Venturing Into "The Wild Unknown" Tarot Deck

Fasten your seatbelts and sit tight, because we're setting off on a wild adventure- into the unknown, into magic. I know what brought you here! It's the intricate illustrations, stunning lines, shapes, colors, and the element of mystic thrill being the cherry on top! As we take off, let's take note of certain similarities between the popular "Rider-Waite" Tarot Deck and "The Wild Unknown" Tarot Deck.

Is the Major Arcana similar for both decks?

In a nutshell, YES! As most readers would know, the Major Arcana brings out important aspects of the human experience, shedding light onto the many stages of spiritual development. The Unknown Wild deck's ideas and foundation have been inspired to a great extent by the standard Rider-Waite deck. This deck demands a strong connection with sophisticated/minimalist imagery before proceeding to read. While Rider-Waite portrays vivid visuals, making it easier for beginners to untangle conflicting energies in the reading, The Unknown Wild deck is best for readers with high intuitive abilities. These readers have the capacity to unearth treasure out of barren land. If this sounds like you, read on!

The Major Arcana is composed of 22 cards: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Emperor, The Empress, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Justice, Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Strength, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgment, and The World. All the cards are named likewise in both decks. The only differences that are noted are in terms of the creative representation and the meanings perceived thereby. Following are a few cards that could be perceived differently in both decks.

1) The Fool

The Fool represents spontaneous and light-hearted energy, typically representing a young person who is looking to take the leap of faith (RW). On the other hand, The Wild Unknown deck depicts an image of a baby bird trying to step off its branch. For most experienced readers, the primary difference here is the contradiction between confidence and anxiety. The best way to figure out what this card means to you is to set aside some alone time with the deck to bond over some salt and crystals! ;)

Creator's perception: Innocence, naivety, starting out

Mystic Connect's perception: Exploration, adventure, absence of inhibitions

2) The Magician

The Magician card typically exudes confident and powerful energy. RW describes it as manifestation at its peak, which ropes in external and spiritual factors that push ideas to work and goals to be achieved. Whereas, the variation in The Wild Unknown deck is that it represents internal power that is not influenced by any external factor. The leopard in the latter deck is a mythological reference to infinite internal power.

Creator's perception: Action, self-empowerment, purpose

Mystic Connect's perception: Strength, clarity, enthusiasm

3) The High Priestess

There is evidently a great deal of difference between the visuals of both decks. The High Priestess card typically stands for the sacred feminine energy filled to the brim with wisdom and empathy. It also symbolizes mystery that only reveals itself when the right pair of eyes look at it. The element of water represents feeling light, almost as if your soul was afloat, devoid of worries. This card, in particular, (TWU) could pose hindrances in judgment because of the inclusion of a tiger. Tigers are feline and are associated with the divine feminine. However, this can be a little tricky for beginners. Don't forget to walk through the guidebook that comes along with the deck.

Creator's perception: Mystery, non-action, going within

Mystic Connect's perception: Wisdom, introspection, intuitions

Does the Minor Arcana have variations for both decks?

Yes! For beginners, the Minor Arcana comprises of four suits: Wands, Swords, Pentacles, and Cups. Wands describe your spirit, sentiments, and actions. Swords describe your mental health, state of mind, and the plans you have laid out. Pentacles delves into the material world- finances, and career. And Cups correspond to the water element, which represents the flow of everyday events. While the suits themselves don't change, the cards present in TWU deck follow a slightly different storyline. A lot of emphasis is placed on character development and the most obvious difference in TWU is the involvement of family cards, namely, father of (suit), mother of (suit), daughter of (suit), and son of (suit). This takes an alternative route than the RW deck which consists of Queen of (suit), King of (suit), Knight of (suit), and Page of (suit).

For better understanding of the animal symbolism that radiates out of TWU deck, watch this video:

To dive a little deeper into how the family cards are perceived in TWU deck, keep in mind the following points:

1) Royal Cups vs Family Cups:

RW deck's royal cups normally represent a character who is grounded, intuitive, composed and well-balanced emotionally. On the other hand, TWU's Family Cups illustrate an insightful outlook, with emphasis on romance and sensitivity.

2) Royal Wands vs Family Wands:

RW deck's royal wands normally embody energy, passion, and vision. Whereas, TWU's family wands describe adventure, charm, devotion, and vibrance. It only outlines a relatively small difference in this case.

3) Royal Swords vs Family Swords:

RW deck's royal swords sketch a perceptive and quick-thinking character. Contradictorily, TWU's family swords describe a person who is witty, astute, critical, and honest.

4) Royal Pentacles vs Family Pentacles:

RW deck's royal pentacles paints a picture of someone who is focused, dedicated, result-oriented and is manifesting his/her goals. TWU's family pentacles describes someone who is capable, loving, experimenting, and trusting.

How to go about readings in The Wild Unknown Tarot?

Before starting to read your cards, note that this deck has taken a lot of inspiration from animal mythology and is suggested for someone who either resonates with animals and nature, or someone who has tried a couple decks other than RW. While reading, make sure to follow the below journey of judgment.

There a few popular 3-card spreads that reveal the immediate future, recent past, and the present. The best ways to read TWU deck are suggested in the guidebook. Mystic Connect suggests the Celtic Cross Spread for an in-depth reading since this covers multiple bases including hopes, fears, and influences which are absent on smaller spreads.

Source: The Wild Unknown

Are you excited to explore the mystic? Buy The Wild Unknown Deck now!

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