Tarot Landscapes - MJS Tarot

Introduction

With a name like Tarot Landscapes it is no surprise that this is “a deck of tarot cards that are inspired by and dedicated to landscapes.” What is a surprise is how much I fell for this deck. I pre-ordered it on a whim because, to date, I have not been able to source an affordable copy of the Majestic Earth Tarot. However, since the first time I worked with Tarot Landscapes, I became a bit obsessed and I’ve found myself reaching for it constantly.

To put this into perspective, this deck arrived around the same time as Tarot of Echoes, a deck I had coveted since its inception. No, I am not trying to compare them in any way. They are obviously completely different. However, in their own way, they both speak a language I hadn’t heard before, yet instinctively understood. I did not expect that with this deck.

The Tarot Landscapes Deck

If you’ve spent much time wandering around my site you will know that the notion of place is very important to me. So, I don’t know why the draw to this deck was such a surprise. I wholeheartedly agree with Francesca Matteoni when she writes in the introduction, “It is in the landscape that we write our story.” This deck takes you to the places that those stories unfolded regardless of whether they are actually real or largely imagined. Either way they are relatable.

I see the 8 of Pentacles and cannot help but marvel at the dedication of bees. Through previous research I know that by flapping their wings 12,000 times per minute in order to visit 50 – 100 flowers a day, everyday, for their entire lifetime, 12 bees make a teaspoon of honey. That’s a lot of work. Depending on the question this card is open to so many interpretations. Each is as valid as the other and they flow so readily when you immerse yourself in the scene. That is the magic of this deck.

Furthermore, as XIX The Sun shows, this is a pretty, pretty deck, but that doesn’t mean it shies away from showcasing environments that aren’t so picture perfect. It shows us some landscapes that we might want to pretend don’t exist; but pretending something doesn’t exist and it not existing are two very different things. Unless we face what we don’t want to see, we cannot hope to improve the situation. If we don’t want to be standing in “dark” landscapes we should not be contributing to them in any way. Often times this can happen purely because we don’t want to look at the role we are playing in situations. This card works in two ways. It asks you to consider whether you’re the perpetrator or the victim? Both require action.

Discussions on some of the cards

Queen of Pentacles & Knight of Swords

For me, the court cards are a real strength of this deck. That probably isn’t the first comment you’d expect in a deck that doesn’t feature people, but these capture the nature of the Court so well. Plus, the Queen of Pentacles is one of my favourite cards. She gives me “Mumma bear” vibes. The beauty in this scenery evokes a real sense of warmth but I know I would not want to cross her, nor threaten her “babies,” (whatever they may be), in any way. She’s strong and powerful yet if you’ve ever lost a bit too much time to watching videos of female bears with their cubs you’d know how nurturing and patient they are. This is the perfect representation of Queen of Pentacles energy for me.

The Knight of Swords provides another example. This peregrine falcon is going straight after what he wants and he is going at it at great speed. You can feel the single minded focus of this Knight. He can’t be distracted from his target because it is all that he sees.

Ace of Swords & 8 of Wands

I love this depiction of the Ace of Swords. It suggests that what we see as the truth is literally only the tip of the iceberg. Such a simple image really encourages a depth of understanding that may not otherwise have been considered. How often do we think we know the truth about someone or something? And, how often is that actually the case? I like knowing that there is always something more to discover. It may be daunting but it’s also exciting and fascinating and it stops me from become closed off to possibilities. I don’t believe I have seen an Ace of Swords that captures this sense better. The Light Seers Tarot shares a similar sentiment but in a very different way.

This 8 of Wands is different to most. It is a nice break away from seeing eight rods flying through the air. Placed next to the Ace of Swords, as it is above, made me think more about fireworks. What’s involved in putting on a display, when they are used, and why they are used? I also remembered the time I went to the Powerhouse Museum and one of the hands on displays involved trying to create a firework. Mine failed to do anything. Sometimes you just don’t get the mix right.

Then I considered these things alongside the 8 of Wands meanings and it brought new ideas to light. After all, they go off with a bang and then they fizzle out. The presence of the chameleon adds another element. How quickly things can change and how readily we can be changed by an experience or try to adapt to an experience that in reality is only fleeting. There’s so much more to unpack in this version of the card.

3 of Swords & XXI The World

From my very first flick through, when I saw the 3 of Swords I thought it was heart breaking. This card shows both the loss and the difficulty in overcoming it. I probably have a tendency to intellectualise the 3 of Swords a bit too much because I look at it through the lens of the swords suit. But, seeing this card hit me to my core. It reminds me of a time when I saw first hand what happens when a person cannot see a way forward and it serves as a potent reminder that just because someone seems strong doesn’t mean that they’re okay.

Having seen the 3 of Swords, I found XXI The World quite raw as well. It spoke to me of endings and new beginnings and trying to hold on. In the initial notes I took on my first flick through, I wrote, “XXI linked to 3 of Swords??? What does it mean?” Now I know. When I read the book I saw that in part, for The World, it reads, “Make kinship part of your daily work and accept that the pain and joy of another is a part of you.”

10 of Pentacles & Queen of Wands

Overall, I find Tarot Landscapes easy to read but I struggled with the two cards pictured above. The 10 of Pentacles didn’t give off the usual energy to me at all and so I waffled around trying to make sense of it. The dog suggests loyalty. The rabbit fertility and expansion maybe, but for the most part I was trying to connect it to the meanings I knew without much luck. Then I read, “Never forget to look beyond the peace of your material and emotion possessions” and the walls and the indifference on the RWS version came into focus. Now I appreciate this version.

The Queen of Wands is a different story. Apparently the bundle in the tree roots is a sleeping fox. Even reading the full write up I’m still not seeing it. Maybe my head is just not in the right space to understand it or maybe I just don’t connect with this idea at all. The book states:

Among the roots in the subsoil, a fox is asleep and dreaming. Dreams sprout from the ground like mushrooms and plants, which, in turn, communicate to the landscape of the Queen of Wands, feeding and keeping it alive. In this suspended forest, even while asleep, the Queen of Wands has more power than anything that moves fast and aims for the lofty heights. Fox, witch, mother, sister – she fills the scene with warmth through her thick fur and fantasy. Trust your intuition when you arrive in her world. Believe.

Now even though I’m a bit obsessed with this deck, when I read that I was like, “WHAT????????” The other court cards feature prominent animals that readily depict an attitude that I can relate to the card. But for the Queen of Wands firstly to be sleeping and secondly to not be easily recognisable as who she is, that doesn’t align in any way for me. Maybe this image would work for me as the Page because I could see it as suggesting potential but even that’s a stretch. Below you can see the Page of Wands and not only do I think it’s beautiful, I think it’s perfect.

General information about the cards

The Tarot Landscapes suits are Pentacles, Wands, Swords and Cups. Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings make up the Court with each depicting an animal guide. There is intentionally no artistic distinction made between the Major and Minor Arcana but the labelling is clear. The Major Arcana follow standard RWS nominations with Strength as VIII and Justice XI.

However, I don’t see this as a beginner’s deck. I feel with a solid understanding of tarot it is easy to read and I love how it adds to traditional meanings. But I think that even when combined with the book meanings it could be a bit challenging for a first time tarot reader. As I always say though, if you love it, you’ll find a way to work with it.

The satin cardstock is thicker than most but I find it still shuffles okay. It’s not as stiff as I thought it would be albeit I’m looking forward to it loosening up a bit. The cards measure approximately 7.5 x 12.5 cm which is only slightly larger than standard. But it seems to be enough to help a little with the flex.

I like the simple card backs. I feel they compliment the deck well. And, as shown below they are reversible.

One last thing I want to comment on before I move on to the book is the packaging. It frustrates me because it’s open at the bottom. So, every time I pull it off the shelf everything starts to fall out. I’m so not a fan. Plus, I don’t feel it’s necessary to have a tuck box within another box when the outer box is only 9.5 x 14 x 6cm. But hey, I can live with it.

The Tarot Landscapes Manual

The Tarot Landscapes Manual is a 127-paged, full-colour guide book. Some parts I found really beneficial. Others, not so much. Francesca Matteoni is a poet which might be why I find some of the writing a tad abstract. It could also be that the sentiment didn’t translate well.

I’ll give you some examples. For XIV Temperance it reads, “They drink the Temperance water, where opposites constantly come together and reinvigorate each other, both necessary for the survival of the cosmos … Guard the water that quenches them like the most valuable of treasures.” This I found powerful.

Though in other instances I felt the Tarot landscapes book was trying to shoehorn an explanation. Take the 7 of Pentacles. I see the idea of waiting for the eggs to hatch, and I like the reference to the bench as a great place to sit and contemplate things while you wait. But, “Respect the weather, which holds all the answers” ???? I can extrapolate the idea of temperatures linked to when to breed and therefore knowing when to lay eggs for the best outcome but that is me trying to make meaning. Plus, it seems out of whack since the eggs have already been laid. I am well aware I may be missing something completely though.

However, part of what jumps out at me is the idea of putting all your eggs in one basket. Are you as exposed as these eggs seem to be? I have to say that since the weather things stands out to me I wouldn’t be surprised if it has some relevance in a reading one day though.

Overall I would say I got enough “aha” moments to counteract the occasional WTF moments. Just like the cards themselves, some of Francesca Matteoni’s writing awakened something within me. For The Fool she wrote, “Trust your soul like a puppy would as he accompanies you on your wanderings.” That idea just opened me up.

I have a 10 year old German Shepherd that for the most part is now fairly placid. But, go to the laundry and open the cupboard where his lead lives and he’s suddenly lost none of his agility. He becomes a super playful puppy ready for adventure. He doesn’t care where we are going. It might be a walk along the beach, a long stroll through the bush, or a fifteen minute walk around the block. Anything seems fine. Every time his eyes and his tail just say, “Let’s go!” even when the previous time was a trip to the vet for shots. I will never, ever look at The Fool the same way again.

Another thing I like about the book is her approach to tarot. In the Reading and Interpreting Tarot section she writes that when you look at the cards, “don’t ask yourself what they mean, but what you see.” That is great advice. I always ask myself something along those lines and then layer it over my knowledge of the cards. That way every deck becomes a unique reading experience. Plus, in this deck especially, “you are the missing element, the human visiting the landscape.” She asks you to consider “How do you feel? Does the space feel familiar?” These are fantastic questions.

Three spreads are included in the book also. There are two three-card layouts and an eight card spread called “The landscape of life.” I do every spread in every guide book and this one stood out to me. It’s a great spread.

Wrapping it all up

I do not know enough about art to comment about the actual art style apart from the fact that it’s a combination of traditional and digital methods. What I can say is that this deck shares a reverence for the landscapes and a desire for us to find ourselves and our place within them that is tangible. It is so well done. Tarot Landscapes is relatable, emotive, and honest and well worth adding to your collection. I didn’t expect to have such a visceral reaction to this deck when I bought it, but that is the best way for me to describe how it speaks to me.

Summaries

The Tarot Landscapes Cards

Artist	Yoshi Mari
Card Size	Approx. 7.5cm x 12.5 cm
Card Stock	Satin finish
Shuffle	Okay to shuffle in any manner
Fan & Flip Through	Easy to fan and flip through
Suits	Cups, Wands, Pentacles, Swords
Court	King, Queen, Knight, Page
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII & Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Outer sleeve that slides over the top leaving an opening at the bottom with an additional tuck box inside.

The Tarot Landscapes Guidebook

Written by	Francesca Matteoni
Pages	127 pages
Appearance	Full-colour, card-sized
Contents	Entering the Landscape Major Arcana Minor Arcana Reading and Interpreting the Tarot
Spreads	Current Situation – Advice – Future Solution (3 cards) Past – Present – Future (3 cards) The Landscape of Life (8 cards)