Superlunaris Tarot
Okay, so let the gushing begin. This is an amazing deck that I connected with instantly. The artwork is incredible and you can feel the love and intention that went in to creating the Superlunaris Tarot. When I asked the cards to introduce themselves to me, their answer in part was, “I want to ground you in a sense of joy and personal freedom … I want to help you express yourself as who you are, just as I am an expression of my creators.” And oh how it succeeds. I reached out to the creators, Jess and Jacob and Jess’s response was so warm and full of joy and passion for tarot that I totally understand why the deck feels the way it does.
The Deck
Firstly let me say I had trouble picking the main image but settled on XX Judgement because it is featured on the tuck box. I hesitated though because with a name like Superlunaris Tarot people may believe this is artistically a celestially focused deck. However, this is an incredibly grounded and grounding deck that exemplifies that in connecting with ourselves, our world, and each other, we can bring the Divine into our everyday lived reality.
The box describes the deck as, ‘A luminous and expressive reworking of the Rider-Waite-Smith system with an energy and life force of its own,’ and that is definitely accurate. Some cards such as VIII of Pentacles and Page of Cups pictured below are very RWS but the richness of the scenes take them to a whole new level. I pulled out my copy of The Original Rider Waite Tarot Deck last night and I was reminded of why I have four different versions of the RWS, (also Radiant, Borderless and Radiant Wise Spirit), but I read them so differently to this deck.
Oh my gosh I’m finding myself painful but I just keep gushing over these cards. I added in the images above and I’m overwhelmed by how exquisite they are. They’re dimensional and they’re just so real to me. They aren’t just people on cards.
Even though it follows the same system, The Superlunaris Tarot draws me in and gives me a completely different perspective. It’s hard to put into words. I feel them. Rather than the people on the cards giving me a message, the people are the message. I am there with them, connected to them, experiencing things alongside them. I hope this makes sense.
For the cards that are very RWS-like most have subtle shifts, many that I find have a profound impact on how I interpret the message. For example on the VI of Swords pictured below, the boat is coming towards me. I feel she’s saying, “Just like me, you’ll make it. If you move away from what is causing you strife and you focus on what you want you’ll be all right.” She is guided by her willingness and her intention to change her situation.
I read so much from this card. I’m also drawn to the shadows that are beneath the boat. She’s not escaping by ignoring what has happened. It is part of her but a part of her she has gained an understanding of. She’s ready to transition to a new phase, new experience, new way of being, and she’s inspirational. She’s not relying on someone else to get her to safety. Swords are mental cards. She knows she needs to get her way of thinking and seeing in order and that she’s the only one that can do that.
Then there’s XVIII The Moon pictured above. The familiar elements are there – the water, the wolf although I’m not sure if that’s wolves or wolf and dog, the pillars, the crayfish, and obviously the moon itself. But, there’s no obvious path. I think that’s a masterstroke. So much fear and uncertainty comes from the unknown, from not knowing the next step. But, that’s when we need to quieten and go within, listen, and trust ourselves. I look at the shape beneath the water and I want to explore what lies beneath. Plus the water looks inviting. It’s a landscape I feel drawn to explore.
There are so many examples I can draw from that show original ideas incorporated into familiar imagery. Each encourage additional interpretations that intertwine perfectly with the more typical associations. Take XIX The Sun and XII The Suspended One which are both pictured below. By the way, XII The Suspended One is the only renaming in the deck.
I will try and be brief here. On XIX The Sun, the joy of simple pleasures and the peace finding joy in those things jumps out at me. As does the joy experienced when we live true to ourselves. This is what the child, the dog and the lavender signify to me.
The sunflower is also a powerful symbol within this card for me. Sunflowers buds are heliotropic which means that during the day they turn to track the sun. At night they reorient to face east ready for the new day’s sunrise. Once mature, the flowers stay facing east to enjoy being greeted by the sun rise. This serves as a reminder that sometimes we need to embrace the shadow before returning our focus to the light.
Locating XII The Suspended One in the kitchen spoke to me on many levels that for brevity I won’t go into here. But I will say that I will take a different attitude when I stop the work I love to head into the kitchen to cook dinner tonight. The addition of the garlic speaks to me as well.
Other cards in the Superlunaris Tarot are highly original in the way they are depicted. Yet, they don’t lose the core message people are familiar with. For me II The High Priestess pictured below lies somewhere in between. However, the II of Cups, also pictured below – wow.
For the most part, because my practice focuses on transformation, I read the II of Cups as connecting to your Higher Self, embracing self love and considering how, and whether, you truly present your inner self to the world, this rendition touched me instantly. It was the card that drew me to buy the deck and so you can imagine my delight when an enlarged photo of the card complete with a personalised message was included with my order. I should say here this is an indie deck only available through their website, their Etsy store, or selected retailers that you’ll find listed on the website.
The last ones I’ll talk about briefly are XV The Devil and XIII Death. You’ll find them both pictured below. On The Devil, the inclusion of the “iceberg” with most of its bulk hidden beneath the surface struck me immediately. This was closely followed by the idea that “the devil” isn’t really pulling the strings because the sheet prevents them from connecting directly to the person. Rather it is an illusion. We may convince ourselves that things are out of our control though because after all it’s a much easier idea to cope with after all.
And I see the figure beneath the sheet as a ballet dancer balancing on pointe. This isn’t a sustainable position. It’s a performance that whilst it may look graceful, elegant and effortless to others, it is not. This is a powerful card.
I think the Superlunaris Tarot‘s version of the Death card is wonderful because it shows the potential contained within the cards message. The burning away of the old, which may leave a trail of destruction, is what allows new growth to occur. Some plants, such as eucalypts and banksias, have seeds that are sealed with resin. Without fire to melt this resin, their seeds would not be able to sprout. Plus the fire clears away the existing trees and plants that would hinder their growth. Others shrubs have seeds that can lay dormant for decades until they are triggered by the chemical signals produced by smoke and charred plants. So often nature, which sometimes we forget we are a part of, shows us the way. This card is a great reminder. My daughter found so many animal faces within the card that I hadn’t initially noticed too.
Speaking of faces, my husband and I often notice faces in trees and rocks. Psychologists have named this tendency face pareidolia and they say it is linked to how we recognise social cues. Maybe there’s something in that or maybe it’s something so much more. Either way, it definitely inspires a deep sense of connection and shows that the Earth is a living entity.
For me rocks have an incredible life force. They always have. They energise me, they calm me, they remind me of the triviality of many dramas because in comparison my life is so fleeting, and so much more. I’m not just referring to the crystals I surround myself with here. I’m talking about simply sitting on a rock at the beach or in the bush to retreat and reconnect.
Anyhow, sorry, off on a bit of a tangent here but the reason I mention it is because the faces in the rocks on some of the cards in the Superlunaris Tarot stood out to me instantly. XVII The Star and III The Empress pictured below provide two such examples. There are several others. I’m not sure if this is intentional and I should have asked but nevertheless they are there to me and they increase my sense of connection with this deck.
Furthermore, as I flicked through the Superlunaris Tarot when it first arrived I was struck by the fact that the diversity incorporated into the deck didn’t feel tokenistic. It felt genuine. When I emailed the creators, Jess independently mentioned, ‘we had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with some amazing people all around the world during the creation process of this deck, who so graciously shared their wisdom with us and helped us ensure that the representation in the artwork was done so respectfully and with honor.’ And, believe me it shows.
I’ll wrap up this section with a quick overview of the cards themselves. They are 7 x 12 cm printed on 350g matte linen cardstock. Even though they are on the thicker side, they are an absolute dream to shuffle straight out of the tuck box this version comes packaged in. If you order one of the other versions, they come in a card-sized box with flip lid and a magnetic closure.
The suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles with Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings making up the Court. The only name change, as mentioned previously is The Hanged Man is now The Suspended One. The Aces are not labelled at all, whereas the cards 2 through 10 have a Roman numeral at the top to identify them. The suits are obvious so this is not an issue. The court cards are labelled in full at the bottom of the card. Major Arcana cards have their Roman numeral at the top and their full name printed at the bottom.
If I was to pick at anything with the Superlunaris Tarot it’s that I prefer it when only the Major Arcana cards are numbered using Roman numerals. Oh, and I’d prefer the other box. However, the Superlunaris Spark is considerably cheaper than the other versions and none of the compromise exists in the quality of the cards themselves. For me the linen cardstock creates a canvas-like look that is perfect for this deck and makes them oh so easy to photograph.
The Superlunaris Tarot Book
Okay, so there isn’t one. The deck comes with a foldout leaflet that provides keywords for the cards. According to the website there is a companion book on the way. That’s not to say this deck doesn’t come with a wealth of resources. The website contains a lot of material.
For starters, there’s educational content. Here you’ll find information about the Court cards, Tarot numerology, Tarot tips, Tarot cards of the Zodiac, Minor Arcana Astrological Assignments, and stories for each of the suits. Much of this material is downloadable. They also share spreads they’ve created. Some examples include: Mercury retrograde spread; Full Wolf Moon; 90s Hip Hop Self-love Tarot Spread, a New Deck Interview Spread; there’s several linked to the Moon cycles and a whole heap more. The website provides a plethora of information and feels like a labour of love also.
As you may have guessed, the Superlunaris Tarot is an absolute dream to read with. I never buy decks just because they are new or popular. Instead I choose to only buy decks I am drawn to in some way. Yes sometimes that way is pure curiosity but I believe something deeper drives those choices as well. Anyhow, as a result most of my write-ups are favourable.
However, I know I’ve never said this about another deck. I have many decks I love and connect with but in the case of the Superlunaris Tarot, I would love it if anyone and everyone drawn to tarot had the pleasure of working with this deck. It really has impacted me that strongly. Even though I contacted the creators to find out more about the deck, I am in no way affiliated with them, nor have they requested this review. This is purely and simply how I feel about these cards.
Publishing Details
Deck Creators:
Jess Schuler and Jacob Schaffer
Pictured Version:
Superlunaris Spark Linen edition independently published.
Website:
