Chrysalis Tarot

One of the problems with the Tarot in general is that its imagery has become rather stale. Each "tradition" has its own set of pre-cast imagery, and even though some are incredibly beautiful and innovative, still, one is left with the feeling that, "Oh no, another one." When I get a new deck, I am always hoping for something indeed new, but the demand of the marketplace all too often take priority over innovation, and we wind up with a parade of clones.Enter the Chrysalis. If you're looking for the same old thing, you won't find it here. Here is the fresh breeze of inspiration that many have been waiting for. When I first opened it, what came immediately to mind is the Voyager. I remember the impression that deck made on me, and in its time, it was a whole new ballgame. But the while the Voyager is heavily analytical, the best word I can use to describe the Chrysalis is "Mythic". The images are very fairy-tale like, but rather than calling to mind the standard set of familiar stories, these cards encourage you to generate your own fairy tale, to tell your own story, and become your own myth.While the structure of the deck is similar to the "traditional" tarot, the imagery is very much a new ballgame. They are bright, colorful, and in most cases more suggestive than explicit in meaning. In many cases the images seem familiar, and yet are a very different take on the underlying theme. Consider XV, "The Devil" in a traditional deck, but here, "Bella Rosa," a masked lady parading through a carnival. The mask provides a certain anonymity, an isolation between the world and the inner person; while this can be a good and even necessary thing, how evil it is that a person must fundamentally lie about their true being to live in the world! Each one of these cards will make you think about new ways of looking at old meanings.And that is a major breakthrough. A Tarot card has two meanings, an objective and a subjective. The objective meaning, or "denotation", is bound up in a set of keywords, relationships within an esoteric system, and body of knowledge that points to a pre-determined. a priori definition of what the card means. You sit in a room, the Great Teacher informs you as to the meaning, and forever after that is what the card means. On the other hand, there is the subjective meaning or "connotation", a personal reaction to the card that often draws on unconscious sources which embellish the images with a personal significance. The chief problem in learning to read the Tarot, at least in learning to read it as an oracle, is getting beyond the denotation, into the subjective connotation, which is where the actual divination takes place. In a deck such as this. where the imagery is quite different from the body of traditional -- one way or another -- "learning" that fills the Tarot community, one is forced to rely on the subjective. You will have to look into your own soul to understand what these cards mean, and what they will mean to you is different from what they will mean to anybody else. Subjectivity is individuating -- having to find things out for yourself breaks you off from the herd. And as this deck breaks itself off from the "traditions" -- even, thankfully, the ones I often rely on -- to read it you will need to discover something of yourself that has remained hidden behind the mask.Which brings us to the book. I generally don't like tarot books, but this one is different. Instead of repeating the usual prattle, this one is short, to the point, and serves its purpose of launching your journey, rather than hand-holding you through it. I come from a very different background than the author, and would take issue with much of what is here, but the point is that the issues are raised, and how you follow them through the cards is your own prerogative. The book, in this case, is a helpful tool rather than a hindrance.I could go on about this deck for ever, and that is probably the best thing I can say about it. Its mandala-like imagery beckons one to go on forever. For here is a tool for the exploration of the conscious and the unconscious; for as long as consciousness exists, that exploration will go on, and indeed consciousness can only continue to exist where that exploration is possible.

I got this deck yesterday. I have many many decks and use them for public readings. I know, pretty much, instantly if a deck will resonate. I love this deck. Yes- it’s also made easy to shuffle. Does not stick together ect. But I love it for the illustrations and the mind of the creators. A unique set of wisdom skills and perspective. I just ordered the companion book. I would have save a few dollars had I ordered them as a set. Oh well. I’m m eager to read more on the authors musings. I must say I do not care for the flimsy and hard to open and store box the cards came in. The publishers tend- I believe- to use this bare bones style. I appreciate decks that come in sturdy boxes with beautiful presentation and a ribbon for ease to get the deck out. That is a hindrance. I would take a star away for that, but I am separating that from the content in the deck which deserves the 5 stars.

I can't say enough good things about this deck. I have been collecting decks since 1976 & am a professional reader. I'm also an artist so I am very well aware of how much work goes into creating a tarot deck (that is why I have yet to create one & have stuck to the smaller Lenormand decks). The artwork of Holly Sierra is so lovely. When I first received the deck I kept looking through the images. I caught myself drooling several times. My normal thing is to immediately shuffle & ask "how will you & I get along" & pull cards. I didn't do that with this deck. It took me a week to do an actual reading with it. I was too busy examining the artwork over & over again. The detail is amazing, colors are so vibrant that they jump off the card, & on a black reading cloth the images pop with incredibly vibrancy and detail. Being a traditionalist I am not crazy about the renaming of most of the major arcana cards, new names for the 4 suits & also all new names for the court cards that vary from suit to suit. Based on the deviation from RWS tradition regarding the titles of the cards I would NOT recommend this deck for beginners. If you're a collector or a seasoned reader, then by all means do yourselves a favor & treat yourself to this deck. I plan on purchasing a second copy so I can keep it in pristine condition for the time when this deck goes OOP. I may even by a third copy and I have only purchased multiple copies of ONE other deck in my collection of over 200. That says a lot for the Chrysalis Tarot.

This is a very special deck and not for people who are looking for a deck based on any classical tarot tradition. It is a soul probing/searching deck that helps you grow spiritually, very personal. Some say it's not for beginners - well, if you mean in the sense of classical tarot journey it is true, also if you plan to read to others with it, you might get stuck. It could be viewed as a mix of tarot and an oracle.All in all, you can still see the spirit of traditional tarot in most cards, but some meanings are heavily different.Court cards are a delight, and easily relatable, unlike court cards of most decks.The little white booklet provides some information, there is also seperate book, but generally this deck is intended for lots of journaling and intuitive reading.As goes for quality: box and LWB are regular,but cards are actually of really good quality! I would say one of the best I own. Pleasant to hold and shuffle. They are not laminated and not good for any agressive shuffling like riffle shuffling, though.