22 Roads and 40 spirits: New Orleans Voodoo Tarot Deck Review
 | Let me start off with two VERY important things. These are things that are vitally important to understanding this deck and working with it. Ready? 1. VOODOO IS NOT EVIL! That's right, I said it. Voodoo is not evil. Like all magick it can be used for less then pure intents, but the religion/practice of voodoo actually has really strong Catholic roots. 2. This is not a deck for beginners - UNLESS you have a good handle on both French and Voodoo/Santaria spirits. |
This set comes with 79 cards, an anomoly when it comes to tarot. There is a wild card in the Major Arcana that represents the barons, which ironically are masters of the roads and change... making it the perfect lead in to the minor arcana. There are 40 spirit cards (pips 1-10) of each suit, plus the 16 temple cards (the court cards). Broken into the 4 suits, they are Petro (Fire/Wands), Congo (Water/Cups), Rada (Air/Swords) and Santaria (Earth/Pentacles). The cards themselves are pretty amazing. At roughly 2x3 inches they are a great size for my smaller hands. The card stock is pretty sturdy as well, without being too thick. The back of each card features a veve (symbol) that is a mixture of several loa symbols and is a rich purple and yellow color that reminds me of the colors of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The depections on each card are rich and vibrantly colored, but the woodcut/rough drawing look may frustrate those who are used to fine detail in their cards. Interestingly enough this is one of the very few decks out there that features black people in the illustrations.
Thank heavens for the 276 page book that comes with this set - because boy, would I have been lost. And that is WITH being married to a man who is very familiar with voodoo. Each card is labeled with a elemental symbol and the name of the card - IN FRENCH - so if your French is rusty you might struggle. In addition, while the book does lay out basic info about the loa and spirits represented in the deck, a deeper understanding of the culture will really enhance the experience for you. The book not only gives the divination meanings, but a brief overview of voodoo itself. The front of the book also features an AMAZING Kaballah Tree of Life that includes the voodoo aspects, making it much more complex and interesting.
My husband utilizes this deck for every one of his voodoo workings, and the cards are always spot on with their revelations. I tend not to touch the deck as much - due in part to a shock I got when we first unwrapped this deck.... an actual electric tingle up my arm that to this day still makes me jumpy.
It is however an amazingly powerful addition to any collection even if you don't read with it on a regular basis.
Thank heavens for the 276 page book that comes with this set - because boy, would I have been lost. And that is WITH being married to a man who is very familiar with voodoo. Each card is labeled with a elemental symbol and the name of the card - IN FRENCH - so if your French is rusty you might struggle. In addition, while the book does lay out basic info about the loa and spirits represented in the deck, a deeper understanding of the culture will really enhance the experience for you. The book not only gives the divination meanings, but a brief overview of voodoo itself. The front of the book also features an AMAZING Kaballah Tree of Life that includes the voodoo aspects, making it much more complex and interesting.
My husband utilizes this deck for every one of his voodoo workings, and the cards are always spot on with their revelations. I tend not to touch the deck as much - due in part to a shock I got when we first unwrapped this deck.... an actual electric tingle up my arm that to this day still makes me jumpy.
It is however an amazingly powerful addition to any collection even if you don't read with it on a regular basis.