Fifth Spirit Tarot

It took me a while to add Fifth Spirit Tarot to my collection because, to be honest, I didn’t think it was for me. But I kept hearing others say how much they loved it and so I thought I might have been missing something. After all popular decks are popular for a reason. I found the reason. Still, it has taken me months to write about it.

Today I answered the call to start to write this post, (although I have to admit that all the notes had been written more than a week ago, so there was yet another round of procrastination before I truly connected with the call). I’m not sure why that is. The deck is great to work with, so it’s not that.

Fifth Spirit Tarot is a back to basics, clear reader whose clarity brings a smile to my face. It evokes memories, it shares stories, and most of all it reminds me that there are many ways to look at things, often way outside the realms of how I would normally choose to do so. As the book states, it is “Tarot beyond binaries.” Maybe this contributed to the block.

This way of thinking took me off on so many tangents because of late I’ve been battling with “Am I this or that?” “Do I want this or that?” and “Should I do this or that?” thinking, as if they were my only options. So thank you Charlie Claire Burgess for, if not stopping, at least slowing this tendency and helping me to internalise what I knew intellectually but had trouble embodying. It did give me a lot to process though. But I am back at my desk now, so let’s see how I go.

The Fifth Spirit Tarot Deck

Fifth Spirit Tarot is “a queer and inclusive tarot for a world beyond binaries.” In other words, it’s for everyone. Even me, a straight, middle-aged, married, white women with two kids, four grandkids, a dog, and a house in the suburbs. Everyone’s included. You’ll find people of various ages, nationalities, body types, genders and abilities represented.

As Charlie Claire Burgess points out, “Whether you’re transgender or cis gender, gay or bi or straight, liberation from enforced gender norms and binary thinking means greater self-determination for us all.” Nevertheless, I want to point out that while they encourage users to release the cards from their gender associations, if you were to disregard their philosophy and motivations you’d still find yourself holding a deck with a lot to say and an open way of saying it.

For me personally it is their rejection of absolutes in favour of non binary thinking in any form good/bad, right/wrong, strong/weak etc that makes this deck interesting to work with.

My impressions of the cards

I like the line work, the hand-drawn font and borders, and the muted colour palette. One oft underused aspect I truly value is all the white space. It ensures the individual elements are attended to rather than lost in unnecessary complexity. Each detail adds to the story in some way, even though I find what they say each time can vary considerably.

Examples: Six of Cups & Three of Cups

Take the Six and Three of Cups as examples. When I look at the Six of Cups I see that some things need to be thrown away while others deserve their place in your memory. Not all are good, not all are bad, but we get to choose which detail we give import to and how we relate to it. For example, does the tooth in the glass with the money beside it bring back fond memories of the tooth fairy or notions of deceptions both large and small? Or are the tooth and the coins unrelated and therefore linked to completely different memories.

Does the tooth bring back memories of Grandma’s teeth sitting in a glass on her bedside table? Then suddenly rather than the tooth being linked to the coins you’ve connected them to the bucket because Grandma used to take you to the beach and so now you’re reminiscing about family holidays and what makes a childhood special? Maybe both are true and how you feel about them are different depending on the circumstances? The possibilities and therefore the stories seem endless. This card is a writer’s dream.

Then there’s the Three of Cups. It is so simple but I really love and appreciate this card. To me it’s a celebration of difference and how our differences, whether they be tastes, backgrounds, lifestyles, whatever, don’t have to separate us. We can still come together and be ourselves rather than needing to change to fit in. I often don’t connect with the Three of Cups, but that is not the case here.

Examples: Six of Swords & Seven of Cups

Some cards, like the two pictured above, fill the space without being busy. The fact that there is no-one in the boat on the Six of Swords speaks volumes. We don’t always have to leave in order to free ourselves from certain situations. Sometimes it’s just a matter of changing how we view a situation or choosing to let certain ideas go. I say “just” as if it was easy to do, but I know it’s not. But I also know that when we leave we take ourselves with us so ultimately that can make things much harder.

The Seven of Cups is another of my favourite cards. Each time I look at it different thoughts come to mind. This highlights how cleverly conceived this card is. For example, what’s in the only unilluminated bottle? Is it a message in a bottle, (cue Sting and highly repetitive lyrics), or is that my degree all nicely rolled up and tucked away? And, what do those associations suggest?

Everything feels so contained except the octopus. It can squeeze itself in and out of its bottle. Plus it can blend into any background. So, once again my mind is off and running with interpretive possibilities. Which choice feels the most appealing? One thing’s for sure, I wouldn’t want to be the goldfish and not just because of the impending threat. However, I might not have given the goldfish the consideration it deserves if the octopus wasn’t there. This further confirms what I said earlier — every detail adds value.

As you can see from the spread above, some illustrations fill the entire space and really draw your attention. These cards are definitely not to be made light of. The effect is too deliberate to ignore. Consider the Eight of Pentacles and the Nine of Swords pictured below.

Eight of Pentacles & Nine of Swords

Both feature tools that could physically inflict some damage. But, when I looked at the Eight of Pentacles with its light background, I saw carpentry tools, so therefore I interpreted it as having the necessary tools to build something. Each of the “tools” on the Nine of Swords feels ominous even though the very same carpenter would use the saws, my husband uses a razor every night, I sew using needles and pins, and I have a cleaver in my kitchen. Personally, I would be lost without each of these implements so on their own they are not the issue. But, here, grouped together as they are, and placed on a black background, they feel more threatening.

The fact that the Ten of Swords, The Devil, and the Ten of Wands also have dark backgrounds reinforces this idea.

Structure

The Fifth Spirit Tarot follows the traditional nominations for the Suits, (Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles), Court cards, (Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages), and the Major Arcana. Given the nature of the deck it may seem surprising that Charlie Claire Burgess has maintained the gendered titles. However, they did this intentionally. Rather than rename them, they made illustrative choices to challenge our perceptions of what the people on these cards “should look like.”

In addition, they have included the astrological and elemental information for the Major Arcana within the artwork. I like this touch. On the Strength card pictured above, the symbols for Fire, Leo and the Sun are tattooed on their upper right thigh.

There are so many wonderful inclusions on the Strength card. For example the choice of dog, the fact she’s not on a lead, nor does she have her collar on. She is there completely of her own free will — no choker chain is required to keep her there. I also love the inclusion of the broken heart with the band aid tattoo suggesting that experiencing pain doesn’t mean we have to inflict it on others. As I said, while the artwork may be minimalist, the thought that went into it is not.

Interpretations of some randomly selected card pairings

King of Swords & 3 The Empress

This King of Swords is different to most. Rather than sitting back and waiting for people to come and seek their counsel, they’re sharing their message — loudly. They have knowledge and ideas to share and they want people to hear them. They’re taking a stand. There’s no way they’re running away from what they think.

However, the King and The Empress don’t seem to be on the same page. Neither is looking at the other. This may suggest a different viewpoint but it could just as readily suggest there are different ways we can choose to express our truths. Maybe they are paying absolutely no attention to each other at all because they are focusing on their own lives and not each others. We don’t have to fit in with every “tribe” nor do we have to try and make everybody fit into ours.

21 The World & Eight of Wands

On The World card, the world at their feet seems small. This pairing, especially following on from the previous one, suggests successfully taking up space as who you are and not making yourself small to fit in. The Bull (Taurus), the Lion (Leo), and the Eagle (Scorpio) wouldn’t do that. And, as someone currently living with three Aquarians, I know they definitely wouldn’t do that either. So I feel those fireworks are being launched in celebration of those who have finally learned to take up space as who they are.

A more simplified, situational, interpretation could also be “cause for celebration on the completion of a task.” Take the time to celebrate your accomplishments. Too often we are far too quick to move on to the next thing, constantly striving, rather than acknowledging what we’ve achieved. Relentless striving, without any time for rest and/or reflection is exhausting. Fireworks are quickly spent. They might be thrilling, and loud, and bright, and colourful but there is a price to pay.

Seven of Swords & Five of Cups

Here’s another word of caution. Don’t be deceived into thinking that you need shiny accoutrements to show your worth. Unfortunately, while the magpie has been off searching for the next shiny thing something has happened to one of the eggs. As I’m writing this, two magpies have just come strolling into my house. They are frequent visitors but my German Shepherd and my grandkids don’t think they belong inside. Me, I welcome their visits.

But back to this pairing. The magpie on the Seven of Swords is looking to the Five of Cups. Circumstances have forced them to question their motivations and their focus. After all, losing an “egg” is a high price to pay.

Plus, when considered alongside the previous cards, there is a reminder to make sure that how we present ourselves to the world is in line with our true selves and not just done for show.

Three of Swords & Ace of Swords

However, to be able to live authentically it might be necessary to heal some old wounds, those parts of us that believed we weren’t enough, and that made us doubt our appearance or our right to be heard. I love that this Three of Swords is focused on repair. The Ace of Swords suggests that consciously taking the time to heal can help us find clarity about what is true for us. What deserves our attention and what should we let fall away?

Overall though, while I can see this could refer to an operation, I see that clarity follows healing, not the other way around. We don’t have to understand the lesson, the reason, or the cause in order to heal, but in healing we tend to discover them.

The Fifth Spirit Tarot Guidebook

The Fifth Spirit Tarot comes with a 111-paged, perfect bound, black-and-white, card-sized guidebook. The introductory pages are an interesting read. Charlie Claire Burgess shares their philosophy for, and the intention behind, the deck. I drew a lot from the section headed Queering your Tarot Practice. Here they lay down six ideas on how to do this. Firstly, they suggest queering your language. Rather than following the typically assigned genders, they encourages you to “try referring to the High Priestess as “he,” the Emperor as “they,” the Kings as “she,” and so forth, and take note of if or how that changes how you feel about the archetype.” I found it quite eye-opening.

Points numbered 2 through 6 are titled, Scrap the masculine/feminine duality, Think beyond the binary, (this isn’t just in terms of gender and it is this that really struck something within me), Forget the “shoulds,” Don’t assume, and Throw out the guidebook. I read every guidebook but I like it when creators encourage people to trust themselves and what they see in the cards.

However, more and more I have come to recognise that as much as I “read” the artwork I do so from a solid knowledge base that I continue to add to. I feel I really want to write a post around the idea of intuition and intellect and how they work together so I’ll leave it alone here and get back to the Fifth Spirit Tarot guidebook.

Chalie Claire Burgess rounds out the opening section with three spreads: Beyond Binaries Spread (6 cards), Everyone’s a Little Queer Spread (5 cards), and Five Spirits Spread (5 cards) before moving on to the card meanings portion of the book.

Both the Major and the Minor Arcana receive the same attention. Each is afforded two paragraphs; however, no card images are shown.

Nonetheless, I like the way the book reads. It has substance without being overly wordy. I’ll use 17 The Star and Six of Pentacles as examples so you can see what I mean.

Major Arcana example: 17 The Star

The Star is the calm after the Tower's storm, when we being the process of healing. The pool is filled with the waters of life, and we are in direct contact with it, a conduit for it. Have you ever noticed that after great struggle often comes great inspiration? That's the Star. It's the rejuvenation of hope, the restoration of the spirit, the transmutation of pain into life-affirming art. 

In readings, the Star reminds you to look for your North Star and let it guide you. Maybe your Star is your authentic truth, your ideas, or your loves and passions. Maybe it's a book that reminds you of your aliveness, or a song your grandma used to sing. This is a time for hope and inspiration, signs and messages that appear to help you on your way. Make space for healing and seek out things that soothe your soul. Lastly, when you're ready, the Star welcomes you into radical acceptance and forgiveness of others and of yourself, because that's part of healing too. 

Minor Arcana: Six of Pentacles

In Western culture, particularly in America, there's an idea of rugged individualism. Of bootstrap abundance. Of everything that you have, you've rightly earned, and like hell will anyone take it from you. 

The thing is, that's a lie.

This card reminds us of the truth: we're all affected by interconnecting systems of privilege and oppression, and we're all vitally interconnected in this thrumming web of life. It reminds us of the natural cycles of giving and receiving, of action and rest; about the systems of care that support us all; and about the interconnectedness of our individual and collective well-being. 

When this card appears, consider how you're participating in systems of mutual care and collective abundance — or how you're cutting yourself off from them. How can you be of service, or how do you need to be supported? You are part of a larger web of constantly flowing resources and care. If you provide for others, you too will be provided for.

Wrapping it all up

As is the case with every other deck in my collection, the Fifth Spirit Tarot isn’t going to appeal to everyone. However, if you are looking for a well-thought out deck that truly embraces inclusivity, in both its artwork and its messaging, then this deck meets that criteria. Even though, or maybe because people only appear on the Major Arcana and the Court cards, this is a highly relatable deck.

When I first flicked through the deck I noted things like, “A cicada nymph (on the Four of Swords), that’s clever,” and “the band aid and the rubbish bin are great inclusions (on the Six of Cups) and “I like the plait (Three of Cups) as a way to suggest bringing things together to create a cohesive whole.” And the more I work with it, the more I see. The Fifth Spirit Tarot’s artwork gives you the space and the time to find your way. That for me is what makes this a great deck.

Summaries

Fifth Spirit Tarot cards

Artist	Charlie Claire Burgess
Card Size	7cm x 12cm
Card Stock	Reasonably flexible, cardboard texture
Shuffle	Okay to shuffle in any manner, albeit mine is still a little stiff.
Fan & Flip Through	Okay to fan and flip through
Suits	Pentacles, Cups, Swords and Wands
Court	Page, Knight, Queen & King
Strength / Justice	Strength 8; Justice 11
Miscellaneous	Solid two part box

Fifth Spirit Tarot Guidebook

Written by	Charlie Claire Burgess
Pages	111 pp
Appearance	B & W card-sized, perfect bound LWB
Spreads	Beyond Binaries Spread (6 cards) Everyone’s a Little Queer Spread (5 cards) Five Spirits Spread (5 cards)

Publishing Details

Created by:

Charlie Claire Burgess

Pictured Version:

Published by Hay House in December 2022

ISBN:

978-1-4019-7118-2

Websites:

Charlie Claire Burgess