Tarot of Mystical Moments
I first saw the Tarot of Mystical Moments on a Minnow Pond Tarot’s YouTube video and then it seemed to pop up on a few things I was looking at so I decided to take a closer look. I have over fifty tarot decks so even though I see a lot of cards that appeal to me, I am focused on only adding decks to my collection that are different to anything else I own. This one fits the bill. Catrin Welz-Stein collages together old paintings, photographs and illustrations to create a distinctly feminine deck, that although based on the Rider Waite Smith system, offers some interesting points of difference.
The Tarot of Mystical Moments Cards
If you have read many of my other reviews you would know that I often trim borders from my decks. This deck is borderless so for me that is a big plus. At approximately 13cm x 8cm the cards are larger than standard which I find easy enough to shuffle but be warned they are slippery little suckers. On the plus side, they fan really easily. I also like the silver gilded edges. I’m aware some people aren’t a fan of gilding but I like the way it reflects the light on these cards. For me it symbolises that each card can serve as a mirror.
This is an 83 card deck, although the creator suggests you remove the additional five cards before you do a reading. So what are the extra five cards? Initially, Catrin Welz-Stein had created a deck where the Kings and The Emperor were all female. However, in the end she decided to create a masculine version for each as well – hence the extra cards.
In the introduction she mentions that her initial inspiration was the Rider Waite Smith deck so I thought I would compare the number of men versus the number of women in each deck. Of the 78 cards of the RWS, 52 are male. In Tarot of Mystical Moments, of the 83 cards there are 12 men with three of those also having women in the picture. This is not a criticism in any way towards either deck. It’s merely an observation. Since I don’t usually focus on the sex of the person depicted on the cards, I personally don’t find it an issue in either case.
I have found the Tarot of Mystical Moments reads really well and it has a wonderful feel about it. What do I mean by that? It’s hard to put into words, but I would say that when I look at the images in the cards the collaged elements blend together smoothly creating a single scene (in comparison to the collage style of the Voyager Tarot) and yet I know that lots of parts have been put together to create the whole. This is representative of people, events, situations, and emotions. Multiple stories exist because nothing happens in isolation and nothing and no-one can ever be described in just one way.
Moving on to the cards themselves, I want to show some of the Kings. Personally I prefer the male version of the King of Wands, and the female version of the King of Swords. I’m neutral on the King of Cups and Pentacles.
There are so many things I like about these cards. I love that in XVI The Tower the woman is trying to cling to what is crumbling which to me is why we have such an issue with tower moments. I like the receptive nature of VII The Chariot. She is moving ahead still but she’s sensitive to what’s going on around her and within. It feels like she is progressing but there is a message to maintain the balance between the energies of I The Magician and II The High Priestess. That card sums up a reading I just did for myself and I think it is a great point to remember when going after our goals.
Additionally, I feel the 10 of Wands is a fantastic representation of burden on so many levels. Often, even though each individual chore/task/duty on its own is fine, when they start to add up, no matter how great they are, they can become a burden when considered together. Sometimes we have to leave some things behind. On the flip side, there is also a sense that the burden will be over soon – it is just a busy period, hang in there.
The only cards in the deck I really haven’t connected with are XIX The Sun and VI The Lovers. I find the image on XIX The Sun beautiful but it doesn’t jump out at me with the energy and joy I usually associate with the card.
The deck adheres to the Rider Waite Smith Major Arcana titles (Strength VIII and Justice XI) and suits (Wands, Cups, Pentacles and Swords).
The Tarot of Mystical Moments Book
The book is a sturdy booklet with a beautiful full colour cover which fits within the sturdy two-part box. For some reason I find The Magician looks even better on the cover than it does as a card. I’m not sure why. There are no card images in the book but each card is allocated a full page with each explaining what the card’s image entails and what the artist feels they represent, followed by keywords for both the upright and reversed meanings. The book includes explanations for the male and female versions of the Kings and IV The Emperors; however, the keywords remain the same. The cards feel different so I think more could have been done here because otherwise apart from picking which card you like artistically, what’s the point?
There is also a short “About Catrin Welz-Stein” section at the end. I always enjoy these brief insights into the deck creators lives.
Spreads
The book only offers one spread:
- Untitled (4 card spread)
It’s a basic “where are you,” “where do you want to be,” “what will help you,” “what will hinder you” spread but often that’s all you need. I found it unusual that it suggested how to draw the cards, the first one from the middle of the deck, but hey why not. They suggest adding an additional two cards (a handy cross promotion to the corresponding oracle deck is included although they do say the tarot can be used as well) if further clarification is needed.
Publishing details
Deck Creator:
Catrin Welz-Stein (artist) with Lynn Araujo (text)
Pictured Version:
US Games 2020
Website:
www.facebook.com/CWelzStein
