September 10 - 16, 2011 ~ A King's Journey

A King's Journey Tarot
Chanel Bayless &  James Battersby
Self Published, 2010

This was another impulse buy from the BATS table.  I don't regret it at all, even if my week was less than pleasant.

The card stock is really flimsy, but still seems fairly tough.  The size is slightly more than that of a poker deck.  It can be shuffled (riffled and all that) quite easily.  I don't really shuffle that way, but this deck certainly is built for that!  The backs are bones and are reversible.  And the best part? The decks have no borders and no writing on them.  None.  And this is the way it was created - with no distractions.

The deck itself has 94 cards due to the addition of an additional suit (Spirit) and a couple extra majors.  In the LWB, Spirit meanings include affirmations and seem to reflect the journey more than the steps.  The regular four suits of the tarot are steps along an archetypal path, but Spirit seems to transcend that and reflects steps along a personal growth, empowerment, kind of journey.  Hard to explain.  I did leave them in and when they showed up in a reading, they did add to it.  I do think one could take them out, but it would be a loss.  There are a couple of extra majors as well - Daath and Soul.  I didn't have either of those show up in readings.  

As a reading deck, I was less than enthused.  But before the deck is blamed, it is important to note that I had a transitional week.  Transitional in that I had to make a serious decision and it was difficult.  Every reading was a kick in the gut - questioning my motives and challenging my resolve.  But I have made it through the week, the decision was made and I feel confident in that decision.  And oddly, the final reading from the deck on Friday was very supportive of my decision.


The entire experience leads me to suspect that the Spirit suit is what made this week's readings the way they were.  A king's journey is not just one through the archetypal steps of the 78 cards of the tarot, it is also a journey through the ability to lead and be king.  This isn't just a quick lesson and along you go, but a test of resolve and commitment.    I felt like I was being tested all week.

This deck deserves way more than a week.  It has depths to it that just cry out for exploration. 


Rating: Keeper +