Tarot of the Secret Forest

Tarot of the Secret Forest - double-sided cards for shadow work

Most tarot cards have a neutral back. This deck does not. Each card in the Tarot of the Secret Forest has two sides you can read: a coloured front and a black-and-white back showing a different view of the same theme.

Lucia Mattioli designed this deck for Lo Scarabeo with a clear focus on shadow work. The forest in the title is an inner landscape, full of insects with transparent wings, branches that become bodies, and beings that seem part plant, part human.

What the double-sided structure does

You draw a card and see the coloured side first. That is the message as it appears on the surface. Turn the card over and you see the same energy in black and white, often grimmer, rawer, more literal.

That second side works as a mirror. Where the front describes a situation, the back shows what lies underneath. That can be a fear, an unconscious pattern, or a strength you have not yet recognised.

The system asks for a different way of reading. You can choose to use only the fronts, or to work consciously with both sides. Many readers draw a card, read the colour first, and only then look at the black-and-white side when they want to go deeper.

Lay a card down without looking which side is up. The side that appears is the side that matters most right now.

Imagery and atmosphere

The illustrations are ethereal and dark at the same time. Mattioli works with fine lines, lots of white space, and colours that never become bright. Green, brown, pale blue, and here and there a dull red tone.

Insects are a recurring motif. Butterflies, moths, beetles and dragonflies appear as symbols of transformation and decay. Some cards show human figures with insect wings or plant roots instead of limbs.

The deck follows the Rider-Waite structure, but the images are freely interpreted. The Hanged Man does not hang from a tree but seems to be a branch himself. The Magician has no table but stands among fungi and moss.

Who this works for

This deck assumes you already have some experience with tarot. There is no guidebook explaining the double-sided structure. You have to figure out how to work with it yourself.

This is not a light deck. Anyone looking for affirmation or positive messages will find little here. The focus is on what is hidden, what you would rather not see, what moves beneath the surface.

About Lucia Mattioli

Lucia Mattioli is an Italian illustrator who has created several decks for Lo Scarabeo. Her style is recognisable by its ethereal atmosphere and the use of natural elements as carriers of emotion.

For this deck she deliberately chose a division between colour and black and white, to make the contrast between conscious and unconscious tangible.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78
• Size: 66 x 120 mm
• Finish: Matte cardstock, printed on both sides
• Weight: 249 g
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9788883954702
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
• Illustrator: Lucia Mattioli

Questions we often get

Is there a guidebook explaining how to work with the two sides?
No. The deck comes without extensive instructions. You get a small booklet with basic meanings, but you have to discover the double-sided structure yourself.

Can you use this deck without looking at the back?
Yes. The fronts form a fully functioning tarot deck. The backs are an extra layer, not a requirement.