The Isness Tarot Guidebook

The Isness Tarot Guidebook - 336 pages of shadow work and psychological tarot

With most tarot decks, the guidebook is optional. With the Isness Tarot, that is not the case. The cards are abstract ink blots, free of recognisable figures or symbols, and that demands a book that explains what you are actually looking at. The Isness Tarot Guidebook by Amadea H. Ris is that book.

Written by the creator of the deck and published through her own imprint, Mysticaris, it runs to 336 pages. This is not a list of keywords. It is a full study and reflection companion that works through the psychological and philosophical layer behind each illustration.

What the guidebook covers

All 83 cards are treated in depth: the 78 traditional tarot archetypes and the 5 additional cards unique to the Isness Tarot. Ris focuses on shadow work throughout, exploring psychological themes, inner conflict and self-reflection rather than prediction.

The five bonus cards receive particular attention. Their philosophical background is laid out clearly here, and readers who tried working with them without the guidebook report that the cards are difficult to place without that context.

The guidebook also explains how to work with the abstract forms for intuitive reading and meditation. Rather than assigning fixed meanings, it shows how projection and self-reflection operate with this kind of imagery.

How this differs from a standard tarot companion

A typical tarot guide gives a few keywords per card and a selection of spreads. This guidebook does neither. It sits closer to a philosophical study instrument than a reference book. Anyone expecting to look up a quick meaning will find something quite different here.

That is a deliberate fit with the deck. The Isness Tarot asks for time and attention, and the guidebook reflects that. Readers on forums describe a pattern: one card a day, the corresponding section read carefully, and then time to let it settle.

Do not reach for this guidebook when you want a quick reading. Reach for it when you want to understand what you are seeing, and what that reveals about yourself.

About Amadea H. Ris

Amadea H. Ris created both the Isness Tarot deck and this guidebook, publishing both through Mysticaris. The decision to write the companion herself shows in the consistency between book and deck: the philosophical approach in the text lines up directly with the thinking behind the ink blot illustrations.

Specifications

• Author: Amadea H. Ris
• Publisher: Mysticaris
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• Format: Paperback / softcover
• Cover: 300 gsm matte
• Interior paper: 130 gsm matte

Questions we often get

Do I need this guidebook if I already own the Isness Tarot deck?
That depends on how you approach the deck. Because the cards are abstract ink blots without conventional tarot imagery, the guidebook bridges the gap between image and meaning. Readers who tried working with the deck alone report that it is hard to navigate, particularly with the five bonus cards.

Does this guidebook work for the Black & Gold Edition as well as the Original Colour Edition?
Yes. The guidebook is written to cover both editions of the deck. The card descriptions do not depend on which colour version you own.