Embark on a journey of self discovery into the heart of the earth, where the living spirits of nature dwell.
The Animystic Tarot is your portal into the enchantment of nature. Connect with your magic on a mystical journey through 78 beautifully illustrated cards, each designed to root your personal myths back into the land. The Animystic Tarot is more than a deck; it’s your ally and collaborator, here to help you manifest the magic of nature into your life.
The natural world is alive, aware, and waiting to connect with you. Reimagining the Waite-Smith tradition through the eyes of the animate earth, The Animystic Tarot is your key to unlocking the mystical power of nature.
• 78 enchanted illustrations inspired by the land and its flora invoke your journey through the myths of Tarot
• Deepen your kinship with the earth and its animate beings
• Awaken your magic with the cards as your companions
• Explore a modern interpretation of animism, the world's oldest belief system, through the perspective of Tarot
You are called into community with the cards and their ecosystem of stories. The Animystic Tarot is your companion, and the magic of the earth awaits.
You can see the unboxing video on TikTok or Youtube and the silent flickthrough on TikTok or Youtube. I did two spreads, an interview spread and the Connection spread featured in the LWB.
I. First Impressions
Minor Arcana: The Minor Arcana are fully illustrated with natural scenes. Cups have plants sprouting from them, Swords and Wands act as supports for weaker plants, and Pentacles are nestled into tree boughs and root spaces. From reading the LWB I learned that many of the images are specific plants; I'm sure people more versed in gardening wouldn't need the LWB, but I have a black thumb! Pentacle Courts feature bees; Cup Courts are sea creatures; Sword Courts are butterflies, and Wand Courts are fireflies, which is a brilliantly unusual choice! I love that the deck has gone beyond the normal Swords = crows and looked for something more unique.
Card Stock and Size: The cards are a standard tarot size and feel quite sturdy in my hands, shuffling and laying out well. I haven't seen any signs of chipping, tearing or bending, and my shuffling style would lend to those happening!
III. The Guidebook
Spreads and Techniques: The book only mentions one spread, the Connection spread I listed above. It does mention making sure that you are asking open ended questions rather than definite ones.
IV. In Use
Clarity of Readings: The two readings I posted had a beautiful flow, and my daily readings went well.
Suitability for Different Skill Levels: I think, reluctant as I am to say it, this wouldn't be the best deck for beginners unless they plan to only use this one. As it doesn't follow RWS, it could confuse a beginner. However, I adore the artwork, and once a reader is more confident this would be a wonderful deck to stretch their skills with.
V. Overall Impression
Unboxing Experience: The Animystic deck is presented in a hard box just a little larger than a standard deck. The box has a magnetic closure on the right hand side. The inside is illustrated with artwork from the cards as a little sample before you get to the cards!
Artwork Style: The deck is nature based, with absolutely no humans and almost no animals; there are insects in three of the Courts and fish in the fourth, but the rest of the Minors and all of the Majors are entirely plant or landscape based. The art is highly stylised, with lots of neon colours and swirly tree bark.
II. The Cards
Artwork Style: The deck is nature based, with absolutely no humans and almost no animals; there are insects in three of the Courts and fish in the fourth, but the rest of the Minors and all of the Majors are entirely plant or landscape based. The art is highly stylised, with lots of neon colours and swirly tree bark.
II. The Cards
Major Arcana: The Major Arcana has Strength at 8 and the Hanged Being at 11; this is the only card with an altered name. Names are written across the bottom of the card with the number, in Roman numerals, at the top. The cards are borderless so these wonderful colours fill the whole space.
Minor Arcana: The Minor Arcana are fully illustrated with natural scenes. Cups have plants sprouting from them, Swords and Wands act as supports for weaker plants, and Pentacles are nestled into tree boughs and root spaces. From reading the LWB I learned that many of the images are specific plants; I'm sure people more versed in gardening wouldn't need the LWB, but I have a black thumb! Pentacle Courts feature bees; Cup Courts are sea creatures; Sword Courts are butterflies, and Wand Courts are fireflies, which is a brilliantly unusual choice! I love that the deck has gone beyond the normal Swords = crows and looked for something more unique.
Card Stock and Size: The cards are a standard tarot size and feel quite sturdy in my hands, shuffling and laying out well. I haven't seen any signs of chipping, tearing or bending, and my shuffling style would lend to those happening!
III. The Guidebook
Writing Style and Readability: Willow's guidebook is on the more spiritual side compared to some I've seen, but it's still quite easy to read. There's a brief history of tarot followed by an explanation of Animism, the philosophy that inspired the deck. Some general guidelines on how to read tarot are followed by one spread, and then we're into the readings.
Card Meanings: Majors get three pages, with the title, three or four keywords, an explanation of the meaning and how it relates to the image. There's a reproduction of the card image, and a shorter reversed meaning. Minors have about a page and a half, with all the same information but a much smaller card image. I do love having the image right there; it makes it easier to relate the image to the meaning.
Card Meanings: Majors get three pages, with the title, three or four keywords, an explanation of the meaning and how it relates to the image. There's a reproduction of the card image, and a shorter reversed meaning. Minors have about a page and a half, with all the same information but a much smaller card image. I do love having the image right there; it makes it easier to relate the image to the meaning.
Spreads and Techniques: The book only mentions one spread, the Connection spread I listed above. It does mention making sure that you are asking open ended questions rather than definite ones.
IV. In Use
Intuition and Connection: For an RWS reader, this doesn't look familiar at all. The images are beautiful, and when I read the book I could see why Willow chose them, but to start I was mostly relying on my knowledge of what each card means. As I worked with them, that eased and I started to connect with the cards better, so if you're having trouble at first, keep trying.
Clarity of Readings: The two readings I posted had a beautiful flow, and my daily readings went well.
Suitability for Different Skill Levels: I think, reluctant as I am to say it, this wouldn't be the best deck for beginners unless they plan to only use this one. As it doesn't follow RWS, it could confuse a beginner. However, I adore the artwork, and once a reader is more confident this would be a wonderful deck to stretch their skills with.
V. Overall Impression
Strengths:
- Beautiful artwork
- Readings flowed well
- I'm mentioning the artwork again because it is so amazing
Weaknesses:
- Might be difficult for beginners due to non RWS artwork
- Took a little while to get to know the cards
Final Thoughts
I love this deck. Working with it has been really fun, and I've found myself just studying the artwork even when I wasn't reading. It's a really great deck and I highly recommend it if you're looking for something a bit more unusual for your collection.
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