There’s no argument: the Shadowscapes Tarot, featuring watercolors by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, is a gorgeous deck. The fantasy style artwork  is captivating and colorful. Each card is a work of art in it’s own right. And it absolutely has my favorite version of the Death ever—a phoenix, after he’s arisen from the flames.  In fact, there are lots of animals in the artwork. Foxes, birds, butterflies, lizards and dragons are favorites. Fairies, fish and owls also abound. There’s magic in every card.

The deck comes with a full-size companion book, over 250 pages. There are sections by Tarot expert Barbara Moore, including the obligatory introduction to Tarot and sample spreads, but most of the book is by the artist.  For each card, there is a full-page black and white image, a poetic narrative describing the scene, and a brief suggestion for interpretation.

While the general meanings of cards ares similar to the standard Rider/Waite, each has the artist’s own focus and the imagery is not necessarily related. In particular, I noticed cards that often feel harsh—such as Death—are less so in this deck. It’s an optimistic deck, I’d say.

There isn’t a particular focus on Astrological symbolism beyond what’s inherent in the Rider/Waite already, transferred with the meaning by default, and no specific mention I noticed in the book. I may have missed something, but it’s definitely not the focus. So whatever connections you may make will have to be on your own.

One complaint I’ve seen about this deck is the size of the cards. They are standard Tarot deck size, but the images are so detailed, it’s hard to see everything. I tend to agree. I’d like to have a larger version, so I could see more of the detail and not feel like I’m missing out on something. But even at standard size, there is plenty to see.

I am not doing full readings with Shadowscapes yet, though. This is the kind of deck I want to get to know . (I was the same way with the Osho Zen deck. Because the cards are unique and highly nuanced, it takes longer to get acquainted. ) I do enjoy working with it, though. It’s so beautiful, you can’t help but gaze on the images and get a little lost in the dream world.

I’d think it an especially nice choice, for Tarot visualization and meditation work.   It has a very dreamy, Pisces kind of feel—good for letting go of the everyday and seeing through the lens of the almost-there. You do get sucked into the fantasy, just enough to see another perspective.

Do you guys like this deck? If you’ve got it, do you like working with it?

Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

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