Tarot of the Vampires
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By: Charles Harrington
Illustrated by: Craig Maher
Publisher: Llewellyn Publishing
Number of cards: 78
Card size: 4.75 (just under) in x 2.75 in
Box size: 8.25 x 5.5 x 2 in
Guidebook pages: 201
Release Date: July, 2023
Purchased or gifted?: Publicity copy gifted from Llewellyn Publishing
First card pulled: The Fool
Absolute favorite card: Eight of Pentacles & Two of Wands
My favorite cards: The magician, ace of cups, page of swords, strength, the chariot, the hierophant, the emperor
First Impressions: I absolutely love this deck. I love the artwork, the guidebook, the box. It’s really speaking to me and I can’t wait to use this all year long. Obviously it speaks to Samhain/Halloween as well as Scorpio but I don’t think there’s one season to love vampires so I plan on using it all year long.
Let’s talk about my fav card. To be honest, I’m having a hard time picking one favorite. At first it was the two of wands, then the eight of pentacles, then the hierophant but also strength. The artwork is so hauntingly beautiful making it nearly impossible to choose just one card for a favorite. I’m slightly leaning towards the two wands. I LOVE the wand wings featured on various cards. I found it to be a brilliant depiction of wands and vampires. But I also appreciate the religious references in cards like the hierophant.
I am not religious but religions intrigue me. In fact, if religions weren’t so problematic as they can often be, I could easily see myself being a nun. The devotion to a practice really speaks to my heart. But I also love how churches and religious elements can sometimes feel dark and haunting. You see a lot of those church elements (eight of wands, knight of pentacles, five of cups, the hermit) like stained glass windows, columns, cathedral ceilings, and stone work spread throughout the cards. And I think that’s something that needed to be included. Vampires (like all mystical things) and religion, have been in a dangerous dance for hundreds of years. Seeing a fair amount of religious elements almost feels like a middle finger to these institutions as well as a reclamation.
Another theme I have come to love is the “old money” vibe (ten of pentacles, nine of pentacles, two of pentacles) as well as the corporate vibe (page of pentacles, emperor, three of pentacles) spread among many of the pentacles. These cards remind me of a show called the Originals for those who are familiar as well as my favorite paranormal romance series, the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R.Ward. Both are about vampires and honestly, I might be biased about this deck because I LOVE vampires. They have been my favorite mystical creature ever since I was a kid. I hated scary movies except vampire movies. Those I could never get enough of.
And then of course there is plenty of blood. The strength (see below) card is beautiful. A blood lion is ripping out of a woman’s chest. It’s very macabre and probably my favorite depiction of the strength card ever. The ace of cups is also wonderful, featuring a cup of well, blood. And then the magician features blood floating in the air in the shape of the infinity sign. I haven’t studied a deck in a long time but I think I’m going to study, ever single card of this deck. I love it that much and I resonate with it.
The deck stays pretty true to the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot. The cards haven’t been renamed and there are no additional cards. But there is plenty of brilliance in the guidebook and in the artwork. The guidebook, titled Codex of the Vampires, is excellent. It has a few pages about the history of tarot, a ritual for blessing the deck, several spreads and a variety of tarot practices to make the most of your deck. But my favorite section is chapter 1: In the Shadow of the Vampire, which is essentially an introduction to what vampires are and how much they mirror the human struggle.
You’ve probably heard me say I have a Scorpio stellium and maybe that’s why I love vampires so much. If Scorpio were a mythical creature, she would for sure be a vampire. Scorpio represents transformation, deep emotional waters, and a willingness to explore the shadows. I believe working with vampires offers the same, not unlike what Charles has described in this chapter.
Each card does have a small paragraph for reversals if you use them in your practice. But be aware that the backs of the cards makes it pretty clear if a card is in reverse. There are two roses on the card. When the red rose is facing up, the cards are upright and when the white rose is facing up, the cards are in reverse. Some people do not like to know this ahead of flipping a card over so something to consider if this is important to you.
The box is a big box with a magnetic closure on the side. It has a platform to hold the cards inside with the guidebook placed neatly on top. It features the ten of pentacles inside the box flap and the image on the guidebook (King of Wands) is different from the box image (Queen of Swords). I really like when publishers do that. It almost feels like cheating when the guidebook and box are the same. I know that’s how it is with my decks which isn’t my choice. So when I do see a different cover for the guidebook, it really makes me happy and feels like someone went that one extra step.
The one thing I don’t like about the deck is that there is no gilding. I think that’s such a missed opportunity. Red sides like the ones on Seasons of the Witch Samhain oracle would have been STUNNING!! Or a deep burgundy!! But honestly, any color other than white sides would have been great too. Obviously it doesn’t stop the deck from being accurate or from working the way it needs to but I do feel like it takes away from it a bit and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.
That is seriously the only ding I would give this deck. I love it so much that I think it’s going to be reserved just for me. There are decks that I will read for my tarot readings online, ones I read for family and friends and then ones that really resonate that I don’t allow anyone else to touch. This is definitely one of those.
Any decks you’d like a review on? Have any questions about decks at all? Leave me a comment and stay tuned for more reviews.
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