Review by Terri Clement
By
Jean Marie Herzel
Self-Published
www.naturesspirittarot.com
ISBN_13:
978-09881-481-61
Retail U.S. $32.00
Released
2015
Brightly colored birds, bugs, reptiles, plants, flowers,
and gemstones make up the charming Nature Spirit Tarot.
A
heavy duty lift off top cardboard box houses the 188 page illustrated
guidebook and a smaller tuck box which holds the 78 card deck. There
was a bit of a chemical smell upon opening the box which should
dissipate with use. There are slight perforation marks on the top and
bottom of each card.
This deck is HUGE! It measures in at 4”
wide x 7” tall! The reader will definitely need to alter their
shuffling style if they typically riffle bridge shuffle, no matter
your hand size. One might try shuffling by riffling the corners or
the long edges together. A very large table would be needed to do a
large spread. They are a fantastic size though for spell work,
meditation or working with groups.
I was so curious about the large size that I emailed Ms. Herzel to inquire. Here is her response:
"Yes, the cards are large. I spent 8 years creating this deck. It involved a great deal of research into the symbolism of nature and our relationship with the plants, birds, and small creatures to find just the right energetic match with the deeper tarot meanings. Much of the symbolism that comes through is subtle, and when it came time to print, I wanted people to be able to see the detail in the images. My hope was that working with the larger images would help them to better connect with the nature energy that came forward for me as I worked to create the deck. It is a small run of decks too, and I do also think it somewhat of a collector's or art deck.
I realize it is not the standard shuffle. But, I find once you get used to it, the deck is very workable. I also feel that being harder to handle is offset by the detail in the imagery and the rich colors that came through in the larger size. Many people have told me that they use this deck as their personal deck and not as much for doing readings for people. I have been amazed and moved by how many professional tarot readers have purchased it and sent me appreciative notes. It seems that the professionals are liking the larger size for teaching too."
Strength is numbered VIII and Justice is XI. The suits are Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The court
are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Each suit has it's own
color scheme and symbol. The Cups are light blue with a Cala Lily.
Wands are orange and yellow with purple-blue crystal points and
Lavender. The Swords are dark blue with a gold sword embellished with
a blue and red snake, sunflower, and small blue and red flowers. The
Pentacles are green with a Daffodil with a pentacle center.
The
card backs are reversible friendly with a colorful mandala in the
center with butterflies in the 4 corners set on a green
background.
The High Priestess is a Snowy Owl appearing perched on a crescent moon. Below her is a a branch of a Ponderosa Pine and 3 pine cones, above and behind her there are blue lotus flowers. There is a black tulip on the left side of the card and a white one on the left.
The
6 of Cups shows
6 Cala Lilies with Yellow Wood Violets coming out of the center and
there are two green grasshoppers.
The
companion guide says to trust and share and reminds us to give
generously with pure and innocent intentions.
The
4 of Wands has
4 crystal points with Lavender growing out of the the top. There is a
branch of European Elder above the crystals and Cala Lilies and
several butterflies in the background.
The book states
“deepening inner work has allowed ideas to flow into the world and
take root.”
The
book carries a subtitle of Encounters
with Nature and the Journey of the Soul. The
book details the symbolic meanings of the images on the cards derived
from Native American, Celtic, Eastern and Western philosophy to name
a few.
The book is illustrated in full color with small images
of the cards. It gives a brief introduction and goes into card
details . It also provides classic spreads; One card, three card,
Horseshoe, and the Celtic Cross.
This set is very well put
together and lovely but a little difficult for practical use until one gets used to the size.
Review copy provided by Jean Marie
Herzel.