Marketed as a companion to the Seekers’ Tarot deck, that is in itself a companion to the novels and short stories of Eudaimonia, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was walking into when I opened this book, as I have not read any of the companion prose, nor do I have the deck (yet).
While this book serves as a reference material for The Seekers’ Tarot – a breakdown of each card’s meaning and how it incorporates into your tarot reading – this companion piece is much more than the pamphlet that comes with the tarot deck. With each card art and interpretation, you also find personal reflections, biographical anecdotes, tie-ins to the Eudaimonia stories, and poetry.
The nods and tid-bits regarding the Eudaimonia stories were enough to pique my interest and add those pieces to my “to-read” list, but what really captivated me was how honest and open the introspections were. It is clear that both Lynn-Cee and Micah are people who have embraced their shadows as building blocks and lessons in their life and that they aren’t afraid to speak on them.
I also really appreciated the straight forward moments when the authors would state that they didn’t really connect with a card or that they didn’t have anything else to say on it. It felt like a great reminder that not every card has to have a deep and profound connection to each person. More than that, it made the book feel almost conversational. Like, you were sitting on the couch, chatting with the authors.
And then there’s the tarot art. It’s fantastic! It appears that most of the art (if not all) ties into the companion stories, but even without that background information, there is no denying the talent and thought that went into them. Symbolically, they appear to parallel the Rider Waite Tarot deck, though the minor arcana suits (plus an additional suit) and court cards are unique. Honestly, even if I wasn’t interested in the tarot side of it, the art and personal reflections on their own are reason enough to jump in.
Overall, as a read, this book was thought-provoking, introspective, and compelling – hooking you in right from the outset. Even without other context, there is still so much to be gained from this – as insight, as a jumping off point for meditation, as stories of people relating to larger concepts in their lives. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for inspiration to dive deeper into themselves, as well as anyone interested in tarot or in the Eudaimonia books.
Personally, this has set me off on a journey to explore more works of both these authors and I am excited to see what else is in store!
