The Tarot of Trees
The Tarot of Trees is promoted as an “80-card colourful and whimsical tarot deck that features classical tarot symbolism through the theme of trees.” And, that it is. But to me, it is best described as a hug deck. I find it calming. I have other decks I feel really connected to because I receive a flood of messages from them almost instantly, whereas this deck reminds me to sit back, relax, and take my time. Sometimes, probably more than I allow, this is just what I need. I doubt I’m the only one. Looking through these cards is the indoor equivalent of sitting on a rock in the bush and soaking up the sun as you listen to the birds and watch the breeze move the leaves on the trees. Well, that’s how it makes me feel.
The Tarot of Trees Deck
That being said The Tarot of Trees is also a very well thought out deck. Every detail serves a purpose on these bright uncomplicated water colour images. They are said to take a seasonal approach through the Minor Arcana but I don’t utilise that aspect. I am more drawn to the colours in general. I find the background colour choices differ to how I would expect to see them. I like this because it encourages me to expand my thinking. Once upon a time I would have found it jarring but now I see it as a benefit.
I appreciate that the suits are so obviously represented by their colours because at a glance I can easily identify if a preponderance of a single suit has presented in a spread. Pentacles have a purple/indigo background. The Swords suit ranges mainly through yellow, orange and red although many also incorporate purple. Seeing how they blend so beautifully together is inspiring me to crochet a granny square blanket with those colours. As I typed that I was going to erase it since it isn’t linked directly to the deck but then I realised it was. Every skill and every experience is transferable and every moment has the potential to show us something.
Swords get a bad wrap because they can depict challenging experiences but here I remembered that they can ultimately lead to something beautiful. Anyhow, to finish off the background colours, wands have a rich sky blue and cups have green backgrounds. I thought the elemental correspondences may have flowed through into the Major Arcana but that’s not the case. I don’t find that an issue though because I feel each card is readily open to interpretation.
To show what I mean I’ll it’s probably easiest to provide examples of what I mean. I’ll use the 7 of Cups, The King of Swords, the Queen of Pentacles and the 6 of Wands. Each of these cards is pictured below. I’ll start with the 7 of cups. Keywords such as having multiple options, potential confusion, fantasy, head in the clouds type thinking often accompany the 7 of Cups. What I appreciate in this representation is that whilst it is possible to draw these messages from the image, my first impression was that different trees are suited to different conditions. If you go to a nursery to buy a tree, you need to choose what’s right for your situation. Therefore for me this card offers a suggestion on how to ground that confusion. Basically, consider what you need and then choose what is appropriate for you.
In this example, if you’re not sure what tree is best for your situation you would naturally do some research or ask someone knowledgeable for advice. This can be applied in any instance when multiple options are causing confusion. Having multiple options is not the issue. Not knowing what to do with them is. It’s fine to have multiple ideas of what we would like initially. Why not dream big. Besides I don’t want to go to a nursery and find I only have one type of tree to choose from. Nevertheless, we do need to narrow our choices down. Then, ultimately any decision needs to be based on what best aligns with what we want and our own particular situation.
The King of Swords suggests holding firm to your truth, your ideas, your beliefs. There’s also the connotations linked to the tree appearing to be elevated on a pedestal. That means different things to me at different times. Here judgements and reactions play a role. Also, as an avid reader of Arthurian legends, seeing the sword in the stone adds another layer to the King of Swords that whilst relevant across all decks comes to the fore more clearly for me in this rendering. This is quite normal. After all, we all read tarot through the lens of our own experiences. That’s what makes it such a wonderful medium. It can speak to us in our own intuitive language.
Moving on the Queen of Pentacles. I really like the way this card is portrayed. The tree is protecting what is important to her. It’s not a showy tree on the surface but beneath the surface, she’s beautiful and those that are a part of her world are privy to that. She’s a capable, strong, independent and resourceful nurturer that will do whatever she deems necessary to provide for herself and those she cares about. True to her earthy energy, her methods are practical and effective.
Finally, I like how clearly the 6 of Wands represents a will that can’t be beaten. This tree turned challenges into victories. It’s a tree you’d stop and take notice of if you came across it on a bush walk because of its never-say-die, you-can-bend-me-but-you-won’t-defeat-me attitude. It has a really positive and inspiring energy. Although, even though the sun is free of the clouds, I had the thought that the cloud may move in front of the it at any moment. This serves as a reminder that this “too shall pass”. This applies to both the good and the bad.
As for the cards themselves, they are huge. Measuring 10 x 15cm, they’re bigger than most oracle decks which makes them a tad difficult to shuffle. Normally I’d trim the borders off a deck this size in an attempt to make them more manageable. However, when I looked at this deck with that idea in mind I realised that I love that it’s big and bold and a bit hard to handle. This is the first time I’ve felt this way but it makes sense to me since this is my hug deck. I couldn’t trim this deck because it tells me that it’s so important not to diminish ourselves in any way just so others find us easier to deal with. Be who you are in all your glory.
The Tarot of Trees also includes two additional cards – Regeneration and Roots. I’m sure the creator had an express purpose for including these cards but I can’t directly tell you what they are because my deck didn’t come with a book. Although, one is available to buy separately. I haven’t purchased the book but if you’re a complete beginner and drawn to this deck I believe it would be a good investment.
If the size of the cards is an issue, the 5th Edition is pocket-sized. As far as I’m aware the artwork is the same. Plus, both the large and the small versions can be purchased through Etsy as either book and cards sets or as just the cards but since I’m in Australia the postage was prohibitive for me. Therefore, I bought mine from a local retailer. They only offered the cards rather than the sets but I was grateful that I was able to access them without having to fork out around $50 in postage. They would have hovered in and out of my cart if that had been the case which would have been a real shame because I love everything about The Tarot of Trees. And whilst I believe it is a fairly easy deck to read, I do think you need to have at least a basic knowledge of tarot to fully appreciate and work with this deck.
Publishing Details
Deck Creator:
Dana O’Driscoll
Pictured Version:
This is the self-published 10th Anniversary, 4th Edition published in 2020
