Shadowscapes Tarot deck

Shadowscapes Tarot - layered watercolour RWS deck by Law

Very few tarot decks still show you something new on a card you have held twenty times before. Shadowscapes Tarot is one of them. Not because the imagery is obscure, but because Stephanie Pui-Mun Law painted her watercolours in so many layers that something different surfaces with every pass.

The deck is a collaboration between Law as illustrator and Barbara Moore as tarot author. Law shares brief insights into her symbolic choices in the included guidebook; Moore contributed spreads designed specifically for this deck. Published by Llewellyn Publications.

What you see on the cards

The illustrations are painted in soft, warm watercolour tones with flowing lines and layered gradients. The imagery draws on Asian, Celtic and Western fantasy traditions. Faeries, dragons, nymphs and animal figures replace the classic RWS characters, while the underlying symbolic logic stays intact. For the Minor Arcana, Law chose fixed animal motifs for each suit: sea serpents and mermaids for Cups, birds and swans for Swords, felines and foxes for Wands, tree spirits and forest creatures for Pentacles. These are not decorative choices - each connects directly to the elements water, air, fire and earth.

Looked at through a magnifying glass, figures dissolve into the background, hidden animals emerge, and narrative details surface that are completely invisible at a glance. That makes this a deck for anyone who prefers slow, attentive work over quick daily pulls.

Familiar structure, a world of its own

The deck contains 78 cards arranged in the classic Rider-Waite-Smith structure: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. Anyone who has worked with an RWS deck will recognise the card positions and suit logic immediately. That familiar framework makes the deck approachable, even if Law's visual style is entirely new to you.

The 64-page guidebook includes concise keyword meanings, brief interpretations for each card and practical spreads. Both the guidebook and the card titles are entirely in English.

Hold a card close: the fine watercolour details contain hidden symbols and narrative elements that are easy to miss when you flip through quickly.

About Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore

Stephanie Pui-Mun Law is an internationally known fantasy illustrator. Her work is characterised by extraordinarily detailed watercolour paintings with layered gradients and miniature detail work. For Shadowscapes Tarot she carried her style across a cohesive series of 78 illustrations.

Barbara Moore has written dozens of tarot guidebooks and card sets for Llewellyn Publications, making her one of the most referenced tarot authors in the US. For this deck she contributed practical spreads and card insights.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78
• Structure: 22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana (Rider-Waite-Smith)
• Dimensions: 70 x 118 mm
• Weight: approx. 250 g
• Guidebook: 64 pages, English
• Card language: English
• Finish: Flexible cardstock, matte finish
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• Illustrator: Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
• Guidebook text: Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore
• ISBN: 9780738727325

Questions we often get

Does this deck follow the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith structure?
Yes. The 78 cards are arranged according to the classic RWS layout: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana across four suits. The visual language is entirely Law's own, but the structure and symbolic logic will be immediately familiar to anyone who has worked with an RWS deck.

What is included with this deck?
This edition comes with the complete 78-card deck and a compact 64-page guidebook with concise card interpretations and spreads. This is the standalone deck edition, not the large boxed kit with the 264-page companion book.

What language are the cards and guidebook in?
Both the card titles and the 64-page guidebook are entirely in English. No edition with non-English text exists.