February 25 - March 02, 2012 ~ Fairytale

Fairytale Tarot
Karen Mahony
(c)Magic Realist Press, 2005

This was one of the "Happy Graduation" decks that I purchased.  One (or two) for each year I was at University and too busy to spend enough time with tarot. 

The cards are nice and large.  The card stock is nice, the colors brilliant, but the only problem is that it is just a bit too stiff.  It doesn't shuffle as nicely as the Tarot of Prague, which has just a tiny bit more give.  I don't mind the borders, either.  They are quite large and ornate, but they seem to fit nicely with the deck. 

The cards are each based on a different tale. One of the reasons I like this deck is the cultural variety of the tales.  This isn't just a tarot deck, it is a story book!  I am one of those people who do not have to have a cup on a cups card.  What is important is whether or not the image depicts something that is related to the theme of a particular card.  Justice, for example, is a favorite card.  No Lady Justice here with her scales and swords! No!  Just a firebird with a millstone.  Virtue rewarded; Evil punished.  Pretty simple and straightforward.  I think that these types of decks are my favorite.  Each card from these unique decks adds to my overall understanding of each card because each one provides a different point of view.

As a reading deck it was very good.  I used it for several readings for other people and it seemed to be right on, though as usual there were some need for clarification because of how I saw something that deviated a bit from the traditional.  I can't read traditional RWS, so I don't even bother any more.  Thoth basis with liberal intuition.  I am not going to worry about it.

So, where does this deck rate? It isn't quite a favorite, but it is definitely right up there!

Rating: Keeper +