The Crystal Magic Tarot
Introduction
I bought The Crystal Magic Tarot purely because I liked the idea of a crystal-inspired tarot deck. My love of crystals pre-dates my love of tarot by ten years, so this deck was always going to make its way into my collection. Prior to this deck, I only had crystal-based oracle decks, (Crystal Medicine Oracle, The Crystal Ally Cards, Crystal Connections Message Cards, and The Crystal Spirits Oracle). This deck unites my two passions.
The Crystal Magic Tarot Cards
Philosophy/Background
The Crystal Magic Tarot was born from the individual passions of its creators, Kerry Ward – tarot, and Clare Gregory – crystals. They have combined their knowledge to create a tarot deck with a different inspiration than most. Together they wanted to create a deck to help people manifest their dreams by combining the power of crystals with the wisdom of tarot. I didn’t know that when I bought it.
Tarot
Kerry Ward, the tarot expert of the pair, writes, “I am the least magical tarot reader I know. I am not psychic, clairvoyant or hugely empathetic”. She adds, “I don’t think of tarot as magic. I think of it as a centuries-old repository of human wisdom and life experience encapsulated into universally understood visual stimuli. The cards help us project, clarify and story tell our intuition and self awareness about our life and choices.” I appreciate her honesty because she opens tarot up to everyone. Tarot is like reading a picture book. We can all do that and the more we practice the more readily the story comes to life and the more details we can divine.
Crystals
In reference to the crystal aspect of the deck, Clare Gregory writes that, “Crystals are powerful, yes, but it’s your energy that gives them power.” She explains that crystals vibrate at different frequencies, just like people. If that seems strange or a bit woo-woo, she adds that we use quartz crystals because they vibrate at such a precise frequency that we can use them to regulate the movement of clocks. Crystals are more than just some random, pretty stones.
But putting that aside, there are also centuries of “human thoughts, feelings and beliefs channelled” into them. That is powerful. If you think that is heading us back towards woo – woo land, consider what makes a piece of paper with some numbers printed on it so powerful. It is definitely not the money itself. Nevertheless, putting that aside too, or maybe more accurately, combining the two, my personal belief is that crystals can work wonders as positive triggers. So much so that, for that very purpose, following a reading, I give each of my clients a crystal to take home with them. I don’t know if Clare Gregory does that, but I do know that she too believes in the power of crystals to function as positive triggers. She refers to crystals as “Earth-made magic.” I like that.
Together, Clare and Kerry have created an empowering deck designed to help you:
Manifest your best life by drawing on the ultimate power duo:
The universal wisdom of tarot
+
the magical energy of crystals.
Physical Aspects of The Crystal Magic Tarot Cards
| Size | 7.5 cm x 12 cm |
| Card Stock | Glossy so quite reflective, and slightly thicker than average |
| Shuffle | Fine in any manner but stiffer than many to riffle and bridge straight out of the box. My preference with this deck – overhand and long edge riffle. |
| Fan and Flip Through | Fan beautifully and okay to flip through but because they are glossy and a bit thicker they can be a bit unwieldly. Done slowly it’s fine but whenever I pick up the pace I drop a few. |
| General Comments | Fairly standard tarot size, chipping noticeable on back edges of some cards, and finger marks show up quickly on the black of the card backs |
Structure of The Crystal Magic Tarot
The Crystal Magic Tarot follows the standard RWS structure albeit Pentacles are Coins.
Major Arcana
Standard nominations
Strength VIII and Justice XI
Minor Arcana
The Suits
Wands, Swords, Coins and Cups.
The Court
Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages.
The Crystal Magic Tarot Suits
Each suit has its own border style to indicate its elemental association. Coins have flowers linking them with earth. Swords have wings to represent air. Cups have fish to connect them with the water element and Wands have stars. I thought the stars was a strange choice for fire since stars are not on fire. But, as that is how the sun appears, and I like the appearance of the Wands border the best, then why not?
The borders are useful because the card colouring is based on the crystal chosen rather than the suit. Therefore the border provides some additional consistency to each suit. As with most decks, each suit is also represented by its own symbol which, with the exception of the Cups suit, remains consistent. With the Cups you’ll find wine glasses, (some that make up butterfly bodies), a coffee mug, goblets, bowls, lotus like flower things (6 of cups pictured above) and a pot. I like how the suit symbols are woven into the pictures as I find this can add to how I interpret the card.
Even though this deck combines animals, plants, symbols and people with a varied colour palette, the borders and the card labels pull the deck into a cohesive whole.
The Crystal Magic Tarot Court Cards
Examples
Page of Cups
The Page of Cups, pictured below, is one of my many favourite cards in The Crystal Magic Tarot. The message and energy feels so pure and innocent and gentle. When I look at her I think, ‘If you can’t see a star to wish upon, create your own.’ I have a fairly extensive crystal collection, gathered over 35 years but I am not familiar with Vera Cruz Amethyst. Having done some research on it though, it feels like a perfect match for the energy this card gives off.
Knight of Coins
The Knight of Coins, pictured below, gives off vampire vibes to me but that is most likely because he reminds me of some of the vampires in The Tarot of Vampyres deck. What I like about this card though is the tigers because for me they indicate the fire that drives this knight. Often people read this card as suggesting you need to get moving whereas for me it more often represents moving forward with single-minded focus, a well-thought out plan, and the necessary determination to keep going until you reach your goal. You’ll notice that even though animals are depicted in this deck, the knight is not riding a horse. None of them are, although, the Knight of Swords does include a couple of horse heads.
Queen of Wands
On the Queen of Wands, pictured below, the oft included black cat has been replaced with a lion. This alludes to her strength. Although, here it is clear that she is not trying to subdue the lion in anyway. She is perfectly comfortable with her power and expressing it whenever she feels the need.
King of Swords
Finally, as you can see from the King of Swords, pictured below, some cards feature no people or animals at all. They are purely symbolic. This king draws on past knowledge and experience when considering how to move forward. He is a leader who thinks his way through everything. This man is comfortable being known for his intellect and he radiates the power of someone confident in his truth. Appearances mean little to him. He is cleverly rendered in The Crystal Magic Tarot. I have just come back after doing a reading where he showed up and it became clear to me that in this deck, (and now maybe in others), he is my “channel” card.
The Crystal Magic Tarot Major Arcana
Of the 22 Major Arcana cards, only 8 feature people. For the rest, plants, animals and fairly typical objects, such as scales for Justice and a globe for The World, portray their message. Like the Minor Arcana suits, they too have a distinct border. As you can see, a lemniscate forms part of the top border edge and they have their own fancy corner design. I am not sure if it is meant to represent anything in particular. The cards feature numbers rather than Roman numerals. I have to admit I prefer the Roman numerals.
Examples
2 The High Priestess
Labradorite for The High Priestess, pictured below, is a perfect choice. I have several pieces of labradorite including a ring that garners many comments because of how radically it can change from a fairly non-descript grey to a brilliant blue hue. Before it catches the light, its secrets remain hidden. The idea of being guided by your intuition is also there. I wouldn’t say it is my favourite card visually but the meanings are there which ultimately is the main thing.
3 The Empress
Aloe for The Empress, pictured below, is an unusual choice but I like it. Well known for its healing properties, aloe opens up an aspect of The Empress I had never really considered. Her nurturing side is well known but this card makes me think of how healing this can be. Aloe accelerates the healing process. However, if you have ever used aloe straight from the plant to treat sunburn on your face you may have experienced one of two things – or maybe both. Aloe spikes are not pleasant when scraped along sunburn and straight aloe tastes incredibly bitter. Right there is the shadow side of The Empress. Add to that how easy it is to grow aloe from cuttings and how readily it reproduces and it shows just how clever a choice it is to represent The Empress.
19 The Sun
This is such a happy card. To me it literally represents wanting to bottle how good you’re feeling. When I looked at the card, the first thing that came to mind was, ‘this too shall pass’ which may seem strange. However, it was a reminder that when enduring difficult times I can call on and remember better times. Everything passes. It is also a reminder to enjoy the good while we are experiencing it. The use of citrine seems obvious. Associated with positivity and manifesting abundance it is a logical choice. Plus, I like that it is an accessible crystal. Together, the choices say to me that we can all experience happiness in our lives but it is a state, not a way of being. Just like the bad times it passes. Enjoy.
6 The Lovers
Finally, I found most aspects of The Lovers to be interesting choices. Whilst I do not typically read The Lovers card in a romantic way, I felt Tourmalinated Quartz was an unusual selection. I see it as a grounding and protective stone. Clare Gregory explains that she chose it because, for her, it represents the duality of The Lovers card. Quartz is energising whereas Tourmaline is grounding. I am interested to see how I interpret it when it appears in a reading. To date it hasn’t come up so I am not sure what will surface for me when it does. Maybe I’ll find I focus more on what I am taking to be swans, or the flower, or the heart that feature on the card as well instead.
The Crystal Magic Tarot Guide Book
| Pages | 136 Pages |
| Appearance | Full-colour images with colour coded sections, just under A5 size |
| Contents | Introduction; How do Crystals Work with Tarot?; Crystal Tarot Card Meanings – The Major Arcana; The Minor Arcana; Manifesting Crystals Spreads; The Tarot Crystal Spreads; Looking After Your Crystals; Use Crystal Tarot to Make Your Dreams a Reality; Quick Reference Correspondences for the Major Arcana |
| Spreads | To Attract Wealth (6 cards), To Clear the Air (5 cards), For a New Beginning (7 cards), To Find Your True Calling (5 cards), To Feel Loved (5 cards), How to Design Your Own Spread, To Mend a Broken Heart (5 cards) |
Overview
Example of Card Meaning Information
The Crystal Magic Tarot Book Review
This is an interesting and well put together book. It doesn’t shy away from the intention behind producing The Crystal Magic Tarot, yet, as you can see from the image above, the book also provides plenty of information for those wanting to use the deck as a divinatory tool. In fact, it is one of only a few decks I own that focuses in on timings. The Medicine Woman Tarot being the other that comes to mind.
I love the full-page images for the Major Arcana and that the only difference between the presentation of the Major and Minor Arcana is the size of the image. I also love the spreads. Unlike with most decks I didn’t do all the spreads because they are not all relevant to me. The one I did do was eye-opening and it made me appreciate the approach they have taken with this deck.
Instead of beginning a reading with a question,
start with an intention – what you want to happen.
Their approach to spreads and how well they describe the process is wonderful. The questions for each position are so well tailored to the intention you are trying to manifest. However, like all good books this book does not suggest that the authors hold all the answers and thus the only true knowledge on how to do things. This book, and indeed these cards, are here to assist you to “design the life you want to live.”
I feel I have gained a lot from this book. For example, in all my time reading cards I have never linked the planets with the days of the week. Now I am curious to do so. It’s funny. I am a Taurus which is linked to Venus who is linked to Fridays and I was born on a Friday. What I will do with this I am not sure, but I like exploring different ideas so time will tell.
Conclusion
+ves
There is much to love about The Crystal Magic Tarot. For starters, across the board this is an inclusive deck. People of different ages, appearances and nationalities are represented. Also I like that it is not a straight animal, plant or people deck. Rather it is a combination of the three, with some mythological/fantastical creatures included as well.
Another positive is the thought that has gone into the spreads. They walk you through the entire process and the card position questions are well thought out and very much on point for the area of manifestation. Plus I like the approach they have taken to the tarot. This is a manifestation deck but the book ensures that a complete beginner could pick up the deck and use it for divination or personal growth as well.
-ves
For me, as soon as I opened the box and saw the deck split into two piles I was disappointed. My deck has settled down somewhat, but it still divides into sections when held ready to overhand shuffle.
The other negative is an aesthetic one. Some cards could have benefitted from the “less is more” idea. Many of the cards feature leaf details that I find distracting. On others I like them because I feel they add to the card. For me leaves can represent growth and wisdom but some cards feel overly busy. See The Hierophant and The Hanged Man pictured earlier and Justice and The Moon pictured below to see what I mean. I understand this is a personal thing. When I look at Misha’s other artwork on her Visions in Blue Instagram page, I love the leaves but, I don’t miss them on the cards that don’t have them in this deck.
Final Thoughts
Some may consider this deck to be overly positive, or dismissive of emotions. And maybe it is. The book suggests the Three of Swords can be interpreted as gaslighting, lying, bullying, break-ups, conflict etc. It then urges you to take action by taking positive steps to stop it continuing. There is no in-between or suggestion to focus on healing. This is such an important step to take. But overall I would argue that The Crystal Magic Tarot is about taking control of your life, your situations and your experiences. In this it does not hold back.
Finally, I love the combination of crystals and tarot. The crystal choices are well thought out and do not appear tokenistic in any way. Nor does the diversity. If I could clear some of the busyness from the cards it would become a firm favourite. As it is, I can see myself working with it more as it provides really clear readings. Plus I am keen to use it for more manifestation work.
Publishing Information for
The Crystal Magic Tarot
Deck Creators:
Kerry Ward and Clare Gregory
Publisher:
Published in 2022 by Oh Editions
Websites/Socials:
Artist – Misha from Visions in Blue Instagram @ visionsin.blue
Clare Gregory – Bonearrow Website
Kerry Ward – @mytarotbella on Instagram
