The Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy and released by US Games is a very pretty deck. It’s a world of fantastical creatures in pastels and soft lines.
There are bunny-eared fairies, merlions, and well-dressed cats. Rabbits wear clothes, hats have faces, and seahorses can fly.
Joie de vivre, or the joy of living, is obvious in this deck. It’s happy and light, playful and friendly. But that doesn’t stop it from being serious as well.
For instance, its take on the Tower – a woman falling from a collapsing fortress of open-mouthed snakes, is hardly disregarding the impact Tower energy usually describes.
And the 3 of Swords clearly illustrates the pain of unreleased sadness. It’s just whispered, not shouted.
This isn’t a deck for those people most interested in traditional tarot symbology, or who want their cards to talk tough. But don’t be fooled into thinking the Joie de Vivre is just a frilly, fluff deck. I think it has real spirit.
It loosely follows the RWS structure and those readers familiar with that system should have no trouble understanding it. But Cassidy’s pictures are unique and create their own Tarot universe.
Each character has a name and their story is described in the booklet that comes with the deck. The names are derived from the energy of the card and can be used as key words.
Examples include Ponder for the Hanged Man and Orbit for the Wheel. The Devil’s called Deception, and Gleam, Glitter, and Glow are the ladies in the 3 of Cups.
It’s clear that the focus of the Joie de Vivre Tarot is finding joy, but I still went ahead and asked it my usual ‘new deck’ question – what do you like talking about most?
The card I got was the 10 of Swords, certainly not the most joy-filled card in the deck.
In fact, the veiled fairy in the picture looks sad, lonely and unconsoled by her snail and snake companions. There’s darkness in the background and the moon is shrouded in fog.
The booklet says the fairy’s name is Lament and that she’s at her lowest point. Her dreams feel like dust and all she has left is her will.
But the nine swords in the background are her worries, and they’re further away than she thinks. And on her lap is the sword of fortitude with which she’ll carve a new beginning.
This 10 of Swords is the perfect card to explain what the Joie de Vivre Tarot likes to talk about most. Finding joy in the very pits of despair.
When your name becomes Lament and even the light of the moon has been dimmed, this deck wants to talk. Like the tiny star shinning above the fairy’s head, the Joie de Vivre wants to be a source of light.
What a sweet message and sweet pack of cards. If you’re looking for a little light, try out this deck.
Joie de Vivre Tarot © U.S. Games Systems
Card images used with permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
