Magicmakers Tarot

Magicmakers Tarot featured on my ‘Upcoming decks I’m excited for in 2025’ post earlier this year but it took me a while to get around to buying it. I had pre-ordered all the decks from that post, and ordered several others at the same time so something had to give. Since I already owned Paulina Fae’s (Cassidy) Joie de Vivre and Spiritsong Tarot, I chose to put the Magicmakers Tarot on my ‘later’ pile. Also I think I’d got myself a bit caught up in taking things all too seriously and so I wondered what this deck would add. It turns out it adds just what I needed – a sense of playfulness and joy – something that when I needed it the most I was way too quick to dismiss.

The Magicmakers Tarot Deck

The characters you meet as you flip through the Magicmakers Tarot are gentle and welcoming. Paulina Fae’s delicate linework and the muted blues, greens, browns and greys give the deck a soothing energy that encourages you to follow The Fool into their world and explore the paths each Magicmaker wants to show you. But be aware, just as the Seven of Cups shows, not all paths should be followed. Some are illusory, but if you look closely you will see that. The Magicmakers aren’t out to deceive you. Rather they point out our own deceptions.

I’ll give you an example of what I mean. Take a look at The Magician and the Nine of Swords pictured below.

Nine of Swords

I’ll start with the Nine of Swords. You can see what he is giving his attention to — the creature coming out of the shadows. Someone or something is out to get him. The book he’s clinging to suggests that’s the story he’s giving all his attention to. Maybe it’s true. Maybe somebody is out to get him. But that doesn’t mean everybody is.

There’s also roses flowering at his feet but he doesn’t seem to notice them. He seems oblivious to their beauty and their fragrance. Unfortunately because he pays them no notice he’s more likely to get snagged on their thorns. Then he’s even less likely to appreciate them and life becomes a little less beautiful. It’s an all too familiar tale but one that can be changed.

1 The Magician

Now on to the Magician. There is magic and warning in this card. Creatures are coming together, trees are blooming and The Magician is ripe with possibility. But, from the first time I saw this card I wrote, “Leopard – can it change its spots? Is what you’re creating truly for you and who you are or is it a distraction. The dress may be fitted but there’s a lot of room to hide things in those sleeves.” The onion like head dress makes me aware that there are many layers to this card. Don’t fall for the razzle dazzle but don’t dismiss the magic either.

The character’s faces are generally full of expression but I find The Magician’s harder to read. It feels more mask like. In contrast, look back at The Fool. Their face is so open. There is no agenda. They are simply letting the cards fall where they may. As always there is so much of the story to be found in the little details.

Structure

The suits are standard. The Magicmakers Tarot is divided into Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles with Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages making up the Court. As you have probably already noticed, Paulina Fae doesn’t incorporate the symbols for the suit within the artwork. Therefore you can only determine the suit by the title or through pre-existing knowledge. I don’t mind that, but it might make it trickier for beginner’s to interpret the cards. Though for those with some tarot experience, even with the busyness of the artwork, I believe these cards are quite easy to connect with due to both their familiar elements and the stories the artwork tells.

Examples: Court Cards – Knights

Since people often find the court cards more difficult to interpret I thought I’d start with them as examples. Take the two Knights above. Even if you weren’t aware of them prior to looking at the cards, you can see they have a very different energy. The Knight of Pentacles blends into his surroundings. There is no movement in the card and he is quite boxed in. In comparison, the Knight of Wands is riding a dragon. Need I say more? Nevertheless, there is growth around the Knight of Pentacles which suggests ultimately he is going somewhere. Whereas around the Knight of Wands everything is a blur.

Examples: Five of Wands and 13. Death

So, when you look at the cards, an impression forms fairly quickly. Take the Five of Wands and 13 Death pictured above as further examples. You can see the people on the Five of Wands have turned their back on each other and yet they still hold on to whatever it is that binds them. The way the background is shaded gives me the impression of a brain and so I wonder if this is a battle between the “two sides of the brain” – the creative versus the intellectual. They don’t need to work in opposition but often seem to. But why, when together they can create and grow something magical. How often is this the case with two seemingly opposing sides?

And this Death card – Wow. It is stunning and so open to interpretation. However, whether you focus on the skeleton, the mushrooms, or the Fall leaves, the potential for growth is impossible to ignore.

Every card in this deck shows a possible approach to create a new outcome. Nothing is hopeless but nor is anything just handed to you. You have to put in some work and some things take time. This applies to drawing meaning out of the cards as well but it’s worth it.

Examples: Four of Wands & Ace of Cups – Different approach

However, some cards in the Magicmaker Tarot read quite differently for me. Take the Four of Wands and the Ace of Cups pictured above as examples. Each time I look at them they suggest different meanings. On the Four of Wands I notice the snails and think things took a while to reach this point. The owl suggests that through her choices and actions she has gained wisdom and a level of freedom. I took this last idea from the birds in the sky. At other times I see a “wedding-type” headdress and I see the plants growing on either side of the card as more traditional representations. A simple interpretation is that she sees the wisdom in committing to whatever it is she has been putting her time into.

The keywords for the Ace of Cups read ‘love, happiness, new beginnings, creativity, spiritual fulfilment’ but for me, on so many levels, this card says connection.

Major Arcana

The Renewal card is just beautiful. I love everything about what this card signifies. It is one of the five cards Paulina Fae renamed. 5 The Mentor (The Hierophant), 6 Love (The Lovers), 10 The Wheel of Life (The Wheel of Fortune), and 15 The Djinn (The Devil) are the others.

I think the choice of The Djinn for The Devil is wonderful too because it opens up so many possibilities. Imagine if you could have everything you could ever wish for. It would be great right up until it wasn’t is one impression. Be careful what you wish for is another. Or, what genie are you going to free into the world if you uncap the stopper? Do you know? Do you care? Have you already released something you are now struggling to contain? What if its a beneficent genie? Do we sometimes need to take a chance or to just have fun with the possibilities? Or do notions of right and wrong, or should and shouldn’t stop us?

Physical aspects of the cards

The Magicmaker Tarot cards shuffle well. They measure 7.5cm x 11.5cm and due to their super slippery satin finish they are a dream to fan and flip through. The titles are clear which balances out the busyness of the cards well. The Minor Arcana titles are written in full which distinguishes them from the Majors as they feature Arabic numbers. I prefer Roman numerals for the Major Arcana but I don’t feel they would fit in the Magicmakers’ world.

Even though the inner box and the guide book features a lavender accent I edged mine in a charcoal alcohol marker. I did this very early on which normally I don’t. Something about this deck made me want to personalise it though. Some of the colour bled onto the cards and I found that the colour transferred to my hands initially as well. I always use alcohol markers and this has never happened before. It has stopped now but it gave me an idea which proved successful. I was able to use an eraser to remove any colour bleeding from the cards. Like the messages I draw from the cards themselves, there is always a positive.

Messages from some random card pairings

I’ll keep these short since this is already a long post.

Page of Swords & Five of Cups

First thought that came to mind was return to beginner’s mind. Clear yourself of old ways of thinking. The tree needs to let go, drop the dead wood, in order to grow and look at things with fresh eyes. That’s about all I got and to be honest this felt really forced until the next four cards came out. Then when I looked back this pairing made sense. New ideas can light you up with fresh enthusiasm.

But, new ideas mean that something has to go. That can be sad and confronting because whatever you had to let go was once part of you, your life, or your world. We might be able to have it all, but that doesn’t mean we can have it all at once. If you want to put energy into something new, then you have to take it from somewhere else. Something always has to give. Only you can decide what is worth making those stands on.

Seven of Wands & Queen of Swords

Straight up you can see that the lion is standing his ground but with an eye to the future. That might be because there is not a lot of room to move where he is. For me the lion is a nod to the Leo energy that I associate with this card. He’s successfully overcome the competition and now he is holding his position. But in this version he is there on his own. There is no sign of anyone else. Is that the ultimate? You own your truth even when no one is watching. It is not just for appearances. The Queen of Swords suggests this is the case. She follows her own mind, only doing things she believes in. On this card though is she looking at you or to see where you have come from?

Two of Cups & Four of Pentacles

This Two of Cups features much simpler artwork than most in the deck. It’s pretty much just the two of them on the card which in a busy deck stands out. When set next to the Four of Pentacles I see this pairing as a warning not to hold on to anything to such an extent that you become oblivious to everything else around you. But, that being said, especially considering the two cards that came before, sometimes that is necessary.

I was having a conversation with my daughter the other day over grilled chicken burgers about how sometimes you need to shut out the outside noise and focus on what it is that you feel deeply connected to, or that requires that level of focus. For example, my son trained for an Ironman that required he swim 6 something kilometres, cycle 180km and then run 42km. As someone who didn’t believe in cardio training prior to taking on this challenge he had to dedicate a lot of time and effort to getting in the necessary training. Having completed it he says he would never do it again. Not because of how hard it was but because of everything he had to put aside to achieve that level of fitness. Sometimes though we have to do what we need to do to achieve what it is that we want to achieve.

Tarot tip

Sometimes when you are looking at a spread some things just won’t make sense. Or in the case of the six cards I randomly paired above, some of the meanings may feel forced. You’ll know when that happens. My tip is not to worry. As happened for me in this instance, keep going. Often the meaning becomes apparent as you move through the reading. Other times, something happens and the lightbulb goes off.

It isn’t that the cards you have drawn are wrong! Sometimes you just need a bit more information. I draw these pairings two at a time, so I don’t have the full picture when I start writing. I never draw these pairings with the intention of them speaking to each other but they always do. It makes it impossible for me to believe in “random draws” even though I draw these pairs with no question in mind. They always have something to say.

The Magicmakers Tarot Guide Book

The Magicmakers Tarot comes with an 83-paged, perfect bound little white book written by the deck’s creator, Paulina Fae. It opens with a single page Introduction before launching straight into the card meanings. The book meanings are clear but they don’t tell the story of the artwork. I would have loved to have been introduced to the characters in some way. Just a single line about them or even something as simple as their names. I really would like to get to know them not just the messages they have to share with me.

Maybe one day I’ll find the time to write about them. Who is the Nine of Pentacles and how did she achieve her level of prosperity and how is the Page of Wands flying. Are they actually flying though or do they come to us in dreams with messages? I don’t know but I’d like to. But back to the book itself.

I’ll give you a sample of the information that you get for both a Major Arcana and a Minor Arcana card. There are some illustrations in the book but there are no thumbnails of the cards. While the information is the same for both the Major and Minor Arcana, the Major Arcana is allocated a full page in the book layout.

I’ll start with 3. The Empress.

3 THE EMPRESS

Keywords: nurturing, comfort, creative abundance, self-expression, fertility

The sensual Empress is fertile with creative abundance. A goddess of motherly magic and vibrant health, she lovingly amplifies healing for all those around her. She radiates beauty inside and out and appreciates the simple pleasures in life. 

Message: Take care of your health and surround yourself with all that brings you joy and comfort.

Reversed keywords: insecurity, self-doubt, self-neglect, coldness, stagnancy

SIX OF PENTACLES

Keywords: balance, generosity, support, gratitude, giving and receiving

She's accumulated an abundant harvest and is in a position to share the most delicious food she's ever tasted. She's grateful for all she ahs and happy to provide when the opportunity arises. 

Message: Whether it's from or for you, help is available.

Reversed keywords: greed, abuse of power, gifts with strings attached, fake charity, gullibility

Three spreads are included in the book:

1. Magicmakers Solo-card Spread
2. Magicmakers Dreamwork Spread (4 cards)
3. Trusting Inner Wisdom Spread (3 cards)

I modified the Dreamwork Spread but I still didn’t overly connect with it. However, I didn’t mind the Trusting Inner Wisdom Spread.

Wrapping it all up

I love Paulina Fae’s watercolour and ink art style. While busy I don’t find it overwhelming. The colour palette helps with that. All in all the Magicmakers Tarot is an enjoyable deck to work with. It draws you into a lusciously abundant world filled with enchanting beings each with insights that they readily share.

While their messages tend towards the positive, they don’t pretend that life is always easy. Instead, as Paulina writes, “Their wish is to help guide you in opening new doors to discover powers within yourself” and “to remind you that you, too, are a Magicmaker, shining a light of infinite potential for all beings.” Sometimes life isn’t a whole lot of fun but you do always have agency. What you choose to do is up to. This deck shows you the alternatives.

The Magicmakers Tarot led me down a path of wanting to explore the world the characters on the cards inhabit, (not just in this deck), and how that impacts them. Who are they in their world and who would I be if I found myself in their space rather than them in mine?

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Publishing details

Created by: Paulina Fae

Website: Paulina Fae

Pictured version: Published by US Games Systems Inc in 2025

ISBN 13: 978-1-64671-244-1

Packaging: Solid two part box