Today I am presenting a deck I fell in love with the moment I saw one of its cards. The Mystical Med

Today I am presenting a deck I fell in love with the moment I saw one of its cards. The Mystical Medleys Tarot, created by Gary Hall and published by the wonder team at Liminal 11, is a vintage cartoon deck with the iconic style of the 30s. Let me emphasize: vintage cartoon - those two words alone are enough to explain why this deck is awesome. But let’s add more!: “A delightful take on an ancient tradition, Mystical Medleys brings a bit of lighthearted fun and playful energy to the tarot. It’s ideal for occultists of all varieties, animation and cinema buffs, and lovers of all things vintage!”.I must say this deck has been developed with so much care. The traditional RWS symbolism is there and you can see it right away, but it’s been transformed or weaved into the style to fit the aesthetic, and it is done in a brilliantly seamless way. Some of my favourite examples of this balance between preserving and re-imagining are the Moon, the Aces, or the 7 of Cups (to name a few, because they are all very clever). There are two additional cards: the Happy Squirrel and the Sad Squirrel. These two are, quite honestly, brilliant. Additional or extra cards were (and still are sometimes) called “Happy Squirrel” cards because of a cartoon: The Simpsons. So it was only adequate that we had squirrels here!The colours are a bit garish in the way a traditional Rider Waite Smith is. To those who are used to studying or working with the RWS, the palette is more than familiar, highlighting the yellows and blues. It feels happy and vibrant, but it also has touches of darker moodiness that we can find in both the tarot and in vintage cartoons. Honestly it still surprises me how amazingly this combination works! You can find the usual animal characters, but many elements come to life themselves, like the Moon, the Tower, or the heart in the Three of Swords. The illustrations have a thin black border and a wider textured frame, with their names at the bottom. They have a matt finish, and the backs are reversible.The companion guide, with almost 60 pages, is a hardcover booklet that fits into the sturdy, magnetic slipcase box. It features a foreword by Leah Moore, an introduction, card meanings, a “how to read the tarot” section, and exclusive spreads (like What’s a-happenin’?). The text is done in a cheery, playful manner (Strength: bedazzling beauty beholding her brave beast… it’s a tale as old as time!) so it really matches the whole vibe of the deck. The Mystical Medleys tarot is such a great deck in general, really. It is easy for beginners, fun, and warm… and it can be caustic when it needs to be! It is balanced, well-researched, and of a great artistic value. The colours and characters catch the eye quickly and effectively, and this is obviously topped by the amazing production quality that Liminal 11 offers. Even if you think the combination of vintage cartoons and tarot sound weird… really take a look at the illustrations and see for yourself how genius the mix is. And if you want to know more about its inspiration, click here! -- source link

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