Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot: Discover the Magic in Nature [BOX SET] (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I am the street entertainer, the burst of unexpected colour amidst the blowing papers in the road..." (more)
Key Phrases: wild power, tarot reading, Dance of Life, Mother Earth, Mother Nature (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Woodland sprites and crafty magicians, wise women and dancing faeries leap out from the vibrant cards of the Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot. Created by artist and Wildwitch Poppy Palin, this one-of-a-kind Tarot brings the inspirational magic of the wild into the everyday world.

In the companion book Stories of the Wild Spirit, the characters portrayed in the cards tell their own stories, using first person dialogue to immerse you in their tales and call forth the power of their energies. This unique approach provides a new way of working with the Tarot for those who learn more easily through strong visual cues and evocative prose, rather than elaborate lists of correspondences.

This boxed kit includes a 78-card deck and a 336-page illustrated guidebook. Perfect for those who want to reconnect with or have never lost their sense of wonder at the divine magic of nature, the sacred art and sparkling prose of the Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot will enchant and enlighten.

About the Author

Poppy Palin is a qualified and experienced artist and teacher who uses her trained illustrative skills to enhance her own work and that of others. She has written and illustrated four non-fiction books on her life as a natural psychic, all of which are published by Capall Bann. She combines magical fiction and enchanting artwork in the Wild Spirit Tarot (Llewellyn 2002) and in her "Wild Spirit Trilogy" of novels which begins with The Greening. She is the author of The Craft of the Wild Witch (2004).

She recently illustrated The Hedge Witch's Way written by English author Rae Beth and will be working with her on The Hedge Witch's Oracle in 2002. Poppy's artwork regularly appears in magazines in the 'mind, body and spirit' category.

Poppy is also an experienced tattoo artist who specializes in one-off pieces to commemorate rites of passage. She currently lives in Glastonbury, England.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738700975
• ISBN-13: 978-0738700977
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #936,164 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, magical & beautiful, May 3, 2002

By	Elen Hawke "author of In the Circle, The Sacr... (Oxford UK) - See all my reviews

As a fellow Llewellyn author, I was lucky enough to be given this deck to read from at the London Bookfair this March. The first thing which strikes you about the deck is how visually stunning it is. The colours are vibrant and alive, the images detailed yet clear and extremely beautiful. There is a wealth of imagery from both the seen and the mythic dimensions of nature, from fairies, elves, wild spirited folk, animals, birds and many plants and flowers; the very essence of wildwood and meadow and hill. The pictures speak with a language of their own, resonating on a very deep level. Despite the unusualness of the deck and the innovative meanings and pictures, the cards are not at all difficult to read once you have played about with them for a little while; in fact they speak to a deep part of the reader. For anyone needing the reassurance of a written guide, the accompanying well crafted book explains not just the way the cards can be used, both in spreads and for self exploration, but also expounds a whole spiritual philosophy which offers the keys to a wholesome and magical world view. This is a wonderful card set which will unfold a realm of visionary delight and profound realisation to all who use it.
Author of In The Circle, The Sacred Round, and Praise to the Moon.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wild Spirit Tarot Cards, January 25, 2004

By	Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Ms. Palin's opening lines to the accompanying book gives us the essence of what her deck and her book reflects: "With an understanding of the seasons of Life and the natural enchantment of the Wild Realm, we can gain spiritual guidance."

The cards, like Ms. Palin's book, reflect her exuberance for the "Wild Realm" with bright primary colors, bold designs and free interpretation of the Journey of the Tarot.

Looking at the obverse of the cards is a quartet of what appear to be two fairy folk reflected across the card. This is much different from the usual abstract designs or monotones that usually are printed on decks.

The layout of the deck is similar to the Rider-Waite deck, with four suits and 21 trump cards. The focus of this deck is nature, so the suites are not magic oriented, they are nature oriented, being earth, air, fire and water. The trump cards also reflect the nature theme, and we have the "Cunning Man" rather than the magician, and "Mother Nature" rather than the Empress and "Lord of the Wild" rather than the Emperor, and so on.

The colors are bold primary, the designs range from well done children's illustration in feeling, as in the "Wandering Minstrel" or the fool, to very surrealistic, as all her fairy folk.

To wander through her cards is to understand her feelings for the natural world and to appreciate her talent for the arts. I feel it is a beautiful deck and working with it is a joy, as the symbolisms are clearly stated.

The book starts with Ms. Palin's intention for the cards, how to use them and the care of any kind of tarot deck. She then explores each card, giving very clear and almost poetic explanations of how she devised each card and its meaning. For example, her meaning of "Hunter - Spirit of Clarity" opens "Focus. This moment...strung, drawn, aimed... is all that there is. As the Hunter, I cannot allow myself to become distracted, for I must achieve what I set out to do here, or I shall not eat tonight." A wonderful clarity of vision for this card, which shows a hunters face focusing on the draw of a bow.

Overall, this deck presents itself as a connection to nature through the use of the tarot. The experience is being drawn into this deck through the illustrations. The similarity to the standard deck allows ease of use and understanding when augmented with the book.

This is an addition worth having if you collect decks and a good choice for those looking for a deck to express and grow their inner wild spirit. boudica

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a Walk on the Wild Side, May 13, 2002

By	D. Kendall (Bristol, Gloucestershire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The main emphasis on Poppy Palin's Wild Spirit Tarot should be on the word spirit. It is a wonderfully spiritual collection of drawings and stories produced and written with a very passionate spirit. The cards images should delight anyone with one foot still firmly planted in the realm of the child. Human, animal, plant and spirit laugh and dance with each other throughout the whole pack. This pack does not contain the archetypal tarot images, yet their counterparts can be found if you look carefully enough. Approach the book and images as if going on a country walk. Tread carefully and mindfully, and you will see much more than blundering through, expecting the woodland creatures to be prostrate in front of you. The book is a guide to the cards, and yet is much more, in being a guide also to the realm of the spirit. Many philosophies from many ages seem to be wrapped up in the stories. The emphasis on letting go in order to gain dominates the message of this tarot. Could be tricky to read if you are expecting the tarot to tell you what you are going to get and when. It requires a rethink on the traditional ideas. Maybe this is where the wild makes itself known. Like the wild nothing is cut and dried with this pack. It is a wonderful achievement. The amount of hard work and dedication is evident in every word and line.