When Women Had Wings Tarot Deck Review By Beth Allen

 

When Women Had Wings is a visceral experience. You arrive in a landscape that’s lush and mysterious, you walk amid pillars enveloped by climbing vines, and everywhere there are portals that beckon you to explore.

The deck is adventurous and expansive, as its name suggests, with an art style I would describe as swashbuckling goth with an undercurrent of “Outlander” lust. 

There is a definite feeling when you read with it of power, specifically women claiming their power. As though we’ve traveled through a portal, this deck brings us into a different world. The cards show us a world where women have wings and where we are nurtured and encouraged to regain stature and restore balance in our lives. 

Whether hard at work, in battle, or ruling, the women depicted in this deck are comfortable in their knowing.

The Five of Pentacles, for example, which is traditionally a card of despair, shows a woman who, faced with loss, appears to be deep in thought, resolute and focused on finding a solution to change the situation for herself.

The Hermit isn’t following a light but dynamically creating light like an alchemist. 

The Seven of Swords isn’t sneaking away, she’s looking directly at you as she walks away with what she knows she deserves. 

The Empress radiates regal sensuality as she maintains Nature and guards the portals, enduring much but remaining calm.

There’s power, yes, but not brute force. The Six of Wands isn’t basking in the applause of an adoring crowd after a battle. This warrior has surrounded herself among trees, wondering at their might and basking in their glory.

Walking through this deck is like walking through an ancient forest. You almost can smell the trees, the moss, the decayed bark, the petrichor.

Although this is predominantly a sacred feminine deck, there are six cards that present as male: The Magician, The Emperor, and all four Kings.

In addition, there are cards without any people: The Tower, the Four of Wands, the Seven of Cups, and the Three of Pentacles. All four Knights are illustrated simply as helmets with their corresponding suit symbols.

Written by Angi Sullins, with art by Jena DellaGrottaglia, this is a 78-card deck of exquisite beauty. The cards are 3” x 5.25”, a bit larger than standard-size decks. If you have smaller hands it might be difficult to riffle shuffle, but the cards aren’t rigid. My only complaint is that the card stock is semi-gloss and, therefore, a bit slippery. 

It comes with gorgeous pink/purple edging in a sturdy two-piece box. The deck is published by U.S. Games Systems and comes with a purple organza pouch.

The 195-page guidebook has all the lyrical writing we’ve come to expect from Sullins. 

In it one line reads:

“At the height of a woman’s alignment, when wings and soul and sexuality were in their natural union, a woman could soar.”

With these cards it’s easy to forget your day-to-day mundane tasks and focus instead on the spiritual, on the magical. 

This is a good intuitive reader for everyday use, but it’s also a great deck to have when you’re feeling a bit blue, discouraged, or overwhelmed. 

I wouldn’t call it a “hug deck,” rather it offers inspiration and self-empowerment. It nudges that part of our brain that brings forth our ancestors and reminds us to spread our wings and fly.