Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot
Introduction
The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot is a popular offering. My version is the 6th printing! It’s a highly symbolic deck, designed with magick in mind. Deck creator, Melanie Marquis, writes, “Through the act of casting a spell, the conscious mind is trained to believe what the subconscious already knows, and your behaviour and attitudes will adjust to help bring to reality your magickal intentions.” I don’t identify as a witch but I still believe this is applicable. However, if this isn’t your thing, that doesn’t matter. The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot works really well as a general reader. It has produced some very powerful readings and lately I’ve been using it as part of my morning warm up.
The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot Cards
Even though this deck follows the RWS system, she has switched the elements for Swords and Wands. The Aces pictured above clearly show their elemental associations. In Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot Swords are fire and Wands are air. This is because of the deck’s link to witchcraft. Melanie Marquis associates the double edged knife, known as an athame, with fire.
Though even if you see Wands as fire and Swords as air, as I do, I don’t believe it causes any confusion. In the guide book, wands represent movement, change, swiftness, flow and action. These I see as typical for Wands. Although, she does include thought, ideas and communication here which I normally associate with Swords and thus air. Swords are still associated with pain, sorrow, anxiety, fear, imbalance and limitations. However, when I look at the cards themselves I find I can interpret them in my usual way. Albeit I like considering how the energy changes when I swap the elements.
Take the Two of Wands and the Ten of Wands pictured above for example. They both give off an energy of needing to address your thinking. For the Two of Wands I see he needs to focus on what is right in front of him. That is where his answers lay. Then, rather than being hobbled by something from his past, he can see his restrictions for what they are and free himself from them. His energy feels too passive.
On the Ten of Wands, he has loaded himself up with more and more responsibilities, which he cannot successfully manage. Then rather than taking some time to consider his actions, he fumbles on blindly, not noticing the help that is at hand. Sometimes, possibly often, we need to slow down, look at our situation and decide what we need to persist with and whether there is an easier way to achieve what we believe needs to be done. Also, I can’t help but notice the feather in his cap. Does he see his burdens and struggles as a badge of honour? Do they shape his sense of self? Is he caught up in the “cult of busyness”?
In general, the Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot encourages me to think differently about my approach to things. Take the Two of Pentacles pictured above. Following on from the Ten of Wands previously, again there is the idea of juggling too many things. But here, I wonder why he has decided to make it even more difficult for himself. Why balance on one foot on a log when he could stand on a more solid surface? How often do we juggle things without having a solid understanding of why?
I’m also drawn to his hat. What magic can he perform. For me true magic lies in finding balance rather than in how many things we can juggle. I wonder what’s in the bag the dog is bringing him. My initial thought is that it’s his lunch. It’s time to take a seat, have a break and enjoy your surroundings. For me, because of the dog, there is an underlying message that suggests being loyal to your own needs and those that you care about too. But, will he stop to take care of his needs?
Then, in the Four of Pentacles, he might be thinking outside the square but he has trapped himself all the same. In standing over his wealth, he can’t go anywhere. What purpose does holding on serve? I like the questions this deck raises.
In many ways, the Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot feels like an advice deck. Yes, one of the reasons I use tarot is for the up front advice that friends can be too polite to deliver. But this feels different. It takes a multi-pronged approach. It asks questions, and it paints scenarios to encourage “aha” moments.
The Five of Wands and the Eight of Cups are perfect examples of the latter. On the Five of Wands we see four blindfolded men striking a bee hive. They may be after the same reward, the honey, but it is clear that their approach is ineffectual. However, in not wanting to miss out and in feeling the need to compete for the prize, they have each joined the “game”. One man stands back though. He can see what is going on. No-one else knows the role he is playing but, all the same, he will be there when the rewards are handed out. Plus he is less likely to be stung.
There is another clear interpretation here too. Be aware that someone may sweep in and take credit for all your hard work. You may be blindsided. Yet, the original message still stands because if they had removed their blindfolds, they would have been aware of what was happening. Plus, in competing in the way that they are, they are destroying their resource.
On the Eight of Cups the party is over. The food and drink are all gone. Is there any point in hanging around still? It doesn’t matter how great the party was, once it’s wrapped up, staying put isn’t going to bring the feelings, or the experience, back. In this deck, this is my “What are you waiting for” card. It is time to move on.
I had pulled way too many cards that I wanted to talk about but I think the examples I have already shown give you a sense of the Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot. The last thing I will say about interpreting the cards is that I love how the cards talk to each other. When I initially looked at the Two of Swords, three things came to mind. Firstly, this Two of Swords feels more powerful than most. Secondly, the yin/yang symbol is present again. The only two card in the deck not to feature it is the Two of Cups. This makes me wonder why but I won’t go into that. My final thought was, “Is the wolf a threat or does it have her back?”
When I saw the Four of Swords I decided it was the latter. She is protected. Therefore she doesn’t need to defend herself. Her choice shouldn’t be based on safety. It should focus on what moves her towards her vision and where she needs and wants to be. As the Four of Swords suggests, that’s at peace, surrounded by those who have her best interests at heart. For this reason, the only time I read cards in isolation is when I’m doing a one-card spread. And, I rarely do these.
Some details
Onto the cards themselves. As the Knights pictured above show, animals feature heavily in the Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot. Bulls and wolves pop up on many of the Swords cards, with dogs and squirrels appearing frequently on the Pentacles. Cups have fish and turtles and Wands have various birds. I find the choices interesting as some are not what I would expect, (as a Taurean I associate bulls with earth), and yet they make perfect sense. In the book, Melanie Marquis lists their symbolic meanings as:
- Bulls – Stubbornness, strength, virility, willpower
- Wolves – Instinct, intelligence, fear, force
- Dogs – Loyalty, protection, help, comfort
- Squirrels – Resourcefulness, preparation, energy, prudence
- Fish – Fertility, luck, joy, the subconscious
- Turtles – Patience, safety, longevity, creativity
- Birds – Swiftness, movement, clear vision, a higher perspective
As for the card stock, it is great to work with straight from the box. It fans beautifully and is a joy to shuffle in any fashion. Even though she gives meanings for reversals in the guide book, the card backs, pictured above, are not reversible. This may be an issue for some. Finally, apart from the elemental changes, the cards retain standard nominations with Strength 8 and Justice 11 and the Court as King, Queen, Knight and Page. You’ll find a full summary of all the card specifications in a table at the end of the post.
The Spellcaster’s Handbook
The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot comes with a comprehensive 242-paged, well laid out, full-colour book written by creator Melanie Marquis. The book is clear and accessible. I like her approach to the Contents page. She gives a brief summary of each chapter. For example,
ONE: Anatomy of a Tarot
Learn about the tarot’s basic structure and discover more about the correspondences chosen for this deck and how to use them.
FOUR: Using the Tarot of Magick
Discover how to use the tarot for a variety of magickal purposes, and try a couple of sample spells to help you get the hang of it.
I find this both piques your interest and helps you to find what you’re looking for.
The writing and information provided rewards your curiosity. In Chapter One you’ll find explanations for some of the symbols present in the deck. This is where I found the animal information I shared earlier. Here I learned that the triangle with a square seen on the 7 of Cups pictured below is the symbol for the spark of hope, magick, life and desire that lies at the centre or everything. I also read about the nine-fold goddess symbol that appears on the Nine of Wands below and the monad symbol which previously I had only known as the sun symbol.
In this chapter you’ll also find tarot-based numerological associations.
As pointed out earlier, in Chapter Four Melanie Marquis provides various spellcasting options each with suggested ways to use them. Included are ways to use:
- tarot talismans
- intentionally reversing cards to create a drastic change
- turning a card face down to end a situation
- tarot for intentional substitutions
- covering a card with another card to symbolise transplanting one energy or circumstance with another, (for example, covering 5 of Swords with 8 Strength to overcome insecurity)
- placing two cards face to face to combine energies
- using multiple cards to show a step-by-step progression
- moving cards away or towards yourself in order to banish or attract something.
She also includes sample spells for good luck and success, and protection, healing or banishing negativity.
The Major Arcana receives a little more attention than the Minor Arcana. Each entry opens with a larger than card-sized full colour image followed by a description that provides the card explanation on both a spiritual and a mundane level. Then, under the heading Divinatory meanings you’ll find a comprehensive selection of key phrases followed by a section that covers reversals. Finally, there is a section for Magickal Uses.
Taking 2 The High Priestess as an example, Melanie Marquis opens the description with “The High Priestess represents the spiritual side of humanity.” She goes on to later add, “While the Magician actively does, the Hight Priestess quietly knows, and within this knowledge lies her tremendous power and potential.” Comparing cards in this way is invaluable for beginners. There are many instances of this throughout the Major Arcana explanations.
Sticking with the High Priestess though, under the heading Magickal Uses she suggests, “Useful in spells to heighten magickal power, to increase ESP, for dream magick, for charms to reveal the hidden or to discover a lost object and for spells to bring inspiration. It can also represent a very wise and mystical magickal lover in romance spells, or to generally symbolise the ideal lover.”
The Minor Arcana is similar in layout but it does not have the Divinatory meaning section.
The book wraps up with a selection of spreads, a Next Steps on the Tarot Trail section and a Recommended Reading list. I love it when guide books include reading lists for two reasons. It shows the information that influenced the creator and it offers suggestions on where you can go to increase your tarot knowledge.
Conclusion
As the title suggests, the Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot adds a contemporary twist to the tarot yet it takes a very different approach to decks such as The Everyday Witch Tarot. It is not a dark deck in any way, but the colouring and some of Scott Murphy’s illustration choices ensure it doesn’t feel like the Green Witch Tarot either. Therefore, if you are drawn to this popular tarot deck theme, it is worth considering.
It is similar enough to be easily interpreted and yet original enough to make it interesting. Using this deck can shed new light on certain cards and it clearly shows how tarot can be used in different ways. Further in its favour is the fact that it is an ethnically diverse deck that comes with a comprehensive guidebook. Please be aware that this deck does feature nudity which may deem it inappropriate for some. Nevertheless, all in all, the Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot is a wonderful deck that delivers what it promises.
Summaries
The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot Cards
| Artist | Scott Murphy |
| Card Size | approx. 7cm x 12cm |
| Card Stock | flexible satin cardstock |
| Shuffle | Great to shuffle in any manner straight out of the box |
| Fan & Flip Through | Easy to fan, flip through, and generally handle |
| Suits | Pentacles, Swords, Cups, Wands |
| Court | Page, Knight, Queen, King |
| Strength / Justice | Strength 8/ Justice 11 |
| Miscellaneous | Magnetic closure box Non-reversible backs. |
The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot Guide Book
| Written by | Melanie Marquis |
| Pages | 242 pages |
| Appearance | Perfect bound, full colour card images |
| Contents | The Cup (a poem) Introduction One: Anatomy of a Tarot Two: Tarot Deck Care and Maintenance Three: How to Read the Cards Four: Using the Tarot for Magick Five: The Major Arcana Six: The Minor Arcana Seven: Easy Tarot Spreads Next Steps on the Tarot Trail Recommended Reading |
| Spreads | Past, Present and Future (3 cards) 16 suggestions for One-card Draws Celtic Cross (10 cards) Comparing and Contrasting Spread Four-card Spread for Problem Solving Lovers Spread (5 cards) Creating Your Own Tarot Spreads |
Publishing Details
Deck Creator:
Melanie Marquis and Scott Murphy (artist)
Pictured Version:
First Edition, 6th Printing, published by Llewellyn Worldwide in 2021
Websites/Socials:
