Calandra Tarot

The two first elements that stand out in veteran Heavy Metal artist Michael Calandra's tarot deck are the back art as well as the borderless front art. Personally I have always found an attraction to a deck's back art since it is what we see when shuffling. This deck has an amazing dapple-painted image of two mirrored trees connected by a spiral, set floating within light blue skies. There is a peace to the image, bringing about a sense of the micro and macrocosm we exist in, helping to set the tone for the reading. Once you begin to explore the deck and go through the cards, the borderless images spring forth bathed in an array of purples and blues. Being a fantasy art fan and growing up on Dungeons and Dragons along with all my comic books, certain cards really stand out in his style. The VlI of Swords, for instance, brings back memories of Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar series with the Grey Mouser stealing the swords from the traveling tents. I particularly like The Hanged Man as a skeleton which then leads into XIII. It's as if the skeleton climbed down from the tree only to begin its journey clearing a new path to enlightenment and rebirth. That said, this is definitely a deck for folks more interested in light fantasy that doesn't go too dark. It has a whimsy to it with cards like The Sun and the V of Swords. This also might be a little disconcerting for some readers, as the characters' faces lean more into caricature than reality. Overall my only issue with the deck tends to be the faces, since they seem to run the gamut from serious to whimsical to downright strange as can be seen in the X of Cups. One other interesting aspect is the addition of two extra cards that echo the back art with an As Above and a So Below card. With these additional cards you can examine the microcosm versus the macrocosm in your reading, adding a layer that can give you guidance as to where to focus. Overall, it's a deck that I enjoy from nostalgia-one that leans back into the stories I loved as a fantasy kid who was overstimulated on a heavy dose of Dragonlance, Tolkien, and Le Guin. Great job, Michael and US Games!

—B. Earl, Tarot collector and workshop presenter

This deck is so gorgeous. It is so soft with the most beautiful color palette. It continues in the same traditional RWS symbolism but it feels so different to me. For me this deck just exudes joy and compassion and spirituality with its art style. I love the backs of these cards also with a tree of life design that can easily be used in upright and reverse. The card stock does feel very smooth with a strong core. I would say they feel a bit stiff to me, however with use I'm sure that would yield. They are a semi-gloss sheen and they are about 1/4" longer than a standard tarot making it a bit difficult to riffle shuffle with my short fingers. I have been enjoying doing a lot of side shuffles with my decks, and this one is no different. The book is a wonderful small guidebook with all the information you will need to work with this deck. It can be a wonderful alternative deck for beginners also! I would highly recommend this deck for all readers including beginners. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it comes with two extra cards "As Above, and "So Below" which are a beautiful addition to this deck. If you would like to see a full walkthrough of this stunning deck, check out my YouTube channel at Amethyst Ascension Tarot & Astrology.

—Amethyst Ascension

Ready to be read right out of the box! I opened the box and immediately did several great readings from this deck without having to study it or read the guidebook on it. The illustrations are beautiful with nice pastel colors. Each card is very clear and easy to read and follows the Rider Waite Smith System. If you are a beginner to tarot this would be a great first deck if you resonate with it. The cardstock is nice and shuffles smoothly with no problem although it's slightly longer than the traditional tarot card size. Overall, I highly recommend this deck and without a doubt it will be one of my go-to decks for this year and beyond.

—Anne Ti, deck collector & YouTuber