As we approach the season of Samhain/Halloween, I have just received the new All Hallows Tarot, created by Robyn Tisch Hollister and published by Leisa ReFalo of the Tarot Connection. It is a delightful look at the denizens of this dark time, a great treat for the eyes!
The deck arrived wrapped in orange and black tissue paper, and comes with a silk embroidered bag. This was packed in a plastic bag decorated with pumpkins, which contained some candy, a spider ring, a pencil eraser, and an All Hallows talisman. This is a glass rune-type of stone with a single image…mine is Candy Corn.
The deck has 80 cards, the 78 cards of the Tarot, a title card and a Happy Squirrel card , which a few other decks also contain. Measuring 2 5/8 by 3 5/8, the deck has a very nice matte finish and is very easy to shuffle and handle. The card stock seems durable, and the reversible backs features the image from the Moon card.
Since the All Hallows tarot arrived in time for the holidays, I decided to use Aulruna’s Trick or Treat spread to see how it reads. Here are the results:
1. Costume – What you’re wearing to the party (the current situation) = Hanged Man. He is suspended from the branches of a tree whose leaves are changing colors as Fall takes hold. It is beginning to get cold here, winter is making an appearance (we had some snow showers this morning). Fall/winter is the time where I go into my hibernation mode. I stay home more often to read, watch movies, play with Tarot, and curl up in my warmest blanket. This is exactly how I was feeling today, in addition to feeling a bit under the weather. It was hard being at work today.
2. Trick – The unexpected = The Devil. The card shows a leather-clad young man with a red Mohawk, accompanied by a girl blindfolded and gagged. Given the nature of some recent, unpleasant work-related interactions, I know exactly who the devil is, and I (and my colleagues) are the ones blindfolded and gagged, not wanting to see what is happening, and not willing to speak out and risk the devil’s wrath. The unexpected part of the devil’s appearance was the ‘devil’s’ apology to one of my colleagues who was on the receiving end of the devil’s wrath for the past couple of weeks. Maybe things are changing…I certainly hope so!
3. Treat – Opportunities = 5 of Wands. Five musicians wield their instruments but don’t seem to be in the mood to play. I am one of them…I have to attend a training on Friday evening and all day on Halloween!! While the workshop will be interesting and beneficial, scheduling it on Halloween certainly conflicts with many people’s plans (including mine). To try and salvage some of the spirit of the day, I am encouraging my friends to dress in costume on Saturday. (The organizers suggested having a Fall/Halloween hat contest…oh, NO!! A hat just will not do on Halloween!). I’m even thinking of bring a Tarot deck and do readings for anyone who wants one.
4. The Candy Bag – What you can take home (the outcome) = 9 of Wands. A vampire hunter holds 2 wands in the shape of a cross in front of him. I might take a few hits in my zeal of saving Halloween but I will be strong and resolute in celebrating this sacred time of year. (And I might need to slay a few creatures along the way). I do have a group of friends who have my back and are planning to have fun with me. The card also cautions me to seek/create protection for myself, since I plan to do my tarot reading later that night to contact those who have passed on, and who might want to make contact. I have attended and led a supper for the dead celebration for the past few years, but it will not happen this year. I will do my own ritual/reading/contact after the workshop is over.
The All Hallows Tarot is a quirky, themed deck that reads very well. While it could be used throughout the year, it has a special quality that makes it just perfect for Halloween. While it has some darker images, the deck has quite a sense of humor as well. It is a deck to be used alongside its darker cousins, such as the Bohemian Gothic, the Deviant Moon, the Dark Grimoire, the Necronomicon, and the classic Halloween tarot. Many thanks to Robyn and Leisa for getting it into print just in time!
Images © 2009 by Robyn Tisch Hollister & the Tarot Connection
