The Unfolding Path Tarot
Introduction
You know that feeling you get when you find yourself completely immersed in a deck from the outset? That’s how I felt from my very first flip through of The Unfolding Path Tarot. I promise I will try not to gush too much as I share with you the reasons why. You may have to bear with me a little though.
The Unfolding Path Tarot Cards
The Unfolding Path Tarot celebrates a diverse range of modern characters. Athene Noctua represents various ages, nationalities, sexualities, abilities and body shapes in a way that doesn’t feel tokenistic. Instead you meet people you can bot connect with, and relate to, in some way.
I understand that some people don’t like modern decks. I heard one reader say that she liked her decks to transport her to otherworldly realms and I get that. However, if you’ve spent much time on my site you will know that I love a wide variety of tarot decks. They each have their own voice. I learn different things from them all and share a unique connection with each of them.
Without wanting to impose my personal beliefs, one of the things I love about contemporary decks, such as The Everyday Enchantment Tarot, and decks that depict our every day lived experiences such as The Cook’s Tarot is that they remind us of the magic that exists all around us. This deck falls very much into that category for me.
Also, The Unfolding Path Tarot shows that images don’t have to be dramatic to be powerful. For the most part this deck uses gentle imagery, yet it easily overcomes stereotypical and limited thinking. Look at the man on the Page of Cups. He reminds us that we are never too old to embrace our imagination, to express our excitement, and to explore new avenues for love. He’s eager and hopeful. It’s his energy that is uplifting. There is no sense that he is trying to chase youth. Rather, it feels like he never lost his enthusiasm for life. I think he’s wonderful and something we can all aspire too.
Further, when the 4 of Wands appeared in a personal reading I saw how much it represents. It is so important to own, and show, who we are and to not let societal expectations, pressures, or injustices define or limit us. In so doing we each become the catalyst for change. And, we move closer to creating a world where we embrace, encourage, and celebrate what we each have to offer.
Who would have thought such beautiful images could invoke so many soap box moments? But then again, what’s the saying, you catch more flies with honey?? At this rate, this deck could become one of my go to shadow work decks.
Now, if you’ve followed me for a while you have probably worked out that my family means everything to me. They seem to creep into everything. So, when I opened the box and the very first image I saw, 0 The Fool pictured above, reminded me of my granddaughter Willow, it warmed my heart. It was Willow’s curiosity, her kindness, her joy, her empathy, her determination and her self belief that bubbled out from the card and connected me intimately with the archetypal energy of The Fool. From that first moment, and forever more, this has become the Willow card for me.
Then as I kept going I found myself looking at her Mum, my daughter. Many young girls want to dance and my daughter was no different. Albeit, from the outset she wanted to study classical ballet. When I see this 8 of Pentacles I see her discipline, her dedication, and her absolute love for what she was doing, and I feel inspired. This card speaks to my core. I love the RWS deck but this 8 of Pentacles taps into an inner understanding that the person making the pentacles does not. One I understand intellectually, the other I connect with emotionally.
The idea of harvest and the rewards that are possible if you nurture your ideas came up in another reading. Sometimes we need that reminder to motivate us to keep going. When we’re starting out on a new venture, what we want to achieve can seem so far away. Seeing it besides this 10 of Wands adds further encouragement.
As we move along and we accumulate more and more responsibilities things can become overwhelming. This image, when it appears, is a clear indicator that we’re almost there. It’s also a reminder that maybe we could call out for some help. That is important to consider at any stage but here, when fatigue is kicking in, asking for some assistance to help you get your project over the line is always an option. We don’t have to do everything on our own. After all, if she was truly on her own she wouldn’t need to be lugging that many wands. Looking at the two cards side by side also just made me think that sometimes it is us that needs a little nurturing.
Looking back at the cards I photographed shows how inspirational I find this deck. When. as part of the deck interview, I asked, “What type of readings are you best suited to,” I drew the 5 of Pentacles. I didn’t expect this but it proved to be the perfect card. In answer I heard, “I am great for readings when you’re experiencing any feelings of lack. I can help you transition negative beliefs about your situation. Basically, I’m great for any reading that focuses on finding ways to turn around any sense of lack.” This idea has carried through to the images chosen without any conscious intention on my behalf.
I The Magician reminds us that we hold the ability to manifest what we want in our hands. It is up to us to realise and then embody this. Then, as the 7 of Wands suggests, we need to defend this belief from any doubt created by others. I love the strength, balance and poise this card encapsulates. Unlike many decks, where the person is using one wand to try and defend himself and his success, on this version she is holding two. To me that suggests that she is ready to step out of her comfort zone and rise above her competition if necessary. She doesn’t look defensive at all.
Here as well, in the 2 and 3 of Wands the energy feels much more active. On the 2 of Wands she’s even wearing active wear. Overall she feels more animated and excited than in other renderings. Then on the 3 of Wands, rather than sitting back and waiting for her ships to come in or sending things forth, she’s actively heading out to deliver her message or her goods. Or maybe she’s just heading out to explore what’s out there and what’s possible. She’s on a sail boat rather than a speed boat though which suggests a calmness and a willingness to go where the breeze takes her rather than trying to force anything.
Athene Noctua just expresses everything so well. The image choices are just the beginning. Then there’s the facial expressions. They are so clear and relatable. Just look at the 7 of Cups and XIX Sun above. On one hand the 7 of Cups gives me FOMO vibes; on the other there is real confusion on what to choose. What stands out to me is that she has chosen two cups and rather than look closely at them to at least eliminate one, she is considering a third or fourth or maybe more. It is clear to see that her approach isn’t going to help her come to a decision. But we’ve all been there. I went to a crystal fair recently and I was just like the lady on this card.
Fortunately, I ended up being like the guy on XIX Sun. He is just so joyful. There is no way you could get this card and not look forward to experiencing his energy. I had a flash of red-flag-to-a-bull come to mind but then I looked at the flowers in his hair and it just didn’t gel. Maybe in a reading that might come up but when I see him I see someone comfortable in his skin who is a joy to be around.
Maybe that’s the red flag. Some people may find that energy threatening but it is in no way a reason to rein it in. Maybe the girl on the 7 of Cups is looking to him. If these two cards appeared side-by-side in a reading I would suggest that when struggling to make a choice, choose whichever one you think would make you feel the way he does.
The technicalities
The Unfolding Path Tarot follows the RWS system. The suits are Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles with Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages making up the Court. Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. Apart from dropping “The” from the Major Arcana cards, ie XIX Sun rather than XIX The Sun, the only other slight name change is XII The Hanged Man has been renamed XII Hanged.
The card backs, pictured above, are reversible with colouring in keeping with the front of the cards. To differentiate the suits Athene Noctua has colour-coded the card backgrounds. Pentacles have various shades of brown; Wands range from orange through to red; Swords are indigo through to purple; and Cups are green. The Major Arcana backgrounds vary and I haven’t found a discernible pattern. For example, The Hermit, associated with Virgo and the Earth element, has a bluey grey background rather than brown, albeit she is wearing a brown cloak, and VII Chariot pictured further down has an indigo background rather than the green used on the water element Cups cards.
The Unfolding Path Tarot Guidebook
The cards come with a simple, perfect-bound, 113-paged, card-sized guidebook that provides enough information to get you started. In the “Introduction” Athene Noctua explains her experience, and the intention behind, creating The Unfolding Path Tarot. Next you’ll find two brief sections. One covers “Tarot Basics” and the other offers a couple of how-to pages under the heading “Using The Unfolding Path Tarot.” Several well laid out and easy to work with spreads follow.
Then. as is not surprising, she gives equal attention to both the Major and Minor Arcana card meanings. Several keywords are followed by a paragraph or two that expands on them. The final paragraph offers direct guidance. For example, XVIII Moon keywords are: “Dreams, imagination, fantasy, the unconscious, mystery, anxiety, uncertainty, illusion.”
The ensuing paragraph reads,
The line between reality and illusion begins to blur. Wherever you look, nothing is what it seems. Don't rush into important decisions, and take the time to evaluate if the anxiety you are feeling is well founded or if you are projecting you own subconscious fears on the present and future. The Moon represents the unconscious realm both the light where dreams and creativity are born, as well as the places where many of our shadows linger. Allowing these darker, more hidden aspects of ourselves to rise to the surface, where your light can begin to disperse them, will help distinguish between truth and false perceptions.
The take home message in the final paragraph is, “The light and shadow of your inner landscape holds the secrets of your true divinity.”
One minor change I would make to the guidebook is how the Minor Arcana are titled. They are only headed with a number. So, if you are just flicking through looking for a particular card, you need to find the relevant suit title page before you flick through to look for the number. Apart from that, for a LWB it offers all that you would expect.
Conclusion
I am so glad that The Unfolding Path Tarot has been picked up and published by Hay House. It makes it affordable and readily accessible for everyone. It’s such a wonderful, all-encompassing, flexible yet grounded deck that I am glad I pre-ordered, (something I don’t do very often). As an added bonus, it is also one of the most reasonably priced tarot decks I have purchased recently.
I hope I have kept my gushing to a minimum. There were so many other cards I was keen to talk about. But, since I love opening a new deck and finding what’s hidden inside, I never want to take that excitement away from anyone else. That being said, if you ever want to discuss anything about this deck, or any of the others I have written about, I am always keen.
Summaries
The Unfolding Path Tarot Cards
| Artist | Athene Noctua |
| Card Size | 7cm x 12cm |
| Card Stock | Thick, matte cardstock |
| Shuffle | Okay to shuffle in any manner straight out of the box but easiest to overhand or long edge riffle |
| Fan & Flip Through | Easy to fan, flip through, and generally handle |
| Suits | Pentacles, Swords, Cups, Wands |
| Court | Page, Knight, Queen, King |
| Strength / Justice | Strength VIII / Justice XI |
| Miscellaneous | Solid two-part box. Reversible backs. |
The Unfolding Path Tarot Guide Book
| Written by | Athene Noctua |
| Pages | 113 pages |
| Appearance | Perfect bound, card sized, no card images |
| Contents | Introduction Tarot Basics Using The Unfolding Path Tarot Card Spreads Major Arcana Minor Arcana Wands Cups Swords Pentacles About the Author Acknowledgements |
| Spreads | Single-card Spread Two-card Spread Three-card Spread (4 options) Path to Self-Love (4 cards) Where the Path Will Lead Today (4 cards) My Soul’s True Path (6 cards) |
Publishing Details
Deck Creator:
Athene Noctua
Pictured Version:
Published by Hay House in 2023
Websites/Socials:
