Angel Tarot Cards by Radleigh Valentine

Guest Review by Vernon Marshall

Tarot can be very challenging. It does not always give comfortable answers or advice. How does Valentine interpret the Tarot to match the uplifting tone that characterises the angel oracle decks?

The first thing to note is that some of the traditional archetypes are changed into something a little softer. Here there is no Hanged Man, no Devil, and no Death. These are replaced with Awakening, Ego, and Release. The Fool is replaced by the Dreamer, the Hierophant by Unity. I have no issue with experimentation, but I do wonder whether the hard messages we sometimes need in life are reduced instead to wise advice.

When I have used a more traditional deck I have often been hit hard by some realisation that came as a shock. At times we need to be shaken hard rather than be admonished gently. I did wonder whether these replacements for the more traditional archetypal figures have less impact. Having said that, I do acknowledge that different tools are applicable for different people and in different contexts. In the depths of despair, for example, it is not appropriate to be hit over the head with a demand to change behaviour. Something less challenging may be more suited to the situation. I have a number of decks and I use them all in different ways. Some decks are suitable more for meditation than for divination.

This deck has many strong points. The instruction book is good and is well thought out. There is plenty of information and beginners in particular would, I am sure, find this deck very congenial. Valentine clearly has an understanding of the Tarot and its history. He also has a respect for the Classic deck. In the Major Arcana the Angel deck has the Justice card in position 8 and Strength at 11. This restores those cards to their original position in the Classic deck, having been reversed by A. E. Waite in his seminal deck, and thus kept in those positions by most modern decks that use Waite as their template. This does signify some thinking by Valentine as to the justification for her card positioning.

This deck also renames the suits of the Minor Arcana as Earth, Air, Fire and Water, something done by a number of other decks and something which makes perfect sense.

There are two spreads suggested, the three-card spread and the Celtic Cross that uses ten cards. These are well explained and, in my experience, work well. Something unusual in a Tarot deck but practised in the Angel Tarot each card carries a few sentences, being a sort of summary of the message of the individual card being considered. The Tarot aficionado can respond to this in different ways. It could be argued that this impedes the intuitive interpretation offered by the reader.

The most important interpretation of all is that felt by the reader at the time the reading is given. Do the words act as a stumbling block? My view is that these words on the cards can be both a good thing and a bad thing. For meditation or reflection these are very helpful words of advice that suit everyone. To carry those words around with you all day would serve as a very practical aide to spiritual growth. The words are helpful also to the beginner struggling to make an interpretation of their own when they have not yet gained sufficient confidence.

Some Tarot readers, however, and I am one of them, do not find such words on the cards helpful for an in-depth divinatory reading. The mind needs the impetus of the images to explore, but without the restrictiveness of words that may deflect a message. At the end of the day, however, it is a matter of taste. What works for some readers does not work for others, and vice versa.

I do have a few practical issues with the Angel deck. The cards themselves are slightly bigger than most decks and thus are difficult to handle and to shuffle. A small hand would struggle to shuffle them successfully. The upside of the quality of the cards is that they look very attractive. The artwork is elaborate and colourful. For me, though, the pictures on the cards are somewhat dreamy and a little indistinct as regards the sought-for image being represented. Art is a curious pleasure and works differently for each individual. The artwork is fine, in fact it is excellent, it is just that some of us prefer a more precise type of imagery.

If you are a Radleigh Valentine fan this deck will be a pleasurable addition to your collection of decks. For those who want their Tarot deck to be a bit different, this deck will do the trick. Beginners also will find it a useful vehicle for exploring their divinatory skills. Finally, for anyone, the Angel Tarot will work superbly for meditation and personal devotion.