Welcome to Dark Reads, today I am bringing a review of the Luna Sol Tarot by Darren Shill and Mike Medaglia. Thank you to Liminal 11 for sending me a review copy of this beautiful deck.
Packaging
The Luna Sol Tarot comes in a classic Liminal 11 beautifully made slide box which opens at the bottom with a magnetic flap. The outer and inner boxes are both really sturdy and fully illustrated. If you guys read my previous review of The Cosmic Slumber Tarot I had a slight niggle regarding the cardboard insert that keeps the card and guidebook in place being glued into the box, well not any more! The cardboard insert is still there so everything fits snugly into the box but it is not glued in, YAY!
As Far as boxes go I would say I think the Liminal 11 boxes are my favorites. They are really well made, illustrated with the beautiful art from the deck inside and they aren’t too big. The fit onto the shelf perfectly and they look great.
From the box;
The Luna Sol Tarot is designed to uplift and heal. with a soft color palette that gently warms the heart, this deck will wrap your intuition in a positive embrace,
The Guidebook
Again the guidebook is a fully bound and hard covered. It includes a forword by Darren Shill (Author and Liminal 11 Co-founder) and an introduction from Mike Medaglia (Author, Artist and Liminal 11 Co-founder).
Each of the Major Arcana cards have a full page in the book with a color image of the card, each Major also comes with a quote from the card. As an example, The Magician card says ‘I know all that there is to know, which means I don’t know very much at all.’
The Minor cards have a short but very well written paragraph for each card.
The book also includes some information on how to read the cards, some tips and spreads, including a spread specifically designed for this deck.
Just a small point, as the book is small, the font is very small. This isn’t a problem for me, but may be worth considering if you struggle with small text.
The Cards
Ok this is the part we all want to see right?! The card stock is fantastic, its sturdy but riffle shuffles and overhand shuffles perfectly, they are in no way flimsy and I find them very tactile. The finish is matte, not like a sticky rose petal type matte, but a lovely smooth matte (you guys know what I mean haha) It may sound strange but I think the smooth matte finish completely complements the gentle color palette used with this deck, it just feels right.
They are standard Tarot size and I absolutely love the card backs, they aren’t reversible but that doesn’t worry me in the slightest.
Now I’m going to try not to be too gushy but I love these cards. I really like the soft colors used. The cards are based on the traditional RWS system but have a wonderfully modern twist.
The cards are SO diverse, we see different genders, body shapes, races and ages, I especially like to see body hair included here too!
I feel that this is a deck that really draws on your intuition, there is so much in the cards to pick up on. I think this would be a wonderful deck for beginners and also for experienced readers who may see things in these cards that make you understand the meanings on another level.
A little thing I picked up on and LOVE is that all of the characters in the Major cards have a familiar of some description in the card, for me, an animal lover I just really enjoyed that little aspect. These Familiars aren’t discussed in the guide book but I think have been very cleverly selected for each card, another tool for your intuition. For example; The High Priestess in Tarot traditionally has a symbol on the card that in Hebrew translates to ‘Camel’ guess what the High Priestess’s animal is? You got it, a camel. There is a Chrysalis on The Tower card, all about transformation, the Chrysalis has to break apart before it can transform into a moth or butterfly. I think I could write a whole blog post just on this, I just love it.
Ok, I’m going to share a few of my favorite cards from the Major Arcana, a couple from each suit and one of each of the court cards so you can get a good feel for the deck but still leaving you plenty to discover for yourselves.
There are also two bonus cards in this deck, I wont divulge the whole card meanings but will share the quotes from each of the cards with you.
Wu Wi – ”To act in accordance with destiny. Nothing is simpler, nothing is harder.”
Duality – ”The wind settles the seed of opposition at the zenith of self-assurance. And we turn, and we grow.”
About The Creators
From Liminal 11’s website
Kay Medaglia (left) started in self-publishing many years ago where they edited a comics anthology exploring ideas of spirituality called Wu Wei. This eventually lead to them to produce the best selling inspirational One Year Wiser series published by SelfMadeHero. Kay was also an art editor at Jessica Kingsley Publishers for a number of years, where they produced a line of comic books about subjects such as dementia, PTSD and Asperger’s Syndrome. At the beginning of 2017 they became a full time author/artist. Find them on Twitter and Instagram @kaymedaglia.
Darren Shill (right) has been a reader of the tarot for himself and others for over 25 years and an ardent fan of the I Ching for nearly as long. Current passions include cooking for the family and the practice of Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
Professionally, Darren worked for 14 years at the private equity management firm Electra Partners, where he was Financial Controller and for the last 6 of those years a Partner. During that time he was involved in the fund raising of a €1bn and a €1.25bn European fund and was Financial Controller for one of London’s oldest and most successful listed private equity investment trusts, Electra Private Equity. Find him on Twitter and Instagram @darren_shill.
You have probably gathered from this review that I love this Deck, Its intuitive, immersive, diverse and beautifully done. Perfect for beginners and experienced readers alike. If you don’t own this deck I suggest you head over to Liminal 11’s website and grab yourself a copy, at £21.99 it would be insane not to!
One last thing
In Dark Reads tradition I have included my interview spread with The Luna Sol Tarot
These are my interpretations on the cards that came up
- 1 – Describe yourself – Wheel of fortune – A centered and calm deck and a tool to help make good decisions.
- 2 – What is your strength as a deck? – The Emperor – Again, stable and logical
- 3 – What is your weakness as a deck – Seven of Swords – Hmm, this is a tough one for me, maybe that answers may pose mental tests, and having to be be true to myself?
- 4 – Describe me – King of Cups – I am emotionally mature and very imaginative. Empathy is also a big part of my personality
- 5 – What can you teach me? – The Hermit – To take the time I need for myself to replenish myself and find answers from within.
- 6 – How can I best learn from and collaborate with you? – Three of Swords – learning to release things and making room for growth and new ways of thinking.
- 7 – What is the potential of our relationship? – Seven of Cups – increased mental visualization and Moving towards my goals
Do you have this deck? I would Love to know what you think!
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