I don’t know how else to put it… This deck is SUPER FUCKIN’ COOL. It was a kickstarter that exploded in popularity and just grew and grew. There were BOOSTER PACKS of extra tarot cards added in. The result is this seemingly random amalgamation of cards that became a behemoth deck. My only complaint would be that it’s a beast to try and shuffle. But the end result of this weird, wild deck is totally worth the trouble.

One of my favorite parts of this whole package is the first section of the book, where ‘The Alleyman’ describes his philosophy on building tarot decks. He randomly adds or removes cards, writes on them, builds decks and then takes them apart. Tarot collectors tend to be a little precious about their decks (myself included), so this is kind of a revolutionary idea. Some cards are a little tough to figure out, so I’ll just be taking a Sharpie and writing on them. How fun! *nervous naughty giggle*

Let’s take a look at the interview, which I fully expect to be really weird.

1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic? 7 of Swords. These cards were all taken from various other decks, so the Alleyman’s Tarot has the energy of all of these decks all wrapped into one. So it’s most important characteristic is that it contains multitudes.
2. What are your strengths as a deck? 8 of Wands. It moves and changes. That makes a lot of sense! I’ll probably just be using half of the deck at a time, so it will be different every time I use it.
3. What are your limits as a deck? Queen of Strays reversed. It isn’t a mothering, loving kind of deck. It’s more pragmatic, and won’t be sugar-coating anything. Also, this may be my new significator.
4. What are you here to teach me? Justice. How to be fair and impartial in my readings. This is something I struggle with, as I always want to give people good news. But sometimes I need to warn people about things that are coming up, and need to let go of the need to be warm and fuzzy.
5. How can I best learn and collaborate with you? Knight of Swords. Be ready to think! This deck will require that I use my brain and cut through any bullshit that I may have built up around certain cards. I need to be mentally ready!
6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship? The Devil reversed. I’ll avoid the temptation to collect more and more cards, as this deck has everything I need. (This is actually a problem for me and a lot of other people. I’m trying to let go of my collection mania and only buy decks when I really can find a use for them. This deck will help me with my FOMO when it comes to new decks coming out as I have a little piece of a hundred or more decks in my hands.)

So that’s it! That’s the interview with the Alleyman’s Tarot. And it was clear as a bell, which I was not expecting. I expected it to be a bit more wacky. But this looks like it may be a really good, clear reader!

Blessed be! <3