Yesss! Thank you for speaking about the Wildwood/Druidcraft tarot. As a historian and archaeologist it gets to my nerves the romanticising and mystifying without evidence of the Celtic past. Historians have been explaining the real evidence but there is a collective decision to simple ignore the facts because they are useful in a political way or it simply is a lot more boring that the fantastical, exaggerated version. Also, lets not forget that these decks behave as Celtic is exclusive to England, Scotland and Ireland when all over Europe there is a Celtic past because those groups travel, settled and lived in many different places. I’m from Spain and half the land has Celtic roots, which can be seen up to these days in the local traditions. However those decks never have diversity nor in the practices nor in the people represented under the pretence of “historical accuracy” which is utter rubbish based on real historical evidence. The representation of Celtic past and the political usage of such imaginary with constant racist, white supremacist and colonial undertones (and overtones if we are honest) is a conversation that I don’t think the tarot community is ready to have. Thanks for speaking up and opening the conversation about this subject!
Yes, a very good point about 'Celtic' being associated solely with the British Isles - the movement of people in and out of our little island(s) is nothing new! Neither is the misrepresentation of history for political reasons of course, but I can understand why people are reluctant to think about tarot and personal practice through that lens. I wonder if the recent(ish) explosion of tarot's popularity in the mainstream, and the fact that more and more diverse decks are getting published, is a sign that things are heading in that direction?
I agree with you about the Druidcraft and Wildwood tarots. The "Shaman" card is in the Wildwood one, btw. I've had both for over a decade, and I chopped off all the titles of the Wildwood one and used a gold pen to retitle all of them... but one of the reasons I did that is because of the "Shaman" card. That said, I've still never fully connected to that deck. The artwork is AMAZING, but it goes a bit too much "its own way". The DruidCraft used to be one of my favorite decks, but as my spirituality progressed, my view of it changed as I became more involved in Celtic Reconstructionist approaches to my Irish Paganism. The DruidCraft deck is more... um, Welsh I guess (?), but it's kind of ambiguous. You were able to iterate what it is about this deck that just doesn't quite sit right with me anymore. I hardly use it now, but again, the art is amazing.
The art is gorgeous, and I think that's what keeps me coming back to them. To be honest, they both seem a little ambiguous to me (as well as Wiccan inspired? Which is certainly more recent than any Celtic or Druidic roots). I also saw someone refer to it as Viking, so either the deck or that reviewer is very confused. Thanks for sharing your perspective, I'm glad I was able to verbalise what you've been thinking!
Thank you for this video, on one hand for giving me the idea on how to maybe re-use some of my tarot decks and on the other - the thing you mentioned about druifcraft tarot. I very rarely hear tarot practicioners speaking about cultural apropriation and themes related to this. So, thank you! As an additional feedback - I would appreciate to see how you use tarot deck as an oracle. It would be of great help to me as a next step.
I think the Ostara Tarot goes well the whole year😊 There is no specific Ostara-Thing in the cards. And the colors are in every card different. I love this Deck and the different styles, I can use it in every Situation and mood❤
I usually don't comment on youtube videos... but you HAVE to get the Shadowscapes tarot deck !!! This was the second deck I ever got, and is my ride or die deck. I love it because every time you pull a card, you notice a new detail that kind of "unlocks" more of the reading :)
@@TarotMagpieUnfortunately I can't find out what exactly the details depict in this deck, because my eyes are not good enough, not even with my good glasses on. Go try it, maybe it works for you! But be aware that there's a risk that you can't see it comfortably. I have had my Shadowscapes for years, and used it a handful of times, and apart from the 2 times I used it at noon in the early summer (which is not when I usually have time to read cards), I gave up and got out a different deck instead. It was just not a joy to strain my eyes and have to take a photo and enlarge the image; that's just not the way I want to read my cards. There are more people having the same issues, (mostly people who I guess to be older than 40) . But as far as I've seen on YT, the people who can properly make the details out, or don't mind to use the camera for enlarging, they all seem to love the deck.
I've just started working with the Wildwood and I'm obsessed. It's such a great reader and I find the book so good. Hits all the marks. I've I've found ir definitely leans more towards ancestral work. yet to work with the Rosebud and Witch sister, so I'm hoping they will fit in nicely with my practice. I'm also curious about the Intuitive Night Goddess, it's on my wishlist but I'm not sure 🙈 great video ❤
Shadowscapes Tarot is worth it in my opinion. Really like it every time I get to use it. Ostara is one I wanted, but I felt the super gloss cardstock at the store through a "Try Me" sample of it and went mmmmm NO lmao. Also your point about Druidcraft/Wildwood is so valid honestly, some of these decks out here are definitely sus at times.
The Shadowscapes is definitely ending up with me at some point! I'm to too fussed about the Ostara though. And yeah, I don't often see people taking about these pagan decks and how loose they can sometimes be with what we actually know...
Shadowscape: Honestly I haven't use the deck or read the guidebook. I want to give it proper time, slow down, and really study the illustration. I don't need the guidebooks but I enjoy reading them. I appreciate the detail put into each card. It is why I also purchased the Tree Keeper Oracle which I'm currently using. Intuitive Night Goddess: I have the artist edition, supporting the creator. I didn't think I would like it since I'm not into collage, all-female. .... BUT I appreciate the messages in the guidebook and it is a very beautiful vibrant deck. It looks like a RWS crone but it's not at the same time. It's more like a deck only meant for inner-self work. It does tend to feel isolated (for lack of better word) but then I find that comforting too. Wild Unknown: yeah I was like that. I refused to buy the deck but it was recently gifted to me and I'm getting the "why". By the way, I wouldn't be able to edge my deck and talk without messing up lol
The Orien's Tarot is beautiful, definitely, but I've also found it reads well. I like the guidebook and I generally like the choice of animals for the cards. The Witch Sister tarot is stunning - art is amazing, it feels wild and free and a bit dark. Very connected to the land, very connected to Scottish witchcraft and mythology (great for me, because that's my background). But I love the fact it's specifically Scottish (with hints of Welsh and Irish) rather than "Celtic". For Welsh things, I'd recommend the Llewellyn tarot by Anne-Marie Ferguson (sp?), which is based on Welsh and Arthurian mythology.
I adore the art of the Shadowscapes; I don't find it an easy reader, and I love my Czech edition with larger cards. (Don't know whether it's still available in the UK). I'm generally in agreement with your take on the 'Celtic Revival Spirituality', but Phillip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm and Will Worthington are people I trust (The Wildwood/Greenwood Tarot is a wild ride, and while I love the art, I do not love the guidebook, it was written for different art). The Druidcraft deck explicitly tries to bring in insights from Wicca - I don't feel it shows very much, but that's something to consider. It's still the best Celtic deck in my eyes, but I dare say that's in part _because_ it resonates so much with the RWS. As opposed to, say, the Celtic Wisdom Tarot, which very much goes its own way, or the Llewellyn Tarot, which is mainly RWS with prettier pictures and which I did not get on with at all. If you like the landscapes, have you looked at the Sacred Circle Tarot? It can be a little hard to find, and it's a bit naff, but this was my first deck and I remain partial to it (make sure you get the original Llewellyn kit rather than the newer deck reprint; cardstock and colouring are much better). I rarely read with it these days, but I rebought it twice and don't regret it. But while the archaeological record or practices is very sparse, the historical record, as you say, mostly filtered through third parties or practitioners-turned-Christian, we have a certain amount of mythology and folk practices and information hidden in offhand remarks about 'oh yes, people do x' and then talking again about house building or politics. While everything needs to be taken with a pitcher of salt, and I am not closely familiar with any, it's not as much of a wasteland as it first seems. As for the Witches' Sister: I felt similarly about the Tarot of the Hidden Realms. Then I got the app on my phone and conformed that decks that are mostly people don't give me enough substance to read with.
Shadowscapes is so beautiful. I use to have it but I wish it was in a bigger card size. Have you seen the Tree Keeper's Oracle? 🌳 I have the Oriens. I think your hunch is right. It's not an intuitive reader, you kinda have to refer to the book to get the animal symbolism & how it relates to the card. That's my experience with it fwiw. The guidebook is really good though. My practice derives from my personal understanding of Celtic paganism. A lot of Celtic reconstructionist groups are problematic in my opinion. Like you said, they state certain things as fact when we literally don't know shit about that time period except what was transmitted orally (which is really quite unreliable) and what was recorded by the oppressors. I hate not knowing exactly what happened (history major brain), so I can't base my practice entirely in Celtic paganism, therefore I usually tell people my practice is inspired my Celtic paganism because really it's all just my personal gnosis. Also fwiw, I don't like those decks lol. I had the Druidcraft and it's heavily based in Wicca. I really like the Witch Sister, it aligns with my personal practice quite well, so I think that one may be a good substitute for the Druidcraft/Wildwood for you. There's a ton of folklore in the book.
I have seen the Tree Keepers Oracle, and of course there is part of my brain saying "well if you get the Shadowscapes, you can get that too and use them together..." - that part of my brain is not allowed to make purchasing decisions. If the Oriens guidebook is good then I could definitely work with it - I don't know if they are different but, do you have the indie or the mass market? There is so much misinformation out there - I think the decks that are very popular get the bulk of my frustration because, like your history brain, I want to see the evidence and how they reached their conclusions! I would happily buy an 'inspired' deck if it was honest about it. I am probably going to end up getting the Witch Sister, it seems like the one for me!
@@TarotMagpie I have the indie version but I'm pretty sure the contents of the guidebook are the same in the mm. Lol I know right, my brain also loves to have the matchy-matchy things 🤣 might be a Libra thing 😉 Yeah there really is not much evidence about ancient Celtic spirituality and I just intuitively felt off-put by those decks. But Witch Sister is very well researched. I hate to be a bit of an influencer but you may want to check out the Old Ways Magick Oracle by Naomi Cornock. She's a pagan artist in the UK and that deck is also very inspired by Celtic mythology and spirituality without being appropriative.
I don't like the "Shaman" title in the Wildwood, for much the same reasons you've shared. I do like what the creators have done in terms of an innovative Wheel of the Year based tarot system that is really not RWS (though it's RWS influenced) -- of course knowing that the "wheel of the year" is a rather recent creation, not an ancient one -- and I do like Will Worthington's art and the animal-themed courts, but based on your reflections here I don't think it's a deck you'd get along with honestly. I also have the Oriens Tarot; it is beautiful. My copy is indie and it came with a PDF guidebook which I now can't find; can't say what the mass market version comes with. I do like the deck better than a lot of other animal tarots (the "pair an animal to each tarot card" thing often doesn't work for me because if I don't find the pairings make sense to me, it bugs me - but the Oriens I think is actually quite good in this regard, and so quite readable for me). The Druid group I am a member of includes in their FAQs on their website things like 'what do we know about ancient Druids?' (very very little) and 'is the group descended from ancient Druids?' (certainly not), explanation of what the Druid Revival was, including acknowledgment of some of the problematics of that -- there is really a lot of confusion, misunderstanding, and presumption. ...and not just because so many seem to find us by way of things like Dungeons & Dragons. 😬
Will Worthington's art is half the reason I keep these decks on my list, but I think ultimately they are probably not for me - maybe the oracle decks he has illustrated will scratch the itch. I guess I'm not surprised that people confuse D&D with practicing Bards and Druids 😅 there's definitely a lot of misinformation out there. I understand the desire to try and fill the gaps between what we do know, but the academic part of my brain appreciates it when there's clarity between what's directly inspired by the evidence vs new traditions created with it in mind. Now you mention it, I don't know if the videos I have seen about the Oriens are the indie or the mass market, so that's something I need to check up before I make any decisions.
@@TarotMagpie 100%, re: being clear on what's evidence based vs. one's original creation. I think there are many newer traditions (Revival Druidry & Wicca both come to mind) that have sought to legitimize themselves, at times, through claiming to be ancient in ways that they weren't. My academic brain doesn't like this; I also do kind of 'get it,' though, in that anything "new" religion/spirituality-wise has so often been treated dismissively or as inherently less meaningful / valid / valuable than traditions with centuries-long histories are, creating a pressure to exaggerate (or downright fabricate) links to much older practices. This is really unfortunate, as I feel like crafting our own practices, holiday observances, etc. can be extraordinarily empowering, and many newer ideas - like the wheel of the year - can be really meaningful for many.
@@aquamarine18 I do totally understand the desire for legitimacy (though ironic when it involves being creative with history, but humans are great at holding contradictions). I very much agree that creating our own practices is empowering! In some ways more meaningful because we have built them ourselves. I think this is an area be where a lot of the capital-R-religion vs spiritually differences come into play and get a little fuzzy… to be intentional in rejecting mainstream (I’m sure there’s a better word) religions, but then looking for the same legitimacy anyway. I am very much on a tangent now but I think it’s so interesting. Anyhow, I really appreciate your thoughts and your perspective!
I don’t like my decks to look at me either! I’ve actually put stickers over a couple of staring faces that have put me off. And I don’t like generic pan-Celtic anything. I like specifically Irish or Scottish material though, as long as either legit historical or honestly reconstructionist and not pretending something is just ‘Celtic’.
I do love the Witch Sister tarot though and all the Scottish folklore. I’m Canadian so I’m quite disconnected from that side of my family and it’s fun to learn.
I guess it depends on your definition of shaman, but I don't believe shaman is only a siberian term, or only a native american term. to my understanding, shaman is a role in hunter gatherer societies where a person enters an altered state of consciousness/alternate reality in order to gain knowledge or power to aid someone in consensus reality. ALL humanity began as hunter gatherer societies so I think it's pretty hard to make a case for cultural appropriation. some cultures have more persistence of shamans in the present day/in cultural formats other than hunter gatherer than others, certainly, but celtic folklore describes people traveling to alternate realities - the underworld, faerie, etc. - to solve consensus reality problems. I think sometimes our familiarity with the stories of our own cultures blinds us to the cross-cultural structural similarities. it can go too far into an exoticization of other cultures rather than a recognition of our common human roots. the spirit world a south american indigenous shaman enters into with jaguar spirits etc. may seem to embody "shamanism" to a european audience, but the word shaman itself is from the russian, from siberian tribespeople. if it can apply to other non-western cultures, then, given that the basic structural definition is met, why not to celtic culture as well?
I don't have any of the decks you mentioned, so I guess that's my verdict.🤷♀ But I'm totally with you re: "creative" paganism, "universal" shamanism, et al. I don't need idealised fantasy and I don't want idealised fantasy. Of my cultural heritage (British) or anyone else's.
I love the green ombré edges for that deck! I have the wildwood and I get the same feelings about it which make it so much harder to work with. The book and the whole “walk in the wildwood” decan walk thing is a really interesting framework to learn about but I do get a bit of the new-age ick. I’ve heard John and Caitlin Matthews’ views about cultural appropriation and it’s not ideal. I love your point that Ancient Britain is beautiful and interesting enough without stealing, transplanting and camouflaging other people’s cultures into it. All that said, the Druidcraft, Shadowscapes, Fountain and Ostara are all on my longstanding wishlist too! I hadn’t heard of the last one but it sounds so up my street… * scurries to research further *
I probably should do a little more research into the Wildwood/Druidcraft creators and decide from there... And maybe get one of the oracles illustrated by Will Worthington to have some of his art to work with. I'll be interested to hear any thoughts you have about the Witch Sister! I think it's the most likely to make its way into my collection...
@@TarotMagpie Wait, I have some cents to throw in! I have the Rosebud and the Intuitive Night Goddess both and of the two, I'd recommend Rosebud more (easier shuffle by FAR), but it's definitely more of an RWS clone than the Intuitive Night Goddess. The ING is RWS inspired but I would not call it a clone. I use both of them for goddess work but the Rosebud is good for reading for others.
Witch sister tarot is actually in my cart and is actively waiting for me to get it.. and every time I look at my cart it yells at me for not buying yet, lol. While I’m trying to rebuild my Irish magick practice it feel a kin to it as just that a sister/cousin type deck and I’m intrigued to learn about Scottish magick practice and discover the connection between the two and thier uniqueness too.
I have bene visiting the Witch Sister in my cart ever since filming this video 😂 I bet the connections between Irish/Scottish traditions is going to be so interesting to look into
No advice here, sorry 😋 But I got really curious about the deck you were edging😁 How's your experience with it? Searched for video's about it on your channel, but didn't find a specific one, correct? Also: kinda of funny though bc before you talked about the Witch Sister tarot, you just said you don't like people/faces looking at you in deck...It's all about that with the Witch Sister, no? 😄 And I know you got that deck in the meantime , and like it, no? 😊
Wow! Your list is nearly identical to mine- and with the same issues (not a people-y person either) I did get Shadowscapes and just couldn’t connect. I tried for a few years and can’t quite figure out what the issue is. You’ll have to update on what you decided on, particularly The Witch Sister!
@@TarotMagpie You’ll have to update on how the Witch Sister reads for you. The art is s t u n n i n g but when I see flip throughs I don’t feel much through the screen. But! There’s been a few decks that work wonderfully when in hand vs over a camera
I would definitely recommend The Shadowscapes I wish it was slightly bigger but other than that it’s a really lovely deck & book to work with!! I would not recommend the Ostara, I can’t make any sense of most of the associations, they aren’t well labelled and it all just feels a bit inconsistent :(
I've heard that about the Shadowscapes size a lot, it's one of the few tarot decks I would want an oracle size for! That's a shame about the Ostara, I think I've decided to put it off for another year.
Hi ! I discovered your channel with your video explaining your love for animal decks haha And for the first world problems, I think as long as you are not whining but aware of the "privilege" to have those concerns, you're fine expressing them ! So thank you for sharing your thoughts ❤️
You've hit on all the reasons I couldn't get along with Ostara Tarot. On its own, the artwork is beautiful. I hate the collaborative bit. It is off-putting. The shiny cardstock and gilding is terrible. The box is a double stack... one of my least favorite styles. I also don't love Hidden Realms Tarot because the cards are all one person staring out at me. 😳 But I do kinda want Witch Sister. Rosebud is lovely. Lots of nice diversity, it isn't too facey imho. I like both Wildwood and Druidcraft. I understand your conundrum though, I get frustrated by decks like, the Medicine Woman Tarot which I feel is ridiculously appropriative. I am really feeling Naturscapes... sigh.
I have the Oriens Tarot Indie, but I have heard the mass market is darker in colouring, and the images are harder to see. The guidebook is wonderful, but in all honesty, I have hardly used the deck, and I purchased to support an Aussie creator.
WOW! My mind is blown regarding the Shaman card in the Wildwood. Thank you for bringing this up. I'm getting rid of the Wildwood right now. Great video!
I have the Wildwood, I think the art is lovely and my assumption is that it is pure fiction. A deck about another world, a world near ours that is accessed through a magic portal, that is what my imagination sees. I have never read with it and it is the one with the Shaman card. I have trimmed it down to just the images, simply because I like the art. Then we use it as a Dixit deck. Dixit is a story telling board game.Those are my thoughts based on images and art in the deck. I have not read the guidebook. As I make this comment I realize I may offend some and that is not my wish. My education is not in the studies of history or archeology it's in medicine and health care. It sounds like to me, (I may be really wrong here and I can own that), with your education, knowledge and experience in the field of archeology this deck would not bring anything into your life or tarot practice. I have never had the Druidcraft. All the other decks you named with the exception of the Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot and the Rosebud Tarot I have rehomed
I’m also very interested in the Witch Sister tarot. The other deck I want is BoneStoneandEarthFlesh. It looks gorgeous! But I am not paying SEVERAL hundred dollars for a tarot deck. For me that is outrageous. Greedy. And I like Avalon but way too expensive for me.
Am I right in thinking the Bonestone and Earthflesh going mass market? The indie price tag is too much for me too but I would definitely pick up a more accessible version.
@@TarotMagpie I hope it does go mass market. I believe that Avalon mentioned it once. I don’t know when. I wouldn’t mind paying a little more than an average deck but I’ve seen it for over $900. Which imo is absurd.
My Netflix wishlist is like my tarot list, my book list, etc. I add and add but only 'sip' from them but they grow and grow!! LOL Alas, I can't have/read/watch them all. And, it's expense to buy tarot decks so you want to be super-duper sure you want it.
Unless you’re really drawn to the ostara deck as a whole I would say buying deck that you might not use big part of the year is not worth it. Save space in your collection for something that’s more important to you or gives you more use. 🤷🏻♀️ just my opinion, hope it helps ^^;;
I don't have it but that is one I do want! I feel like they're allowed to be looking at me if they're from paintings, no it doesn't make much sense 😂 I have her Golden Tarot too and it's a favourite
Almost all of these are on my wish list. The only ones I have are the Wildwood Tarot and Witch Sister Tarot. I am just now starting to spend a little time with the Wildwood Tarot and have just bought The Witch Sister Tarot, so I can’t speak to how they are yet. However, like you, I love the wild energy feel that I get from The Witch Sister Tarot. I have her other deck as well. I am an artist myself and love art, so there are times that I buy a deck for the art first and foremost, despite also being a tarot reader. I understand where you are coming from regarding cultural appropriation. However, I’m going to play devil’s advocate here…what about those of us that clearly remember parts of our past lives? How can those of us that still feel a connection to past lives that we remember be considered cultural appropriation? I’m not here to cause discord but am simply posing a consideration. Please share if you decide to get any of these. The two that I have come down close to buying are the Shadowscapes Tarot and the Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot.
Good to hear that wild energy in the Witch Sister translates in person! The art is truly beautiful. My bigger issue with these decks in particular is with the misrepresentation of historical/archaeological evidence - but I would be inclined to say that someone's actions and the consequences or repercussions in the here and now are the main importance. You can be sure that any decks I get will pop up in a video!
Love this idea for a video! I want to do this with every deck purchase decision I make XD There's always like 5 decks that are totally unalike from each other duking it out for which one I'll buy next, and I don't know how one makes a decision in that scenario! lol I have and love the Fountain Tarot. It's one of my workhorse decks. I love how the paintings are full of light. I like people in my deck (I have trouble with animal decks), but they can't look too modern or the situations can't be too specific. The Fountain Tarot is perfect because it has people but they're very sort of hazy and not tied to a specific time period and the situations are fairly abstract. The Intuitive Night Goddess, if I'm remember correctly, doesn't reference specific goddesses. It's more of just, these are a bunch of female figures and flowers collaged together. It is beautiful, and I love me a deck with a black background. There are some serious name changes to the majors and courts, which throws me off a bit.
