Alright, let me tell you about my journey with the Crow Tarot deck. I remember stumbling upon it, I think it was online somewhere, maybe scrolling through images late one night. The artwork just jumped out at me. Those crows, man, they looked intense, smart. It wasn’t like other decks I’d seen. Something about it felt different, maybe a bit darker, but real.
So, I decided I had to get it. Found a place online and ordered it. The wait wasn’t too bad, but you know how it is when you’re waiting for something cool. Felt longer. When the package finally showed up, I opened it right away. The box itself was nice, sturdy. Inside, the cards… they had a good weight to them, not cheap feeling at all. The finish was smooth, matte, which I really liked. Makes shuffling a bit tricky sometimes if your hands are dry, but they feel substantial.
First Impressions and Getting Started
First thing I did was just spread them all out. I spent a good hour just looking at each card. The artwork is really something. MJ Cullinane did an amazing job. It follows the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith structure, mostly, but the crows add this whole other layer. Sometimes they’re observers, sometimes they’re the main characters acting out the scene. It’s clever.
I didn’t do any fancy cleansing ritual. I just held the deck, shuffled it a few times to get my energy into it, you know? Just breaking them in. Shuffling was a bit of a workout initially because, like I said, they’re a decent size and that matte finish offers some resistance. But I got the hang of it.
- Looked through all the cards
- Shuffled the deck thoroughly
- Just tried to connect with its vibe
Using the Deck
My first reading was just a simple three-card pull. Past, present, future. Nothing too heavy. I remember being struck by how direct the cards felt. There wasn’t much ambiguity. The crows in the images seemed to look right at me, telling it like it is. The little guidebook that came with it is okay, gives you some basic meanings tailored to the crow theme, but honestly, I found myself relying more on the images and my own intuition pretty quickly.
Some cards were instant favorites. The Hermit, for example, depicted as a crow in this quiet, snowy landscape… really resonated. Others took a bit more pondering. The Lovers card was interesting, different from the usual. It made me think about choices and connection in a new way.
Over time, I started using it more regularly. It became one of my go-to decks, especially when I felt stuck or needed a dose of reality. It doesn’t really sugarcoat things. If the situation is tough, the cards show it. But they also show paths forward, resilience. It’s got a grounded energy, I think.
Final Thoughts
So, yeah. The Crow Tarot. It’s definitely earned its place on my shelf. It’s beautiful, thoughtful, and has a unique voice. If you like crows, or if you appreciate artwork that’s both dark and meaningful, you might really connect with this one. It’s not always the easiest deck to work with – it demands attention and honesty – but the insights I’ve gotten from it have been worth it. It feels like a wise, slightly grumpy friend who tells you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
