Table of Contents
A new and ground-breaking fully-illustrated, 108-card, large format deck combining tarot, sigil, oracle, mythology, folklore, & visual narrative. Includes the full-color, hard-copy comprehensive Companion Grimoire—a guidebook & art book with over 700 pages of informative content and beautiful artwork. Each card in the deck gets one full bleed illustration and several pages of information.
From The Nameless One Tarot product description
I like sigil magic. It’s a simple yet powerful way to practice magic. The best part is that it doesn’t require a lot of tools. I also like tarot and oracle cards, so when I heard about a deck that is about sigils, tarot, and oracle cards, I was thrilled. I didn’t know then, but when you order something from Xia Hunt, you can’t go wrong. That certainly applies to this deck, so let’s get started with this review. I present to you The Nameless One Tarot and Oracle.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Gorgeous art + The best sigil deck available + Excellent quality | – The cards are pretty big, so if you have small hands, shuffling can be difficult – Can be difficult to interpret for beginners |
About the Creator
Xia Hunt, also known as Alexandria Huntington, is a talented illustrator and writer with a BFA in Illustration from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her work is inspired by mythology, cats, crows, comics, and esoteric philosophy. Xia has contributed to various projects, including Boom Studio’s Beneath the Dark Crystal and Dark Horse and Lotus Press’s Once Upon A Time Machine.
In addition to her artistic endeavours, Xia manages a family business centred around tarot and occult lifestyles. She is the creative mind behind two unique tarot decks, The Children of Litha Tarot and The Nameless One, each accompanied by a detailed Companion Grimoire. Xia’s current focus is completing the Children of the Wheel Tarot series, which will consist of four decks based on the Pagan Wheel of the Year. The upcoming deck, The Children of Ostara, will explore the intertwining of plants and humans. Its Kickstarter campaign achieved significant success and has concluded recently.
Cards and the Artwork
The Nameless One Tarot has 108 cards, 78 of which are tarot cards and 22 oracle cards. Eight sigil cards whose meanings were voted on during the Kickstarter campaign are also included. The tarot cards of the deck align with the traditional RWS tarot and represent tradition. The oracle cards were added to deliver benefits not fully covered by the tarot and represent the individual.
I don’t know if this was a coincidence, but I like that the card count references the number 108, which is sacred in some traditions. I think I would have liked some separating identifiers because I tend to mix the cards by accident and lose my oracle cards amongst the tarot cards.
However, it’s important to remember that this deck was designed to combine tarot and oracle cards. So, it’s perfectly acceptable to pull an oracle card in your tarot reading every now and then. In fact, it can be a powerful tool to enrich your readings. While a bit of help to prevent poor Esoteric Witch from getting lost in his cards would have been appreciated, the potential for enriched readings is truly inspiring.
Upon first glance, it can be a bit challenging to identify the cards you’ve drawn. While excellent and exciting, the deck’s art may not immediately reveal its more traditional tarot symbolism, especially for beginners. However, this is not a quality issue with the deck. The chosen direction, while different, is a deliberate choice that suits the deck’s theme. After all, this deck is called the Nameless One, and a bit of mystery is therefore warranted.
The cards are around 89 x 146 mm (3.5 x 5.75 inches) in size and do not have words, numbers, or titles printed on them. According to the product description, this was a deliberate design choice, as it encourages you to focus entirely on the subconscious mind. This way, you’ll get a clear view of the visual symbolism depicted in each illustration. I think it’s intriguing to engage with the cards by solely focusing on the imagery.
The Nameless One Tarot comes in a beautiful box that is closed with a ribbon. The ribbon is a nice touch and makes the box feel like a tome, adding a mysterious layer. The box is sturdy but definitely not travel-friendly, which I don’t believe was even the target here.
The Guidebook of The Nameless One Tarot
The Nameless One Tarot’s guidebook included with the deck is not only comprehensive but also remarkably user-friendly. Its cover aesthetics match the cards, creating a harmonious visual appeal. The guidebook, designed to match the size of the cards, fits neatly into the box. With 269 pages, it’s a substantial read, but the pages are easy to turn, making it a comfortable and enjoyable learning experience.
The introduction section of the Nameless One Tarot is exciting and extensive. You learn the basics of the ideas behind the deck and what tarot, oracle cards, and even omens are. At the end of this section, there is an information-packed guide to the basics of sigil magic. If you need example spreads, they can be found at the end of the book.
I like it when a guidebook does an excellent job of explaining the basics. It gives you a window into what the author thinks they were creating and helps beginners get started. I wish more decks would do this.
The main section is, obviously, the pages for the cards. You’ll get two pages dedicated to each card. The first page includes the card’s art, and the second has the actual text. At the top of the information page, you’ll get the card’s title and an affirmation that is connected to that card. The affirmations are great because they give you the cards’ energy, making it easy to understand what the card is about. For example, you can also utilise affirmations in your daily morning routine.
Next, you’ll get the card’s upright keywords and the advice it gives you. The texts are insightful and well-written, so they are a pleasure to read. Alexandria Huntington obviously knows her way around words. If you use reversed cards in your readings, the keywords and explanations are given after the upright section.
Since this deck is also an oracle deck, you might ask, what about the oracle cards? Don’t worry. They are given the same high-quality treatment as the tarot cards. All the same bits of information that you were given about the tarot cards are presented after the oracle cards.
The Companion Grimoire
If your bank account can handle it, I suggest that you buy the companion grimoire with the deck. However, a PDF version is also available if you prefer a more budget-friendly or portable option. The grimoire is essentially a guidebook on steroids, packed with all the same information as the guidebook but also much more. So much more.
There are 700 pages full of informative content and high-quality illustrations. The grimoire includes full descriptions of every card, traditional tarot meanings, the affirmation that the sigil represents, and detailed explanations of the symbolism and influences behind the artwork. Additionally, it features over a dozen unique tarot spreads, provides quick reads, and explores the card’s correspondence to numerology, mythology, astrology, and more. With this grimoire, you’ll be fully equipped to explore the world of The Nameless One.
The companion grimoire features a linen cover with a stunning foil design on the cover and spine, giving it a luxurious feel. The cover’s quality makes everything feel more official. It’s like you are holding a book containing some secret information, an artefact from a long-lost world. The grimoire also comes in a sturdy protective box sleeve, complete with the Nameless One signature sigil printed in foil. The book itself is a substantial 30.48 x 22.86 x 5.08 centimetres (12 x 9 x 2 inches) and weighs 2.94 kilograms (6.5 lbs). So, it’s a big one.
Conclusion
Overall, if you are looking for a high-quality tarot or oracle deck that is all about sigil magic, this is the deck to buy. It is expensive (but definitely not over-priced!), especially if you get the companion grimoire, but I think it is worth it. Beginners might initially find the cards intimidating, but the guidebook and the grimoire help you along the way. You will get a lot out of this deck if you have an open mind and trust your intuition. One bonus aspect is that even if you don’t do tarot or oracle readings, you can use the cards and their affirmations as a part of your witchcraft practice.
