I’ve just received delivery of my Tarot of the Owls deck authored by Pamela Chen and illustrated by Elisabeth Alba. And, pardon the pun, this deck is indeed a Hoot! For the deck’s owls crack me up as they strike their poses with fained seriousness. They are absolutely adorable as they portray the characters of the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Tarot deck.
These wise owls are sometimes comical, but always dignified as they lead one on a theatrical journey through the Tarot. They almost seem “actors upon a stage” as they engage in the same activities depicted on each corresponding RWS card. For the deck oozes a Shakespearean quality.
Although all characters in this deck are Owls, its imagery is eerily true to the traditional RWS deck. Therefore, if you know the RWS card meanings you will have no problem reading this deck by sight only.
As a professional Tarot Reader, it’s important for my decks to closely follow the RWS system. For I often have several readings laid out at a time using different decks. Consequently, I need to be able to easily recognize each card of each reading at a quick glance.
Tarot of the Owls Boxed Set
As is typical of LLewellyn Publications’ decks these days, this deck comes in a beautifully boxed set which is available at this affiliate link, https://a.co/d/ijXdgVX. The good-sized box has a magnetic closure with the cards nestled in an inner compartment.
This deck’s cards are borderless and I’m digging the borderless card trend. Although the cards are thin and a bit flexible, their plastic-like card stock makes them durable just the same. And their slick surface makes them glide easily when shuffling hand-over-hand.
Additionally, this set comes with a 209 page companion book that is large enough to be readable for weaker eyes. I really appreciate the larger box packaging that accommodates a larger companion book. This has been a recent trend of deck publishers, especially Llewellyn Publications.
Tarot of the Owls Cards
Now let’s talk about these cards! Since, a group of Owls is known as a parliament, the four Minor Arcana Suits are referred to as Parliaments. And artist Alba adorns each suit; Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles with a specific type of colored owl.
Cups – Parliament of Cups – Pink and Purple Barn Owls
Wands – Parliament of Wands – Red and Peach Great Horned Owls
Swords – Parliament of Swords – Blue, Grey, and White Snowy Owls
Pentacles – Parliament of Pentacles – Green and Yellow Burrowing Owls
Note: A variety of the above colored owls are also used for characters depicted on the Major Arcana cards.
Moreover, except for their pastel coloring, Alba’s owls are very realistic looking, sans their almost human facial expressions. And Alba’s imaginative images and deeply saturated colors makes her scenery exquisite. Consequently, this is one of the most beautifully illustrated Tarot decks I’ve come across.
Furthermore, each card sports a gold label printed with its title. This is a plus for me. For I strongly dislike decks that don’t label their cards forcing me to count the suit emblems to discern which number card it is.
FYI, this artist also illustrated another of my favorite Tarot decks which I reviewed in a previous post. To see more of Alba’s imaginative artwork check out our post, Everyday Witch Tarot – A Whimsical and Witchy Tarot Deck.
Tarot of the Owls Companion Book
This deck’s 209 page companion book is titled, Wisdom of the Owls and starts out with The Calling, detailing the nature of the owls represented in the Suits. Next is the Rules of the Realm, explaining how Tarot and the deck works. Then comes the Know it Owl, explaining how to cleanse and season your new deck.
Chen then gives a detailed upright and reverse meaning for each Major Arcana Card. Then she gives a detailed upright and reversed meaning for each Minor Arcana card. Interestingly, Chen titles the upright card meanings, Upright Owl Wisdom, and the reverse card meanings, Reversed Owl Outlook.
The Minor Arcana cards are listed by Suit in Ace – 10 order. But the Suits’ Court cards are listed in a separate section in Page, Knight, Queen, and King order.
Moreover, a full-page colored reprint of each card precedes its detailed meaning. I can’t tell you how much I love this aspect. For I loathe black and white reprints of cards in companion books. This is because I frequently peruse the companion book of a new deck for getting familiar with the cards. And I’d much rather carry a book with me to a restaurant or coffee shop than the actual Tarot cards.
Finally, as many companion books do, this one offers several spreads in a section appropriately titled, Spreading your Wings. The spreads offered are the One-Card Spread, Three-Card Spread, Intuitive Flight Spread, Next Level Self Spread, Owl Possibilities Spread, and the Magic Within Spread.
Final Words on the Owls
The Tarot of the Owls Deck has fast become a new favorite in a sizable deck collection. The owls are adorable and quite comical in their portrayal of the traditional Tarot characters. And the deck’s artwork is unparalleled.
I hope you will give these insightful Owl Guardians the chance to fill your readings with their wisdom and guidance. I know you will love working with them as much as I do. Happy Taroting!
Note: To book a professional Tarot reading with Jeannette see our Book a Reading page.
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