MYSTIC DREAMER TAROT (Deck and Book) - review

Mystic Dreamer Tarot and Journal, Barbara Moore and Heidi Darras, Llewellyn Worldwide, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989, 2008. 78-card deck with pouch and 220 pp. book. $26.95

The Mystic Dreamer Tarot book and card set by Barbara Moore is by far the best deck I’ve ever used. The imagery the artist Heidi Darras puts on each card draws the eye and illuminates the imagination, so you find yourself searching for meaning before you even consult the journal. Technically it is digital art, but there are no limitations to the scope and beauty each card contains. The meanings conveyed by the cards are also augmented by feelings: mystery, intuition, dread, illumination. I, for one, am glad the artist paid atten­tion to her fans on the DA (deviant art) and finished a whole deck. Use a magnifying glass and you will see even more detail and hidden meaning.

        And the author carried it even further, using a gentle guid­ance and technique for the readers to follow. There are several spreads the author includes, as well as communi­cating to the reader the significance of the cards. What I really like are the Use your intuition boxes at the end of each explanation, asking specific questions that make you think and ponder the cards even more.

        I have worked with this deck more than any other, and I have several. It has been the most accurate, in that it speaks to me, and I in turn can share its knowledge with others through readings. It causes a visceral reaction in me, flood­ing me with ideas and notions only the Universe can provide with a deck that is sensitive to it.

        Ms. Darras began with three pieces of artwork that she shared on-line, and received such an overwhelming re­sponse to continue that she created the entire deck. I believe the circumstances through which the images were created enter into the flow of both the cards and the journal, provid­ing a connection to the mystic and dreams. It was almost as if the universe provided both the inspiration and the connec­tion. Kudos to the artist and writer whose combined efforts have created a superior tarot set. I highly recommend it to the novice on up to the adept.

Review by Jen DeClan