Sun Signs Everything Under The Sun!
Deck Review of Dark Goddess Tarot
I’ve been working with this deck on and off for several months now. I thought it was about time to write a review. In the interests of transparency, I will confess that I consider Ellen, a friend. However, I don’t believe that will impact my impression of this Dark Goddess Tarot.
I was privy to the fact that Ellen was working on a Dark Goddess-themed tarot a few years ago. I remember chatting with her about the project and what goddesses might fit the energies of various cards (not that I’m in any way implying I influenced the creation of this deck). Also, I thought it was a great idea and couldn’t wait to see how Ellen manifested this concept. It was worth the wait.
Dark Goddess Tarot Deck
The deck is a traditional Tarot deck with 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards divided into 4 suits – Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The court cards are Amazon, Siren, Witch, and Hag. Ellen tapped into goddesses from various cultures – Irish, Norse, Aztec, Inuit, Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Indian, and more. In the companion book (which I highly recommend purchasing if you get this deck),
Ellen writes about each goddess’ mythos as well as what it might mean if she appears in your reading and some ways to connect with her energies. Ellen’s art is classically simple with a palette that uses bright and neutral colors to create engaging images that are rather unexpected in a deck devoted to dark goddesses. It’s a refreshing break from the moody, gothic-inspired dark decks that are out there.
One of the things I find intriguing about this deck is that many of the goddesses included are not traditionally considered “dark.” For example, Gaia, Nut, and Baubo come to mind as goddesses who might not be considered dark. However, when one looks at the myths and legends connected to these goddesses, it becomes clearer that even the brightest goddess has her dark side. This makes sense when you consider that even the sweetest, kindest humans have their dark sides too.
Energies
I’ve been working with this deck for several weeks now as part of a personal journey. Each day that I use it, I come to appreciate its energies even more. I’ve always been drawn to dark goddesses. I consider The Morrigan one of my matron deities. This deck has helped me grow more familiar with these dark goddesses and introduced me to some with whom I was unfamiliar.
Would I make changes to this deck? Of course, I would if I had created it – then again, that’s true of most decks and in no way detracts from Ellen’s accomplishment. She has managed to bring the darkness into the light and allow us to explore and connect with its energies in not frightening or threatening ways.
Ellen has helped introduce these powerful, awesome goddesses to an audience that might never have learned about them otherwise. She can now work with their energies to heal, grow, explore their internal darkness, and help guide others. If you are interested in working with goddess energies, I strongly recommend adding this deck to your collection.
I was keen on this when it was published, but the shipping is so high these days that it pushed it into the realm of not being affordable for me.
I had one Doreen Virtue goddess deck I traded, and I have one other, The Mythical Goddess Tarot, that I enjoy. So many of the self-published decks are out of my reach on a pension.