Just received Tarot of a Moon Garden!

First, let me start off with long time no see! It's been QUITE awhile since I've been on the forum.
So,I just received Tarot of a Moon Garden in the mail and I am very excited to say the least! I didn't have quite enough money to buy the companion book (it was bought with a visa giftcard I received...) and, even though I do plan to buy the book later on, is it really necessary in the least? Just wondering about y'all's opinions (;

Congrats on getting the new deck! It's always so exciting to look at a deck for the first time. I bought an older Moon Garden deck - but I have been wondering how it looks with the glossy printing that is used with it today - some decks look better with the glossy lamination, and I would imagine that Moon Garden would be one of them.

I don't think the book is necessary. You could get by with the LWB that comes with the deck - it's all basic RW stuff, anyway....so any book that follows the RW system would work. Unless, of course, you are the sort of person who wants to know all about the artist's vision and why this unicorn looks happy or where the fabled Moon Garden really is or why that butterfly is purple etc etc.. Sometimes it's nice to know the "story" of a deck, but I don't think all that matters too much when it comes to reading, especially with decks that follow the RW school of thinking.

I agree with Bhavana. The Moon Garden is a lovely deck with a lot of the usual Rider Waite symbolism so many of the symbols on the cards will be discussed in the "card meanings" section of this forum or other places on line.

It is a little sparser than some RWS decks. For example the Five of Staffs in the Moon Garden shows several trees all leaning at crazy angles to each other. In the RWS deck it is five people all holding staves at combative angles, The Moon Garden just leaves the people out.

The book doesn't give a lot of added information like "castles mean this and hot-air balloons mean that". It might be useful to through the deck and see what the castles, clouds and dragonflies mean to you. The book does give some useful information about small-scale magical workings, little charms and spells, so if that interests you the book might be good to pick up at some point.

Enjoy your new deck!

I love this deck!! When I first had a reading done, the reader used this deck and I fell in love with it almost instantly. I ended up buying my own copy right on the spot. I then got the RWS and when my brother showed an interest in learning the tarot, I gifted him my Tarot of the Moon Garden, but found myself constantly wishing I hadn't given it away. My brother eventually lost interest in learning the tarot and so I asked for my deck back, but he kept making excuses, so I finally went and bought a new copy for myself, LOL.
I don't think you need the companion book though as it really is basic RWS meanings. I believe when I first bought it, I did buy the book along with it, but never used it much

Thanks for the advice guys! When my friend (who'd originally given me the visa gift card) saw the deck she thought it was a bit too cute, but I love it! After looking at all the cards, they do seem to stay pretty close to RWD so I think I just might put off buying the book

There's a book??

I got my deck years ago after seeing a male friend reading for others with one and doing quite well. I love its atmosphere; it's great for reading on summer or early fall evenings. I sometimes have issues with that border, though: the design is hard-edged and doesn't blend with the scenes as well as I could wish. But it is possible to ignore the border when in the right frame of mind.

This deck is one of those decks that I'm almost afraid to admit that I'm drawn to. I keep coming back to it though. It's not like most of the decks that I usually gravitate towards.

I mean, a ballerina is in the World card. Really? But I get the meaning, the freedom to be carefree and lose oneself, to enjoy the dance of life. Then there's the Justice card with the fairy that looks apprehensive about holding the scale (the blog Tarot By Arwen also mentions this in a deck review). Sometimes one doesn't want that responsibility.

It seems overly happy and ethereal with dragonflies, unicorns, and swirly fairies, but I like the sparse details in the cards like the position of the trees in the Wands suit and the dragonflies as Swords. I like entering an imaginary world and the borders on the cards (and I usually hate borders) act like frames on each of the cards.

I have the shiny printed in Italy edition and prefer this deck with the glossy card stock compared to the more matte Belgium editions that I usually praise.

Does anyone else use this deck regularly? I feel like giving it a chance. Like I do with many decks, I'm jotting down notes in a journal.

What is the moon garden?

I remember reading somewhere that the author based the deck on a poem she wrote that is included in the guidebook. The garden seems like a warm, cozy, idyllic paradise.

Is it a place in your mind? Is it found in your dreams when you're asleep? Is it a magical dimension? Is it something spiritual and universal where everyone can go, or is it only accessible to those who use the deck?

Aeric said:

What is the moon garden?

I remember reading somewhere that the author based the deck on a poem she wrote that is included in the guidebook. The garden seems like a warm, cozy, idyllic paradise.

Is it a place in your mind? Is it found in your dreams when you're asleep? Is it a magical dimension? Is it something spiritual and universal where everyone can go, or is it only accessible to those who use the deck?

Click to expand...

[smiles ]

I have the book on the way. I bought a used copy from Amazon for less than $3. From what I read about it online, the book has spells in it, not sure if it goes into details about each of the cards or not.

ETA: I also have the Belgium printing on the way. I want to compare the two versions.

aurarcana said:

[smiles ]

I have the book on the way. I bought a used copy from Amazon for less than $3. From what I read about it online, the book has spells in it, not sure if it goes into details about each of the cards or not.

Click to expand...

I leafed through it in a bookstore once, and it does go into the cards.

But I'm wondering whether her interpretation of the Moon Garden is something universal in everyone's dreams, or whether it's an entirely specialized "other" universe like the world in the Tarot of the Cat People, where only the users of the cards get to go.