Ancestral Path Tarot

The Ancestral Path Tarot is a unique deck. It combines the “diverse beliefs of various cultures in order to find commonalities between them” so as to encourage us “to reclaim a personal spirituality that enables us to perceive the divine in ourselves and others.” This is such a beautiful approach to the tarot. Tarot helps us to fashion meaningful stories not only about ourselves, but also the human condition. The Ancestral Path Tarot encourages us to acknowledge that not only are we in charge of shaping our own path through what we choose to believe, do, or deny, we are also shaping paths for those that follow us. This is such a powerful notion.

How different many of my choices may have been if I had considered my actions in this light. I would never tell my children not to reach for what they desire, to hide their true selves, to deny themselves the life that they know to be true for them. And yet, each time I have done that in my own life I can see that I am creating that pathway. I hope I can remember this from now on. I’m sure I’ll need reminding along the way, but I’ll have this deck to do that.

The Ancestral Path Tarot Cards

eAs you can probably guess from the pictures above, these are big cards. They are approximately 10½ cm x 14cm so hand over hand is possible, but a real stretch. They riffle shuffle and fan beautifully though. I love their matt finish and the fact they are borderless. The only modification possible is to edge them which I will do after I have worked with them for a while and have a feel for what colour feels right. One thing I would say is that I wish this deck came in a sturdy box rather than a tuck box.

The Major Arcana

The cards of the Major Arcana aren’t numbered; however in the book Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. Only one has been renamed. The Hanged Man has become The Hanged One. I love Julie Cuccia-Watts rendition. I know I have used the word powerful before but I am going to use it again. The image of The Hanged One provides such a powerful representation – a period of growth but also a reminder that just like the developing fetus, we shouldn’t believe the “world that we know” is all there is.

I also love the metatextual Fool. It’s really clever. The lady in the card is doing a reading, holding the fool card. As someone with an English major, who really enjoyed unravelling metatextual novels, I love this idea. The card is calling attention to its own creation and in so doing depicts multiple meanings.

These cards definitely lend themselves to being read intuitively. The Empress reminds me of a creative friend of mine who makes wonderful mosaics. Her latest creation is a table. The design is taken from the beginning of a piece of sheet music her partner gave her 30 years ago. How apt. It’s like one of the book meanings was written with her in mind. “Decisions based on facts informed by feelings.”

I notice that The Empress’ face is not joyous though which reminds that cards are not all positive. Even without reversals the cards provide many possible clues as to what the “right” meaning may be depending on what stands out and what comes to mind. Is it the barren rock or the pregnant belly, or neither? Back to my friend. Her design was created during the Coronavirus lockdown which for me stirs up many thoughts and emotions that I may well draw on during a reading if The Empress appears.

On The Justice card I like that she has put the scales down and is weighing things up for herself. The growth of the vine suggests she is taking her time, but that and the snake wrapped around her legs could suggest things not going in her favour. Justice has not been served. Then the scales on the floor impart a very different meaning. Again, each person can read this in so many ways.

I also like the inclusion of the person on The Moon card. What are they doing? What is the story in this card? So many ideas come to mind. I love the questions the card raises.

The Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana suits are Swords, Staves (Wands), Cups, and Sacred Circles (Pentacles). The book presents the numbered cards in reverse order which changes the usual hierarchy. I’m interested in considering that approach further. When I just ran the Swords story from ten through to ace it had merit so I really look forward to exploring the implications.

The four suits align with four different cultural groups: Swords are inspired by Japanese culture during the Feudal Era; Staves by Egyptian culture during the 19th Dynasty of Ramses II; Cups are informed by the legend of Arthurian Britain; and Sacred Circles are inspired by Native American culture in post-contact America.

The Court consists of Princesses, Princes, Queens and Kings. Each Court card image is a deified ancestral figure taken from its respective cultural background. I am keen to learn about the figures depicted in the Court cards. I love that tarot continues to introduce me to new areas of study.

Meanings on several of the numbered cards have been altered. The 5 of Wands represents working together rather than competing which, like the 5 of Swords, aligns with the potential of the card. That is not to say that this deck is all sunshine and roses. It’s not. Most cards have, as I have mentioned, “reversed meanings” contained within the image and discussed in the guide book.

As someone whose book shelves are overflowing with novels based on Arthurian legends, the Cups cards offer clear messages to me. I like that the 7 of Cups puts a different twist on the usual fantasy/indecision message. Here, they are focused on one cup, looking into it intently. The book meaning concurs. “Visions, omens, innate intuitions that rip the illusionary veil of everyday reality. Or, a determination to discover what lies behind the obvious, to confront the meaning and purpose of one’s existence.” Again the focus is on the potential that addressing the “typical” renderings of the cards offers.

The Ancestral Path Tarot Book

The card-sized, paper Little White Book is small but offers much to delve into. By providing a very basic introduction, it opens the way for exploration into the different mythologies that form the basis of the cards. This is not the only reason the book should not be ignored. As shown, it opens up new interpretations for many of the cards. As always it is up to the reader what they take from other’s meanings, but I always believe it is beneficial to consider them. Even as an intuitive reader it is easy to fall into keyword associations.

Suggestions of different meanings or intentions by deck creators is a wonderful invitation to look deeper into the cards and to consider how the meanings do or don’t align with other decks. For me it opens up fresh conversations with the cards. Rightly or wrongly, it is also my justification for having so many decks.

Spreads

The book only offers up one spread:

• The Celtic Cross

However, it has a slightly different take on things. Rather than pointing out the differences I thought I would just share the interpretations for the various positions.

As always I did the spread as it appears in the book and I have to say I like the approach they’ve taken to the Celtic Cross. I do not use significators in my readings generally and I’m not convinced I will moving forward but that’s a personal thing that I may well write on at a later date.

I really like this deck and I look forward to spending more time working with it and exploring the mythologies of the various cultures more deeply. I can see this will be my go to deck for questions related to understanding my path and for helping others with the same.

Publishing Details

Deck Creator:

Julie Cuccia-Watts

Text by: Tracey Hoover

Pictured Version:

Published by U.S. Games 2019