Every now and then, there comes a Tarot deck that surpasses my expectations. As a tarot collector, I’m rather picky, you see. I have a particular taste, and that taste is rather challenging to put into words. I have an eye for beautiful things, understanding of course that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which means it’s entirely subjective. What is loved by one may very well go unnoticed by another, for such is the nature of art; it speaks directly to the soul, no words needed, and it captures you in a way few other things do.

And so, today’s tarot chat brings us to The Muse Tarot by powerhouse creator Chriss-Anne Donnelly, author and artist responsible for The Sacred Creators Oracle, The Light Seers Tarot, and the Beautiful Creatures Tarot, as well as The Muse Deck, which has quietly captured my heart.

As a creative myself, I am often on the lookout for that which connects me to The Muse. I have long reached for sources of inspiration for my own works, and so, when The Muse Tarot was released in 2020, it very quickly made its way into my hot little hands. Now it’s relevant to the conversation to mention that while The Muse tarot does give a slight nod to the Rider Waite Smith system, it firmly and unapologetically stands on its own two feet. What I mean by this is that the names of the suites have been thoughtfully and deliberately adjusted to better fit the theme of the deck. And so the suite of Wands has become Inspiration, Cups have become emotions, Swords have become voices, and Pentacles have become materials. The court cards are mostly the same, with the exception of the Kings, which are named “Muse of” as in Muse of Inspiration (King of Wands), in this deck. The Major Arcana card of Judgment has been given the title of Awakening in this deck.

Each and every change made to the deck feels incredibly deliberate. The theme is prominent, coursing through the deck as a living and breathing soulfulness that, when you are attuned, can be felt. It is precisely this tactile, ritualistic feeling that causes me to come back again and again. Right now, I find myself on a Muse Tarot bender, so to speak. It’s become my everyday deck.

When my bestie calls for a little impromptu guidance, I reach for The Muse. When I’m sitting down to do my ritual week-ahead forecast, I reach for the muse. When I sit down to work on the Bonestone Oracle, I pull one card from the Muse to kickstart my writing session and then follow up with The Bonestone for kick up the butt type of wisdom.

The Voice

In my very humble opinion, every tarot deck has its own voice. The Muse is no exception. She is not a loud-in-your-face sort of personality, no. She will sit in deliberate silence and drip-feed her wisdom, a little mystical game of connect the dots. She does not seek to overtake your own voice but rather add to it. Her voice is distinct yet subtle, for instance, for the last three consecutive weeks, I have been staked by the 8 of Pentacles. And so, I took it as a sign to not just get productive, but to also streamline my systems, specifically my work systems. The results have been quite impressive to me and my overall workflow.

‍ The Art

The Muse feels rather feminine in my hands. The colour palette is not at all limited; all the colours of the rainbow have been cleverly woven through each and every piece of art. The results are interesting to say the least. Some cards pop with bright colours, while other cards step back from the spotlight into more muted tones. The art feels rather collage-style without feeling scrapbooky or clunky. Every image is seamlessly woven together, the results of which you can see for yourself.

The Muse Tarot comes with my highest recommendation. If you are an intermediate Tarot Reader and beyond, you will get a lot out of this deck, assuming the art speaks to you. And I must mention the guidebook is a true work of art. An entire website dedicated to The Muse Tarot with insights, meditations, journal prompts, and so much more. You really have to experience it.