About this item
- Shapeshifting is the taking on of animal identity during trance. The Shapeshifter Tarot is a beautifully mystical and
- expressive deck from a very talented artist, depicting a system with its roots in Paganism and European shamanism.
Specifications
Name
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Shapeshifter Tarot
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Creators
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DJ Conway,
Lisa Hunt,
Sirona Knight
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Publisher
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Llewellyn 2002
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Deck Type
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Tarot Deck
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Cards
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81
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Major Arcana
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25
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Minor Arcana
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56
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Deck Tradition
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Rider-Waite-Smith
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Minor Arcana Style
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RWS-Based Scenes
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Suits
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Cups, Swords, Wands, Pentacles
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Court Cards
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Seeker, Warrier, God, Goddess
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The Fool
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is 0
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Strength
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is 8
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Justice
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is 11
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Card Size
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2.75 x 3.75 in. = 6.99cm x 9.53cm
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Card Language
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English
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Card Back
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Reversible
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Back Design
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Dark blue, with a gold Celtic knot motif in the centre.
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Reviews
Court Cards: Seeker, Warrier, God, Goddess
To say that this deck is breathtaking
would be a gross understatement! The illustrations are
closer to reality than reality is - which is the whole
point of this work. Anyone can shapeshift - it is an
honor and a privilege to share the energy of All Of Our
Relations. All three of the ladies that took part in the
creative process are pictured on the back cover - as
shapeshifters! What a unique and special thing that these ladies
allow their readers to see, literally, who they
"are".
The background of this deck is specifically Celtic
shapeshifting from the point of view of coming from an old
European background. The idea behind shapeshifting is
posited in this book as being the connection between
people, animals and nature. In shapeshifting, one takes on
the specific characteristics, traits and talents of a
desired animal to accomplish a specific purpose, and for a
limited amount of time.
The "manner" of shapeshifting is
discussed in the accompanying book, as an aid to the
process. Breath, intention and respect for the work being
done are paramount here. The Seeker must know very
specifically what they wish to accomplish, and they must place
a very directed form of intention behind the
act.
Having worked with shapeshifting before, I found the
explanations given to be coherent and easy to follow. There is
magick here - a magick that is readily available to all
that wish to access it.
On to the cards. They are
average card size (2 3/4" by 4 3/4"), and on good quality
card stock. My only complaint - they are quite slick!
The backs are dark blue, with a gold Celtic knot motif
in the center. A card in the reversed position would
not be noticeable until it was turned over.
Both the
Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana have a 1/4 inch dark
blue border around the cards, with a fine white inner
border surrounding the illustration on the card. The
element is listed in fine white lettering across the top
for the Minor Arcana, with the card number and name in
slightly larger, heavier white print on the bottom. The
Major Arcana has the card number and name in the
slightly larger, heavier white print along the bottom.
The
Major Arcana have been renamed, as follows:
1 The Fool - Initiation
2 The Magician - Sorcerer
3 The High Priestess - Sorceress
4 The Empress - The Mother
5 The Emperor - The Father
6 The Hierophant - Knowledge
7 The Chariot - Power
8 The Lovers - The Lovers
9 The Hermit - The Seer
10 Wheel Of Fortune - The Circle
11 Justice - Nature
12 Hanged Man - The Shapeshifter
13 Death - Rebirth
14 Temperance - Balance
15 The Devil - Choice
16 The Tower - The Serpent
17 The Star - The Star
18 The Moon - The Moon
19 The Sun - The Sun
20 Judgment - Transcendence
21 None - The Double
22 None - The Journey
23 None - The Dreamer
24 The World - Oneness
Actually - all of the cards in this deck
have been renamed. On of the first things that I do
with a new Tarot book is turn to the back of the book
to check out the charts and spreads. The charts in
this book are simple, easy to follow and easy to
understand. There are separate charts for the titles for each
card and for the keywords.
There are five new spreads
presented here - specifically for working with this deck. (Please note: This deck may easily be used for traditional
Tarot readings with traditional spreads.) My favorite
spread is the "Finding Animal Helpers" spread. The cards
are set out in two straight lines of five cards each.
The upper five cards represent the five "primary"
animal allies for this time period in your life. The
second line of five cards are the "secondary" animal
allies for this time period in your life. These helpers
will change as each of us experiences growth in our
lives, and may be there for a specific time period, or
even for a specific project. Personally speaking, I see
this as a marvelous support system, and fully intend to
use it as such.
If you are interested in
shapeshifting, or even with simply working with animal allies, I
highly recommend this deck. It is meant to be worked with
as a tool of personal growth, and exhibits many
levels of understanding and wisdom.
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