Shapeshifter Tarot (Book Only) [Paperback]

D. J. Conway (Author), Sirona Knight (Author), Lisa Hunt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1998

See Through the Eyes of a Hawk

Shapeshifting is about far more than simply taking on the image of another thing. It's about using the unique and specialized talents of that animal, plant, or object. Nothing makes this technique and method more clear than the Shapeshifter Tarot.

This amazing 81-card deck follows the traditional pattern, although the names of many of the Major Arcana cards have been shifted to fit the more Pagan approach to this deck. For example, the Fool becomes Initiation, the Magician changes to the Sorcerer, and the Hermit becomes The Seer. Three additional cards, The Double, The Journey, and The Dreamer are part of the tradition on which this is based and will add additional meaning to your readings and personal work.

And there's more! This boxed set comes with a 264-page book. Of course it has vivid interpretations of all the cards, revealing their symbolism and divinatory meanings. It also includes sample readings, key words to make readings easy, how to meditate with the cards, using the deck for spellworking, and the skill of shapeshifting itself.

Combined with brilliant art of transcendent majesty and beauty, this uniquely shamanic deck is simply one of the most powerful Tarot decks available today. It is also one of the most potent tools for Pagans of all traditions. Whether you want this deck for personal work or for giving readings, one thing is very clear: you'll want to get and use this deck every day!

--This text refers to the Cards edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A pleasure to behold! Hunt has imbued this deck with a tangible energy. Her images of humans discovering the power of the animal world evoke emotions ranging the spectrum from loneliness to joy. The expressiveness of the illustrations makes this one of the most powerful decks commercially available, well suited for use in spellcraft. Conway and Knight pool their considerable talents in the companion book, giving their lucid and vivid interpretations of the cards' literal and figurative meanings. The cards and book work together as a synergistic whole, a testament to the prowess of the authors and the illustrator. The Shapeshifter Tarot is analogous to the traditional tarot, save for the addition of three cards, "The Double," "The Journey," and "The Dreamer," which reflect the Celtic shamanic tradition on which this deck is based, a tradition that will teach you to access and direct animal energies to fulfill your own needs and at the same time bridge the chasm between humankind and nature. --Brian Patterson --This text refers to the Cards edition.

About the Author

A native of the Pacific Northwest, author D.J. Conway has studied the occult fields for over 35 years. Her quest for knowledge has covered every aspect of Paganism and Wicca to New Age and Eastern philosophies; plus history, the magical arts, philosophy, customs, mythologies and folklore. In 1998, she was voted Best Wiccan and New Age author by Silver Chalice, a Pagan magazine.

Conway is the author of  more than 20 nonfiction  books including: Celtic Magic (Llewellyn), Dancing with Dragons (Llewellyn), Mystical Dragon Magic (Llewellyn), The Ancient Art of Faery Magick (10 Speed Press), and The Little Book of Candle Magic (10 Speed Press).

She lives a rather quiet life, with most of her time spent researching and writing.

 

For more than twenty years, Sirona Knight has been studying psychology, folklore, and religion with a personal interest in goddess tradition. She has traveled to Europe, Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska on her quest for knowledge of the goddess. She is a published poet, writer, teacher, hypnotherapist, and lecturer and holds a master's degree in psychology and leisure studies from California State University. Knight is a Third Degree Craftmaster and High Priestess of the Celtic Gywddonic Druid Tradition. She has made radio and television appearances in Northern California, has been an active workshop leader for several years, and has created a series of guided imagery self-help tapes. She lives in the Sierra Foothills with her husband and their son, two dogs, and family of cats. Her writing room is situates next to an ancient Native American site, where she devotes her time and craft to enjoying life, moment by moment. --This text refers to the Cards edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Pubns; 1st edition (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567183891
• ISBN-13: 978-1567183894
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,006,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In a class by itself, April 26, 2000

By 

Cynthia Sue Larson "www.realityshifters.com" (San Francisco bay area, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shapeshifter Tarot (Cards)

This gorgeous tarot deck succeeds in so many ways! The creators of these beautiful cards and companion reference book succeeded at combining elements from many wisdom traditions into the most meaningful divination deck and book I've yet encountered. Bravo! It's rare to find a work of such beauty, grace and wisdom that is so useful and practical. Of the three tarot decks I've used, this one is the very best. I've used this deck with friends who've worked with many different decks, and they agree that Shapeshifter is the most sensitive and information-packed. The deck is extremely easy to work with, since the basic meaning of each card appears on the front of the card. In addition to the regular cards one finds in a tarot deck, this deck contains three new major arcana cards (the Double, the Journey, and the Dreamer), which I found to be some of the most interesting and useful cards in the deck. Unless you are already familiar with a traditional tarot deck that you feel comfortable with, I'm sure you'll enjoy and probably even prefer this deck. Obviously, any divination tools will work (even stones or tortoise shells), but an outstanding tarot deck like Shapeshifter sets itself apart from all the rest with elegance and eloquence; it's simply in a class by itself.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deck you will use for life, January 10, 2000

By 

Jason Pastoral (Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shapeshifter Tarot (Cards)

This deck sparkles in thine eyes! The illustratiions are soft but powerful, and the cards are labeled as such to give the beginner a very comfortable time with the tarot. But the readings you will be able to do with these cards are amazing. The cards have been molded to the norm of the ancient shamanic ways and are an excellent tool from witches to shamans to animal lovers. I am a beginner myself and I have done successful readings in important places. Trust me.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful guide for ongoing spiritual work, October 19, 2000

By 

Susan Shedd (South Woodbury, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shapeshifter Tarot (Cards)

I bought this expecting it to be a helpful adjunct deck, and it has become my favorite deck for daily use. There are several strengths: it is beautiful visually; the images and their spiritual/archetypal/historical connections are thoroughly explained; and there are some very powerful spreads. No interpretation of reversed cards is provided because none is needed -- the interpretation presents an energetic and spirtitual frame of reference as a whole -- with the seeker's actions determining how that energy will be used. I'm impressed with the Major Arcana interpretations particularly, as the good card/bad card shtick is bypassed altogether. Instead the authors look at the NATURE of each card, so that the reader can work with energetic resonances instead of simplistic prophecies of joy or doom.

I'm still struggling a bit with the elemental assignments (Swords to Fire and Wands to Air), but I find the interpretation of the cards themselves excellent. Swords, as a suit, is always difficult to interpret (most of the cards seem so negative that one wonders what the point of the suit is), but in this deck, the energetic and spiritual purpose of the often difficult cards is made clear as part of a complete life.

While this is a fine deck for a beginner, I think those who have experience with more traditional decks will really appreciate what the authors and artist have accomplished -- a beautiful deck that encourages an expanded and responsible spiritual life.