Deck Review: Magical Nordic Tarot by Jayne Wallace

Newly published tarot and oracle decks arrive on Amazon, Etsy, crowd-funding platforms, and in bookstores every month. Today there are literally thousands of decks to choose from, including out-of-print decks as well as published ones. Reviewing a deck is a subjective judgement intended to help readers determine if they want to own the deck. The critical review of a deck for AskAstrology involves looking at the quality and size of the cards, visual accessibility of the art, quality of the companion book or booklet, and potential usefulness in professional practice. This month I have chosen to review Magical Nordic Tarot by Jayne Wallace.

The Cards

From the publisher:

From images of symbolic animals (like wolves and bears) to depictions of the Northern Lights and Nordic Tree of Life, The Magical Nordic Tarot is filled with powerful imagery. There are references to the Nordic Gods and Goddesses, including Odin and Freya, and images of key Nordic symbols, such as the Nordic compass and Rune stones. References to some of the key characters in Nordic myths include a mischievous squirrel called Ratatoskr, who would run up and down the Tree of Life stirring up trouble between the eagle on top and the serpent at the bottom. The deck also includes a book giving detailed information about each card, along with key words, an inspirational message, and interesting Nordic legends (many believe the Northern Lights were the souls of lost soldiers).

About the artist:

Jayne Wallace is an internationally acclaimed clairvoyant and the owner and driving force behind her world-renowned company ‘Psychic Sisters’. Jayne has been a naturally gifted clairvoyant since the age of seven, and has consistently studied across the world, continuously honing her craft in becoming one of the world’s most respected psychics. Jayne is also an established author with her publications My Psychic Stories, 44 Ways to Talk to Your Angels and My Psychic Casebook. Jayne has collaborated and designed her own tarot decks; Oceanic Tarot, The Angel Tarot, The Crystal Power Tarot, Nordic Tarot.

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Card Stock and Shuffling

Printed on thin card stock, the Magical Nordic Tarot by Jayne Wallace has a gloss finish with rounded corners and are easy to riffle shuffle, even if you have small hands. The cards flex easily because the card stock is on the thinner side; pleasantly, they do not stick together when they first come out of the box. Because the card stock is on the thinner side, they will likely need to be replaced in a few years if heavily used.

Artwork and the Visual Accessibility of the Deck

The artwork in the Magical Nordic Tarot by Jayne Wallace is simple but pleasing, the colors are bright and rich. However, the visual accessibility of the deck would be very limited without keywords on the cards and the extended explanations in the booklet. It would be impossible to discern meanings solely from the images, especially the minor arcana where the creator elected to use pips instead of characters and scenes. This aspect forces the reader to rely on the keywords and accompanying booklet for interpretation. This choice is something of a creative shortcut that makes the deck less appealing when compared to decks that use characters and scenes throughout all 78 cards.

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Strength

Meaning:

The Strength card denotes a time when you may need to protect the people you love, including yourself, from the negative forces around them. Your patience will be tested as other people’s actions push you to the limit. Old insecurities could also resurface, and follow you around, like bullies in a playground. Gentle coercion rather than force is essential now, both with yourself and others.

The Dragonfly and Pansy

Meaning:

The Queen of Cups is the queen of hearts; kind, caring, and full of compassion, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and is happiest when looking after those she loves. She usually represents a motherly figure in your life, such as an older friend, trusted co-worker, or female family member, who will always be there for you, no matter what.

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The Rooster and the Sunflower

Meaning:

The Two of Pentacles often appears when there’s a dilemma between two options, both of which have their own merits and pitfalls. It can signify a choice between two jobs, career paths, or places to live or study. Dilemmas about money, such as the cost of a home or budget for a wedding, are possible, and joint investments with partners, including mortgages, might need to be considered, too.

Explanation of the Cards

The deck comes with a nice guidebook that has four sections: Introduction, The Spreads, The Major Arcana, and The Minor Arcana. The images of the cards in the booklet are in color. The Major Arcana cards each get a full page with a description, keywords, message, and meaning, as well as a sentence under each card explaining the Norse mythology connection. Under the image of the High Priestess, the author writes, “The Nordic gods and goddesses often wear clothing made of feathers or fur, believing it would help them take on characteristics of the animals.” There is one additional card in the Major Arcana, numbered 23, and assigned as Charity, with a keyword on the card of Generosity. The art style is very different from Hannah Davies work (the artist for the 78 cards), drawn by artist, Tracy Emin.  The Minor Arcana cards are two to a page with only keywords and a blended description/meaning paragraph.

Usefulness

The Magical Nordic Tarot a well-designed, if simple deck, which makes it a very good deck for reading in public spaces where people with no experience with the tarot could interact with the cards without dealing with some of the more intense representations found in decks like the Thoth, Haindl, or Darkside Skeleton Tarots.

Rating

I give this deck 3.5 out of 5 stars. The meanings in the booklet are well-written, and extremely insightful. The artwork is very appealing, though more in line with a children’s book style than something serious. The card stock is thin, so the deck will not last if heavily used use. If there were no keywords on the pips cards, I would rate the deck lower, but I still find the use of pips instead of characters and scenes diminishes the deck’s overall value.

Where to Buy this Deck

If you like this deck and wish to purchase a copy, you can do so on all major online retailers.