The Book of Shadows Tarot Volume 2 “So Below”
As the name suggests The Book of Shadows Tarot Volume 2 is one of two and no I don’t own volume one. That may seem strange but there is method in my madness. I have many decks that focus, as the first volume is said to, on the workings of the Universe, yet only a few that focus directly on everyday experiences. But, as the Little White Book suggests, that is where the magic is. Barbara Moore says:
Magic … is working with universal energies to create change in the world
and I agree. Personally, I would say that it is magical when we find ways to make changes in our world, whether they be large or small, that move us towards being comfortable with who we are, what we are doing, and where we are going. I feel The Book of Shadows Tarot Volume 2 has great potential to help with this.
The book says this volume focuses on how Wiccan spirituality can be practiced in every day life and I agree. But regardless of your beliefs, this deck is open and accessible to everyone. That for me is its true power. There is no need to be well versed in Earth-based magic or animal totems in order to get the most from these cards. This deck depicts everyday experiences, actions, and feelings.
The archetypes of the Major Arcana are relatable. Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional decks and their powerful imagery but I am confident that when I pull this deck out for clients, they will readily recognise the message the card is portraying. It is probably best to just show you some cards so you can see for yourself.
The only thing missing for me on The Hermit card is the bottle of water I always have with me when I retreat to the bath. When I look at the Strength card I see someone that is really comfortable with herself. She isn’t worried about what people say is or isn’t possible, is or isn’t normal, or even what they may or may not say about her. She’s just out there doing what she wants to do. She is radiating strength and confidence and freedom. I love both these cards.
The Book of Shadows Tarot Volume 2 Cards
The cards themselves are on the smaller end of the standard tarot size as they only measure 6 1/2 cm x 12 cm yet this doesn’t negatively impact the images. For some, this could be a blessing. Now, not that I would choose or reject a deck based on this, but I love it when I pick up my cards and they shuffle really well. This is the case with the Book of Shadows Vol. 2. The cards are very “slippy” (yes that’s a technical term 🙂 ) so, unlike The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck, they fan really easily.
I like the card back, which, for those that need it, is reversible. As you can see, the images are very softly coloured. Some may find, like my husband, that the cards are not vibrant enough but I have found the images have really drawn me in. I wouldn’t say it is a pretty deck, but it definitely gets its messages across and so I can see myself using it regularly. The minors each depict an elemental energy, which the person/people on the card maybe aware of, working with, or ignoring. Taking notice of how they are interacting with each other adds depth to the card meanings without lessening the everyday nature of the deck.
Take a look at this 6 of Swords. She is following the guidance to actively move herself from darkness towards the light. No-one is steering her as is typical in many Rider Waite Smith decks. Instead, she controls her thoughts and actions. This is a powerful message.
There are a few things I’m not so taken with though. The Tower card for one. I can see that she is on the phone and the colouring suggests she is angry. Somehow this call has led to the shattering of the cup which doesn’t feel like a tower moment for me. The Tower card suggests an event, a decision, a turning point that strips away anything that doesn’t serve you, isn’t true for you, or that doesn’t afford the protection you may have felt it did, which ultimately is just what you needed. Maybe I’ll feel differently when it comes up in a reading.
As I look at it again now, I see that she is bigger than the mess on the floor. In fact, she seems really powerful, and the broken cup and the phone call are things she is well able to handle and move on from. You can see that she can easily pick up the pieces after the upheaval and move on. The depiction is growing on me. It just goes to show that the more you look into a card the more it can show you.
Another thing that bothered me in the deck was the way the 4 of cups was described in the book. The definition is too generic. For me, it doesn’t match what the picture is showing. I’m an intuitive reader and so I don’t use the book meanings for readings but I love reading them when I get a new deck. I generally find them insightful and I never know what may surface as a result during a reading. But, no matter how I look at the 4 of chalices I don’t see “Dissatisfaction with reality.” Maybe that’s just me. What do you think?
The Queen of Chalices threw me at first too. The woman on the card has received a letter that appears to have upset her. A man sits beside her his hand on her knee and shoulder. My initial reaction was, ‘hang about, strange to show the negative aspect, to be emotionally overwhelmed, as the focus of the card’ but then I looked at the scene as a whole and saw the comfort being offered. He is very much there for her. Often readers, myself included, will say that kings and queens can represent either sex. This deck does that for us. The King of Wands is female, as are the Knight of Wands, the Knight of Swords, and the King of Swords. I like that aspect of the deck. It is the energy of the person rather than their sex the card is representing.
The suits are chalices, wands, swords and pentacles; the court consists of knaves, knights, queens and kings; and Strength is 8, Justice 11. There are some minor changes to the typical naming of the Major Arcana. The Hierophant has undergone a change in spelling and is now The Hyerophant, The Chariot has become simply Chariot, The Wheel of Fortune is The Wheel and The Star is The Stars in The Book of Shadows Tarot Volume 2. I’m not sure why the spelling change for The Hierophant and Google couldn’t shed any light on it for me either. I questioned whether I had unknowingly purchased a fake deck but I don’t believe that to be the case since all the flip throughs on You Tube show the same. So, for whatever reason the spelling is just different. Apart from The Wheel which is a common change that, too me, emphasises the cyclic nature of things, I’m not really sure what is to be gained by the other changes but I don’t find it to be a big issue as it definitely doesn’t create any confusion. The deck is very much a Rider Waite clone. Volume 1 is not. Since I like exploring different approaches I may well buy the kit that includes both volumes at some stage but for now I’m happy with the stand alone version I have.
The Book of Shadows Tarot Volume 2 Book
This is a typical Lo Scarabeo LWB. The book itself is 64 pages long but only 14 of those are in English. The other languages are Italian, Spanish, French and German. I would love the more comprehensive book but that is only available in the kit that contains both volumes. The books that explain why the author chose to include the images they did are by far my favourite. I find them the most insightful. This book is obviously not one of them. There is a brief introduction that managed to pack a lot of information into a small space. It explains the idea behind the deck, how it works in with its companion deck and its potential as a stand alone deck, before it dives into some advice on “performing a reading”. The advice is simple but effective.
To be honest, I received this deck after The Star Tarot which comes with a comprehensive book but I’m doing this review first because I’ve already dived into using this deck. I haven’t worked with The Star Tarot as yet because, whilst I’ve looked through the deck several times, I haven’t made much headway with the book as yet. Therefore, I would have to say that the small book can be an advantage. Given the choice though, I would always opt for a comprehensive book. Again maybe that’s just me.
This book offers both the ‘Divinatory meaning’ and a ‘Reversed’ meaning for each card; however, at most there’s a single sentence for each. It’s a start.
Spreads
Only one spread is offered in the book. Fortunately, it’s a good one.
- Almost All Purpose Spread (6 cards)
I did this spread and found it provided a wealth of information. It’s made its way into my tarot journal because I will definitely use it again – it really does live up to its name.
Publishing Details
Deck Creator:
Barbara Moore with artwork by Sabrina Ariganello and Alessia Pastorello
Pictured Version:
Lo Scarabeo 2013 stand alone tuck box version
Website:
http://www.loscarabeo.com
