Lisa Papez and Francesca Paiocchi have teamed as much as create a unicorn-themed storybook and tarot deck set. Lisa is a recognizable name in the online tarot space. She’s an creator and content material creator who’s well-regarded for her tarot deck evaluations, tarot tutorials, sizzling takes, and panel discussions with different tarot neighborhood members.
I really like that the Unicorn’s Journey Tarot is an infinite fairytale in a field, advised and retold in lots of iterations by way of a deck of fantastically illustrated playing cards.
Our protagonist is a unicorn named Mystic who goes on a journey of self-discovery, genuine dwelling, and realizing self-worth. The teachings and messages embedded all through the Unicorn’s Journey is wealthy, worthwhile, and galvanizing.
Unicorn’s Journey weaves collectively the hero’s journey narrative construction with up to date psychological themes of private empowerment. It’s an unbelievable instrument, with comforting artwork, that allows you to critically and compassionately study your ideas, feelings, actions, and beliefs, and to interrupt by way of self-limiting beliefs.
The companion storybook Mystic’s Magical Journey, which I might describe as a full-color illustrated kids’s ebook that adults will love, too, options the illustrations from the Main Arcana playing cards and connects them in sequence to inform the story of Mystic’s journey.
The textual content is poetry, with charming little rhymes that provides to that magical really feel.
“Each night time whereas Mystic slept,
a particular star would shine,
revealing Mystic’s secret:
their potential is so divine!”
I cherished studying the storybook and for every web page, evaluating the rhyming traces of the story to the tarot card, after which to the Self-Value Message within the full-color booklet (the LWB).
The LWB deserves particular point out. It’s a phenomenal learn, from Lisa’s opening message to every card entry, the place Majors and Minors are given equal therapy. You get an outline of Mystic’s narrative that’s being portrayed by that card, basic notes on the cardboard’s that means per RWS, the divinatory indication upright, reversed, and most notably, a Self-Value Message, which is price your time to lookup on this LWB each time you do a studying with this deck.
I really like that the sides of the LWB are color-coded, so it’s straightforward to show to only the precise part to lookup the cardboard meanings (and discover that Self-Value Message related together with your card pull).
The cardboard again design is of out of your viewpoint, seeing by way of Mystic’s eyes, trying up into the night time sky, by way of the tree tops of Lilac Grove. You might be Mystic, guided by that one star seen by way of the clearing within the tree tops.
Then, all through the cardboard illustrations you’ll see the recurring symbolism of that particular star within the heavens, a north star guiding Mystic.
The deck’s best power lies in its cohesive narrative method. In contrast to conventional tarot decks that current unbiased archetypal scenes, the Unicorn’s Journey Tarot tells a steady story by way of its 78 playing cards.
We comply with Mystic by way of preliminary challenges, conferences with mentors and guides, confronting inside doubts and exterior pressures, after which religious transformation, ensuing within the emergence of an genuine self.
This narrative construction makes the deck notably accessible to newcomers whereas providing depth for knowledgeable practitioners. I’ve discovered that this deck reads notably nicely for day by day self-reflection questions, akin to “What are my priorities as we speak?” after which pulling a card or two, or “What did I be taught from x expertise?” after which utilizing the Mild and Shadow playing cards as anchor (I’ll clarify later on this put up how I work with these bonus playing cards).
Every card options Mystic navigating completely different elements of their hero’s journey, with paintings that mixes conventional tarot symbolism with progressive unicorn-centric imagery.
The gradual development by way of Mystic’s journey permits the reader to find themselves inside comparable levels of growth, making it simpler to narrate to and apply every playing cards’ message.
The Minor Arcana fits, titled after the 4 components, give attention to completely different elements of self-worth growth. Within the swimsuit of Hearth (Wands), Mystic should be daring, inventive, and lean in to their passions and private powers to undertake nice, dangerous adventures. Working by way of the Hearth playing cards, you’re employed by way of themes of ardour and inventive authenticity.
The Seven of Hearth is about Mystic speeding to assist guard an unprotected dragon’s nest, expressing the cardboard’s that means of safety, protection, and defiance. This story is to convey the significance so that you can arise for your self. The Eight of Hearth reveals Mystic encountering the darkish knights, warning the pink dragons, and thus collectively they’re stronger. I really like this studying of the Eight of Wands.
There are such a lot of little particulars and Easter eggs to like, like Mystic guarding the hatched child dragon within the Seven of Hearth, after which the grown-up dragongs allying with Mystic within the subsequent Eight of Hearth.
Within the swimsuit of Water (Cups), Mystic is assembly outdated buddies, exploring the numerous aspects of affection, and reflecting on how lived experiences measure as much as hopes and desires. That is additionally the realm of training self-compassion and emotional self-acceptance. That is the ability of discovered household.
The 9 of Water, notes the LWB, is Mystic at peace, having discovered and understood the magic of the place. The Self-Value Message right here: “True happiness is trying round you in addition to inside you and realizing simply how blessed you might be on this second. Depend your blessings, lean in to gratitude, and do not forget that you deserve this.” This being the state of peace depicted within the 9 of Water, of feeling what Mystic is feeling on this illustration.
The swimsuit of Air (Swords) explores private accountability, but in addition self-advocacy, and cultivating the psychological readability to face your challenges and obstacles head-on. In the end, this swimsuit is the story of private liberation.
It’s within the swimsuit of Air that we domesticate and develop psychological readability and self-advocacy. If the iconography of unicorns speaks to you, you then’re going to like this deck for self-worth practices. Paiocchi’s whimsical and evocative artwork with Papez’s knack for presenting tarot practices for private and religious growth brings to life a beautiful instrument for constructing your self-worth.
As I famous earlier, I really like the tales and themes of this deck, and one other theme right here is heroism. Within the Knight of Air, for example, the Knight is speeding ahead to cease the darkish knights from attacking harmless creatures within the Lilac Grove. The Knight doesn’t even pause to assume or fear earlier than speeding to assist. The Queen of Air, which we’ll speak about once more later on this assessment, has helped to tug off the blindfolds from Mystic (as was depicted within the Eight of Air).
For some context, self-worth refers to your sense of inherent worth and dignity, no matter exterior achievements, possessions, or societal validation. Whenever you domesticate robust self-worth, you’re empowered with resilience, the flexibility to discern wholesome from unhealthy relationships (and the boldness to stroll away from the unhealthy ones), and to method life with a balanced perspective.
The Three of Air depicts the troublesome selection that the hero makes — having to go away behind dwelling and household to undertake the problem, however a problem that, if profitable, will save many.
The swimsuit of Earth (Pentacles) is about materials confidence, useful resource administration, recognizing your price and the worth of your deeds, sensible self-care, and the way you present for your self and others.
I really like all of the messages the tales contained within the Unicorn’s Journey tells. Like right here within the Six of Earth (Six of Pentacles), about sharing with these in want, those that are extra vulnerably located than you.
Additionally, you’ll discover that the colour palette progresses by way of the deck, reflecting Mystic’s emotional and religious growth. There’s the reds and golds of the Hearth swimsuit, the blue tones in Water, a connecting thread of purple all through Air, and seasonal earthy colours in Earth
The court docket playing cards on this deck depict 4 different factors of view. Whereas the opposite playing cards are from the first-person viewpoint, consider the courts as coming from a third-person viewpoint.
Within the spirit of numerous views that Unicorn’s Journey encourages, the deck seems to be optimally configured to assist reply questions akin to, “How does [the other person in a situation] interpret this case and what’s [that person’s] perspective?” Or utilizing this deck to reply a query like, “How would this state of affairs look from the angle of somebody who disagrees with me?” One other nice query to current when studying with Lisa’s deck: “If I had been observing this second (or this case) as an neutral outsider, what may I discover?” The studying outcomes this deck produces for these types of questions is sort of astounding, and enlightening.
In truth, this play on viewpoint and perspective is pleasant. Right here the Queen of Earth and 5 of Earth depict the identical scene from completely different views. Within the Queen, you see the scene from inside the fireplace, and within the 5, you see the scene from outdoors trying in.
You’ll see a connection between the 5 of Hearth and the Queen of Hearth. That red-headed unicorn within the background of the 5 is the Queen of Hearth we now see within the courts of the swimsuit.
The Queen of Air (Swords) is the one who rips off the blindfold that was on Mystic within the Eight of Air. I really like this method to the basic Queen of Swords card within the tarot. Right here, she’s the bringer of readability.
Within the 4 of Water, Mystic’s buddies are swimming away they usually’re feeling lonely. Within the Queen of Water card, that’s the angle you see. Then the 5 of Water options the Queen comforting Mystic (be aware additionally Umbra the Wolf trying on).
I really like this addition of the Mild and Shadow bonus playing cards. The “Mild” card options Lumen, the unicorn information who introduced Mystic by way of the portal into Lumiveria. The “Shadow” card options Umbra, the wolf who stood by Mystic throughout the worst of the trials. The yin and yang ponds information you in methods to learn these playing cards if and after they come up in a studying.
I like to make use of them as significators, or designators of card positions. Which is to say I pull card for Mild and one for Shadow, and collectively the pairing of playing cards expresses the important side of my anima and animus, and what I most have to find out about my inside self. If in case you have a replica of the Unicorn’s Journey, give this studying technique a attempt!
The intricate stage of thought and world-building that went into designing the Unicorn’s Journey Tarot is unbelievable. (Like cameos of the Knight of Water all through the Water swimsuit.) You must take note of recurring symbols, characters, and settings, after which how the settings are depicted from completely different factors of view.
Francesca Paiocchi’s artwork type blends naturalistic and fantastical themes, with intricate particulars and an ethereal high quality. It’s the right type for Unicorn’s Journey Tarot. The King of Earth makes a cameo right here within the Eight of Earth and the 9 of Earth reveals Mystic on the brink of depart from the Earth Realm, to return dwelling to Lilac Grove.
A key theme explored on this deck is authenticity versus societal expectations. The Self-Value Messages, the story of Mystic that you simply’ll learn from the LWB, and the detailed illustration work that’s awe-inspiring to the inside little one all come collectively that will help you come to phrases with your personal sense of authenticity and id, within the face of societal expectations.
Mystic’s nonbinary id provides a up to date layer to the normal unicorn symbolism, making the deck notably related for readers exploring gender id and expression. The deck handles this theme with subtlety and beauty, weaving it naturally into the bigger narrative of self-discovery.
General, I’m delighted on the depth and scope of this deck. I really like the way in which recurring particulars, characters, and themes come full circle, cross-referencing from one card to the following. I really like the seamlessness of the story, a narrative that’s absolutely relatable. I really like the Papez’s writing within the LWB and the storybook. And I really like the depictions of the identical state of affairs, from completely different factors of view.
The Unicorn’s Journey Tarot succeeds at combining unicorn folklore with practices of private progress in self-worth and id, whereas providing mild steering by way of the companion guidebook. Its give attention to self-worth and genuine dwelling feels notably well timed in our present cultural second. That is the deck for readers searching for a compassionate companion and methods to domesticate self-acceptance. It’s each magical and sensible in its method.
FTC Disclosure: In accordance with Title 16 of the U.S. Code of Federal Laws Half 255, “Guides Regarding Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Promoting,” I obtained the deck set from the creator for potential assessment. All the pieces I’ve mentioned right here is honest and precisely displays my opinion of the deck and ebook.
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