by Jessica Lei Howard
(1st Edition)
This is one of the prettiest, highest-quality independent tarot decks I’ve ever backed. The style of the deck is Art Nouveau, with the same delicate flourishes and attention to detail that the style is known for. The deck comes in a sturdy, attractive lidded box for shelf-friendly storage, and the deck came with a gorgeous reading cloth with the cicada of the Death card printed in gold. The cards are on thick, sturdy card stock, with a rose-gold edging that makes the deck visually quite stunning.
The guidebook is about 125 pages with a blank section for notes at the end. There’s a small, color card image accompanying each meaning, which is part narrative explanation and part keyword explanation for the card as a whole, as well as each symbolic component of the image, with keywords included for both upright meanings and card reversals. Each card gets about a page and a half, so many card meanings start on one page and finish on another page, which is a little unusual at first but not difficult to use for readings.
The narrative explanations include a first-person vignette from the creator about their personal connections to the card meanings and images, and why they picked specific images to represent the cards. I really liked this part a lot more than I thought I would, because it’s not something you see in many guidebooks, which are generally presented as “This is what the card means.”
There aren’t any extras, like customized spreads or deck care, so this might not be the right deck for a novice who might need a little more guidance.
As with many independently produced decks, in the first pressing there are a few typos, but I’m sure that 2nd and future editions will be tidied up, and the typos weren’t a deal-breaker for me.
This is a great deck for fans of nature decks, and truth be told, that’s not usually my go-to deck type. I backed this as a gift for a friend, and then at the last call for add-ons, added one for myself on impulse, and I have to say I haven’t regretted it because I enjoy working with it. Art deck fans will enjoy the Nouveau style and beauty of the cards.
Best suited for intermediate to advanced readers, it’s an interesting and unique addition that’s perfectly suited to everyday use , professional readers, or special occasion spreads.
Learn more or back 2nd run: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/foragersdaughter/the-foragers-daughter-tarot-2nd-run