Tarot Deck Review: The Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot
November 29, 2019
Tarot and Oracle Decks have exploded into the common experience since the 1990s. Today there are literally thousands of decks to choose from, including out-of-print decks and published ones. Reviewing anything involves subjective judgment based on various criteria. I will be looking at the quality and size of the cards, visual accessibility of the art, quality of the companion text of the deck, and potential usefulness in professional practice. This month I have chosen to review the Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot by Matt Hughes.
The Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot
The Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot was published in 2018 by US Game Systems. This deck only comes with a pamphlet book; the deck sells for $14.68 on Amazon at the time this article was written.
From the Amazon review:
Next after this publicity
In creating Ethereal Visions Tarot Matt Hughes has drawn inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement, adopting its distinctive style and meticulous approach to craftsmanship. The artist has also created two additional cards to supplement the traditional Major Arcana. Every detailed image in the 80-card deck is hand-drawn and colored. Matt Hughes is a self-taught artist who focuses on the aesthetic approaches referred to today as “The Golden Age of Illustration.”
Hughes’s artwork is certainly amazing and a style that does suit the tarot cards perfectly. If there should ever be a deck used in a TV show or movie going forward, this should be one of the decks selected.
The card stock is excellent quality, so the cards will hold up with regular to high use. The cards are much larger than a playing cards, stiff due to the quality of the card stock, and thus, not as easy to shuffle as other decks.
I have rather average to small hands (I cannot palm a basketball), so the size of a deck of cards matters when it comes to shuffling them, especially in front of clients. The deck is barely inside my grip, so it is not as easy to shuffle as many of my other decks. This deck is more rectangular than square, with rounded edges, and an exquisite print quality, making the beautiful artwork really pop!
The Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot is an exceptional deck for professional readings and one that has gone into my top three decks for regular rotation when reading in public. The imagery honors some of the first, older and classic decks, but brilliantly blends the feel of another era with a sense of timelessness that works today.
Next after this publicity
I immediately started using this deck in public after I purchased it. The imagery is beautifully rendered, and the size of the cards makes it easy for a client to see the images and appreciate the artwork. Clients have positively commented on the visual impact the cards impart in their readings and they are eager to take photos of the cards in the spread used for their reading.
This deck is definitely visually accessible, which makes it easier for the reader and client to get the message quickly and accurately. In the cards above, the 7 of Wands clearly shows the effort one must make to defend one’s position.
The 6 of Pentacles shows someone of wealth trying to determine if people asking for help are worthy of the charity she has to offer. And the 7 of Cups show the layers behind and dangers associated with profound emotional choices, reminding us that we must take care in our decision making.
Finally, the High Priestess is drawn with regal stature befitting her important role as an advisor to others based on her own efforts successfully navigating life’s difficult choices. She has passed through her own struggles in order to be the best resource she can for people in need who are going through what she has been through herself.
Explanation of the Cards
This deck comes with a pamphlet guide, which provides the simplest and minimalist explanations; this deck certainly deserves a more comprehensive text. Hopefully, the creator or a tarot scholar will find the time and opportunity to create a companion book worthy of the deck.
Next after this publicity
Since the deck pulls from traditional designs, you can see how the Rider-Waite art compares. Also, you can easily go online and find more detailed explanations of the cards, especially through Wikipedia, which uses the Rider-Waite cards as their image for each card:
Source: Wikimedia
Usefulness
As a professional reader who started reading cards for pay in 1992, I can say that this deck among the best for personal and professional readings. It does have the usual difficult cards, like Death and the Tower, but the imagery is so stunning that there is an elegant beauty to even the most difficult of the cards. This deck also would make an excellent gift, both for someone who loves tarot and someone not familiar with the tarot, but who would certainly love the deck for its art.
I will give this deck my highest rating and easily put it among the top five decks I own (out of 100 or so). Clients who have worked with this deck have found it immensely powerful, actually opening the door for them to consider looking more deeply into tarot. The deck has a superior artistic design, which would explain its success as a Kickstarter campaign, which was subsequently published by one of the largest tarot deck publishers in the world (US Game Systems).
If you are a tarot and oracle card collector, then this is certainly a deck you need to have in your collection.
I am a spiritual adviser based in Cumming, Georgia, serving clients both locally and worldwide. With a background in academics and a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I bring a unique blend of knowledge and intuition to my practice. After a fulfilling career in academia, I transitioned into the role of a stay-at-home father in 2007. In 2013, I established Black Unykorn Enterprises, LLC, offering spiritual guidance and support to individuals seeking insight and clarity on their life's journey. My services encompass various tools, including astrology, tarot/oracle cards, numerology, and past life regression utilizing muscle testing. I am dedicated to providing personalized sessions that empower and guide my clients towards their highest potential.
Conveniently equipped with a home office and utilizing platforms like Zoom and WhatsApp, I offer virtual sessions for local clients and for those around the world. Distance is not a barrier to the transformative experiences and guidance I provide. To learn more about my practice and explore how I can assist you on your spiritual path, I invite you to visit my website at https://www.blackunykorn.com. There, you will find detailed information about my services and a contact form to initiate a conversation.
By clicking "Allow All" you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Notice
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
__cfduid
1 year
Used by the content network, Cloudflare, to identify trusted web traffic.
_ga
2 years
This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports (Google analytics)
_gat_UA-#
1m
Used to throttle request rate
_gid
1 day
It appears to store and update a unique value for each page visited. (Google analytics)
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_icl_current_language
1 day
Stores the current language
_leadup_js_detail_storage
Session
used to store timezone and locale information from client device.
catAccCookies
1 year
cookie consent plugin to record that you accept the fact that the site uses cookies
PHPSESSID
Session
used to store and identify a users” unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
store_notice[notice id]
Session
Allows customers to dismiss the Store Notice.
wc_cart_created
Session
Necessary for the shopping cart functionality on the website.
wc_cart_hash_#
Persistent
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
wc_fragments_#
Session
Necessary for the shopping cart functionality on the website.
wfwaf-authcookie-#
30 minutes
Identification of the visitor by a security plugin to prevent attacks on the web.
woocommerce_cart_hash
Session
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
woocommerce_items_in_cart
Session
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
woocommerce_recently_viewed
Session
Powers the Recent Viewed Products widget.
wordpress_logged_in_#
Session
After login, wordpress sets this cookie, which indicates when you’re logged in, and who you are, for most interface use.
wordpress_sec_#
14 days
This cookie is used to store your authentication details
wordpressuser_#
1 hour
This cookie is used to store your authentication details
wp_woocommerce_session_#
2 days
Contains a unique code for each customer so that it knows where to find the cart data in the database for each customer.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.