Wheel of Fortune – Wild Unknown Tarot
I first read about this deck in a blog post a couple of months ago (and have since seen it starring in a lot of edgy-teenager instagram galleries – but don’t let that deter you!) and was instantly intrigued by it’s creepy, eldritch artwork. Since I live in England, however, and the deck is only published in America (so far as I can tell), I filed it away on my “Maybe one day…when the stars align…” Tarot wishlist: slightly more accessible than the out-of-print Ukiyo-e deck, but still fairly unlikely to find its way into my hands.
Or so I thought…
…Turns out I completely underestimated my boyfriend, who bought it for me for our five year anniversary (with neither hint nor prompt from me, I might add. I never even mentioned this deck to him). I was so thrilled when I opened the wrapping paper and pulled out the deck, closed inside its satisfyingly heavy box.
The Cards
The artwork is like no Tarot deck I have seen before: scratchy black lines and incredibly unusual symbolism that seem only lightly influenced by the usual Tarot clichés: although I love the traditional decks, I will confess that I’ve been finding them stifling and uninspired recently. The Wild Unknown Tarot is so refreshing! The images are largely monochromatic, so when the artist does use colour, the impression I get is that they put a lot of thought into which colours to use and where in the composition to place them. The use of colour is a deliberate indicator as to the interpretation of the card; however, since it’s the subconscious that tentatively feels after the meaning of the artist’s palette first, any relevance the colour usage is meant to imply only reveals itself to the conscious interpretation of the reader after a lot of thought. The reader’s interpretation is then tinted by the subconscious’ understanding as if by sunlight seeping through a stained glass window. It’s slow, it’s teasing, it’s intense. This is not a deck for quick-and-fluffy three card readings; it takes time and care. Reading for myself with these cards feels like listening to a song in a language I only half remember.
Suspended in harp strings.
The imagery: animals, trees, insects, stars… with the exception of swords, there are no man-made items in the deck, nor are there people. Instead, court cards are represent by a ‘family’ of creatures for each suit: owls for swords, deer for pentacles, snakes for wands and swans for cups. I love that the creators have dispensed with the traditional hierarchy (/patriarchy) of Page, Knight, Queen and King, opting instead for a more balanced, organic and female-friendly family unit: Daughter, Son, Mother and Father.
Having said that, this deck is certainly not for the faint of heart; like nature herself, the cards don’t shy away from the darker facets of life: the ten of swords is a bison pierced by blades and Death is an eerie bird skeleton – all hollow bones and scattered feathers. Creepy and amazing, this deck is the perfect antidote to some of the saccharine oracle decks that have been flooding the world of divination recently.
The Reader
An experienced Tarot reader would probably get the most out of these cards: the pips are only partially illustrated and the Major Arcana lacks the usual symbolism, making this deck a microcosm: whole, but self contained. A beginner reader may find this perplexing and frustrating, but with a little Tarot know-how, this deck’s deceptively simple style becomes rich and complex. I’ll admit, it occasionally perplexes me, but I enjoy the sensation of stretching to catch up with the cards.
Any last words?
Awe and wonder. When I was a teenager who couldn’t read the cards without labouring over a guidebook, Tarot had an aura of mystery and glamour that sadly got a little worn around the edges as I spent years searching for the perfect deck. I became more and more disheartened and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cards out there, none of which felt quite right. This is the closest any deck has ever gotten to what I feel in my heart would be perfect, and I have a feeling that when I eventually design my own cards, they’ll be heavily influenced by the stark simplicity of the Wild Unknown Tarot.
New Deck Insight Spread
You’ll probably recognise this spread from an article I wrote earlier this week – I decided to use it once more to get to know The Wild Unknown Tarot a little better!
1. You now: 6 of Pentacles – Balance, weighing what I want against what I need.
2. The deck: 8 of Wands – Excitement, regeneration, possibility, potential.
3. How we’ll work together: Justice – Wisdom that cuts through illusions to find true meaning.
4. The deck’s strengths: The Empress – Creativity and potential fulfilled.
5. The deck’s limitations: 8 of Swords – Being over-analytical can paralyse the querent with too much choice.
6. What I’ll learn: Son of Swords – fresh insights gained through study.
7. Outcome: 2 of Pentacles – Creative solutions found through looking at both sides of the coin (if you’ll pardon the pun).
Summary: this will be a deck to turn to when I have problems in my external world, rather than internal (which is what the Crystal Tarot would be perfect for). The Swords in this spread illustrate the deck’s logical, analytical qualities – even Justice has a sword! – yet the Empress’ feminine influence acts as a balance, softening the harsh edges and keeping it from toppling too far into the sterile world of reason.
