Deck Interview with the Victorian Fairy Tarot

The Victorian Fairy Tarot - Review and Deck Interview

I have had the Victorian Fairy Tarot by Lunea Weatherstone and art by Gary A. Lippincott for a while but haven’t really gotten around to interviewing it yet. Recently gaining a certificate as a Fairyologist has lit a fire under my backside to start working more with my fairy-themed decks, including the beautiful Victorian Fairy Tarot.

Victorian Fairy Deck and Book Set Description

The Victorian Fairy Tarot is a standard sized Tarot deck (120 x 72 mm) printed by Llewellyn publishing on their usual smooth (shuffles well) but rather flimsy card stock. There are 78 cards, so no extras and there are some deviations from the standard RWS structure in that the suits corresponds with seasons and the correspondences are not the usual Golden Dawn Ones:

Wands – Fire – Spring (Spring is Air/Swords in the Golden Dawn)
Cups – Water – Summer (Summer is Fire/Wands in the GD)
Pentacles – Earth – Autumn (Autumn is Water/Cups in the GD)
Swords – Air – Winter (Winter is Earth/Pentacles in the GD)

The Pages are known as ‘Heralds’ – the rest of the courtiers retain their traditional titles.

The Victorian Fairy Tarot Majors

The Fool
Conjuror (The Magician)
Seeress (The High Priestess)
The Empress
The Emperor
Vicar (The Hierophant)
Fairy Bride (The Lovers)
The Chariot
Fortitude (Strength)
The Hermit
Wheel of Time (The Wheel of Fortune)
Magistrate (Justice)
Hanging Fairy (The Hanged Man)
Death
Temperance
Goblin Market (The Devil)
Burning Oak (The Tower)
Stars (The Star)
The Moon
The Sun
Awakening (Judgement)
Worlds (The World)

Victorian Flower Language

One of the more enchanting aspects of this deck, other than the beautiful artwork, is that there are numerous references to the Victorian Flower Language and there is even an appendix with the more common flowers at the back of the book.

Big Companion Book

The companion book is well thought through and has 253 pages of information, with black and white drawings of each card. How to do a one or two card draw and three tailor-made spreads are included. Below is a sample from the companion book on the Queen of Spring (Wands).

The Queen of Spring from the Victorian Fairy Tarot

I was very eager to interview the Victorian fairies… but when I started rummaging for the Tarot deck and its companion book (which no longer live together, as I find the Llewellyn boxes too bulky after my deck collecting habit got the better of me), it struck me that neither of the two deck interview spreads I had been using would tell me all I wanted to know. I believe that when you interview a fairy deck, you have a wonderful opportunity of connecting with the elementals who helped inspire and create it.

The thought then entered my mind to create a spread in the shape of a fairy ring. Making a crystal or rock fairy ring is a way of inviting the elementals in… I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with Tarot cards as well! I remembered the Faery Star Tarot Spread which I created a couple of years ago. You can say that I re-purposed that spread for the job of interviewing any fairy-themed deck, whether it be a Tarot or an oracle deck…

For the Fairy Ring Deck Interview Spread, simply lay seven cards out in a circle and politely invite the Fae in before turning the cards over.

Victorian Fairy Tarot Deck Interview

Victorian Fairy Tarot Deck Interview

1. Moon

How will this deck work with me on an intuitive level? (You may even be shown your elemental guide here)

The Hermit – It will work with the knowledge you already have and tease it out from within. You need to be in a contemplative frame of mind.

2. Mars

What is your motivation for wanting to work with me?

Knight of Winter (Swords) – Your mind works in a way that is suitable and we share an agenda of being on a quest to help humanity understand that we all belong to each other.

3. Mercury

What sort of messages are you wanting to pass on through me? (Shows which type of readings the elemental(s) behind this deck prefer)

Stars (The Star) – Any message that brings hope to mankind. I find it interesting that this Aquarian energy card follows the Aquarian Knight of Winter. Definitely a ‘oneness’ theme going on here…

4. Jupiter

How will I benefit from working with you?

King of Spring – You will feel energised and inspired… ready to take charge and inspire others!

5. Venus

How can I use this deck to bring more beauty, joie de vivre and fairy sparkles into the life of seekers?

Eight of Water – By working with their emotions and helping them understand that the discontent and restlessness they feel is because they have left the wild part of themselves behind. By helping them let go of that which no longer serves them and helping them to return to a more natural, simple and joyful way of moving in the world.

6. Saturn

What will be my main challenge when working with this deck?

The Magistrate (Justice) – To stay balanced and not impose your own agenda. To always see the beauty at the core of any matter.

7. Sun

Please show me an aspect of yourself that you want me to get to know better. (If you ask reverently and are lucky, you may even see the elemental who is the main inspiration behind this deck)

Queen of Spring – Yay! I was hoping to see a female elemental here because this deck does feel mainly feminine to me. This deck has personality with a capital P. Charisma is her middle name! I’m sure I can learn a LOT from her!

I already like this deck because of the artwork (borderless is better too!) but now that I have spent some time with it, it is quickly becoming one of my favourite decks and I look forward to many fun and interesting readings!

signture

Comments

  1. Lisa, you are really in your “element” when you are doing this work. The universe is lucky to have you. Congrats on the Fairy-ologist certification – so proud!!!

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