A Review of The Soul's Journey

The Soul's Journey: Finding Spiritual Messages in the Tarot

By James Ricklef

Knighthawk Books

Review by Christiana Gaudet

I was lucky to be asked to read an advance review copy of James Ricklef’s new book, “The Soul’s Journey.” What impressed me immediately was the wide range of material from which James drew to write this book.

In “The Soul’s Journey,” Ricklef quotes a wealth of spiritual texts, both modern and ancient and from many cultures. For each of the seventy-eight tarot cards he finds references that help us understand each card. With these references Ricklef is able to place the spiritual wisdom of each card in a context of universal spiritual truth.

My first encounter with this fabulous book inspired me to write just a few words about my impression of the book.

With this essential guide, Tarot earns its place at the grown-up table of spiritual thought. Ricklef effortlessly distills the wisdom of the Universe and shares it with us.

Now the book is published. It’s available in paperback and electronic version. As I hold the substantial paperback in my hand I’m glad I have the print version. I love my Kindle, but there is something about holding this book that just feels good.

“The Soul’s Journey” is appropriate for tarotists of all levels of experience, with this caveat. This is not a “how to read tarot” beginners’ book. This book is deep, meaty and spiritual. With a forward by Katrina Wynne and a practical introduction by the author suggesting many ways to use this book, “The Soul’s Journey” does what tarot itself does. It coalesces spiritual wisdom and makes it accessible to us.

One of Ricklef’s suggestions for using the book is to perform bibliomancy with it. That is, to simply ask a question, close your eyes, open the book and read what is presented as a message of wisdom from the Universe. That means that even people who don’t own a tarot deck can find wisdom by reading and using this book.

Ricklef by no means limits our ability to understand each card to his treatment of the cards. He gives us ways to find our own spiritual meanings for the cards.

As well as a comprehensive discussion of the spiritual meaning of each card, “The Soul’s Journey” includes a section called “Spreads for Spiritual Readings” which includes techniques and original spreads for us to use with our tarot deck.

One of my pet peeves as a spiritual tarotist is the belief, even amongst some of my peers, that tarot is merely a fortune-telling device. I have long asserted that tarot is a book of spiritual wisdom. With this brilliant new book James Ricklef proves that assertion.

“The Soul’s Journey” is a self-published work. We’ve all heard the ways in which publishing is changing; “The Soul’s Journey” is a wonderful example of what is now possible. The writing, formatting and general presentation of this book is as good as the best of what’s coming out of the big publishing houses, if not better.

“The Soul’s Journey” is a book for serious tarotists, eclectic spiritual seekers and anyone who wants to expand their wisdom and spiritual practice. You can read this book, you can divine with this book, you can learn tarot with this book, and you can expand your knowledge of tarot with this book.

Christiana Reviews "The Soul's Journey," a Book by James Ricklef

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Review of Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck

Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck

Kim Dreyer

Published by US Games

Review by Christiana Gaudet

There has certainly been an onslaught of interesting new oracle decks in the past few years. It seems that oracle cards are having a bit of a coming of age.

I haven’t always been happy with the concept of non-structured card oracles. Tarot has a specific structure. So does Lenormand. Other random token divination systems that have been published as cards, such as runes and I Ching, also have a specific structure. A card oracle has only the structure the artist creates. There is no tradition and there are no specifications. Compared to what it takes to create a tarot deck, or even read with a tarot deck, oracle decks sometimes seem a bit lazy.

I have had only a few positive experiences with oracle cards. I have used an angel oracle with a group of assisted-living senior citizens, and I really enjoy Ciro Marchetti’s unique and beautiful Oracle of Visions. So when I say that the new Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck by Kim Dreyer, published by U.S. Games, excites me, challenges me and takes my breathe away you know my head isn’t turned by every pretty picture that comes my way.

Conscious Spirit Oracle deck contains forty-forty cards. The cards are large and squarer than a usual tarot deck. The enclosed Little White Book is the same size as the cards.  The Little White Book is well-written and informative. I like the first paragraph very much.

 “Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck was created to honor, celebrate, and reconnect to Nature, Spirit and the Divine Feminine in all her forms: the angle, fairy, goddess, the maiden, mother and crone”.

I am sure that one of the reasons I like this deck so much is that I resonate so well with nature, and with the divine feminine. When I first looked through the deck and saw there was a card for each of the seven chakras, as well as a card each for Maiden, Mother and Crone and for each of the Four Elements, I knew instantly this was a deck for me. Since I am certainly not alone in enjoying these images and traditions I think this will be a popular and beloved tool for many.

In the booklet we learn that the order of the forty-four cards is not random. The cards are arraigned to form a sequential journey, much like tarot. These cards will take you through the steps to “awaken and discover your own unique path.” Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck has a clear structure and purpose.

Each card has a written affirmation on the bottom. For instance, Card 39 Flames of Wisdom – Crone reads “I am open to all of life’s wisdom and share it with gratitude”. Each affirmation is well-written and clear.

Although the cards are structured in a particular order, the first thing I did was separate them into groups. There are four angel cards, seven chakra cards, three cards for Maiden, Mother and Crone, four cards for spiritual entities (Sun Goddess, Moon Goddess, Spirit Guides and Nature Spirit). There is an Elemental card for each of the Four Elements. The other twenty-two cards are things to do, be, focus on or attain. For instance, Balance, Meditation, Release, Celebrate Life, Find your Bliss, Spark of Life and Abundance.

The passage in the Little White Book for each card is thoughtful, challenging and meditative. No spreads are included in the book. These are cards of study, meditation and contemplation. One card contains so much wisdom and insight that any more than a “card of the day” reading seems like overkill.

Most oracle decks boast excellent artwork. Kim Dreyer’s images are colorful, evocative and meaningful. I truly feel these powerful images will open us to wisdom simply as we gaze on them.  Even the card backs are wonderful; combining the chakras, a tree, sacred geometry and moon cycles.

If you like oracle decks you are sure to love Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck. Even if you are not a fan of most oracle decks I think you will find there is great value in the sacred images, affirmations and meditative quality of Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck.

Christiana Reviews Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck

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A Review of Renaissance Tarot

Renaissance Tarot

by Brian Williams

Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Review by Christiana Gaudet

How did I miss Brian William’s Renaissance Tarot when it first came out in 1987?

It really doesn’t matter, because it’s back!

That’s right. US Games has republished this amazing deck, along with the full-size guide book, also by Brian Williams.

Brian Williams combined his love for classical and renaissance art and his love for tarot in this project that took more than ten years to complete. Williams is known for a number of interesting tarot projects, including Ship of Fools Tarot and PoMo Tarot. His death in 2003 robbed the tarot world of one of its greatest minds.

Renaissance Tarot is a deck like no other. At first glance it looks like an historical tarot deck, similar to a Marseilles deck. The art is of renaissance style, and quite detailed with interesting and symbolic nuances. The deck comes with a little white book, also by Williams.

If you want to work with this deck I would strongly advise you to buy the big yellow book entitled” A Renaissance Tarot”. This tarot is a complex work above and beyond a standard tarot deck. The large-size format 197-page book gives a great deal of information about each card, as well as the art, history, mythology and philosophy of the renaissance on which this deck is based.

The deck is structured fairly traditionally, The Wheel of fortune is called Chance and Judgment is called The Angel. Strength is card 11 and Justice is 8.

The intricate cardbacks are not reversible, though reversed meanings are given in the little white book.

The deck includes a presentation card and a title card.  The presentation card is beautifully illustrated.

The Pip cards have unobtrusive keywords written on ribbons in the corners. The top right hand side is in English. The keywords differ from the Crowley pip keywords, and are very different from standard Waite keywords.

The Minor Arcana suits are Coins, Cups, Staves and Swords. Although the focus of each pip card is the icons, there are some small illustrations on the cards that will help with memory and interpretation.

The associations for the suits go way beyond simple elemental associations. Williams discusses the symbolism of each icon as a way of summing up the flavor of each suit.

The book also includes some heady tarot spreads and a wealth of illustrations. It is easy to believe that ten years was spent researching and creating this deck.

The art is really stunning, especially for a Marseilles-like deck. The colors are muted. The images are drawn with very fine lines that allow for a lot of detail.

Don’t expect to make an easy leap from a Waite deck to Renaissance Tarot. Crowley and Marseilles readers may have an easier time embracing this deck. Tarot beginners who are willing to work with the book will find an intensely rich divinatory tool. Tarotist of all levels of experience will enjoy opening up a new exciting tarot world for themselves with Renaissance Tarot.

There are numerous tarot decks available that work on a system that is somewhat different than the old faithful traditions we know and love. What separates Renaissance Tarot is its scholarly nature. This isn’t a system that someone made up or channeled from some unseen spiritual entity.

Renaissance Tarot is based on history, mythology, philosophy and art that was contemporary to tarot’s actual birth. There is something about that fact that makes Renaissance Tarot special and important.

It took Brian Williams ten years of his all-too-short life to create this tarot. Don’t worry if it takes you a while to master it.

Renaissance Tarot is a worthy legacy, and an important contribution to the body of tarot art, knowledge and understanding. Three cheers for US Games’ decision to allow this deck its own renaissance!

Christiana Gaudet Reviews Renaissance Tarot

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Ancestral Path Tarot: Review of an Important Tarot Deck

Ancestral Path Tarot

Published by US Games Systems, Inc.

By Julie Cuccia-Watts

LWB by Tracey Hoover

Review by Christiana Gaudet

Sound the trumpets and bang the gongs! Sing Hallelujah! US Games Systems, Inc. has rereleased Julia Cuccia-Watts’ beautiful Ancestral Path Tarot!

First published in 1995, Ancestral Path Tarot is a special tarot deck.

If your Ancestral Path Tarot has been lost, damaged or is gathering dust on a shelf, it is time to reacquaint yourself with this important deck.

If you’ve never seen this unique tarot, it is time to discover a truly insightful modern deck.

The new version of Ancestral Path has a different box than the original, but as far as I can tell everything else is exactly the same except for the color of the design on the (non-reversible) back. The back design is blue. On the new edition the blue is a bit more muted than the original.

Ancestral Path Tarot is slightly squarer than most tarot decks, and fits easily in the hands for shuffling and reading.

Ancestral Path tarot distinguishes itself in a number of ways. Julie Cuccia-Watts’ art is first-rate. Ancestral Path works with archetypes in a way that was somewhat unique in 1995, and still remains an exemplary way to help understand the archetypal nature of tarot. Ancestral Path is a multi-cultural tarot without being in-your-face-politically-correct about it. Finally, Ancestral Path is a very personal tarot. That Cuccia-Watts has included images of her own family and friends in the Major Arcana follows a tradition that dates back to the earliest tarot decks and invokes an important conversation in us as we peruse the deck. What characters from our own lives would we choose to illustrate the cards?

The original 1995 version of Ancestral Path had an LWB and a companion book, both by Tracey Hoover. The new version has just the LWB, which in only thirty pages gives a great deal of information about this readable-but-not-standard tarot. As I look through the LWB I find myself missing the information that I know from the more detailed companion book. I hope that US Games will reprint the book as well.

Tracey Hoover’s writing style is passionate. Some people may find her overstated or overly intense, but I appreciate her ability to tell us how much Ancestral Path Tarot means to her.

Ancestral Path Tarot Is an interesting blend of many tarot traditions. We see tips of the hat to Crowley and Waite as well as older esoteric traditions and very modern feminist and multicultural influences. That the deck was originally published in 1995 makes Cuccia-Watts one of the first tarot artists to really explore tarot archetypes and assign them to particular cultural images; a tradition I call “archetypal assignment.” It is important to remember that Kris Waldherr did not publish her acclaimed Goddess Tarot until 1998, three years after Ancestral Path was originally published. Lisa Hunt’s archetypal decks came even a bit later. The only deck I can think of that explored this territory earlier is the fabulous Mythic Tarot.

In the Major Arcana Justice is card eight and Strength as card eleven. The Hanged Man is called the Hanged One.

The Major Arcana may seem a bit disjointed when compare with the clear organization of the Minor Arcana, especially without the companion book to help explain the rich symbolism. But it is in the Major Arcana that we see the essential concept of Ancestral Path Tarot.

Ancestral Path Tarot asks us to see our lives through a wide lens. We are all part of a larger cultural tradition. We are all ancestors to those who will follow us. We weave our cultural fabric alongside our contemporaries. We seek spiritual meaning and find commonality though understanding the myths and archetypes of the world’s many cultures that reflect and explain our own experiences.

Major Arcana 0, the Fool, is a tarot reader. The Hanged One is a fetus in birth position. Again, the LWB does not give the rich description these images deserve. Judgment, for instance, is described in the companion book as being an image from a profound dream of the artist’s. We see Julie Cuccia-Watts herself rising from her bed and extending her hand into a next layer of existence.

Some of the Major Arcana cards are obviously references from other cultures. We see Native American and Egyptian images. The Hierophant is the Oracle of Delphi. Truly, the Major Arcana of Ancestral Path Tarot shows every angle of our ancestral journey, from ancient and modern perspectives, and from perspectives that are both cultural and personal. That the Fool is a tarot reader brings home the usefulness of tarot in understanding our own path.

Even without the benefit of the background information available in the original companion book the images are evocative enough to provide substantial information to the beginning or advanced tarot reader.

In addition to assigning each of the four Minor Arcana suits to its standard element, Cuccia-Watts assigns a cultural story or myth. The Court, made up of a King, Queen, Knight and Prince are the deities or primary characters associated with the story.

The four suits are Swords, Staves, Cups and Sacred Circles. The stories of each suit are meant to be read top-down, starting with the Ten and ending up at the Ace, the very essence of each element.

The suit of Cups illustrates the Arthurian myth of Britain. Sacred Circles tells a story of Native American culture. Swords represent life in feudal Japan, while Staves tell the story of Egypt during the time of Ramses II.

A great thing about the archetypal nature of Ancestral Path Tarot is this. Whether or not you really understand the cultural stories depicted in the cards you will find the card images clear enough, and traditional enough, to make sense of them in a reading. This is not always easily true of even the best archetypal decks, but it is abundantly true of Ancestral Path Tarot.

Study the symbolism of Ancestral Path as deeply or as little as you like. Ancestral Path Tarot is a lovely and workable deck with or without deep study. Ancestral Path speaks to us on an intuitive level, as a traditional tarot deck, on a personal level and on an archetypal level. That’s a lot for one tarot deck to do, but Ancestral Path Tarot does it with ease.

Revisiting Ancestral Path Tarot after all these years has got me thinking about our own tarot culture. In our own lifetimes we have seen that tarot, like all of culture, is constantly evolving. Years after its original publication we can see the influence of Ancestral Path on the many decks that followed it. Ancestral Path itself is an important tarot ancestor as well as a relevant deck today.

Many thanks to US Games for bringing this gem back to us and for making it available to a new generation of tarot readers.

Christiana Reviews Ancestral Path Tarot

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