The Star Tarot 2nd Edition – Your Path to Self Discovery Through Cosmic Symbolism, written and illustrated by Cathy McClelland, is a Rider-Waite-Smith based Tarot deck with a definite star bright brilliance.
To start, its edges are gilded in a brilliant metallic gold. Then there are miniature stars scattered among the stunning symbolic images upon most of the card faces.
Furthermore, the cards’ backside feature a large gold centered North Star, surrounded by mini gold stars, on a deep midnight blue background. Thus, the backs of these cards give a nod to the Star Light, Star Bright nursery rhyme.
I can’t overstate the beauty of the back design of these cards. It’s my favorite back design of a sizeable personal Tarot deck collection. McClelland’s professed affinity for the stars, explains her deck’s title and its considerable star motif.
The Star Tarot’s Card Imagery
The Star Tarot started life as a Major Arcana cards only deck, completed in 2006, and self published by McClelland. Early purchasers of the deck were immediately stunned by the beauty of her artwork on the cards.
McClelland explains that the images on her cards stem from her numerous spiritual studies, sacred symbolism, and appreciation of nature. She uses a clean and vividly saturated color palette on her crisp images.
By 2008, The Star Tarot Major Arcana Deck had gained considerable admiration among Tarot circles. This sparked an interest for McClelland to add the Minor Arcana cards to her deck, and republish it as a full Tarot deck. And I, and many others, are so glad she did!
The Star Tarot Boxed Kit
The Star Tarot’s 2nd Edition deck (Red Feather Mind Body Spirit Publishing, September 2020) comes packaged as a kit in a sturdy magnetic closure box. Its cards are nestled in an interior compartment beneath a good sized companion book.
The Hermit card image, which adorns the kit’s box and companion book, is the most beautiful rendition of this card I’ve yet to come across.
The cards, borderless and a bit taller and wider than average sized Tarot cards, are printed on super sturdy card stock, with a matte finish. The matte finish helps the cards glide easily when shuffling. And the thickness of the card stock makes this deck deeper than the average sized deck.
The upside of the deck being taller, wider, and deeper than average, is there’s more space to feature the artwork. But the downside is this deck is somewhat difficult to shuffle for smallish hands, like my own. Nonetheless, the deck is so beautiful; I persevere to read with them, inspite of their larger size.
The Star Tarot 2nd Edition Companion Book
The Star Tarot’s companion book features a Foreword written by none other than the infamous “Queen of Tarot,” Mary K. Greer. Its 171 pages include a colored image of each card along with keywords for each card’s meaning beneath its image. Additionally, there are astrological and lunar cycle references beneath each Minor Arcana card image.
Although an extensive explanation of each card’s upright meaning is included, absent from the companion book are reversed card meanings, with an exception for the 2 of Swords.
Instead of reverse card meanings, McClelland attributes the light and shade meanings in her lengthy description of each card. She then leaves it up to the Tarot Reader’s intuition as to which, of a positive, or a negative card meaning is appropriate in a specific reading.
Another less common feature in the companion book, is the Minor Arcana cards’ meanings are not arranged in the common Suit order, e.g., the Ace-King of each Suit.
Instead, the cards meanings are arranged by all four of each like numbered card, e.g., the 4 Aces are followed but the four 2s, then the four 3s, etc.
As as common practice these days, McClelland included several useful spreads in her companion book to use for giving Tarot readings.
The Star Tarot Deck’s Value
Potential purchasers of The Star Tarot deck will find it runs about $5 more in price than other Tarot deck kits. I admit this held me back from purchasing it, for this deck sat in the ”saved for later“ area of my Amazon cart.
However, one day I was inspired to move this deck up to my active cart area and click purchase. And I’m so happy with that decision.
Once I opened them and discovered the gold gilded edges, the stunning imagery, the larger card size, and the super thick card stock used, I knew this was a high quality deck worthy of the higher price I paid.
I hope you will give The Star Tarot deck a try, for I’m certain you will love and cherish it as I do. Happy Taroting!
Note: To book a professional Tarot reading with Jeannette, see our Book a Reading page.
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