Mystic Mondays Tarot
To understand how to approach writing the post for the Mystic Mondays Tarot I asked the cards themselves because I just was not sure where to begin. Fortunately the cards were quick to jump to my rescue.
The first thing that stood out to me, which I have to admit surprised me, was how straight up and down-to-earth the deck is to work with. On my initial flick through all I saw was an abundance of colour and not much else. Laid out in a spread though, the colours and the bold artwork combined to guide my eyes towards whatever it is I need to see. There is little distraction, so I found it easy to recognise connections within the spread and to feel my way through what was there in front of me.
The Cards
The Mystic Mondays Tarot is a vibrant, contemporary, minimalist deck. I am no stranger to any of those approaches. In fact, I often work with colour when reading. But, all I noticed on my initial flip through was the lack of coherence. The colours pop and they are bright and cheery but I could not find a system within the deck. As you can see when you look at the Eight of Cups and the Four of Swords pictured below and the Ten of Wands and the Ten of Pentacles pictured above, suits are not ascribed a colour combination. Further, as you can see, some cards are pip-ish and others are scenic. Yet there is no pattern that I can see to discern how anything was chosen.
However, I need not have wasted time worrying about all of that. When actually using the cards in a reading, the messages flow so smoothly and so quickly that I had to wonder what my initial resistance was about.
What I quickly discovered was that my subconscious knew exactly what was going on. Patterns emerged within readings and somehow everything made perfect sense. The cards spoke to me in ways that I understood without trying. In a way I cannot articulate, it all comes together as if the cards were designed for me personally. The symbolic connections between the cards form combinations that speak directly to the question I am asking. I never read cards in a spread in isolation because it is the combining of cards that brings the story to life, but this feels different. The cards feel intimately connected. Their messages are so intertwined.
Take the Eight of Cups and the Four of Swords pictured above as an example. On the Eight of Cups she is sitting in the blackness rather than focusing on the circle in the distance. Is it a sunset, a moon? I cannot decide. I am drawn to the shape itself. On the Four of Swords she is taking the time to see the darkness and to bring what she wants into clearer focus. It is no longer out there. In quietening her mind it appears that she has the tools to move forward.
I cannot help but notice the way the colours flow from black to blue in both images either. I did not intentionally put these cards together to write about them. It is just what came to the fore when I looked at them side by side and it is a message that I recognise I needed to see.
As you will notice from the Pentacle Court pictured above, the colour scheme varies here too. It is clear that the creator did not force herself to conform to any arbitrary rules about how things “should” be. This deck has such a feeling of pure freedom: freedom to express; freedom to explore; and most importantly, the freedom to be however you need to be.
As such, the Page is renamed the Princess yet the Knight retains his standard title. I like the way they appear to be engaging with each other. It is noticeable that is not the case with the King and the Queen. He is focused on whatever he is wanting to move towards. She is focused on what she has and what is right in front of her. I get old-style James Bond vibes off him. Apart from showing my age, I am not sure what that is all about though.
He was the card that came out in answer to “Please describe yourself” in my deck interview so there is probably a lot more there for me to delve into. I am having a bit of a chuckle at some of the ideas that are popping into my head and some of my reactions to those thoughts. Some of the earlier thoughts I had about the deck are making more and more sense now. Through thoughts, feelings and physical reactions, the information just keeps unfolding.
The only other name change in the Mystic Mondays Tarot is that XII The Hanged Man has been renamed XII The Hanged Woman. This is in line with the deck overall. Whilst the deck is not described anywhere as essentially feminine, all the scenic cards, apart from the Kings, the Knights and The Emperor, feature women. Of note is that the Strength card does not feature a woman at all. In a deck that is predominantly female her absence is powerful and I like what it suggests.
I see a strong connection between XII The Hanged Woman pictured below and the Princess of Pentacles pictured earlier. That in part is most probably because there is a strong message in that for me. Nevertheless, the colours and the shapes align and I see many interpretations are possible when considering them along side each other. As I said before, the cards feel like they are in direct conversation with each other and it makes the messages as powerful and as bold as the colour palette. For some reason, as I glanced again at the Princess of Pentacles, Abby from NCIS popped into my mind. There may be something about the profile that took me there, I am not sure. Nevertheless, I understand what my intuition is trying to tell me.
Even though, or most likely because, the only facial feature are the mouths, we are free to let our minds wander and wonder without distraction. The Sun and Moon Tarot uses the same technique, sans the mouth, to great effect also.
Whether the artwork is symbolic or scenic the cards are all easy to read when you just let the messages come. Take the Two of Swords and the Seven of Swords pictured above. I find the Two of Swords says so much. It suggests to me the tendency to turn away from making a decision rather than sitting with the discomfort and owning up to what you know, deep down, you truly want to do. That does not make the decision any easier. But, for me, this card invites us to sit in the space in between and focus on looking at why we want what we want and letting those thoughts, ideas and feelings guide our decision.
The Seven of Swords appeared in my deck interview in answer to, “How can you help me?” Mystic Mondays Tarot‘s response was, ‘I will help you to see what you keep hidden, what to put down, what to ground and what to keep away from.’ I heard it so clearly in my head and I can see it so readily in the card.
As you can see by V The Hierophant and XIX The Sun presented alongside each other above, the Major Arcana also varies in approach. Some cards are scenic; others are not. Nevertheless they all have their message to share.
However, photographing the Mystic Mondays Tarot reminded me why I love matt card stock so much. Though I hasten to add that I know matt card stock would not have suited this deck. It is a bright and shiny deck, but it is oh so bright, and shiny, and reflective. The cards are a standard 7 x 12 cm which makes them easy to hold. Albeit, they are slippery and thick. I find them fine to overhand shuffle still and I can riffle and bridge them, but at this stage my deck is still a bit stiff. I feel it will loosen up quite well though.
The cards have holographic edging and this feature appears in various guises on the solid two-part box as well. I like it and in regards to the cards I have not had a problem with mine. Others have said that the edging stuck their cards together and that it flaked off and scratched the front of their glossy cards. That has not been the case for me. Maybe they were commenting about the Kickstarter Edition. Mine is the mass market version and it seems to be holding up okay.
The Guidebook
The Mystic Mondays Tarot comes with a card-sized, 159-paged, full-colour guidebook and just like the deck there is no fluff. It gets straight to the point. There is a brief, four sentence introduction that moves straight on to a contents page and then moves straight into the card meanings. Those four sentences are enough to tap you into the deck’s philosophy though.
Grace Duong writes, ‘Mystic Mondays Tarot is your intuition tool for spiritual guidance, designed with intentional good vibes and a love of colour.’ Strangely, I find it the perfect deck to deliver harsh truths. Actually, maybe that is not so strange. As she goes on to point out, ‘Energy is made of vibrations and each colour vibrates at its own frequency. This colourful deck is full of positive vibes that allow you to access answers for your highest good.’ The bright colours are like wrapping your dog’s or cat’s medication in some fresh chicken to make it more palatable and therefore easier to swallow.
There is no darkness, no scary images but there is no hiding from the message you need either. When I asked the deck what type of readings it is best suited to for me I drew the 5 of Swords and I heard, ‘I’m best for readings that deliver the more direct and harsher truths. I am a straight shooter but you have to be prepared to listen.’ And believe me when I say, it does not miss. It delivers with sniper-like precision. No random spray of bullets here.
While the introduction-ish is brief, and there is absolutely no padding, no suit information, no spreads, no anything additional, the book is not short on card meaning information. For each card there is a small full-colour image in the left hand corner with the card name on the right. She has included the planetary or astrological associations for the Major Arcana in this section too. Then there are three keywords/key phrases followed by a more detailed explanation of what the card is suggesting.
For example, the information provided for VII The Chariot pictured above is as follows:
VII The Chariot – Cancer – Victory, Willpower, Inner Drive
Vroom! You’ve got your hands on the steering wheel and you are ready to go! You are laser-focused on your goals, and your willpower is driving you straight towards your destination. The road may have a few bumps along the way but – with your determination, confidence and inner drive – you’ll get through it safe and sound. The challenges you bump up against on your journey will ultimately make you stronger. Maintain your focus and you will reach you destination with roaring success! Enjoy each stop along the path while it lasts because it’ll make the end goal feel so much more worth it. Remember to run your own race and to ignore the haters. We all have different talents to offer and if you keep focused on yours you will win the race with style and finesse. Keep your eye on the prize.
Grace Duong
I love the way the interpretations are presented. It feels like someone is talking to you rather than at you. It is a sound and easy to navigate explanation that helps to make this deck beginner friendly. The book is not all happy, happy, glitter and rainbows though. As I have said already, this deck delivers some pretty direct messages. The book dedicates a second page to card reversals.
Continuing with VII The Chariot the reversals page reads:
Directionless, Off-course, Roaming
Time to get in the driver’s seat! Life is running you over with too much drama that you can barely keep up with. You may be feeling like you have lost control over certain aspects of your life. Take the steering wheel and chart a new course on the map. Make a decision on where the destination is, and don’t get discouraged when you hit some road blocks along the way. Make a move and gain back control! Watch your road rage, as you will regret it later. Evaluate where to best channel your energy to make lasting changes. Give yourself a sense of direction by choosing to live a life with purpose. Forcing outcomes can be disappointing and will not ultimately satisfy your needs. Practice the act of allowing and things will naturally unfold.
Grace Duong
I like that the meanings do not suggest things are happening to you. Like she says above, you are in the driver’s seat. It is up to you to put in the work.
Spreads
No spreads are included in the book. I would have liked to have seen at least one. It is easy enough to find them online but I believe having a few suggestions on hand for those new to tarot is helpful and probably necessary.
That aside, the Mystic Mondays Tarot is a well-rounded deck that really delivers on its promise to help you find the answers you need to hear for your highest good. It pairs beautifully with Grace Duong’s Cosmic Creatures oracle deck, (I will put up a review for that soon). If you have been looking for a deck that helps you get out of your head, or understand what is going on in your head without complicating things further, then this deck could well serve that purpose.
I have had this deck for a while and yet working with it to write this post has made me wonder why I have not worked with it a whole lot more. My guess is that I was not ready. Now I am. This is my ‘suck-it-up-and-face-the-truth-deck’. Grace describes it as a good vibes deck, which it really is, but those good vibes are delivered with a Knight of Swords sensibility.
Publishing Details for Mystic Mondays Tarot
Deck Creator:
Grace Duong
Pictured Version:
Published by Chronicle Books in 2018
Website:
