Tarot Deck Review: The Crystal Power Tarot by Jayne Wallace

Newly published tarot and oracle decks arrive on Amazon, Etsy, crowd-funding platforms, and in bookstores every month. Today there are literally thousands of decks to choose from, including out-of-print decks as well as published ones. Reviewing a deck is a subjective judgement intended to help readers determine if they want to own the deck. The critical review of a deck for AskAstrology involves looking at the quality and size of the cards, visual accessibility of the art, quality of the companion book or booklet, and potential usefulness in professional practice. This month I have chosen to review the Crystal Power Tarot by Jayne Wallace.

The Cards

From the publisher’s website:

• Take the tarot beyond divination into the magical realm of self-empowerment with this beautiful 78-card deck, which is infused with the wisdom of crystals and accompanied by a 64-page guidebook.
• For many centuries, both tarot cards and crystals have been used as powerful divination techniques – and they come together in The Crystal Power Tarot. Featuring more than thirty stunning stones throughout the deck, every tarot card depicts a lavish artist-commissioned tarot image. The book provides interpretations for all the cards, plus the properties of their crystals and five spreads to try – from a simple card of the day to a seven-card chakra spread for healing. Each card also includes an empowerment affirmation, which provides a way for you to declare your intention and connect with the card’s crystal, thus taking action to influence your future and make your dreams a reality. From relationship advice to career guidance, this unique crystal tarot illuminates what’s important to you now, and gives you the means to make your wishes come true.

About the author:

Jayne Wallace is the found of Psychic Sisters, a team of clairvoyants working from Selfridges department store in London. Jayne has worked as a professional clairvoyant since the age of 17 and has a monthly column in Fate & Fortune. She is the author of Oceanic Tarot and the Angel Tarot, both published by CICO Books.

• Tarot 101

Card Stock and Shuffling

Printed on thin card stock, these cards have a glossy finish with rounded corners and are very easy to shuffle. The cards flex easily, and are very slick when they first come out of the box. So, if you do not have a good hold on them, the will slip apart and fall out of your hands.

Artwork and the Visual Accessibility of the Deck

The artwork is quite beautiful and every card has a key phrase explaining the meaning of the cards, which is very helpful since the minor arcana cards are merely images of the representative symbols (cups, pentacles, swords, and wands). There are no storytelling images on these cards, which detracts from the value of the deck.

The Wheel of Fortune

Meaning:

When the Wheel appears, luck improves and you take a step closer to the success you desire. If you have felt challenged or stuck, the card indicates that you will soon be back in the flow as good things come to you more easily and naturally. An additional meaning of the card is psychic work. (24)

Three of Pentacles

Meaning:

Early success, whatever you are building, or focusing upon, is established – a relationship, or a home, business, or project, such as remodeling your house or yard. This is the card of the artisan who is meticulous, and shares it with a willing, appreciative audience. You may find you discuss and negotiate with others to improve your ideas. This is the path to further success and income in the future. An additional meaning is giving a practical demonstration of your skills. (38)

The World

Crystal:

Titanium quartz relates to the crown chakra, the connection point between the human and the spiritual realms. This magical stone is associated with manifesting wishes, self-empowerment, confidence, and balance. Hold the card, gaze upon titanium quartz, and see your dreams becoming reality. (35)

Explanation of the Cards

The Crystal Power Tarot by Jayne Wallace comes with a companion book that offers excellent, clear explanations for each card, including interpretations for the stones in the Major Arcana. Unfortunately, the Minor Arcana stones do not get any explanations. The message at the bottom of each card is the Power Message, and is a nice touch, appearing on all the cards, Majors and Minors.

The book’s introductory section provides valuable advice on utilizing the cards effectively, including the following sections:

• The Cards and Their Crystals
• Working with the Affirmations
• How to Prepare for a Reading
• How to Choose Your Cards
• The One-Card Reading
• Crystal Pairs: Questions and Answers
• Past, Present, Future
• Crystal Light: The Way Ahead (4 card spread)
• Wish Upon a Crystal (5 card spread)
• The Chakra Crystal Reading (7 card spread)

Usefulness

A tarot deck inspired by crystals and featuring intricate and captivating imagery works well to produce outstanding readings. The enchanting art resonates with the cosmic visual language of tarot, enabling access to profound insights and wisdom. The card phrases most definitely will help in public readings; they provide ready interpretations for those exploring their question. This deck works well as a private, personal deck and as a public, professional one.

Rating

I give this deck 4 out of 5 stars. The meanings in the booklet are well-written, and extremely insightful. The artwork is stunning. The card stock is a bit thin, so the deck will probably need to be replaced sooner rather than later if used heavily. Also, I dropped one star because the artist chose to use repeating symbols on and did not provide a crystal explanation of the Minor Arcana cards.

Where to Buy this Deck

If you like the Crystal Power Tarot by Jayne Wallace and wish to purchase a copy, you can do so on Amazon.