The new 78-card deck by Ellen smacks it out of the ballpark. The presentation box says “Goddesses of the world speak from the depths” and yes, they do! This is a deck for profound inner work, and the readings you get from it will tell you things you’ve never heard from any other deck. It’s extraordinary.
Ellen thinks her way through every deck she creates. On the micro level, she places the proper character on the proper card, and creates a coherent, well-integrated divination tool on the macro level. This deck features lesser-known goddesses, transcended female immortals, nature spirits, and magical creatures from over 35 cultures. Some of the more unusual goddesses originate from the ancient Sabine tribe, Lithuania, ancient Sumeria, Haiti, Bali, Hittite, Canaan, Serbia, Lakota, and Borneo. The characters aren’t ordered by their culture-of-origin, but rather through the stages of development in the pip suits, and through the archetypal journey of the Major Arcana.
The four suits are named for the elements. The Court cards are Beast (Page), the elemental and primitive aspect, Warrior (Knight), fierce and protective, and Witch (Queen) practitioners with magical powers. The Hags (Kings) occupy the boundaries between life and death. The meanings of the cards take their jumping off point from the standard tarot meanings, but are much deeper and fiercer. The 176 page full-color book that accompanies the deck provides two pages for each card. The card descriptions begin with the legend of the goddess or spirit, followed by what that goddess is telling you if she appears in your spread. The opinions of the deck’s characters don’t just get into the weeds, they delve into incredibly deep hidden places of the soul.
For example, one card that I got a few weeks ago was The Beast of Air, Gamayun, a Russian bird-woman spirit who knows everything that happens in the world. “The Gamayun comes to tell you of an important call that is coming to you from the Great Ones. Do not give up listening if you do not immediately understand the message. Spend time listening and mark changes in your body, mind and emotions as you do. You need not fully understand how magic works for it to be effective. Go with what you know, and more knowledge will come…” It may require a few days to absorb and process the messages from a reading.
The tone of the card meanings is authoritative in a Great Mother-ly way. Some cards offer advice in a kind-but-firm manner, some cards gives encouragement, and other cards give warnings. The Hags are in a weight class of their own, and they aren’t messing around.
The colorful image renderings are on a black background, and the card backs are deep flat purple with tiny raised stars, dots, and moons in glossy print. The book features white print on black paper. The deck and book come in a groovy presentation box that opens at the top and has magnet closures. As always, high production values are greatly appreciated.
Ellen recommends doing one-card drawings to get acquainted with the deck. There are no meanings for reversals, and the reader is to rely on position meanings in the spreads that are challenging. There are three spreads included at the front of the book: the Dark Daughter Magic spread (5 cards) for solving sticky situations, the Ancestor Spread (6 cards) for connecting with a spirit or blood ancestor with an important message; and the Goddess Spread (4 cards) for new cycles or a change in circumstances. The Ancestor Spread packs a wallop! I was blown out of my chair after doing that particular spread and returned to my tarot journal for several days to absorb what it meant. It was soul-shaking, in a good way. After working with this deck, I found drawing cards from the deck preferable to shuffling and taking cards from the top.
Ellen has created some incredible tarot decks over the years—the Minoan Tarot, the Greek Goddess Tarot, and Tarot of the Crone. Each deck is unique and beautifully done. I’ve been using Ellen’s Dark Goddess Tarot since it was published and it’s a particular favorite. Topping your own act is tough to do! The Dark Daughters Tarot is a quantum leap beyond. Buckle up and get ready for a mind-blowing experience, as this deck takes you to places no deck has gone before.
~review by Elizabeth Hazel
Deck and Book by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince
Red Feather/Schiffer, 2025
78 cards, 176-page book in 5x7” presentation box. $34.99
