Customer Reviews

The Intuitive Tarot

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The cards in this deck are oversized and packaged very nicely. The accompanying book provides useful, concise insights into the possible interpretations for the cards, including reversals. A special attribute of this deck is that for each card, there is a one paragraph section in the book that provides ideas for you if you need to meditate upon or work with the concepts held in that card. This deck is a nice addition to anyone who collects or is interested in Tarot cards.

I have had several Tarot decks, and books that "tried" to explain the meanings of said cards. Never have I had such a positive approach to the art of Tarot, nor the abilities in each and everyone of us to expand our awareness/intuition regarding what this ancient art-form really is. Some of the images were a bit unsettling for me at first, I wasn't sure how to interpret her vision. The longer I worked with them, and the more they became incorporated into my life, I began to see the mysticism in her art. It is by far the first time I have had any real assimilation to what the cards really mean, any that has actually stayed with me as I know this is going to. I chose this deck because of my own intuitive abilities, and what the cards spoke to me when I saw them. I am so glad that I did. It is a deck that I will have for a long, long time. It is also one that has helped me glean a great deal of clarification in my own life, at a time when I really needed it. I very much feel the choosing of these cards were one along with most things I believe in--- not a random act, but in direct relation to what I needed right out of the cosmic order of things. I'm grateful. If you find yourself drawn to them and don't know why, don't worry about the why, just go with the heeding. I very much doubt you will regret the insight or wisdom that she so freely gives in her offering to us her insights into the wonderful world of intuitive Tarot.

In her book, the Intuitive Tarot, Cilla Conway says:

"The Intuitive Tarot had its beginning one evening in 1973 when a doodle of the Fool appeared unbidden on my page. His eyes, strange and compelling, invited me to follow him into his world. I have been following him ever since. You may not find him appealing; he overthrows our comfortable convictions, making us question our values and those of society; but if you want to recover joy and innocence in your life, the Fool is the figure you need to connect with."

If you are familiar with the classical tarot decks such as Raider Waite (which I adore), you will be able to read and use The Intuitive Tarot easily. Cilla gives guidance on both traditional meanings and intuitive interpretations she developed. The Major and Minor Arcana cards are introduced in turn and there is space for the reader to record their own impressions of each card. The information Cilla provides for each card in the book, is enriched with a blend of Jungian, Greco-Classical, and Mythology.

In Cilla's book information on each card is sectioned into: aspects of each card, how to work with it, to dialogue with it, starter interpretation, and reversed interpretation. The dialogues are thought provoking and can be used as visualisations to help familiars yourself with each image. The first thing I learnt from my friend and teacher Merryn José was how to communicate with each card, and find out what it means to me, as it appears in various positions, or houses, in a spread; upright as well as reversed. The Intuitive Tarot and its accompanying book allow you to do just that.

Art and Intuition

While one can be subjective about art, Cilla Conway's Intuitive Tarot is about releasing one's intuition. And, there is something for everyone - if you allow the images to `communicate' with you. Each card's image is unique and dynamic, swirls, spirals, flowing lines, and stylised elongated figures with alien-like faces seem to move and leap across the cards with such energy. If you listen well, you can hear nature's elements too!

The colours are often serene allowing the Intuitive Tarot's energy and movement to whisper something to you as you study each card. At times the images seem retro, at others glimpses of Ancient Egypt appear - other moments the cards have a `galactic' feel. The figures are often nude, daring, and honest taking the reader beyond the usual interpretation.

Cilla's decision to paint every `scene' or image within the construct of an egg; left a great impression on my mind. For her, the oval shape reflects the Divine Feminine, an area she was drawn to early in her studies. This is echoed in the packaging of the cards too. Form the outset, you know that you will `crack that egg' and release your imagination.

For me, the oval shape seemed to resemble a magical concave (sometimes convex) mirror, where I `step out of the frame' and observe what the magical mirror is about to reveal. Each time, new impressions are awakened in the reader's mind.


Using the Intuitive Tarot

My favourite images of the major cards are the Sun, The Moon, The Star, Temperance and (yes) the Tower. The distorted base and image of the building really gives the feel that the image is being reflected through a convex mirror - as though one is scrying into it.

For me, the bolt of lighting and the image of the tower itself are about use of technology, the Internet, and the speed of spreading information or communication (Broadband). I found her interpretation of the Tower particularly modern and contemporary; and that of the Chariot really intriguing.

I found myself particularly drawn to Cilla's artistic interpretation of the minor cards, namely the wands (or as she prefers to call them, rods) and the pentacles (discs), where I felt her artistic ability as well as intuition were truly free and inspired. Among my favourite ones are, the one of Rods, the eight of Rods, and the three of Discs. The words `disc' triggered a new interpretation for me, and I experienced a unique aspect of `pentacles'.

The more I work with Cilla Conway's cards, the more I appreciate the originality of her art and interpretation. I find the images stimulate the mind in new directions. It took Cilla nearly twenty years for her dream to manifest - and the results are a delight. She now conducts workshops on the subject (see below); I strongly recommend that you participate in one.

Cilla is a London-based artist using a variety of media: video, installation, photography and painting. She is also the author and creator of the Intuitive Tarot and Deva Cards. She also teaches at the College of Psychic Studies.

In the two weeks or so I've had this deck, it has quickly become my deck of choice. I am a somewhat left-brained person and in my time as a Tarot student, I have had trouble finding a deck that "speaks" to me. Enter the Intuitive Tarot.

The images on this deck are as evocative as they are beautiful, with rich, subtle color choices and swirling shapes. I find these cards a rich field for my intuition; for the first time as a Tarot student and enthusiast, I find myself able to give a reading based upon something more than rote memorization of "keywords." Highly recommended.

I have been collecting tarot cards for a while now and this deck is simply stunning! The colors of the artwork immediately drew me in and the artwork itself is extremely fascinating. There is an immediate connection to the images when you open the deck and it's difficult to take your eyes off of them once you start flipping through the cards. The size of the cards and muted tones of the images give this deck an almost antique feel and there is a depth to these cards that is difficult to put into words - it's something you just feel. I haven't connected this quickly with a deck since my first deck several years ago.

The book is nicely laid out and Ms. Conway has included an area after each card description for the reader to write down their own intuitive insights for the cards. She also includes a few actual readings done for people using a variety of spreads.

Overall, this deck has become an immediate favorite and I look forward to working with these cards for many years to come.

I looked at many decks before selecting this one - I have found the cards very easy to learn. The images are rich with symbols, informed by historical Tarot but rendered from a more modern perspective that makes them easily understood and immediately relevant. The accompanying book is delightful - Ms. Conway gives a commentary of her art along with starter interpretations of the cards. My favorite deck by FAR!

An unexpected trip to a bookstore put the Intuitive Tarot literally right in my face on the bookshelf. This deck had been on my wishlist for quite some time and I had forgotten all about it! I think it really is one of those decks that you need to be able to see in person, scans of the cards do not do it justice!

To me the deck seems like a gentle version of the Thoth deck. The imagery at times evokes the style of the Thoth, without the complex (and distracting) esoteric symbolism. It's like the Thoth without the "hardness", without the teeth and the edges. So if you kind of like the Thoth and respect the Thoth yet don't feel as though the Thoth would be for you in everyday practice and reading (which is how I feel about the Thoth), this deck is perfect for you! Also a consideration if you prefer an illustrated minor arcana.

What is so captivating about this deck is it's movement and its rawness. These images are so fluid, it doesn't take much for them to come alive in the mind's eye! The rawness comes from a stripped down interpretation of the cards that really lets the essence and energy of the card come through. For example, Conway's interpretation of the Chariot is without many frills. There isn't the sense of drama, richness, or costume with this card...instead there is raw, unfettered vitality, power, strength, and focus with this card.
The chariot is beautiful, as are all of the cards. The beauty of these cards is in the grace each image conveys which again I feel goes back to the movement that exists in each image! If you like your Major Arcana with Justice as 8 and Strength as 11 you will further love this deck as this is the order that Conway has gone with.

For the most part the colors are soft, muted, which I didn't think I would be drawn to. I love bold, bright colors, and until I found the Intuitive Tarot I have been working exclusively with the Morgan Greer Tarot for 9 years! I'm not a pastel person, but the colors of the Intuitive Tarot have drawn me in to this dreamlike world where intuition rules supreme.


So many deck creators have produced visually pleasing decks and yet it is clear by their takes on the minors (and sometimes the Majors) that they do not have knowledge about Tarot let alone an intuitive connection with the subject and the cards themselves. The minor arcana in this deck are truly inspired images and gorgeous evidence that Conway has both a theoretical understanding of Tarot and an intuitive sense of what each image means. They aren't images I have seen before, they are a different take on the minor arcana without losing the essence of what the card is about. For example, the 4 of rods shows the contentment and ease of home life and yet there is the added element of time, the entire image is held within an hourglass. The 7 Swords sticks in my mind as well as being a very inspired and unconventional interpretation of the 7 swords. A lone figure stands on a sunset (or sunrise?) cliff with all the land before them and a huge, billowing plume of smoke or cloud nearby obscuring their vision to one direction. The swords themselves are hidden within a cave under the ground. Just beautiful, and the smoke cloud is another example of how the images in this deck come to life and MOVE!

There is a lot of nudity in this deck, but it is gentle and it is art and in no way innappropriate or vulgar. Due to the nudity I would be aware of my audience when I read with this deck, but the nudity makes sense and adds to the essence of each card.

From a tactile perspective the Intuitive is a dream, the cards are not heavily laminated in fact they are a little grainy, gritty feeling so they aren't thick and slipping all over the place. They are easy to shuffle and yet appear to be quite sturdy. The companion book is another bonus to this deck, it is well made with a sewn binding so it isn't going to get brittle and crack. There are blank pages after each card for your own intuitive notes!

I just wish I had found this deck sooner, it really does unleash your intuition and get into a receptive state of mind to contemplate the beautiful images. It's everything a Tarot deck should be, beautiful and inspired!