Wizards Tarot - MJS Tarot

The Wizards Tarot combines Barbara Moore’s tarot knowledge with bright and colourful imagery that depicts magic and “magic makers” in a practical, everyday sense. Moore makes the world of magic and its possibilities accessible to all. Furthermore, she urges people to see tarot as a skill to be developed over time rather than an overwhelming and arcane practice beyond the reach of many. And, she shows how tarot can be integrated into our day to day lives and suggests what we may gain if we do. That makes this a great deck for people just starting out with tarot.

The Wizards Tarot Deck

I have many of Barbara Moore’s tarot decks on my “Tarot Wishlist.” Some on the list appeal to me more, but for some reason I bought the Wizards Tarot on impulse. All I can say about that is I appreciate that I was guided to do so. I’m much happier with it than I expected. It reads well and while it is RWS inspired several cards have subtle, and not so subtle, differences that I like.

For example, 0 The Fool and XI Justice, pictured above, and XVIII The Moon and VI The Lovers pictured below. 0 The Fool is not casually walking along about to fall off a cliff because she wasn’t paying attention. In this rendition she is looking over the edge and therefore making a conscious decision on whether or not to take the plunge. All the usual details are still present – the dog, the small bag, the rose and the feather, each to be interpreted however resonates. One question I had is did she let the rose and the feather go over the cliff and if so why? The white rose can depict purity and for me friendship so many connotations can be drawn here since she is no longer holding on to it. I like the intention behind the card and the intention of 0 The Fool herself.

On XI Justice, rather than a figure meting out punishment or reward, success or failure in a legal sense, no figure is present. This is to signify Universal rather than human justice. Much about this deck focuses on accountability. On several occasions Moore makes reference to the idea that ‘a common description of magic is creating change in the world according to one’s will.’ She adds that it’s more about transforming yourself. We can’t do that though if we are always looking outside of ourselves.

XVIII The Moon embodies this idea. With some decks it’s possible to “ignore” some aspects of The Moon card when it appears in a spread. That’s not the case here. The Wizards Tarot representation is a tad creepier than most. The giant lobster, which at first glance looks like a spider to me, urges you to face your inner fears. Until then, true progress will be difficult.

Whilst the XVIII The Moon change is more in your face, VI The Lovers is another great example of how a simple change can change your perspective. Whilst many interpret VI The Lovers as a relationship card, like others, I see it as more than that. It’s a choice card. Besides, entering into a relationship is a choice, one that can have significant impacts on our lives and our later decisions, actions and emotions. In the Wizards Tarot Lovers, the angel is replaced by a pentacle. Moore explains that this is to indicate, ‘that the choice is made consciously and in a way that honours all parts of yourself, including your spirit.’ That is not to say the best choice is always the most logical one.

Now, I really enjoy working with the Wizards Tarot. I find there’s a lot I can tap into within each card and the story from a reading develops quite easily. This is the intention behind the deck. Moore suggests ‘that because they exist mostly in the realm of story, [wizards] are a great theme to blend with tarot.’ She believes ‘combining tarot with wizards allows plenty of room for creative play’ and I agree.

However, the deck has been criticised because it lacks diversity and when you enter the Wizards Tarot you are, for the most part, entering the land of the beautiful people. And, it’s true. I can live with that though. I’m not young, slim and beautiful but I see myself in the actions and ideas represented in the cards. I don’t identify as a witch yet that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying and identifying with the Green Witch Tarot or the Everyday Witch Tarot either. And, I’m definitely not a cook but I still find that the Cook’s Tarot gives me really insightful readings also. So, I can overlook these criticisms.

Nevertheless, the age of the queens and, to a lesser extent, the kings does seem a little strange. The Queen of Cups and the Page of Pentacles, both pictured above, look about the same age. Maybe that’s the point because age doesn’t automatically mean wisdom and greater understanding. (The older I get the more obvious that becomes). But, first impressions count and in no way do I see a hierarchy present between the two cards. That being said, I do like how the cards themselves are represented. I have drawn the Queen of Cups and felt a sensation of drowning in emotions, yet at other times I see the need to focus on emotions, intuition, and giving back. I like the turtle too.

Furthermore, whilst most people are young-ish, not everyone is. IX The Hermit as an older man would come as no surprise, but the figure on the 2 of Wands is. I like that. The need to make choices and to evaluate those choices isn’t just for the young. I look at that card and I am reminded that I don’t want to wake up one day and come face to face with the knowledge that I never made the choice to follow my true passions rather than the passions and expectations of others.

I do find the card back choice a tad strange though. It’s non-reversible which doesn’t bother me because I don’t generally read with them. Nonetheless, the book has reversed meanings so I would have thought the backs may have accommodated them better. My thing with the backs though is that they feel more applicable to my Tarot of Dragons than the Wizards Tarot as it only has two cards, VIII Strength and VII The Chariot, that prominently feature dragons. I’ve included the card back at the end of the post.

I like the artwork but it feels more like an Ace of Wands than a card back. Some may not care about card backs and that’s fair enough. You don’t buy a deck for them. But, I offer clients a choice of decks that I present face down. Therefore, they make their choice based on the card back they are drawn to. They might be a bit surprised if they choose this one purely on appearance.

Anyhow, back to the positives. The cardstock makes this a fantastic deck to shuffle straight out of the box and at approximately 7 x 12cm these cards are a great size to handle. Overall, it’s an easy deck to work with. The titles are clear and the nominations are traditional. Cups, wands, swords and pentacles make up the Minor Arcana with pages, knights, queens and kings for the court. Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. Plus, the Wizards Tarot comes packaged in a sturdy, book-sized box with a magnetic closure and a ribbon to help you extract the cards from their snug inner insert.

The Wizards Tarot Book

The 235-paged, full-sized, full-colour book is a joy to look at and to read. It begins with an introduction that draws you into the world of magic then moves through seven chapters. The chapters cover tarot and tarot structure, wizards, help with reading the cards, a full breakdown of the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana, and the Court cards, and wraps up with a fantastic chapter titled, “The Magical Path”. This final chapter explores the more theme-based connotations within the cards.

The Minor Arcana are ordered numerically rather than by suit. Since each Minor card opens with a sentence explaining the basics of what the suit represents I like this approach. Each number section begins with a couple of paragraphs explaining the number’s overall energy.

There is much to like in this book. For one, the full page allocated to each card image allows you to explore the finer details as you read the meaning. Furthermore, you can read this book without needing to have the deck present. After all, at approximately 13 x 21cm the card image, is much larger than the cards.

Secondly, it is a really well-written book that can help you to see new interpretive possibilities. For example, I love that on the 7 of Swords the book reminds us to consider, ‘who is taking what from whom?’ and why? This is because, ‘sometimes the real story all depends on who’s telling it.’ The keywords – stealing, rescuing, stealth, dishonesty, sabotage, sneakiness, traitor, spy – take on a whole new meaning when actively considered through this lens. If we think of the tarot as a mirror reflecting us back to ourselves, then we need to look at our position in the situation. I love this sense of accountability.

On XX Judgement, the people are coming out of books rather than the oft seen coffins. For starters, what a fantastic creative decision. But, paired with the write up that says that whilst books are wonderful they are also static and therefore they can become like ‘a box that you reside in,’ it becomes even better. It’s easy to get caught up in the stories we believe about ourselves and others regardless of whether or not they are true. This card doesn’t represent “rising from the dead”. It more aptly represents rising from being stuck. I love that. For me tarot helps us to uncover the false stories that negatively impact our lives and the lives of others. This card, along with the explanation in the book, is the poster child for that idea.

Another positive is that the Wizards Tarot Companion helps you to see the connections between the cards. For example, Moore points out that the woman on XVII The Star is holding the same cups as the woman on XIV Temperance. This suggests the realisations gained through XIV Temperance have been integrated are now being disseminated. It is only one possible interpretation. But ultimately it encourages people to look for connections between cards and to consider what they mean to them.

Spreads

The book includes seven spreads:

Single card reading
Three card reading (9 options are given)
Celtic Cross (11 cards – includes a significator)
Supporting Transformation (5 cards)
Your Best Self (5 cards)
True Magic Spread (7 cards)
The Alchemists Spread (8 cards)

Even though they can be used with any deck, I appreciate the inclusion of the deck-themed spreads. The Alchemists Spread pushed me to dig deep and I gained a lot from doing this particular reading. Although, this is probably not a beginner’s spread.

The Wizards Tarot subtly links to some wizard and magic users from popular culture but you don’t need to make these connections to successfully interpret the cards. Of the list provided in the introduction, I am only familiar with Harry Potter. Others include The All Souls Trilogy, The Dresden Files, The Magicians Trilogy, and The Hollows series.

I found this a wonderful deck to work with. Because of the comprehensive book and the encouragement it provides, I would recommend the Wizards Tarot to anyone.