I first found out about the existence Paulina Cassidy's Tarot deck sometime in 2009. My college room mate had it, and she asked me to read for her with it. I was enchanted by the art, and thought it would compliment my practice. In 2010 I bought my own copy. It was the 6th tarot deck I had come to own. I was extremely drawn in by it, and used my first copy until the edges had worn and feathered out. It was looking pretty used around the time I decided to trim it of its borders. I already knew which card was which by heart so I trimmed the edges and titles off the cards. Doing this in 2015 immediately opened my eyes to the cards in a new way and made it much more easy for me to slip in and out of the cards, finding new ways to read them and new signs I had not seen before. It set the art from this tarot deck free for me. This workhorse deck has since been worn down to edges that are feathering. I have used it for endless personal and professional readings which yield great results. I love this deck. The deck pictured is a brand new copy which will no doubt suffer the same fate of being used until it is battered. That is the mark of a well-loved deck. 🔮✨✨
The paper in the new edition is different. The cards are more matte than their predecessors, as well as thinner cardstock. The illustrations are made with watercolors, pen and ink. The paintings are very intricate in detail with washes of muted colors contrasting bright or pastel colors. Many hidden symbols in the card if you allow your eyes to wander and focus on what about the card stands out. You find many meanings and correlations by observing the lines and the mixes of color. They convey mood, physical and mental weather, emotional well-being, space in time, situational descriptions, and state of the world as you coexist within it. There is fantasy and mythos present, with lots of ways to draw meaning about your personal life. Rich in symbolism. Very appealing style of illustration. The newer version has higher saturation of colors. My early edition is somewhat pale in comparison. Different moods, I guess.
The card backs remind me of Japanese watercolor paintings. These muted, smokey colors vaguely remind me of Japanese green tea, white tea with coconut, green tea with rose. It takes me back in time to my college years, memories of the people who were influential to me back then. I can smell the must of nag champa incense, which I often burn when I read with these. I'm burning some right now to evoke that mystical mindset I tune into when I read with this deck.
I am very extra so I took it upon myself to find it a matching pouch. I settled for one the Baba Studios sold a few years ago. The interior lining is a deep indigo, which I find to be entrancing and lovely. It compliments the card backs with the most delightful contrast. Pictured front and back for your enjoyment.
The wear on the cards is representative of the stages of life I have gone through as I first wore the deck down, gave it a new lease of life by trimming the borders and now find myself feathering the new borders. I've done so during turning points in my life where I was having these personal realizations with a touch of hard-earned experience. All these thoughts and images swirl in my mind when I look at these reversible card backs. How lucky I am that I found this deck and have enjoyed it this much.
From the mass market this is one of the decks that has the most personal value. I feel the same way about the Joie de Vivre Tarot, a deck that has very thick plastic lamination. I have used it until the edges got dark grey. The shape of the cards are warped from the countless times I have shuffled it. It is a deck that accompanied me through testing times in my life before I had taken the steps to move from the Caribbean to Los Angeles. I was living in the house I grew up in after college, tending to my family's needs. I was learning how to apply my life lessons to being an adult and learning how the world treated the young and independent. I did some traveling with them, ended up taking my copy all the way to Tokyo a couple of times. I took it with me wherever I went, on whichever adventure I went.
The art style is wild! Splashes of watercolor layered on top of one another to create texture and to suggest feelings. The tiny patterns drawn in pull me closer to look into the cards, wishing I could just open these illustrations up like portals and visit these worlds contained in the illustrations. The animals and flowers present are lots and lots of symbolic layers adding meaning. I've used these cards for so long now that I know exactly what they suggest when they are laid out on my table. This deck is a solid 10/10 for me, and one of my top five favorites of all time.
Paulina Cassidy's decks have been instrumental in my career as a psychic. I credit a lot of my learning experiences from the epiphanies that I had as I used these cards. These were my formative years also, when I came to apprentice under my mentor and had some of my first experiences participating in shamanic ceremonies. I sit here thumbing through new and old copies today, feeling fortunate to possess them both. This deck is slightly underrated in its online personality, but that's all right. That's why I am sharing these thoughts with you today. I hope that more of my psychic friends pick it up and give reading with it a whirl.
AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...
♡ What is your most important characteristic?
Three of Swords. Sitting with your feelings when in very bad circumstances to mourn over the loss of something important. Being in the trenches of pain and heartbreak, so much in fact that it is difficult to fathom a time in the future where you will not feel this hopeless. Reality turns dire when you lose something important to you. This deck is for help in those times and mindsets. Everything about this card evokes deep sadness or sorrow, but just as storms do, these circumstances will eventually come to pass.
♡ What are your strengths as a tarot deck?
Two of Cups. Sharing good memories in much more amicable weather, a sense of togetherness and obstacles overcome with love. Love, union of opposites. In finding balance within yourself you will attract others that will want to share that joy because they will find your company irresistible. A blossoming relationship, an emotional bond, passion, miracles, balance.
♡ What are your limits?
Four of Cups. Lacking interest in your surroundings or circumstances. Defensiveness, emotional distance. Being unhappy. Lack of motivation, emotional burnout. Ignoring gifts and opportunities. When we get stuck in these mindsets, only we can truly pull ourselves out of them.
♡ What are you here to teach me?
Queen of Swords. Don't get defensive about your ego or preserving your thoughts. This queen holds her sword defensively. From her finger burns a flame that turns into a flower with a star coming out of it. She is a witch; strong-willed, articulate, honest, reserved, willing to face the truth, quick-witted, protective. There are times when it makes sense to be this way, but then there are also times we need to hear that we are being this way. If we are being boxed into a narrow minded mentality, that is a disservice to our openness to grow and mature from our problems faced.
♡ How can I best learn to collaborate with you?
King of Cups. A sensitive, free spirit. Willing to go with the flow of the circumstances dealt, riding that wave with poise until the waters calm. Being charismatic, using influence responsibly. Being calm, open-minded and accepting of others.
♡ What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?
Six of Wands. Finding your place after a period of time feeling misplaced, the arrival of great news. Success earned through hard work. Victory and triumph. Celebration of efforts being noticed.
♡ Which card do you want to show off?
Nine of Swords. It's easy for us to start worrying about something and for it to blow up, out of proportion. It eventually comes to a scale that terrorizes us and makes us feel we'll never amount to anything. Even if it isn't true, it is easy to believe in a time of panic or extreme circumstances being endured. Inner fears, bad dreams, anxiety, agony of mind, doubt.
♡ How do you see me?
Eight of Coins. A laborious person that has more dreams, responsibilities and tasks to complete than hours in a day. Always diligently at work on something, whether to satisfy adult responsibility or to go in pursuit of dreams. Never far from loving pets that are both curious about and wanting to play with the creations.
The mess coming out of the hair is particularly personal because my hair is not naturally straight and sometimes when I put it up to get it out of my face to work it has many wild tendrils reaching out, with the waves in the hair garnering lots of undesired attention and comments at my psychic work. Still, all the stars and moons coming out of it look just like the endless piles of ideas floating out of my head quicker than I can grab them and put them down on paper. The life of a creative, constantly struggling to portray everything in their mind's eye on paper for when they have time to come around to it. Me, ever busy and ever in need of keeping productive to stay in tune with my purpose.
♡ How do you see yourself?
Ten of Swords. A bright, full moon shines over this person. Through the swords. Calm, good health. Despite things reading an end, there are signs of new beginnings being possible. Rest is needed during times of turmoil when the storm has reached its peak. An inevitable ending, emerging from the darkness, time to recuperate, a sign that the worst is over.
Visit Paulina Cassidy's web site.
I hope you enjoyed this deck review. I waited too long to get a new copy to make this post, but I'm really glad I finally got around to do it. This deck is a jewel. Speaking of jewels, the next one I am planning on reviewing is the Joie de Vivre deck. I have lots to say about that one also!
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