Tarot of the Secret Forest [Cards]

On one side of the deck, black charcoal or ink-wash style illustrations with a different slant than the painted color image on the other side. The deck is like receiving two decks for the price of one.

If you like somewhat mysterious paintings that show natural images--this includes bugs and insects--with winged sprites and leaves and twigs, this is a beautiful example. Lo Scarabeo heeded requests and in this deck, each card is mainly pictures with a simple number or suit symbol and a large picture space for the atmospheric, limited color palette on each card.

The LWB is suggestive, but the viewer is invited to make their own associations for the cards. I'm not certain this is an ideal deck for the beginner or those looking for bright, childish babes among small flowers.

Instead, I recommend the deck for those who like fine illustrations with a slightly mysterious touch. If your heart yearns for a naturalistic sensibility that allows for small shadows and light, perhaps the soft color interplay is interesting to you. For a bit of humor and a different take, turn the card over and see not the same image, but a similar sketch! What does this different take say to you?

This is also a great companion for 'mixed deck' or imaginative reading. Sometimes when I like to make story-line readings, I would use one or two cards the Animals Divine, Well-Worn Path and Secret Forest. Always, the cards from the Secret Forest invite me to rest my eyes, reflect a little and linger in my imagination for a thought or memory...

Hope it feels good to you, as well.

I love this deck- the artwork is stunningly beautiful. Although the colors are muted, as some reviews mention, I believe it is to retain a natural versus artificial appearance. The colors used are ones you can see in a dimly lit forest, and the black-and-white sides are stunning in their clarity and subtle changes from the colored side. This deck does have fairies, and soft flowers, animals, and foliage growing uncontrolled over each card. I wouldn't recommended this deck for the beginner- but I believe that many nature lovers with some Tarot experience would cherish and be able to use it quite successfully!

This deck has some very beautiful and intriguing pictures.

They are, however, very difficult to interpret, which tends to leave me staring at the very skimpy booklet with the deck. It includes some facinating artist info, some suggestions on reading the deck using the colored side and the black and white side, and then has one line card meanings. One line. This way, they can print one booklet with five languages in it. This is a problem with all of LS's decks that I've purchased.

It may be that with a full book, this would be a deck that I can read, but for now, it's just pretty pictures.