Midnight Magic

Midnight Magic has a lot to say. Yet I never expected to write that when I first became aware of this deck. My initial reaction was, “How on earth would I read with that?” As it turns out, very, very easily. I mean wow! I have a monumental crush on this deck. It’s grounded, it’s cheeky, it’s enchanting, and as corny as it sounds, it nourishes my soul. Yes, I’ll say it again, I’ve fallen hard. I don’t think I’ll ever look at mushrooms in the same way again.

Pairing mushroom names and properties with tarot is the sort of seemingly random connection that turns out to feel so natural and logical once it’s done that I love. Up until now, in the decks that I own at least, mushrooms were more used as props for characters to sit on or shelter beneath. They never had the starring role. Now, in Midnight Magic: A Tarot Deck of Mushrooms they do.

The Midnight Magic Deck

If you’ve read my deck review process post you’ll know I jot down quick, generally single line, notes on elements or thoughts that stand out on my first flip through. For Midnight Magic it ran to two full pages and it only stopped there because I reined myself in. My notes included words like virile and ejaculatory which I can assure you I have never written about cards before. But, this deck makes me chuckle. It taps me into a teenage school boy sense of humour I didn’t realise I had.

Then, as I was about to flick from Queen of Cups to the King of Cups I thought, “Can’t wait to meet him.” My next thought was, “What???? I’m excited to meet a mushroom???” But yes, yes I was. I wrote those exact words in my notes. Fortunately, he didn’t disappoint. I have to admit that I am re-reading The Hidden Life of Trees but this time through a more romanticised lens, so I guess in a way I was primed for this deck. I am in awe of the plant kingdom and the fungal network that connects them. Midnight Magic is the bond that connects me.

About the cards

Midnight Magic is an RWS-based deck and it adheres to the standard nominations – Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles with Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings making up the court. Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The cards are 7 x 12cm and are printed on matte cardstock that, straight out of the box, is a little stiff. It comes packaged in a solid two part box with an insert to cradle the cards to allow for the slightly larger than card-sized book. The card backs aren’t truly reversible but the resemblance is close enough to not be too noticeable – says the person who doesn’t shuffle for reversals. I’d be curious if this bothers people who do read with reversals so I’d love for people to let me know so I can take it into account with future reviews.

There is so much attention to detail with this deck. I’ll start with the borders. Wands have red and yellow flowers crowning the top corners. Cups have blue, Swords have purple and Pentacles have golden flowers. The Major Arcana has none. Straight away that differentiates the suits.

So looking just at the border, or absence of one, and the Roman numeral at the top of the card tells you what the card is. But it doesn’t matter if you’re not overly comfortable with Roman numerals because beneath the common name and the scientific name of the featured mushroom, is the card title. It is printed in clear uppercase letters. Even though there is lot of writing on each card, it doesn’t detract from the artwork at all. The scientific name is printed in a small italic font which can be hard to read though and unfortunately these are not listed in the book. I need my glasses on to read some of them.

Everything aspect was well thought out. Nothing is random.

Wands

For example, for the Wands suit, she has chosen “mushrooms and fungi influenced by heat or directly affected by fire as well as the colours or luminescence synonymous with burning embers such as reds and oranges.” These colourings are not rigidly enforced though. Also, salamanders appear on the Court cards.

Swords

The mushrooms used for Swords require air for survival. They either rely on the wind to spread their spores or to carry their scent to attract the insects that will. The use of the wind highlights that this is an active suit. Birds and dragonflies feature on many of the cards.

Cups

For the Cups suit, the mushrooms are linked to water in some way. They may release egg sacs when touched by a drop of water as in the Fluted Bird’s Nest Fungus on the Ace of Cups. Or they may live partially submerged like the Water Club Mushroom pictured above on the Nine of Cups. Another link is suggested on the Eight of Cups. The Shaggy Ink Cap liquifies itself (deliquesces) after releasing spores or, as I discovered, after being picked. I’m a book lover but I really wonder how I survived before Google. Some of the blue colourings of mushrooms on the Cups cards are stunning.

Pentacles

Pentacles have green, gold or sepia toned mushrooms that are either “hidden, buried or financially revered.” Several cards also feature gemstones and crystals.

Nevertheless, as much as I love this deck I don’t see it as a beginner’s deck. It definitely adds to my tarot knowledge and I find it easy to read intuitively but I believe that is in part because of my existing tarot knowledge. That being said, the guidebook makes it very user friendly and the card meanings are readily transferable to other decks.

Thoughts on some individual cards

Six of Pentacles & Seven of Cups

Cards such as those above indicate the RWS influence. This clone-like feel features in many cards without feeling overly contrived. Taken together, the Six of Pentacles and the Seven of Cups provide an interesting contrast. The Six of Pentacles is light in tone and energy. It is giving and open and the crystal gives it a magical and cosy feel whereas the Seven of Cups sitting next to it feels like a warning. What someone may be offering may seem wonderful but you need to look closely at your options. Black Trumpet mushrooms are edible but people that look for them say they can be hard to find. You need to put in the effort. Taken together these cards give me “if it seems to good to be true it probably is” vibes.

Three of Swords & Seven of Swords

I spoke earlier about the attention to detail in Midnight Magic. The Three of Swords provides a classic example. Look at the Bird of Paradise flower in the border. Rather than being bright as it is in each of the other Swords cards it is blackened suggesting that paradise is lost. Also, when I look at the common name of the mushroom chosen, False Morel, I feel it may be a message in itself at some stage because it really stood out to me. Unlike morels, this one is poisonous. Unfortunately it can be hard to tell the difference.

The Seven of Swords features another title that jumped off the card at me – Amethyst Deceiver. Mushrooms really do have some great names. This mushroom is edible but it can absorb arsenic. That knowledge can be construed in multiple ways – protection for one. Or it could be a link to the idea of keeping ideas to yourself or to the maxim to “do no harm.” Everything on the card has a story to tell.

Two of Wands & Queen of Cups

In my initial notes I wrote, “Got to get the “bleeding” tooth looked at before it becomes a big issue. Sooner or later a choice needs to be made.” Sara Richard’s writes, “Plan how you will see your goal through by constructing a concrete map that you can clearly and confidently follow.” When I combined that with my initial thoughts it highlights that part of any good plan is risk assessment and management.

I Googled to see actual images of many of these mushrooms because so many seemed just to beautiful. What I discovered is that, for the most part, they are faithful renderings. When I looked at the Nargan’s Bonnet mushroom on the Queen of Cups I saw a connection to the Universe which taps into the intuitive aspect of this Queen.

Page of Wands & XIII Death

XIII Death represents the cycle of the Destroying Angel mushroom which indicates that endings are a natural part of life. It also features a lady beetle and a tortoise. I know lady beetles symbolise luck, protection and positive changes so I can see the relevance here but initially the tortoise threw me a bit. My first reaction was slow progress but I didn’t put it together. Then it hit me. When we are experiencing the events XIII Death suggests it can take a while for us to recognise the good that comes from it.

On the Page of Wands I noticed the reappearance of the lady beetle and wondered if there was any connection to XIII Death. That definitely isn’t something I have thought before when looking at the Page of Wands. But, in this case, the choice to use Pink Burn Cups Mushrooms made me reconsider. Pink Burn Cup mushrooms grow in burnt soil and signal the possibility that desirable Burn Morels will follow. This does form an association with XIII Death. Plus, even though I don’t generally see the Page of Wands as following the 10 of Wands, (I see it as the start of the Court cycle), here it makes sense that after all the hard work and responsibilities suggested in the ten, a new spark of inspiration and possibilities is afoot.

The Midnight Magic Guidebook

The Midnight Magic Guidebook is magical. It took me into a world I hadn’t previously given the attention it deserves. While reading the Hidden Life of Trees I was focused on the trees more so than the mycelium they depend upon. From the opening ‘Introduction’ Sara Richard brings the mushroom realm to life. I have certain decks I consider to be teaching decks but I didn’t honestly expect that this was going to be one of them. How wrong I was.

This slightly larger than card sized, perfect bound, 138-paged, full-colour book is a treat. I love that in ‘How to use Your Midnight Magic Deck’ she suggests as part of connecting to your deck to say or think “I am ready to learn.” This is as good an intention as I have heard and I intend to add it to my pre-reading ritual. While it’s safe and non-threatening it’s also potent.

I also like her suggestion to, “Heed warnings but do not fear them; celebrate windfall cards but don’t rely on them.” This is sage advice and something I believe should be stressed more than it is. Some advice is a little too instructional for me though. For example, “Always pull cards from the top of the deck and place them face down in front of you.” I have been reading for over twenty-five years and I do neither of those things. Nor do I shuffle in the way she states. This doesn’t detract from the overall appeal of the book though. For the most part she champions trusting in your intuition.

Furthermore, I like the term magnifiers over the more usual clarifiers to refer to additional cards drawn for meaning. The difference in intention brings a more positive energy. It’s not seeking clarification. It’s exploring more deeply, or taking a closer look, rather than a remedy to any confusion.

Card meanings

To explain the cards she includes a paragraph that provides information on the mushroom chosen and how it relates to the tarot card she has connected it with. Then there’s an upright section that opens with a few keywords followed by an affirming paragraph. She presents the reversals section in the same manner.

This is a positive deck focused on helping users to navigate the various thoughts, events and emotions, both difficult and more harmonious, that are part of our everyday lived experience. To this end, in the opening of the Minor Arcana she writes, “Try to keep a positive outlook even if you receive a seemingly negative card. Think of it as just another piece of information; meet it and greet it with resolute confidence.”

An example from the book

VII The Chariot is a great example of the link between mushroom type and tarot. It reads:

Wrap up

I can see that this isn’t a deck for everyone, and as I’ve stated I didn’t think it was for me. But I think I’ve made it abundantly clear now that I am a fan of Midnight Magic. So much so that it is now on my Top 10 Mass Market Decks list. I have Shaney Evans to thank for that. I “met” Shaney through the website and discovered we have similar taste in tarot decks. When she told me how beautiful she found Midnight Magic I trusted her judgement and ordered it. I’m obviously so glad that I did.

Using this deck and learning about the mushrooms made me want to try some of the ones I’d been reading about. Do you know there’s a mushroom that smells like watermelon and tastes like cashews? I didn’t. However, there’s plenty of mushrooms in the deck that point out the potential hazards of going foraging without the requisite knowledge to do so safely. Plus, just in case this is dismissed, Sara Richard opens the guidebook with this disclaimer – “The consumption of wild mushrooms that have been misidentified may cause serious illness or even death.” This is further evidence that she has covered everything. This truly is a wonderful, wonderful deck.

Summaries

The Midnight Magic Cards

Artist	Sara Richard
Card Size	7 x 12cm
Card Stock	Fairly rigid, matte
Shuffle	Easy to overhand, stiff to riffle
Fan & Flip Through	A bit clumpy to fan and flip through
Suits	Cups, Pentacles, Swords, Wands
Court	Page, Knight, Queen, King
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII; Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Solid two part box

The Midnight Magic Guidebook

Written by	Sara Richard
Pages	138 pages
Appearance	Full-colour
Contents	– Introduction – Part 1: How to Use Your Midnight Magic Deck — About this Deck — How to Read Tarot Cards — Spreads – Part 2: The Cards — Major Arcana — Minor Arcana – Major Sources Cited – About the Author
Spreads	Single Card Three Card Spread Celtic Cross (10 cards) Six-Card Pentagram

Publishing Details

Created by:

Sara Richard

Pictured Version:

Published by Adams Media (an imprint of Simon and Schuster) in 2023.

Creator’s Website:

Sara Richard