by no means a criticism. The majors have their title on the bottom, with the number on the sides--there's a small border that runs along the bottom and about halfway up the sides. I'm actually quite fond of it, initially at least. The background for all of the borders is a sort of creamy tan color--it's unobtrusive and works quite well. The minors have their suit on the bottom, and numbers on the sides (with the exception of the court cards, where everything is on the bottom.) Doing a quick flip through, some cards definitely deviate from the standard RWS, but I think it'll be a good thing--I'm excited to use the deck more to get a feel for those cards. Another fun little bit--the minors each have their own dominant color (swords-yellow, wands-red, pentacles-green, cups-blue) that should make it easier to pick out minors in a spread. The colors work naturally--to the extent that I didn't notice it immediate, and had to go back and confirm my suspicions about halfway through flipping through the deck. I've seen some decks really try to force the color thing--this one does *not* and it's beautiful because of that. Backs: Reversible, and quite a neat back. Not a whole lot else to say, other than I like it. Overall: Though I haven't gotten to use this deck much yet, I think I'm going to be quite fond of it. The images are so vibrant and full of life--even though all the "people" are skeletons. There's just so much color and emotion to them, I think it has the potential to be both a fun, and deep deck. So if you have any interest in this style--be it Santa Muerte specifically, Day of the Dead, or Death in general--I would recommend giving it a chance. Of course, I'll update my review if any of my opinions change with greater use.

These cards are stunning, and I love the "message from the dead" that comes with each of the cards. It's added a unique spin on my readings. It feels deeper somehow. The cards are just stunning. I bought them as a gift for my bestie and then had to get a deck for myself as well!

Love this deck very good quality and they are very beautiful

I'm going to try to keep it short & sweet. This is a 78 cards deck. Glossy, easy to shuffle, and good quality not too thin or thick. It comes with a guidebook, which I don't like. The English section has more information about each card than the Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian. It seems like what it's translate to the other languages is the short phrases "The advice of the death", which on 2 different occasions the English version and Spanish were not as consistent. Moving on this deck it's mostly representing the Mexican culture, on the back of each card there are 2 Aztec calendars and 8 skulls ( that I cannot find the relation), there are 9 levels to reach the underworld in the Aztec and Maya world. I wish another imagine would have been used for card # 8 -strength. Why a wrestler against Quetzalcoatl. Some cards will let you belive this deck has to do something with the day of the dead, all Mexicans celebrate day of the dead, but not all of us worship La Santa Muerte, but I get it it's for marketing. I didn't get any double cards or miss any so, I give this deck 5 stars because it resonates with me (I'm Mexican), I like the graphics, the quality of the cards, the English description of the book is good, but if you are reading it in another language then I give it 4 stars.

I could not live these cards more! The illustrations are beautiful and the author’s interpretations are clear and complete without being too wordy. So very relatable. I had worried that these might be dark because the illustrations could be construed that way, but they really are not. Even cards with a warning are given in a very nurturing way and also give advice how to proceed. Such a great deck! I also instantly connected with the energy of the cards. They are a great size to handle and the cardstock is sturdy without being inflexible. The illustrations also easily lend themselves to your own interpretation with their rich content. Love, love these cards! Highly recommend!

Love this deck! Highly recommended!