Okay, so I finally got my hands on the Aquarian Tarot Deck. I’d been eyeing it for a while, you know, seeing it pop up on Instagram and in those witchy YouTube videos. It just looked so…different. I’ve been using the Rider-Waite deck for, like, ever, and felt it was time for a change, something a bit more… groovy.
First thing I did was unpack it. The box itself is pretty sturdy, a nice deep blue with some cool artwork. I carefully slid the cards out. They felt…smooth. Not super slick like some new decks, but just a nice, comfortable texture. I flipped through them one by one, just taking in the artwork.
Getting to Know the Cards
I spent a good hour just looking at each card. Seriously, just gazing. The colors are way more muted than the Rider-Waite, lots of blues and greens and yellows, a very 70s vibe. It’s like, mellow, man. The imagery is different, too. Still recognizable as the traditional tarot archetypes, but…updated? Like, The Magician isn’t standing at an altar, he’s more like…floating in space. Trippy.
I then took out my tarot journal. I have this beat-up old notebook I use for all my tarot stuff – readings, card studies, random thoughts. I started making notes. For each card, I wrote down:
- The card name (duh).
- My first impression – like, what feeling did it give me?
- Any symbols that stood out.
- How it differed from the Rider-Waite version.
- My initial interpretation.
This took a while! I mean, 78 cards is a lot. But it really helped me connect with the deck. Some of the cards felt immediately familiar, others were more… puzzling. The Star card, for example, felt much more hopeful and serene than I’m used to. The Hanged Man wasn’t hanging, just, reclining, and looked peaceful, not scary.
First Reading Time
After a couple of days of just handling the cards and making notes, I felt ready to do a reading. I decided to keep it simple – a three-card spread for my general outlook for the week. I shuffled the deck, focusing on my intention, and I swear I felt a little tingle in my fingers. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt like the deck was… ready.
The cards I pulled were The Lovers, The Five of Pentacles, and The Chariot. My immediate reaction was “Huh, mixed bag.” The Lovers felt positive, about connection and choices. The Five of Pentacles, even in this deck, still felt a bit… challenging, about feeling left out or lacking resources. But then The Chariot swooped in with this feeling of movement and overcoming obstacles.
I spent some time journaling about the reading, comparing the imagery to my Rider-Waite interpretations, and really sitting with the feelings the cards evoked. Overall, it felt like the message was about making a conscious choice (Lovers) to move forward (Chariot) despite some feelings of insecurity or lack (Five of Pentacles). Not bad for a first reading!
I’m definitely going to keep working with this deck. It feels like it has a different energy, a different way of communicating. It’s less…direct, maybe? More intuitive. I’m excited to see what else I learn from it. It feels more about personal, inner understanding of the reading.
