The Hidden Path Tarot Cards [Englisch] [Spielkarten]

I loved the Well Worn Path, but this deck (The Hidden Path) is even more beautiful and more meaningful! The Hidden Path, like the Well Worn Path, can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used as a teaching or learning tool, for divination, for ritual work and for spiritual development. The artwork by Mickie Mueller is absolutely beautiful and the symbolisim on each card is inspired. The book that comes with the deck contains a Divination Meaning, a Teaching and The Shadow's Edge (which explains a deeper spiritual meaning) explanation for each card. The book also contains spreads, A Journey Through the Hidden Path to help aquaint you will the cards in story format and Seasonal Festival Meditations using the cards. Another wonderful thing about this deck is that it is not Tradition specific and can be used across all traditions. The Hidden Path Oracle can used on its own or shuffled in to the Well Worn Path. While the Well Worn Path focuses on the foundational aspects of Paganism & Wicca, the Hidden Path focuses on the Mystical Aspects of Paganism & Wicca. Raven Grimassi, Stephanie Taylor & Mickie Mueller have definitely outdone themselves with this deck. It is truly one of a kind and very meaningful for those on the Pagan or Wiccan path. To me, these decks are much more applicable and meaningful to my path than the Tarot as they use symbolism directly from the Wiccan and Pagan path.

One of the reasons I liked the "Well Worn Path" deck was that no matter what path of Wicca/witchcraft you followed, the deck was generic enough to be used by any path. However, looking at this new deck, there are some elements that have been incorporated into this deck that speak to specific beliefs within Wicca and may not reflect everyone's choices in spiritual path.

The deck is actually interesting, nicely designed and has some elements that offer the Wiccan practitioner a deck that speaks directly to them. While the introduction to the book specifically mentions those on the Pagan path, the deck is very much Wiccan in flavor. Generic it is not.

It is a divinatory deck. Its purpose is to lead the user deeper into the mysteries of their Spiritual Path. It is intended to "speak" to the user, allowing the user to uncover hidden elements in their spiritual practices. It focuses on the three realms of Spirituality - overworld, middleworld and underworld. And the imagery works well with the intention of the deck.

The book does convey to the user the idea that the authors were looking to communicate through the imagery of the deck. It is worth reading through the book to find the focus of the authors, and then study the deck in relation to this purpose. However, my own experience with this deck leads me to believe that the user can interpret the cards pretty much as is needed and are not fixed in what the authors intended.

Some of the cards, however, seemed path specific, or did not mesh well with all paths, in my opinion. Specifically: Karma; Perfect Love and Perfect Trust; Holly King and Oak King; Priest and Priestess (very elven looking, not very human). I had a few other questions regarding how some concepts were presented. Spirit Guides become The Kindred. Theban Script is used on some of the cards rather than using a language that would be easily recognized and understood. Looks pretty, but is not very useful in making the meaning immediately clear.

I supposed if the concept is not in line with your own personal beliefs, or if you find a card not very clear in its relationship with your own path, you could leave it in the box. What was interesting and what works well here is that this deck can be added to the "Well Worn Path" deck to expand the ideas and concepts that were approached in the first deck and enhance the reading experience. I like this concept. Much like the eclectic witch that I am, toss out the bits that don't fit and include the ones that do. A rather unique approach and one that I like.

Overall, the concepts and ideas that were started in the "Well Worn Path" deck are expanded and gone into a bit deeper here. The idea of the deck and its purpose is very clearly laid out, though it does not seem to be as generic as the authors may have thought it could be. But I like the idea of something very Wiccan specific, going into the concepts and ideas that are basic to Wiccan practices. The user, however, should look at the material and see how much of it is usable in their path. While I found leaving a few cards in the box was acceptable, the amount of material that meshes with their own personal path should be assessed by the user. Leaving most of the deck in the box defeats the purpose.

I like the deck, I like the concepts and the use of the deck is in line with these concepts. I found it works well in Wiccan practice and is a nice addition to your working tools. Boudica

This deck is a dream for pathworking. You may find yourself getting more from the cards than what the book tells you. The deck lends itself well to any spiritual purpose, but doesn't do well for the more mundane matters.