My Sharp-shooters

     

I'm a little late with this one, but I do like the prompt. I think it was Mags Black who started this particular tag. I plan to do a future post on Deep-Divers, and I think I'll do a third post on decks that can fill both those rolls. I guess I'll call those Double Dippers. 

Sharp-Shooters

I take sharp-shooter to mean a deck that is always to the point and on the money, and my first deck in that category can only be The Journey of the Sacred Bee Tarot. I kind of expected it to be more of a deep-diver but when I began using it, the messages were clear and concise - not to mention brutally honest. It is frequently the kick in the pants I need. However when I use it in conjunction with it's companion oracle, the Wisdom of the Sacred Bee, it tends to take me a lot deeper with the layers of meaning. 

And speaking of sacred bees, just as a side note I'll mention that Kelly of Sacred Soul productions is working on a 3rd Sacred Bee tarot. This one seems to be RWS-based, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it. 

Second sharp-shooter is the Crow Tarot, by MJ Cullinane. This one was a gift from a friend, and it is gorgeous. I love crows, and you wouldn't think that a tarot deck featuring a single animal would be so expressive, but it is. Overall the images reflect the RWS system, and readings tend to be very clear and on-point. I mean, seriously, just look at that 8 of swords. 

Crow Tarot was one of the first decks I edged - I was really driven to kind of make it my own. I edged it in a deep brown to match the backs and love it. I do hope one day, when my budget allows, to grab the companion deck, the Urban Crow Oracle (and the expansion pack). 

I reckon I'll have to add the Light Seer's Tarot by Chris-Anne to this list. I will admit, I didn't think I would like the Light Seer's tarot. I know it is extremely popular with the cool kids over at YouTube, but it felt a little too modern for an old fogey like me. Then I saw it on sale and thought it would be an inexpensive way to scratch my itch for a new deck. Turns out I like it a lot. It's more timeless than modern, and the images are really engaging. It's a really concise reader that packs a punch. I frequently reach for it for morning reads, and I would feel very comfortable using it for client readings as well. I'm glad I gave it a chance. 

Next up, you had to know this one would be on here. It's the Modern Spellcaster's Tarot. This deck is just so comfortable, so pretty, and so evocative that it reads like

a dream. I know a lot of people don't like how they've switch the elements on the swords and wands, and to be honest, that elemental attribution doesn't appeal to me either, but in this deck it's not really noticable except on the Aces. Everything else in the deck more or less follows the RWS system, and the meanings are so evident from the pictures. It's also very inclusive with regards to race and sexual orientation. The 2 of Cups is two fellas, the 4 of Wands is two women celebrating a hand-fasting, and the Lovers card features two people so heavily robed and cowled you can project any gender you like onto it. The cards are flexible, they shuffle beautifully and fit my hands perfectly. I just enjoy using this deck, and it's a frequent flyer when I do client readings.

I actually need a new Modern Spellcasters Tarot. Something sticky got on the death card and it's missing some ink, so I'm putting it back on my wishlist. 

This list wouldn't be complete without mentioning a RWS deck. Now I came pretty late to the RWS system. I learned how to read tarot with the Thoth system, and it was decades before I began learning the RWS system. I don't think I even ever owned an RWS deck until I broke down and got the Borderless Centennial Edition. And it is definitely a sharp-shooter for me. Took me a long time before I even picked it up and started working with it, but it has superb clarity and is super easy to read. I know a lot of people have some nitpicks with the Borderless Edition, but I really love it. 

And two runners up for this list are my Pixie's Lenormand and the Trionfi Della Luna.   The former is, of course, a Lenormand deck, and the latter is a Marseille-style deck. I've only recently begun learning both those systems, but I do find both these decks to be very on-point and easy to read.