Voyager Tarot

Introduction

Before purchasing The Voyager Tarot I had only ever worked with oracle cards. The Moon Oracle was my introduction to divinatory decks. Now I realise that neither of these are typical first decks but twenty-five years ago I didn’t. I had no idea what I was doing. So, when one day during a conversation with one of my massage clients she told me about an amazing reading she’d had using the Voyager Tarot I was curious.

In those days she, and her husband, were the only people I opened up to about my “other” life, so, with no other idea about where to start, the Voyager Tarot became my first foray into tarot. To be honest, when I pulled it out to write this post, after what has been years, I wondered how I wasn’t totally overwhelmed by it as a tarot newbie. There is so much in each of the cards.

As I have settled back in with it, we have reconnected and once again I am reminded about how special this deck is. I have been reintroduced to familiar faces and rediscovered places I had forgotten about, and it feels good. That being said, this deck doesn’t transport you into a different world. It very much plants you in your own.

The Voyager Tarot Cards

Just after the physical details? No worries. Click here to by-pass my musings.

The Voyager Tarot is subtitled “Intuition Cards for the 21st Century” so you can already guess at its philosophy. James Wanless wanted to create a deck that aligned “with the mainstream flow toward holistic living.” He believes that since the imagery is so open to interpretation the Voyager Tarot is a truly universal deck because it taps into modern consciousness and awareness.

He writes,

The Voyager spacecraft showed us the physical universe – Voyager Tarot reveals your inner universe through pictures of the external world that become symbolic mirrors of your own consciousness.

James Wanless

This is a proactive deck. In creating the Voyager Tarot Wanless sought to encourage people to shape their own future rather than sitting back and wondering about what might happen. As such his aim was to create an empowering medium rather than a “fortune-telling” one. In the ‘Introduction’ he confirms this when he writes, “Voyager Tarot reasserts the primary function of tarot as a personal growth path.”

I love working with cards and reading for people. However, I have found it difficult over the years to find a way to express that I too see the tarot as a way-shower and a why-shower, not a predictor. I love helping people see how powerful and capable they are, not how powerful the cards are. The cards are a tool, a means to connect with ourselves and our inner knowing, and a means to see the things we may have missed either intentionally or otherwise. Put simply, they are an extension of us.

Wanless embraces this idea throughout the Voyager Tarot. For example, in the Voyager Tarot the traditional court cards have been replaced with what Wanless describes as the Human Family. He believes that, in this way, the court cards reflect “the universal inner family within every culture and within each of us individually.” So, instead of Page, Knight, Queen and King there is Child, Man, Woman and Sage. Once I got my head around Man as Knight rather than King they became so much more relatable than the aforementioned nominations. Many of the court cards in this deck rank up amongst my favourites because there is so much I can read into them and from them.

Take the Woman of Crystals, generally known as the Queen of Swords, pictured above. She is amazing. What I wouldn’t give for my thoughts to be that crystal clear and protected from negative outside influences. That is what she says to me. Switch off the thoughts of others and focus on your own intentions. Get crystal clear on that and then you know what you are seeking outside counsel on. Other minds are great for helping us achieve what we want but if we haven’t clarified what that is they can create confusion.

The Woman of Crystals clears her mind of any drama that’s going on around her in order to focus. I like that she is grey and not black or white too. It may take a lot to sway her but she is not completely rigid. The more I look at her now the more I feel I need to sit her in front of me at my desk.

Then there’s the Man of Worlds, more usually the Knight of Pentacles. Although he appears more active than usual, he is still very stable. The Colosseum suggests as much. The Colosseum website states that, “From the date of its completion in 80 AD, when it was still known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it is one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven years old, making it one of the oldest and best preserved human-made structures in the world” so it’s presence suggests some longevity to his actions. Next, I picture the man at the forefront of the card as a marathon runner. My son is in training for another Ironman event which incorporates a full marathon so I recognise the planning, dedication and effort that goes into that sport.

However, if neither of those things resonate, amongst many, many other things, there’s a bee collecting pollen. Now that totally speaks to effort. I just read that, “A honey bee worker only makes an average of 1/12 of a teaspoon in her lifetime,” and that “A pound [of] honey is made by 2 million flower visits.” Out of all the images that one speaks to me about committing to what needs to be done. There’s also Saturn which for me translates to Saturnian discipline, and the foot print on the Moon. The latter brings to mind the saying, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” except here I see it as being prepared to take all the small steps necessary to achieve a goal. As you can see, these cards are packed with meaning and with something for everyone to relate to.

In all the write ups I have done, I don’t think I have ever begun with the Court cards. I usually ease my way into them but with the Voyager Tarot they read so clearly. I love that they don’t feel separate from the rest of the suit. They are part of the lived experience represented in the Minor cards and they can help us find a way through situations.

In many decks, the 10 of Swords, here the Ten of Crystals pictured above, speaks, amongst other things, about rock bottom, victimhood, and betrayal. Here, I see this card offers a way to deal with these situations. No-one needs to be told they are in that type of place. If they do they are probably not there. What this cards shows is a way out.

The book speaks of delusions – mistaking glass for diamonds – but then it adds to go and find out if there is merit in your thinking. What I see is water after spending time in the desert and more importantly, I am reminded of the Queen of Swords pictured earlier. Take control of your mind. Stop letting it drag you down and instead focus on what is possible and what is important to you and the life you want to create. This card, for me, is like a reset button. It is about realigning your thinking and focusing on what you want rather than the things that drag you down.

The Three of Crystals has been given a complete makeover. There is nothing of the idea of loss and heartbreak on this card. It is about creativity and suggests turning the crystals around to gain new perspectives. Again, if you want to layer existing tarot knowledge onto the card, it presents as a way forward rather than a confirmation of what anyone in that state already knows they are going through. I thought about whether that was a glossing over of things but I don’t feel that it is. When we are in Ten of Swords or Three of Swords situations we know that. We may not recognise our martyred or victim-based thinking but the card addresses that by getting us to focus on what we want rather than what is happening.

However, it is possible not to recognise when it is time to walk away from something and the Eight of Cups doesn’t shy away from sharing that message. I look at that card and I want to take the flowers out and put them in the compost pile. There is very little that is light in this card. The snowy scene looks clear and pure but even the waterfall is frozen. There is no movement, no growth. Everything feels stagnant and indeed ‘Stagnation’ is the title given to the card. When I trimmed my deck I removed the keyword titles that sat at the top of the Minor Arcana cards.

Many keywords are quite standard, but some I feel are quite different. For example Seven of Crystals, pictured above, is Dullness. Firstly, it points out that dullness of mind shows a lack of curiosity. But then it goes on to suggest that sometimes “dullness” is your mind’s safety valve and it is time to focus on practical solutions. The advice then swings to the more positive aspect typical of the 7 of Swords – “open up, look around, be curious.” I see solidity and structure and even for someone who pushes against constraints as much as I do, I can see the comfort they provide. Also, when I look at the rocks I see so many faces. To me this is a connection to the wisdom of the Ancients Ones and the need to trust the process. These rocks and crystals took time to form.

Another example is the Six of Cups. The keyword for this card is “Sorrow.” However, if you dispense with your pre-existing tarot knowledge and just look at the card it is easy to interpret. The vase being upturned even though the flowers are fresh speaks volumes. For me, so do the elephants. They have been turned on their heads along with the meanings that they impart – memory, vitality, removal of obstructions and so on. Even though I naturally tap into my tarot knowledge, I don’t find the changes a hindrance because I always prioritise the card imagery in my initial interpretation. Besides, if you prefer to read based on keyword associations, as long as you don’t trim the deck as I have, you’re still covered.

The Major Arcana maintains the typical meanings but, as the cards above suggest, many of the names have been changed.

As you can see, Justice (Balance) is VIII, therefore Strength is XI. I prefer them the other way around but I am not overly fussed either way. I read them how they present. However, trimming the deck has removed the Roman numerals all together so it doesn’t matter anyway. Just like the Minors, the Majors are open to interpretation and I find they read really well.

When I look at Fortune the element that stands out to me is the roller coaster. I am not a huge fan but I do understand how exhilarating they can be. But for me what they represent here is that what goes up, must come down. Struggles get easier and good fortunes change. Recognising and being comfortable with that is truly a fortunate way to live.

I have to admit I am not a fan of the bullfighter imagery though. I glance and look away. Even though I went to write on it my eyes took me elsewhere. I noticed the shell amongst the jewels in the lower left hand corner and focused on that instead. That placement suggests that we each have different perceptions of what makes life rich. Maybe that was a message to me about the bullfighting. I probably shouldn’t be so quick to judge but I’m still not keen.

The Major Arcana of the Voyager Tarot is represented by a range of world cultures and sculptural pieces. For example a Kuan Yin carving features on the Star card pictured below. This stands out to me because, when I do readings, I hold a rose quartz wand carved with Kuan-Yin that my husband gave me. I hold the wand as a reminder to always come from a place of love in a reading. Now I see a deeper, much more personal message, that has made me see certain situations in a very different way. Tarot speaks in so many ways and I am so grateful for that.

This is a deck I could keep talking about. Each time I look at the cards I see something new. However, since this is already a long post, I will stop here and move on to the book. I might do a deep dive into some of the cards down the track. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Google searches this deck has encouraged.

Voyager Tarot Guide Book

In the Foreword of the book James Wanless writes:

Tarot is now out of the closet of the occult and into the world as a respected vehicle for tapping human resources, while retaining its mystical interior world for spiritual investigation and insight.

James Wanless

And he has written a book that aligns with that belief. I found it an interesting book to read because he writes about tarot in a different way. This ensures he includes information that is not generally presented in tarot books. He includes much of the traditional stuff you’d expect to find, which is evident in the chapters listed below in the Book Overview section, but everything is written from his perspective. I loved his take on self-fulfilling prophecies and the way he speaks about DNA. He manages to simplify information without dumbing it down. In fact, overall I really enjoyed how he presents everything. He has managed to sprinkle so much information throughout the book without it feeling like you’re reading a history or science text. It’s straight-forward yet thought-provoking and well worth a read.

Conclusion

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• Voyager Tarot is a culturally and physically diverse deck.
• It offers a wide range of possible interpretations.
• It comes with a well-written and informative book.
• It’s great for intuitive readers.
• The book includes a range of spreads and suggestions for ways to work with the deck for business and in group settings.

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• Just like the hopes and fears position in many spreads, positives can also be negatives. The number of possible interpretations could make reading with this deck overwhelming.
• For those comfortable and familiar with the RWS system there is a learning curve. This could be seen as a positive as well.
• The size of the cards could be a negative for some. Even trimmed, they are large. However, if they were smaller it would be hard to make out the details.

Final Thoughts

Voyager Tarot has quite a masculine feel. This is a deck for doing, more so that reflection, yet it is still a valuable tool for introspection. My response to the bullfighter suggests how and why. I probably wouldn’t recommend it for beginners but it was my first tarot deck so I probably shouldn’t be so quick to say that. What I do know for sure though is that if you’re looking for a great deck to use with corporate clients this deck is a winner. James Wanless offers many suggestions on how it can be used in this way in the book.

To wrap up, I’ll leave the final word to James Wanless as he captures the essence of the deck so well:

Voyager tarot is modern and universal, and thus reflects our present world of choices, possibilities and diversity, without sacrificing the power of tarot’s magic and mystery.

James Wanless

Overview of the Voyager Tarot Cards

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Card back

Size	Originally approx. 9.5 x 14cm Trimmed approx. 8.5 x 12.5cm
Card Stock	Good, semi-gloss cardstock that holds its shape well
Shuffle	Bit of a handful due to its size and the thicker card stock.
Fan & Flip Through	A bit “clumpy”
Suits	Worlds (Pentacles), Cups, Crystals (Swords), Wands
Tarot Court	Child (Page), Man (Knight), Woman (Queen), Sage (King)
Major Arcana Name Changes	0 Fool / 0 Fool-Child II High Priestess / II Priestess VIII Justice / VIII Balance X Wheel of Fortune / X Fortune XIV Temperance / XIV Art XV The Devil / XV Devil’s Play XX Judgement / XX Time-Space XXI The World / XXI Universe
Strength/Justice	Strength XI and Justice (Balance) VIII
Miscellaneous	Collage art

Overview of the Voyager Tarot Book

Pages	119 pages
Appearance	Perfect bound, 12cm x 18.5cm, black and white with thumbnail size card images
Contents	Foreword; 1. Introduction (The Evolution of Tarot, Voyager: A Revolutionary Tarot, Uses and Benefits of Voyager Tarot) 2. The Universal Self (DNA: The Symbol of Your Universality, Your Archetypal Self, Your Whole Self) 3. Personality Archetypes (Major Arcana Card Interpretations) 4. Personality Attributes and Inner Family (Minor Arcana Cards, Family Cards, Minor Arcana Card Interpretations) 5. Piloting the Voyager (How to Use the Cards, Reading for Others, Numerous Spreads, Voyager Tarot’s Creators
Spreads	15 Spreads including Question & Answer Reading; Life Card Reading; Year Card Reading; The Whole Self Mandala; Decision-making Reading as well as spreads for Group Readings such as Who Am I?

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Publishing Information for Voyager Tarot

Deck Creators:

James Wanless (Author) and Ken Knutson (Artist)

Publisher:

Pictured version is the 2nd Edition published in 1998 by Fair Winds Press

Websites:

James Wanless

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