The recent success of the Wicked and the high-anticipation of the film’s sequel Wicked: For Good has many fans wanting to dive more into the (not-so) wonderful world of Oz. The backstory of Glinda the (Not-So) Good Witch and Elphaba the (Not-So) Wicked Witch of the West certainly makes us all look at our childhood classic fave The Wizard of Oz (1939) a little differently. Still, we love the journey that Dorothy goes on with the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, and her doggie Toto. A world full of wizards, fortune tellers, and witches is the perfect one to base a tarot deck off of. And that’s exactly what Insight Editions gives fans with The Wizard of Oz Tarot Deck and Guidebook.
Written by Erica Davis and illustrated by Davide Ortu, this is quite the aesthetically pleasing set that works for experienced divinators as well as those new to tarot. Personally, I find myself in the middle ground as someone who has read tarot for a few years. I certainly don’t consider myself an “expert” in any sense of the word but I am not a novice, either. The knowledge I’ve built so far is what I lean into the most; however, I also keep my guidebooks close for confirmation. I own a few decks and this is a welcome addition to my collection.
The Wizard of Oz Tarot Deck and Guidebook plays fully into the land of Oz—and Kansas, too!—by using its own unique terminology for the typical names of suits and card descriptions. The deck has 78 cards covering the major and minor Arcana, with four suits: Cans (typically Cups), Brooms (Wands), Spears (Swords), and Bricks (Pentacles). Like the film, the artwork divides itself between sepia tones and vibrant colors with iconic characters like Dorothy and Glinda. Some cards also feature recognizable objects from the film, including the Kansas twister and Dorothy’s house.
The cardstock is good and thick quality with a surface that feels pleasing to the fingertips and allows easy shuffling. (To me, shuffling improves as you handle the cards more.) Are the cards a little on the big side? Sure, at least for my personal tastes. But the intricate details in the artwork and the guidebook more than make up for that one slight dislike. For those who are new to tarot, the short-yet-sweet “Understanding Your Tarot Deck” section will give you the overall rundown of how this specific deck is set up.
The meat of the guidebook that covers every single card gives you a solid understanding of what they mean both in their normal orientation, which means a straightforward (upright) reading and when they are drawn upside down, which means an opposite (reversed) meaning. The introduction for each card gives you the lowdown on how a character or scene represents the card’s overall meaning. Yet there is still room to dig into the artwork and form your own interpretations based on your current mood and what you are seeking from the cards (confirmation, clarity, etc.) It’s clear Davis is a legit fan of The Wizard of Oz and an experienced tarot reader and guidebook writer.
Check out a few more of The Wizard of Oz Tarot Deck and Guidebook Cards below:
The deck comes with a great protective box to make sure your cards stay dust-free and pristine. And, its very reasonable price point of $27.99 is the cherry on top of a lovely deck. The Wizard of Oz Tarot Deck and Guidebook will release on March 11 and you can pre-order your deck here.
