The Witchy Tarot

Measurements: 2.6 x 4.7 inches, or 66 x 120 mm.

Back of card: A rich purple. Based on the 3 of Boulders, above, with the central figure reversed, upside down, upside down & reversed, and normal, eg, right-side up. May be inverted.

Booklet included: Well, sort of. Two pieces of paper, each measuring 7.8 x 9.45 inches (198 x 240 mm), folded, like a road map, into 6 sections, or 12 panes (front + back). Instructions in English & Spanish. (More on that in the comments, below.)

Publisher: Lo Scarabeo. Printed in Italy.

Comments: In this deck, suits are Boulders (Pentacles), Flames (Wands), Broomsticks (Swords) & Cauldrons (Cups). Court cards are Celebration (Page), Moon (Knight), Goddess (Queen), and, Trial (King).

This is one of a series of Lo Scarabeo decks designed expressly for the American market, or so I would guess. In the instructions for the deck, instead of the usual note from Minetti or the artists, was one from Carl Weschcke, who happens to be the head of Llewellyn Worldwide.

Since buying Llewellyn in 1960, Weschcke has worked tirelessly to promote magic. He's specifically marketed to teens & Latinos, hence the Spanish instructions with the deck. Since Minetti would have included notes in French, Italian & German as well, it would seem that Minetti has no interest in marketing this deck in Europe. This deck is presumably part of Weschcke's Teen Witch project that dates from 1998. (Silver RavenWolf gets author credit for Teen Witch, but it's clearly Weschcke's project.) In the notes to this deck, Weschcke says, The Witchy Tarot is for the young at heart, new to the road of life.

So, what about teaching magic to teenage females, via books & tarot decks? I suppose, but it's not the brightest thing I've heard of. Teenage females are beset with cliques, which are, essentially, covens in all but name. Many are nasty. Magic is a form of power. What Weschcke is selling is fairly dilute stuff, but teens are intense, magic, once accepted, is easily learned, the thrills & dangers of the magical deep end beckon brightly. With adult supervision, teens can learn magic as they can learn most anything else. Lacking adults, getting your magic from the books & tarot you find in the stores, along with what you get from your peers, can result in unfortunate situations. If it were up to me, I wouldn't let teens take up magic, it's just too damn dangerous.

The women shown in this deck, in true Lo Scarabeo / Italian fashion, have a beauty & sexiness about them, which contrasts with the slutty females pictured on Weschcke's Teen Witch series. Neither representation has much in common with the people who will buy & use the deck or books, but that's not important. We don't buy products that look like us. We buy products that look like what we want to look like. One bright note: If this deck sells, there will be a book for it.

A final word, on the witch's traditional cone shaped (dunce) hat: Cones & pyramids focus energy at a point about a third of the distance from base to peak, with a lesser, secondary point about the same distance below the base. (This can be demonstrated with a pyramid, razor blades & the male beard.) With the hat, the primary focal point hits the transpersonal chakra, located a few inches above the head. This chakra is dormant at this time, by which I mean that you will almost never feel or sense it in any way. The witch's hat stimulates it, but I do not know what that might do to the transpersonal point or the witch herself. Energy introduced into the subtle body might also stimulate the crown & ajna chakras. It might increase general intelligence, it might promote visions. It might, on occasion, lead to sudden, startling downward rushes of energy into the head itself. As these hats are more often shown on women, it may be men have a different reaction to them. In no case will a witch's hat make her spells better, but it should, eventually, make her better at casting them. Such hats are rarely worn in modern times, in public, at least, so I can only guess. I would be interested in hearing from those with practical experience.

The Astrology Center of America

207 Victory Lane, Bel Air, MD 21014
Tel: 410-638-7761; Toll-free (orders only): 800-475-2272

	Tarot Home	Tarot Decks	Tarot Books	Astrology Home	E-Mail: