The newest member od my growing family of Tarot decks. The Dark Days Tarot is on of the decks I got back in December before my big Deck Buying Hiatus that began in January because I'm too broke to get new decks T-T
Anyway I ordered this deck before it was even finished on Kickstarter (a dumb habit of mine I know and I stoped now I swear) back in December 2016. So now, 6 months later, the deck finally arrived at my home (yey!).
I had to pay loads of import duties but I felt elated when I got the parcel anyway. The deck came in a bubblewrap envelope, and the box is sort of banged up (boo).
But it's really pretty and the size I expected!
The box has two pieces, and is slightly too large for the deck. There are no extra cards, just the usual cards which did not come in order but had the Major Arcana in between the pip cards, which was weird. I'll have to sort through all the cards chronologically later.
The cards are black for all the minors and white for the majors. There are no colors, just black and white and greys. The illustrations are very thin and flimsy and detailled. Some people like that, some don't. Whether you like it or not, I'll have to warn you that the minors are hard to take in in one look when lighting in the room isn't very good. That means you'll really have to scrutinize those cards if you want to connect to them and understand the meanings. this could be a major annoyance depending on your eyesight. If you like having a quick look and taking everything in at once, that probably won't work because of the thin lines of the artwork and also because of the fact that these cards have 4 sides.
North, East, South and West all have their own meanings and interpretations which are thankfully all keyworded in the book. This foursidedness was my main reason for getting this deck, because it intrigued me to have two more ways to read the cards. That being said, I'm not sure how this will work out in practice.
I tried a quick one card draw and immediately got Key XIV, Temperance, in the upright position. I don't know why, but ever since I started this blog, Temperance has been haunting me. Maybe it's the Tarot's way of telling me that I should stay focussed on my journey?
Quick first look review:
The box is stable but came with a few bumps, which is irritating. The box itself is a little too large for the cards and the book, which means that the cards could postentially get damaged if you plan on taking this deck wherever you go. The book has pretty good binding and is looks quite thick at a first glance. However the information in the book is quite scarce, because 50%+ is taken up by large pictures of the cards and other illustrations. That makes it only useful for advanced Tarotists. The images are equally unsuitable for beginners, as the concepts are often hard to grasp directly, and the flimsiness of the illustrations and lack of color-suit relation makes it harder to identify patterns.
As for the cards themselves, the illustrations are cute and I like them. However, the cardstock isn't very good. It's very thin and some cards, even though they were wrapped in plastic, already have a bump or two.
This deck has a very unique concept and feel to it. If you are and advanced reader and feel drawn to this deck, by all means check it out for yourself. If you are a complete novice, maybe consider getting another deck first. For collectors, this might be a good addition to your Tarot decks, but its also the type of deck that might remain in your closet forever. I myself am not positive this deck will be with me for long.
If I do keep this deck, I think some things need to be changed. The cards could use some edging and maybe colorful additions. And glitter.
Blessings and balance ~
Peachess
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