The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Tarot Deck
During this time of year, our focus is on everything around harvest time and Halloween. The television listings for the month are dripping with spooky movies to get us in the ‘spirit’. Some of us love horror movies, while others like soft scare movies that the kids can watch. We all have our favorites and one of our best-loved movies is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Washington Irving published this story way back in 1819 and since then it has been adapted and made into several movie versions from animated to stage to live-action films to a TV show. This story has also inspired more storybooks, puzzles, and even a tarot deck.
The original story written by W. Iriving, had Ichabod Crane sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitation of three people in a small and quaint Dutch village or Tarry Town which was ripe with ghosts and hauntings. In the Disney version, Ichabod was a school teacher who managed to become popular with the townsfolk. Katrina Van Tassel was the only daughter of a wealthy farmer and all the single guys wanted to marry her. But, Brom Van Brunt – a handsome and muscular young man, wasn’t having it. One night at a hall dance, Katrin was paying too much attention to Ichabod, so Brom started telling the tale of the Headless Horseman. This struck great fear in Ichabod. He had to walk home through the hollows and it was pitch dark. As you know he and his horse encountered the Headless Horseman and needless to say, Ichabod was never seen again.
The Sleepy Hollow Tarot Deck comes with the usual 78 cards and a guidebook. The characters on the cards remind me of the movie Disney released I believe in 1948 or 49. If you’ve watched this movie, the deck will take you back. The cards are beautifully illustrated with bold colors and a cartoonish vibe. As you explore the cards, you will see which ones relate to specific characters. The Fool is, of course, Ichabod Crane, the Emperor is the wealthy Baltrus Van Tassel, the Lovers are Ichabod and Katrina dancing, Strength is Brom Van Brunt, Death is the Headless Horseman, and so on.
The backs of the cards have an autumn/Halloween-inspired image with a black background and gold skulls, pumpkins, leaves, and other fall items. The combination is quite attractive. And there is no gilding on the sides of the cards, which is okay.
The card stock is the typical weight with good flexibility. The deck is a nice size with the cards being easy to shuffle and deal a spread. The cards have a matte finish and a white border around the illustration. I’m a little disappointed in the guidebook. It features full-size colored images of the Major Arcana along with its meaning and an explanation of an upright or reverse card. However, the Minor Arcana cards are shown in groups separately with explanations in the following pages. The very back of the book shows how to create four different spreads that offer a specific purpose. The deck comes in a thick decorative keepsake box that has a pop-off top.
I love this deck. It’s a true tarot deck that you can use for guidance and direction when searching for help with some areas of your life or a decision you need to make. It’s a fun deck and perfect for this time of year.
Disclaimer: I received complimentary products to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.