Tarot of the Hidden Realm
The only thing that saddens me with the Tarot of the Hidden Realm is that I cannot capture the beauty of these cards in photographs. The images are so much more earthy than the camera shows, more alive, more real, just more. When I first saw this deck I thought it was stunning but I wondered how I would work with it because I read by creating stories out of what I see. I needn’t have worried. Julia Jeffrey’s close up and personal paintings make this an incredibly intimate deck. It doesn’t offer the scenes that most decks do and yet as the inhabitants of the Hidden Realm share their thoughts, feelings and emotions with you, you feel as if you are being welcomed into their world.
The Tarot of the Hidden Realm Cards
This borderless deck measures approximately 12cm x 7cm making it nice and easy to handle. I have edged mine in a non-metallic gold-ish colour that tones with the card titles. For me this aligns with the silver-grey moon like resonance of the back of the cards and symbolises what these cards are about. They encourage you to go within but with the intention of bringing what you find to light for the benefit of all. That is definitely how I will be working with it for both myself and my clients.
One of the things I really love about the Tarot of the Hidden Realm is that when I flick through it I see familiar faces. For example, one of my friend’s daughters could have been the model for the 4 of swords. Every time I see that card I see her, but what that means within each reading changes. For those who wish to use the deck for divination that could be a real bonus. However, I see that this is a powerful deck for inner journeying; but that is just my personal opinion. You may see it very differently.
Regardless of how you use the deck I think the potential for the cards to remind you of certain people can definitely add further dimensions to a reading. When I see The Hierophant I am reminded of the Sensei that ran the local karate classes when my kids were young. I could go on and on about the associations this deck evokes but I’m sure you get the picture.
To align with the decks concept several of the Major Arcana cards have been renamed. The Chariot is Faery Stallion, The Wheel of Fortune is the Fortune Faery, The Devil has become The Shadowdance, The Tower is The Blasted Beech and Judgement has been renamed Life Renewed. The changes all feel totally appropriate as they are in keeping with the world these cards draw you into. The Strength card is VIII and Justice is XI.
Pages, Knights, Kings and Queens make up the court and the suits are still Pentacles, Swords, Cups and Wands. One interesting choice is that the Aces of each suit are represented by animals. This too feels right. They set the tone for what is to come. The only other card that doesn’t picture an image of the folk that inhabit the Hidden Realm is the 4 of Pentacles. There is no direct explanation as to why that is, but when it appears in a reading I have found it seems to make perfect sense.
The Tarot of the Hidden Realm Book
The guide book is a full sized 213 page book written by Barbara Moore. In her greeting she writes:
The cards are the doorways, the book is a guide. While you can travel without a map, sometimes it is helpful to consult one. And though it is true that you can learn a lot from a map, it is no substitute for experience.
In the case of the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, understanding the philosophy behind it is important. The book begins by explaining Julia Jeffrey’s and Barbara Moore’s interpretation of what the Hidden Realm is. Then it moves on to an exploration of the tarot itself before looking at the Tarot of the Hidden Realm and its place within tarot traditions and philosophy.
The suits elemental associations are highly valued in this deck. However, they don’t want you to consider just the typical way these are laid down in tarot manuals. The emphasis is on considering the many potentials and characteristics of each and how they really interact. So, whilst they agree that air can strengthen fire, the usual associative rule, a gentle breath can also extinguish a candle. This idea is an integral part of this deck as the seven pages dedicated to discussing it alludes. Numeric energies are also considered important yet only briefly discussed in this section. Knowing the philosophical bent of a deck can definitely impact how you read with it which makes a well written guidebook like this one invaluable.
I found it interesting that the book suggests you consider your personal philosophy around tarot and tarot readings. It is a great addition and one I haven’t seen in other guidebooks. That’s not to say it’s not there in others, just that I haven’t come across it.
Each card in the card meanings section is allocated a double page spread including a black and white image of the card. For both the Major and Minor Arcana a story of sorts is given but to be honest I didn’t overly connect with many of them. This is followed by a divinatory meaning which reads very much as if you were describing to someone what the card suggests rather than just offering a string of keyword type explanations. I like this approach even though many explanations differ to what I see when I look at the card. I still find them interesting.
Spreads
The book offers four spreads:
- Past, Present, Future (3 cards)
- What is hidden spread – version 1 (4 cards)
- What is hidden spread – version 2 (7 cards)
- All around advice spread (6 cards)
As I always do, I did each spread (except the Past, Present, Future) to see how I found them. I found they all had something to offer and I can see myself using each of them again.
Publishing Details
Deck Creator:
Julia Jeffrey with the book, Journey into the Hidden Realm, written by Barbara Moore.
Pictured Version:
Llewellyn Publications, First Edition, 5th printing
