Deck Review: The Fairytale Tarot

The Fairytale Tarot: For a Happy Ever After
Karen Mahony & Alex Ukolov
Irena Triskova (Illustrator)
Publisher: Magic Realist Press; 1 edition (December 5, 2005)
ISBN-10: 095450075X

Here is a simply gorgeous deck. I ran across this one when I read something Karen Mahony said on Aeclectic Tarot. I viewed the images and feel in love. I have been an aficionado of fairy tales from a very young age.

I actually collect a certain series of fairy tale books by Andrew Lang so it just made sense that I had to own this one. When I finally unwrapped this deck, I was struck by the design first. In all of the Magic Realist Press decks, there is such attention to detail.

I recommend the kit because the book itself is worth the price of the deck. With intricate black and white drawings of the cards, you also get the accompanying tale for the card. And details are not skimped on in the telling of the stories either. I studied this book a lot when I started using this deck.

Mahony and Ukulov stretch the boundaries of Tarot with unique fairy tales. Even if you do know the story of the Little Goose Girl, you will see the story in new ways as it is applied to the Ten of Coins. The Page of Coins as the Magic Flint shows us this young pragmatic person in detail. I was struck (you will pardon the pun) by how clever the Page of Coins is in this deck.

This deck was a dream come true for me in the area of tarot and fairy tales. I use it for public readings when I am offering a choice of decks. I often do this to get a feeling for the person I’m reading for. By letting them choose blindly, I find that the deck they choose tells me a bit about them. Those who choose the Fairytale Tarot by Magic Realist Press tend to be dreamers who have no problem wandering with me.

Explore the 78 tales of this deck. You can revisit old favorites such as Cinderella as well as variations on Cindy’s story like Tatterhood. Or you can delve into stories you may not have ever heard about like the Juniper Tree on the Justice card.

Don’t confuse this lovely deck with the upcoming Fairy Tale Tarot by Lisa Hunt. That one promises to be a knockout as well.

Magic Realist Press is a terrific publisher of some amazing decks. I can easily say that if there is a new MRP deck coming out, buy it. These turn into collectors items faster than you can say “But I meant to buy the Bohemian Gothic Tarot Silver Limited Edition… I did.” sigh.

Guess what Arwen didn’t buy? LOL! Oh well! Do yourself a favor and grab this fabulous deck now!