Customer Reviews

Ancestral Path Tarot: 78-Card Deck

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The Ancestral Path Tarot is a visually stunning and spiritually fascinating deck. The Majors are pretty much standard fare; the figures are in the usual poses, although they are shown as belonging to diverse ethnic groups. For example, the woman depicted on Strength is African; the Empress evokes the Middle Eastern mother goddesses; the Star is a Native American. This is one of the few decks I've seen where the Minors are better than the Majors. The artist and author assign a culture to each of the suits: Egyptian and sub-Saharan African cultures for the Staves; Japanese feudalism for the Swords; the Arthurian legend of Britain for the Cups, and a Native American vision quest for the Sacred Circles (pentacles, traditionally). The art is beautiful, and the pictures evoke deep spiritual meaning. Even the suit of Earth (the Sacred Circles), generally interpreted as being "about money", is here a profound exploration of community, resources, isolation, and discovery. Tracey Hoover, the writer of the accompanying booklet, recommends going through the Minors in reverse order, from 10 to Ace. Going through the Sacred Circles, you see the focus shifting from a community to an individual, a young woman who draws aside into seclusion to meet her spirit guide. I'm no Native American expert, but the cards are moving nonetheless. And all of the other suits are just as good. Because every card carries a deep meaning, this is more a deck for spiritual concerns than for mundane ones. Highly recommended to anyone who uses the Tarot for mystical purposes.

The Ancestral Path tarot deck is most definitely one of my favorite tarot decks. The artwork is gorgeous and easily penetrates your subconscious. This deck is a must for collectors. These cards remind us that even though the world is composed of multitudes of cultures, we are all human beings and members of a global village.

Rich images and wonderful detail on these cards. Very easy to use even if you are a novice tarot reader, because the detail is so great. Powerful.

These are some of the best tarot cards I have ever used!! The pictures are beautiful and the cultural references are extraordinary!! You gotta have these cards!!

The artwork in this deck is truly amazing!! They look like tiny oil paintings.. The deck is multi-cultural and has a feel most people can related to.. Sometimes a deck specifically of one culture can alienate those not of that ethnic background... I think those familiar with traditional Rider-Waite cards would have an easy time transitioning to this deck. Highly reccomended!!!!!

Ancestral Path is the most used deck in my collection and I find myself always returning to it. Julia Cuccia Watts has succeeded brilliantly in creating imagery that speaks to the Oversoul and of the many pasts we, as the human body of the world, have shared.. The paintings are exquisite and simultaneously express many levels of meaning. The individual cards often follow traditional symbolism, although there are also quite a few original visual interpretations.

The 4 suits of the minor arcana are represented by four different cultures each in a different period of time; Cups - Arthurian England; Swords - Japanese Samurai cult; Sacred Circles - Native American 1700's; Staves - Egyptian 19th Dynasty of Ramses II. The minor arcana cards are just as detailed and lovely as the majors in this deck and truly come alive in the process of reading with them. I've also found that people I've read for are very drawn to the imagery and seem to connect with the cards in very meaningful ways. This is a deck that could evoke the intuitive aspect in everyone.

In the accompanying book by Tracey Hoover, an "Ancestral Path Wheel Of The Year" using all of the minor arcana cards is delineated. Watts (the author of the Wheel system) does not follow any other astrological/seasonal method I've seen, and yet this Wheel of the Year has proven to lend some valuable insights. As an astrologer, I've found it enlightening to use Julia Cuccia Watts attributions with natal charts linking each planet and house cusp with its corresponding card. A card for ones birth date can also be used for additional insights without delving into astrology.

One of my favorite cards in this deck is key 18, The Moon, showing a huge glowing moon shining over a night-time landscape with a large body of water running north to south. Out of this ancestral pool rises a grey haired grandmother who is weaving patterns of fabric on a loom. This imagery really spoke to me about the emotional habit patterns we weave and have woven in the past and how in becoming more conscious and aware of them and in connecting with the Source, we could choose to weave the fabric of our lives more purposefully.

I've enjoyed using this deck so much! Ancestral Path is a tried and true treasure.

This is my all time favorite deck. The images are amazing and the cards are a good size... big enough for lots of detail, small enough that they are still easy to handle and shuffle.

I have a collection of >150 tarot cards. My two favorites are the Ancestral Path Tarot and the Gilded Tarot. However, I do not use the books (although both of these decks came with books). I learned to read cards by intuition and perception of the images from the cards themselves, so I have no opinion on the book. These cards are non-traditional, and I find them best suited to spiritual/karmic/life path questions. I would choose another deck for more grounded questions.