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When I heard about this new deck -- Tarot Affirmations -- I was intrigued by Sally
Hill's novel idea of putting affirmations directly on the cards. Since I have used
affirmations with Tarot cards extensively, I was anxious to see this deck and try it
out.
Visually, this deck is beautifully crafted. Each card includes a small image of a
Universal Waite card along side a list of several affirmations that the author
suggests we may want to use with it. The background for each card is a pastel
color specific to its suit: purple for the Major Arcana cards, rose for Wands, aqua
for Cups, buff for Swords, and slate blue for Coins.
Beyond its appearance, there are two essential aspects of the Tarot Affirmations
deck that should be discussed, as the treatment of these aspects differentiates
this deck from most. The first is the quality of its affirmations and the second is
the general usefulness of the deck itself. Over all, I have been pleased with both
of these facets, but not without some reservations.
First, let us consider some of the features of the affirmations that I found effective
and engaging. As one would hope, most of the affirmations in this deck are well
conceived. As an example, consider this one from the Eight of Wands: “I use the
fresh energy and new ideas available to me to fulfill my plan.” Indeed, many of Hill’
s affirmations tap into and accentuate the positive energy of a given card, and
they often reveal insights that I found delightful. A couple of examples of these
appealing insights are one from the Knight of Coins: “I value my opportunities to
enhance life on earth,” and one from the Star card: “I am light in the darkness.”
In addition, many of Hill’s affirmations reveal depths of meaning for their
respective cards that can be quite insightful for many Tarot students. For one
thing, some of the affirmations for “negative” cards (i.e., cards that are typically
viewed as being problematic) reveal ways of overcoming the difficult aspects of
the card. For example, the Devil card includes the affirmation, “My bonds are
broken by looking honestly at repressed desires and feelings.” Other affirmations
reveal some positive aspects of negative cards that are often overlooked. For
example, on the Ten of Wands, there is this affirmation: “I am tapping into the
wealth of creative energy available to me, seeking a way to narrow my focus.”
Thus, Hill demonstrates that no card is totally negative, which is an important
lesson.
There are some affirmations in this deck that I view as problematic, however. For
example, the Devil card includes this affirmation: “I am the source of fantasies
and illusions that support self-centeredness and fear.” This may be an
illuminating psychological insight, but I would never use it as an affirmation.
Luckily, each card provides several affirmations from which to choose, and I did
not find any cards that lack at least one that could be of value.
Another difficulty I have with these affirmations is that many of them are written in
the form of “I am [attribute]” instead of something like “I have [attribute].” For
example, consider this affirmation from the Eight of Wands: “I am the infusion of
energy that accompanies creative breakthroughs.” It is hard to relate to such
statements, and thus difficult to assimilate them. Fortunately, Hill suggests that we
“make the affirmations [our] own by rewriting them as [we] see fit.” So I might
rephrase the above affirmation to read, “I feel an infusion of energy bringing me a
creative breakthrough.”
My recommendation is to take to heart the author’s advice about rewriting any of
the affirmations given, realizing that each one is just a starting point. After all, the
value of an affirmation lies in what we do with it -- how we make it our own and
then how well we use it -- regardless of whether we use it as written on the card
or as we have reworked it.
As for the use of this deck, I had hoped to find more than what appears in the
accompanying booklet on that subject. In addition to what Hill presents in the
section titled, “How to Use This Deck,” I would add that it helps to repeat these
affirmations while looking at or visualizing the relevant card image, for the image
itself can help transport the desired message into our subconscious mind.
Indeed, it seems that this is a major justification for printing the affirmations on
cards instead of just writing a book of affirmations to go with the Universal Waite
deck. Another reason for putting these affirmations in a deck of cards instead of
in a book is that we can select a card and place it in view for meditation
throughout the day.
The booklet does suggest several ways to use this deck, but I had mixed
reactions to those suggestions. Basically they amount to either using individual
cards for pure affirmation work or using the deck for doing actual Tarot readings.
In the latter case, I inferred that the printed affirmations are intended to be used
to augment the process of interpreting the cards (i.e., the associated Universal
Waite images) and to help actualize the message of the reading.
Obviously, self-empowerment work, such as pulling one card each morning to
come up with a daily affirmation, is an excellent use for this deck. I was a bit
dubious, however, about using the deck for actual readings. The cards are a bit
large (5 1/2" x 3 3/4"), which makes shuffling laborious and multi-card spreads
unwieldy, and their landscape (i.e., horizontal) orientation -- versus the typical
portrait (i.e., vertical) orientation of virtually every other Tarot deck -- is
disconcerting when using these cards in a spread. Also, the actual pictures on
these cards are quite small, the Universal Waite images being a mere 1 3/8" x 2
1/4."
Despite my reservations, however, I decided to go ahead and do a simple three-
card reading with the Tarot Affirmations deck as an experiment. The question I
asked was, “How might this deck help me in my life and in my Tarot practice?”
What follows is the layout I used, the cards I dealt, and the affirmations that each
card suggested to me:
1. How can this deck help me on my spiritual path? -- Ace of Cups.
Affirmation: “I am filled with love, reaching out for new ways of giving to myself
and others.”
2. How can it help me in my personal life? -- The Hierophant.
Affirmation: “I am aware of my spirituality and in touch with a collective wisdom
that enriches my life’s journey.”
3. How can it help me in my Tarot practice? -- Two of Coins.
Affirmation: “I am flexible and adaptable; I recognize that new ventures require
experimentation and adjustment.” (This one was especially appropriate.)
A summary of the message from this reading might be the following: On one level,
this deck can help me enhance my loving connections with others, which is
something that can carry me along my spiritual path, and what I learn as I walk
that path enriches my personal life as well. On a very practical level, this deck is a
new tool that I can use in my Tarot practice, but I need to experiment with it and
play with it in order to find the best way to use it.
In doing this reading, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the affirmations
helped me quickly find a positive (and appropriate) message in each card. For
short readings aimed at self-exploration and personal transformation, this deck
can be useful. For longer, more typically divinatory readings, I would only use it in
an ancillary role. For example, if there is a particularly troublesome card in a
reading, I might pull the corresponding Tarot Affirmations card in order to find an
appropriate affirmation for the querent to use in overcoming the problem. I also
might draw a card from this deck at the end of a reading to provide the querent
with an affirmation to take into his or her life. This creates a sense of closure for
the reading, and it also gives the querent something to work with after he or she
leaves.
In the final analysis, there are affirmations in this deck that I would not use or that
I would rework, and the deck’s use in doing divinatory readings is limited.
However, there are many pearls of wisdom in the Tarot Affirmations deck, and its
specific use as a meditation or personal empowerment tool makes it a valued
addition to my collection of Tarot tools.
Title: Tarot Affirmations
Author: Sally Hill, Ph.D.
Artists: Pamela Colman Smith and Mary Hanson-Roberts
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc. (2001)
ISBN: 1-57281-316-4
Hill's novel idea of putting affirmations directly on the cards. Since I have used
affirmations with Tarot cards extensively, I was anxious to see this deck and try it
out.
Visually, this deck is beautifully crafted. Each card includes a small image of a
Universal Waite card along side a list of several affirmations that the author
suggests we may want to use with it. The background for each card is a pastel
color specific to its suit: purple for the Major Arcana cards, rose for Wands, aqua
for Cups, buff for Swords, and slate blue for Coins.
Beyond its appearance, there are two essential aspects of the Tarot Affirmations
deck that should be discussed, as the treatment of these aspects differentiates
this deck from most. The first is the quality of its affirmations and the second is
the general usefulness of the deck itself. Over all, I have been pleased with both
of these facets, but not without some reservations.
First, let us consider some of the features of the affirmations that I found effective
and engaging. As one would hope, most of the affirmations in this deck are well
conceived. As an example, consider this one from the Eight of Wands: “I use the
fresh energy and new ideas available to me to fulfill my plan.” Indeed, many of Hill’
s affirmations tap into and accentuate the positive energy of a given card, and
they often reveal insights that I found delightful. A couple of examples of these
appealing insights are one from the Knight of Coins: “I value my opportunities to
enhance life on earth,” and one from the Star card: “I am light in the darkness.”
In addition, many of Hill’s affirmations reveal depths of meaning for their
respective cards that can be quite insightful for many Tarot students. For one
thing, some of the affirmations for “negative” cards (i.e., cards that are typically
viewed as being problematic) reveal ways of overcoming the difficult aspects of
the card. For example, the Devil card includes the affirmation, “My bonds are
broken by looking honestly at repressed desires and feelings.” Other affirmations
reveal some positive aspects of negative cards that are often overlooked. For
example, on the Ten of Wands, there is this affirmation: “I am tapping into the
wealth of creative energy available to me, seeking a way to narrow my focus.”
Thus, Hill demonstrates that no card is totally negative, which is an important
lesson.
There are some affirmations in this deck that I view as problematic, however. For
example, the Devil card includes this affirmation: “I am the source of fantasies
and illusions that support self-centeredness and fear.” This may be an
illuminating psychological insight, but I would never use it as an affirmation.
Luckily, each card provides several affirmations from which to choose, and I did
not find any cards that lack at least one that could be of value.
Another difficulty I have with these affirmations is that many of them are written in
the form of “I am [attribute]” instead of something like “I have [attribute].” For
example, consider this affirmation from the Eight of Wands: “I am the infusion of
energy that accompanies creative breakthroughs.” It is hard to relate to such
statements, and thus difficult to assimilate them. Fortunately, Hill suggests that we
“make the affirmations [our] own by rewriting them as [we] see fit.” So I might
rephrase the above affirmation to read, “I feel an infusion of energy bringing me a
creative breakthrough.”
My recommendation is to take to heart the author’s advice about rewriting any of
the affirmations given, realizing that each one is just a starting point. After all, the
value of an affirmation lies in what we do with it -- how we make it our own and
then how well we use it -- regardless of whether we use it as written on the card
or as we have reworked it.
As for the use of this deck, I had hoped to find more than what appears in the
accompanying booklet on that subject. In addition to what Hill presents in the
section titled, “How to Use This Deck,” I would add that it helps to repeat these
affirmations while looking at or visualizing the relevant card image, for the image
itself can help transport the desired message into our subconscious mind.
Indeed, it seems that this is a major justification for printing the affirmations on
cards instead of just writing a book of affirmations to go with the Universal Waite
deck. Another reason for putting these affirmations in a deck of cards instead of
in a book is that we can select a card and place it in view for meditation
throughout the day.
The booklet does suggest several ways to use this deck, but I had mixed
reactions to those suggestions. Basically they amount to either using individual
cards for pure affirmation work or using the deck for doing actual Tarot readings.
In the latter case, I inferred that the printed affirmations are intended to be used
to augment the process of interpreting the cards (i.e., the associated Universal
Waite images) and to help actualize the message of the reading.
Obviously, self-empowerment work, such as pulling one card each morning to
come up with a daily affirmation, is an excellent use for this deck. I was a bit
dubious, however, about using the deck for actual readings. The cards are a bit
large (5 1/2" x 3 3/4"), which makes shuffling laborious and multi-card spreads
unwieldy, and their landscape (i.e., horizontal) orientation -- versus the typical
portrait (i.e., vertical) orientation of virtually every other Tarot deck -- is
disconcerting when using these cards in a spread. Also, the actual pictures on
these cards are quite small, the Universal Waite images being a mere 1 3/8" x 2
1/4."
Despite my reservations, however, I decided to go ahead and do a simple three-
card reading with the Tarot Affirmations deck as an experiment. The question I
asked was, “How might this deck help me in my life and in my Tarot practice?”
What follows is the layout I used, the cards I dealt, and the affirmations that each
card suggested to me:
1. How can this deck help me on my spiritual path? -- Ace of Cups.
Affirmation: “I am filled with love, reaching out for new ways of giving to myself
and others.”
2. How can it help me in my personal life? -- The Hierophant.
Affirmation: “I am aware of my spirituality and in touch with a collective wisdom
that enriches my life’s journey.”
3. How can it help me in my Tarot practice? -- Two of Coins.
Affirmation: “I am flexible and adaptable; I recognize that new ventures require
experimentation and adjustment.” (This one was especially appropriate.)
A summary of the message from this reading might be the following: On one level,
this deck can help me enhance my loving connections with others, which is
something that can carry me along my spiritual path, and what I learn as I walk
that path enriches my personal life as well. On a very practical level, this deck is a
new tool that I can use in my Tarot practice, but I need to experiment with it and
play with it in order to find the best way to use it.
In doing this reading, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the affirmations
helped me quickly find a positive (and appropriate) message in each card. For
short readings aimed at self-exploration and personal transformation, this deck
can be useful. For longer, more typically divinatory readings, I would only use it in
an ancillary role. For example, if there is a particularly troublesome card in a
reading, I might pull the corresponding Tarot Affirmations card in order to find an
appropriate affirmation for the querent to use in overcoming the problem. I also
might draw a card from this deck at the end of a reading to provide the querent
with an affirmation to take into his or her life. This creates a sense of closure for
the reading, and it also gives the querent something to work with after he or she
leaves.
In the final analysis, there are affirmations in this deck that I would not use or that
I would rework, and the deck’s use in doing divinatory readings is limited.
However, there are many pearls of wisdom in the Tarot Affirmations deck, and its
specific use as a meditation or personal empowerment tool makes it a valued
addition to my collection of Tarot tools.
Title: Tarot Affirmations
Author: Sally Hill, Ph.D.
Artists: Pamela Colman Smith and Mary Hanson-Roberts
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc. (2001)
ISBN: 1-57281-316-4
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| This review and all contents of this website (c) James Ricklef. |
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Tarot Affirmations Deck
James Ricklef -- Tarot Deck Review
You can choose an affirmation from the Tarot Affirmations deck from Dr. Hill's
website. This website also features a variety of articles about the Tarot and
about affirmations.
website. This website also features a variety of articles about the Tarot and
about affirmations.