TW: as the title implies, this review does talk about the topic of death (and also life). Talking about death can be very uncomfortable subject folks; even though we all know logically it will happen, it’s often seen as a morbid subject that should be avoided. If you’re uncomfortable with the topic, this might be a review to skip.
For the folks who stayed to read further, this deck is an absolute treat!
The card that comes with Red Wheel’s Memento Mori deck states it perfectly, so I will quote it here: “Memento mori—Latin for ‘remember you will die’—is often paired with memento vivere—'remember to live.’” This beautiful deck brings both of these concepts to life perfectly.
What I first especially enjoyed is the size of the deck, the box dimensions are —3.5” x 2”, and the perfect size to hold in your hands or tuck into a pocket, and given my love of small pocket-sized things in general, I have found myself popping it into my bag for the day, and sometimes just playing with the box because matchbox style boxes are just inherently fun to play with.
The cards are edged in gold, and done in a nice weight of cardstock, and the artwork…oh the artwork! I mean, just look at this:
The artwork is soft and gentle yet detailed and hides nothing of the future that awaits every living creature. The cards are an invitation to look, to contemplate what will come, but also to appreciate what is right now: you are here, you are alive, and there are many beautiful things here and now that we could all stop to take pleasure in.
I have also begun drawing one card from this deck along with my daily three-card tarot deck draw, and this really does enhance the tarot reading: whatever I have asked of the tarot cards, the Memento Mori deck softens and expands on those cards with something I might stop and contemplate alongside them.
This deck is one of my new favourites, and I will be keeping it nearby and popping it in my bag to go for the foreseeable future.
~review by Mara McTavish
Author: Red Wheel Weiser
2025
Pp. 36 cards, $12.95 (USD)
