The Crow Tarot took the tarot world by storm in 2018 and became the talk of the town. It began independently-published and crowd-funded, raising $120,000 in what felt like a blink of an eye. Given that most mass market decks take one to two years to go from contract to market, it’s evident that as soon as the Crow Tarot was picked up for mass publication, it was expedited to the front of the line. Spoiler alert, it’s a really cool deck!
The Crow Tarot is designed to pay homage to crows and ravens. If you are drawn to crows and ravens then this is clearly the tarot deck for you. The Crow Tarot is for those drawn to the energy and imagery of these intelligent birds - crows and ravens.
Discovering the Crow Tarot, I’m not sure where I saw it first but I believe it was on Pinterest. A card randomly popping on my feed. And they had me at Crow.
Like many of you here I am an animal lover and I am fascinated by the way they live and thrive or survive around us. I think all animals are breathtaking when you start discovering what they are up to, how they communicate and how they live. And we don’t even know the half of it.
But we do know a little bit about crows as studies reveal how intelligent and organized they are. I’m not going to write about crows behaviour here, but if you are not familiar with the current state of research, I highly encourage you to find a documentary or podcast on the subject and let yourself be amazed. They are so fun and smart!
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Long story short: I love crows. And not because I’m a dark gothic witch. I am not. No shade to anyone! But it’s not my personal style. I love all birds and animals and know we should learn more from them and give them more respect. And Tarot is a wonderful way to keep connecting with mother nature and all the wonderful creatures that surround it. Let’s jump right in!
Margaux Jones (MJ) Cullinane is a Seattle-based artist and graduate from the prestigious Parson’s School of Design. The 78 cards are illustrated in a skilled, dynamic style of digital collage. This is a 78 card, fully illustrated traditional tarot deck. The Major Arcana uses A. E. Waites titles and ordering. The cards measure 80 x 127 mm, which is a fairly standard size for tarot cards. The card stock is excellent solid, yet light, and relatively flexible. The cards and guidebook come packaged in a solid cardboard box, with lift off lid.
Games has also done the deck justice with sturdy cardstock and a well-designed matte finish top and bottom lid box to store your cards in. Also, no copyright notice on each and every single card! Yay!
What Makes This Deck Stand Out
Every deck has its own personality and magic. Some of the things that make the Crow Tarot Deck stand out include:
- A very unique design. The artist painted every card and has a unique style I have not seen elsewhere.
- No sugar coating. Some of the cards are very dark or sad (especially the Swords).
- Rich symbolism with many elements adding depth to each card. You can spend quite some time identifying objects, plants and symbols in the background and assign them your own interpretation (this is not a minimalistic deck).
Best For
- Analyzing past situations in depth
- Predictions (Long Term Readings)
- Yes or No Spreads
A Look at the Cards
The Crow Tarot comes in a solid cardboard box with a nice booklet that’s very classic. A couple paragraphs on the meaning of each card and a tutorial to the Crow Tarot Spread, which is a really good little reading for beginners and advanced readers. The card stock is regular, not very thick but not too thing that I would be scared to damage it fast.
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A solid deck for personal and professional readings. Ideal for Fall & Winter readings while the rain or snow falls out your window and the kettle’s on the stove. I usually have a favorite card in each deck, not necessarily based on its meaning but on the design or vibe alone.
The Strength in the Crow Tarot immediately got my attention and I connected with it instantly. I have come to love this card more and more over the years in general. The grace emanating from the Crow, gently perched on a lion resonates deeply with me. I feel the power of acceptance and trust when I look at this card. Real strength is not muscle. It is all within and this is a beautiful illustration of it.
This deck can be dark at times, as I mentioned above, especially with the Swords. Example of Swords cards in the Crow Tarot Deck. And there is nothing wrong with that. I like that you can dive really deep into all sorts of emotions and nothing is held back.
But it somehow adds more joy when a positive spread. Because there is real danger lurking, what a relief to pick a Four of Wands or Nine of Cups! And the Cups in this deck are so beautiful: there is tenderness, love and depictions of family life that I find truly heartwarming.
A beautiful deck that will take you on a journey in a world of wonders, where Crows lead the way and guide you towards making better decisions and preparing for what’s to come.
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The Crow Tarot is a great deck to reserve for mediumship readings or to connect with those who have crossed over, especially if that crossing was recent. I have been using this deck for a few months so my Crow Tarot Review is a little overdue but also based on several readings and sessions.
Here I’ve set out the cards in the order they came in out of the box, so I’m intrigued any time a deck creator orders the deck in a way that’s a little unconventional. This deck feels magical. It feels woven with so much promise and potential, a deck that feels keenly attuned to the supernatural.
When I first receive a new deck, I make sure I touch each and every single card, one by one, in the order they come in, and as I do this, I start to get a sense of what specific purpose and strengths the deck possesses. During this study period I also evaluate the imagery and symbolism for how it interprets the classical tarot systems and how the creator has added her own style and perspective to it. I’ll also read through any companion guidebooks a deck comes with.
When I read a guidebook, I’m looking specifically for the creator’s point of view. I hope that the guidebook will give me insight into how the deck was created, what inspired the creator, and a little more about the art style. Each Major Arcanum key is given a full page, featuring keywords, the elemental correspondence, and well-written explanations of the cards that will inform and anchor a beginner and delight the seasoned reader. On average the keys in the Minors are also given about a page’s worth of content, though it’s less consistent. Companion Material: 86-page guidebook written by the artist as well as an elemental alignment.
Once I’ve had a chance to study the cards one by one and review the guidebook, I gather up the deck and distribute the cards into seven piles, seven for my life path number 7. This works for me only because my life path number is 7 and that means distributing the cards into that many piles gets it well randomized. If your life path number is 1 or 2, then maybe this approach won’t work so well. Then I cut the deck into four piles for the four elements and go in search for my go-to significator card, the Queen of Swords.
Oh, by the way, the simplicity of the feather motif seamless tiling in the card back design complements the deck style really well. In the Crow Tarot, I found my Queen of Swords in the Air pile. Well. That makes sense. Here I also take a look at the top-most card in each pile. Fire here is Five of Wands and I’ll read this as an omen for how this deck functions in career readings (the Fire pile corresponding to career matters). Key I: The Magician in the Water pile tells me how this deck functions in love and relationship readings. The Knight of Wands in the Air pile tells me how this deck functions in psychic (and for lack of a better word-) or paranormal readings.
Overall, this is a deck that lives up to its hype. Powerful, accurate, easy to read for any Rider-Waite-Smith tarot reader, and as a tarot deck, truly a modern classic.
Key V: The Hierophant here is exceptional and one of my top favorites when it comes to renderings of the Hierophant card. I love the white angel/dove wings on the stained glass just behind our hierophant raven. I love how in Key IV, our Emperor raven has taken the feathers of another bird and adorned himself with it. Perching on the blade of a sword is a great touch. There’s a postmodern witchy aesthetic here, too. It’s a deck that I would read with in a professional setting at a Berkeley fair underneath a pitched tent while surrounding myself with crystals and incense.
myths and legends around the world. folktales and lore. worlds of the seen and unseen. be an excellent medium for their messages. definitely be on your list. If you are drawn to crows and ravens then this is clearly the tarot deck for you. and Native American, then this is a deck that might be of interest to you. greater insight into the Crows message. upright and reversed cards.