Table of Contents
A richly illustrated tarot deck by Alexandria Huntington featuring mythological creatures and nature based symbolism. Each of these cards has been lovingly and painstakingly hand illustrated specifically for Tarot. Each card is a product of specialized mediation, manifestation, and magick.
Xia Hunt’s website
The Children of Litha is another tarot deck I missed the Kickstarter campaign on. Luckily, it didn’t matter that much this time, as I could order the deck later on Xia Hunt’s website. I have the black edition of the tarot card deck & book set, and I couldn’t be much happier with it. The artwork is fantastic, and sometimes, when I’m not even using the cards, I find myself browsing through them anyway.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Beautiful art style – High-quality cards – Good and informative guidebook – Good deck box | – Cards can be a bit sticky at first |
About the Creator
Xia Hunt, also known as Alexandria Huntington, is an illustrator and writer with a BFA in Illustration from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She is passionate about mythology, cats, crows, comics, and esoteric philosophy. Xia has worked on several projects, such as Boom Studio’s Beneath the Dark Crystal and Dark Horse and Lotus Press’s Once Upon A Time Machine.
Xia runs a family business that deals with tarot and occult lifestyles. She has created and illustrated two tarot decks, The Children of Litha Tarot and The Nameless One, which include a comprehensive Companion Grimoire. Xia’s upcoming project is the completion of the Children of the Wheel Tarot series – four decks based on the Pagan Wheel of the Year. The next deck in the series, The Children of Ostara, will focus on plants and humans, and its Kickstarter campaign is set to launch on March 20th, 2024.
Cards and the Artwork
The Children of Litha’s main inspiration is exploring humankind’s relationship with nature. In addition, you can see influences from different cultures and mythologies. The result is an exciting mix of ideas where the line between human and primal is blurred, and the two come together to unleash the potential of each side.
There are 78 cards (80 if you got it from Kickstarter). They’re made with 350gsm cardstock, making them quite thick. The cards also have a matte finish, so they look nice. The cards are standard tarot size, measuring 70x120mm (2.75″x4.75″). The box is a rigid flip box with a sturdy magnet. One thing to note is that, at least in my deck, the cards were initially pretty sticky, so shuffling was hard. However, after a while, the problem disappeared.
In the Major Arcana cards, we can see all kinds of hybrids of animals and humans. As Major Arcana cards are the foundation of the tarot that unites characteristics and life lessons, it is nice to see the same idea continued here by combining humans with nature.
The Minor Arcana is divided into three categories: the aces, the court cards, and the numbered cards. Each category has its own design idea behind it. The Aces are the foundation of each suit in tarot. In this deck, the aces showcase an animal’s skeletons from their respective domain. According to Xia Hunt, bones are the truest form of us after we die, representing the core of our power.
On the other hand, court cards represent people living in the physical plane. In the court cards, human figures interact with their animal companions. This signifies our relationship with nature. Lastly, the numbered cards deal with everyday conflicts, decisions, emotions and experiences. For these cards, animals representing elemental domains were chosen. Cups feature sea creatures, Swords have winged animals, Pentacles have animals with hooves or horns, and Wands have creatures with fangs and claws.
The Guidebook of The Children of Litha
The compact guidebook that accompanies The Children of Litha is a delightful addition. It is small enough to fit snugly in the deck box, making it highly convenient to carry around. The guidebook boasts an impressive 183 pages filled with a wealth of information about the deck. The quality of the paper used is top-notch, making browsing through the pages an effortless and enjoyable experience.
At the beginning of the guidebook, you’ll find a comprehensive introduction to the deck that is both informative and insightful. The introduction provides a detailed explanation of how the theme of the cards was designed and how the cards should be interpreted. Additionally, the guidebook contains a couple of spreads that can help you get started with the deck.
The rest of the book is dedicated to the cards. Each card has a small preview picture that displays a section of the card. Underneath is a small poem that tells you the card’s meaning in an intriguing way. If you want to know more, there is also a more detailed version after the poem. Lastly, each card’s pages have keywords for upright and reversed positions. This guidebook is definitely one of the good ones.
Conclusion
I absolutely love this deck! Its stunning visuals and vibrant art style transport me to another world. I find myself reaching for it constantly—even when the solstice isn’t anywhere in sight. And the best part? The Children of Ostara deck is on the horizon, and I’m already counting down the days until I can snag one for myself.
