Black & White Deck with Rich Imagery
Visionary Path Tarot by Lucy Delics
Park Street Press, 1644110601, 32 pages, 78 cards, 2020
Lucy Delics (AKA Emma Lucy Shaw) has created a stunning black and white deck that captures tarot archetypes woven with spiritual symbols, plant medicines and Peruvian images. Delics worked for over three years on the creation of this deck, utilizing the plant medicines ayahuasca and huachuma and connecting with her guides, high up in the Andes mountains of Peru. The Visionary Path Tarot contains all of the 78 cards of the Major and Minor Arcana of a traditional tarot deck. (Note: Delic does not number the Major Arcana cards, yet the guidebook lists them in their traditional order for your reference.)
In the guidebook, Delic describes her journey from the UK to Peru and how ancient plant medicines and Peruvian Spirit doctors helped her heal her heart after her mother’s death. (pg 11) She goes on to describe experiences with shapeshifting, psychedelic journeys and seeing the visuals that became many of the images for these beautiful cards. The guidebook provides direct and reversed interpretations for each card, as well as a few spreads for utilizing the cards for divination.
On Delic’s website, she says that the deck, “Features intricate black-and-white archetypal and fractal images that act as binary codes of consciousness, allowing you to feel the inner guidance flowing from the cards and make intuitive interpretations.” She also shared briefly about her studies of several different traditions, including Norse, Celtic Navajo and Egyptian.
These cards are so beautiful and are both intricate and simple in design. For example, the Two of Pentacles features a scale and an eagle. Only, two element, yet, the background design is also an intricate series of curvy lines that can take you on your own journey. If you meditate on the card, you can allow the energy to be your vehicle for transformation or healing. When you connect in with the card’s imagery, you can also feel a message bubbling up and the guidance enters your aura and lands on your heart and soul.
I really enjoyed the back design of the cards, as well. It features the drawing of a hand, also created with intricate, black and white art, with the index finger touching a four-pointed star. It is like the healing hand of some great Medicine Doctor or Peruvian Shaman. It makes a great meditation aide, as well as the flip side, where you find each card design. .
It was hard to select a favorite card, so I picked two: Death and Strength. Strength is typically the card I look to when I am appraising a deck for my own personal use. If I can connect with the Strength card, then the deck is going to be a good fit for me. In this case, Delics uses the traditional symbolism of the maiden and the lion. Yet, the girl is not the demure archetype in other decks. She is strong, confident and commanding. I also get a “yellow brick road” vibe from this card, as if she is on her way to fulfilling her dreams. The lion is there to remind her of her innate courage and strength.
The Death card features a coyote or some type of fox. He is cunning, kind and benevolent, according to the feelings that I get when I meditate on this card. There is also a beating heart, which is connected to both the Spirit Animal and the designs on the card. Some of the valves are attached to arteries and one is attached to a leaf, perhaps plant medicine? She also features a snake skin for rejuvenation, a figure eight for simplicity and balance and a face that looks like an Egyptian Pharoah. All in all, this Death card represents transformation, regeneration and rebirth. I could meditate on it for hours and learn more and more about myself and my journey.
I used the deck for a reading for myself, using one of the spreads that Delics includes. The Horseshoe Spread (pg 32) is a good one for an overall reading. With the 7 cards that I drew, I learned that I might benefit from:
Being aware of too many irons in the fire, as well as being ready to take a risk on a new beginning. I was also reminded that I have all of the resources I need and a suggestion to use my healing gifts for myself and my family.
Such a strong message from these cards! I really enjoyed this reading and the simple, yet profound messages that came through. I’m looking forward to using the cards more for personal reflection and healing work.
The Visionary Path Tarot deck might be best for a seasoned tarot reader or student. Because the designs are simple, yet intricate and more than a few vary greatly from traditional tarot symbolism, a reader might want to have some experience and knowledge in the tarot to benefit from using these cards. The guidebook has very basic meanings for each card, almost like key words. For this reason, I also recommend this deck for a more experienced reader.
Lucy Delics has created a truly magical deck, rich in symbolism and imbued with hidden messages and codes for personal healing. She currently lives in the Peruvian Andes with her family.
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