The Star Tarot (2nd Ed.)

It seems like every time I go to write a review I am always gushing about the deck. That is probably because I have done my research before buying each new set of tarot cards. If anything I have been pleasantly surprised by a deck. The Star Tarot is a perfect example. Like most of my decks I had looked at it for a while before I purchased it. I was worried it would be a bit too bright for my tastes, but it isn’t. In fact, I would say a couple of the cards in this deck are amongst my favourite in my collection. And, if I was to try and include images of most of my favourite cards I would be photographing most of the deck. There are some I’m not a fan of but I’ll get to that later.

The Star Tarot Cards

Put simply, this is an innovative, artistic and symbolic deck that combines the Rider Waite Smith and the Thoth tarot to create a set of cards that emphasises humanities place in nature and the Universe. I must admit I’ve never been drawn to Thoth style decks and I do baulk at some of the cards that are obviously Thoth inspired but I’ll get to that soon.

Below are the High Priestess and The Empress. The book tells me there is a sparrow on the shoulder of The Empress. I can’t find it so I’m really hoping someone can point it out to me.

In the Major Arcana The Hanged Man has been renamed The Hanged One, Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The suits are wands, cups, swords and pentacles. The court consists of Princes and Princesses (swords and wands are princes, cups and pentacles are princesses), Knights, Queens and Kings. This is the first time I have come across this splitting within a court level but I think it works well.

One of my absolute favourite cards in the deck is 13 Death. It was hard to resist the urge to type that as XIII and I have to say I do prefer the majors numbered with Roman Numerals but that’s not how how Cathy McClelland has chosen to do it. Maybe that’s to give The Star Tarot a more contemporary feel. The Light Seers Tarot – a modern deck- is the same; whereas, The Wild Unknown, another contemporary deck isn’t. So it comes down to the creators personal preference I guess. I know which one I would choose. If anything I would number all my cards with Roman numerals because I find them easier to add, but I do like having some differentiation between the majors and the minors. But back to the cards themselves.

I love that the Death card clearly represents the potential for resurrection after a challenging change in circumstances. It shows that a situation that may be creating a dark void within can ultimately lead to a positive new feeling and way of being. The phoenix rises from the ashes, a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly but not until after spending time as a chrysalis.

I also like the Four of Swords. I like the message of retreat and introspection it depicts. It feels more soothing than the Rider Waite Smith version. It invites/encourages you to step out of the busyness of life so as to spend time with the Universe within in order to develop greater self awareness and wisdom. From there you can step out into the Ace of Swords energy of greater clarity.

I didn’t intentionally order these cards like this but when I glanced up I saw them as a way to move forward from an emotionally trying situation. The Ace of Swords has cut through the clouds, into the light armed with a new and expanded view of things. There are so many thoughts that come to mind as I look at this. I like to work with the numbers – the line is 18/9 which equates to The Star and The Hermit. How apt. However, this isn’t a post about readings. It’s about the deck so I will move on.

I wouldn’t say these are my favourite cards, but I really like the inclusions on the The Tower and the 4 of Wands as well.

I like the the dove on The Tower, which for me suggests peace after upheaval. And I like that it is positioned deep within the tower. There’s a need to clear away what doesn’t truly serve us, or to recognise that that’s what’s happening if the upheaval is being created by a circumstance that appears to be out of our control, in order to feel a true sense of peace and comfort in a new beginning.

The Four of Wands, a card of celebration, has a path added which serves as a reminder that we shouldn’t just stay where we are, resting on our laurels. It is wonderful to enjoy and celebrate accomplishments but the path advises we should not remain trapped within our comfort zones.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, there are some cards I’m not such a fan of. I am not drawn to the more Thoth-like pip cards although I am looking forward to working with them to see what insights they provide. It isn’t just because they aren’t as pretty though. I’m not a fan of the 2 of Cups because I find it too pretty. In a deck that feels as deep as this one does it looks Doreen Virtue-ish to me. That is not meant as a criticism of her decks – I have several – but it just doesn’t feel in keeping with The Star Tarot.

I could go on and on about these cards but I need get onto the book because it is one of the most comprehensive accompanying books I have come across. Before I do though, just a few final comments on the cards. They are larger than a typical tarot deck, measuring 7½cm x 13½cm so it’s a pretty big stretch to hand over hand shuffle them in the usual way. I’m lucky I have big hands. For those not used to shuffling at all, or for those with small hands, this deck is not very friendly. Nor does it fan easily. I know that for many that isn’t an issue as they work straight off the deck; however, I like to fan and then individually select cards so with these cards that process is a little more fiddly. But this deck is worth the slight inconvenience.

The The Star Tarot Book

I didn’t buy The Star Tarot with any preconceived purpose in mind but having looked through both it and the guidebook, my intention is to use it as a personal study deck. It would be a waste not to delve into the book.

The book begins with a foreword by Mary K Greer (author of many tarot books – 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card is one amongst them I can recommend), followed by a brief preface by the deck creator, Cathy McClelland. In her preface she shares that each card took up to three months to create, and it shows. The introductions are a nice way for the book to start before the information overload begins. I mean that in a good way, but gee there is a lot to take in.

Each Major Arcana card has a two page spread that includes a full colour picture of the card with the card title and a card descriptor. As an example, The Fool: the fearless journeyman; The Magician: Focused manifestation and communication. In the book she has titled 21 The World/Universe: the gateway to wisdom/Integration of the Self, but Universe does not appear on the actual card. There is also a page and a half of text introducing the card followed by a detailed description of the symbolism of each aspect shown. I really like this as it explains how she interprets each symbol. I am fascinated by semiotics so I love discovering and considering the different ways people see various symbols and expanding my knowledge along the way.

For the Minor Arcana, before you get to the cards themselves, she provides information on the Decanates and Lunar Cycles and Aspects associated with the minors along with the relevance and explanations of each. This is followed by a breakdown of the Suits which also includes their elemental and astrological associations. Then we get to the Minor Arcana cards themselves. As I keep saying this is a comprehensive guide book.

The Minors are grouped numerically rather than by suit, with each section opening with a full page introduction to the number as a whole including keywords. Each card is then presented in colour with Astrological, Elemental, Lunar Cycle, Seasonal information, and Keywords, followed by card meanings and an explanation of the symbolism within the card.

The Court cards have a section of their own. There is a breakdown of each Court cards energy followed by three, yes three, pages of information on each individual card. But wait, there’s more.

She has also provided a section that links numerology with the Major Arcana. This moves away from regular numerology in that she utilises the numbers 0-22 rather than the 1-9, 11 and 22 that most numerologists work with. I work a lot with numerology so I am interested to see how I find this. As I head more to focusing on tarot first and numbers second more and more I feel I will like this approach.

Spreads

This section begins with some helpful hints, which some may find beneficial, before offering three spreads.

• Yes/No spread
• Focus spread (which uses only the Major Arcana)
• Destiny spread (7 cards)

As always I tried all the spreads. I’m not really a fan of yes/no questions because I don’t read tarot in that way. But hey I got a positive outcome with my question so I’ll take it. I have recently decided where I want to focus my energies and I loved that the Focus Spread came up in the exact same order I would have consciously chosen. I may give this another try if I find myself taking on too many projects or trying to incorporate too many ideas again. The approach of the Destiny Spread was interesting but I don’t think I’m likely to use it in my day to day practice. Nevertheless, that’s not to say it isn’t a valuable addition to the book.

So, regardless of whether you’re looking for a deck that can introduce you to tarot, symbolism, astrology and numerology; a nature inspired deck; a study deck; or just to add a beautifully illustrated deck to your collection; this deck could definitely be for you. I am excited to dive in and see where it takes me.

Publishing Details

Deck Creator:

Cathy McClelland

Pictured Version:

The Star Tarot 2nd Edition published by Red Feather (An imprint of Schiffer Publishing) in 2020

Website:

wwwcathymcclelland.com