Tarot of the Sweet Twilight
Tarot of the Sweet Twilight was published way back in 2009 by Lo Scarabeo. Artist Cristina Benintende, used deep colours throughout the deck. The overall result is a soft, warm, and bold design. I would not call it childlike, but the colours and characters evoke a youthful and fertile vibe. It comes in the traditional Lo Scarabeo tuck box and has the obligatory little white booklet. The interpretations given are thoughtful despite being limited in scope. The cardstock is thin, but as ever with this publisher, the cards are excellent for handling and shuffling often.
The major arcana stay reasonably close to traditional Rider-Waite interpretations, making the cards easy to read. Some notable features include The Fool. The card has elements we expect to see, such as the person standing next to the edge of a cliff with a little dog. Although, in this instance, it looks to be a cat. The joker marionette beating a drum is an interesting choice because the strings suggest being led by an unseen hand. The influence of the subconscious (or fate) on a person is not usually shown in this card, but we’re reminded of this factor here. The Empress is often depicted as a pregnant woman, but not here. She is partially submerged underwater, which implies a connection to her feelings. We’ve also got the suggestion of stuff going on below the surface. Taking that further, we could say that emotions are in motion (the fish), yet she maintains a calm demeaner (the water's surface looks still). The earth in her hand is a more traditional element of the card. I’m intrigued by the dual aspect shown in The Emperor and wonder what it could mean. One half looks pretty regular, yet the other is a curious alien/human hybrid. The booklet says, ‘The Emperor is perfectly balanced with everything in the proper little boxes. He can move smoothly through any environment, always keeping chaos at bay.’ The interpretation doesn’t help much with understanding the depth of the card. As the counterpart to The Empress, I understand the need to include the earth, but I’m not sure what the dobby-looking creature represents, nor do I understand the other male in the background who wears a top hat and tails. Maybe these are the representatives of his other aspects that can move through different environments with ease. I’ve never seen this card as much of a shapeshifter. It’s more likely he’ll want to dominate the environment with his strongest characteristics.
If I pulled this Lovers card in a reading, my instinct would be telling me, ‘There’s no one else’. The couple sit on a tiny island floating in midair. The man holds the woman’s face in his hands implying devotion and having eyes for nobody else. Looking closer, his hands could be covering her ears, and I wonder if there’s a reminder here to keep listening and not be persuaded by looks alone. I do wonder if there’s a message hidden in the clothing. He’s wearing red pants, but she is completely naked. Maybe this suggests that one person is more ready than the other. Or, maybe one person has yet to reveal the depth of their passion. The red and pink flowers emphasise love, romance and passion. The interpretation in the booklet says, The Lovers know that love is more than feelings for each other. Together they create an entirely new world, one that they fear may disappear like a dream.
Other points worth mentioning in the major arcana include the tall bloke in The Chariot. He looks like Johnny Depp. The Strength card is funky; I’ve just noticed the weird-looking Yoda (wisdom?) in the bottom left-hand corner. The woman holds a mask in her left hand. The booklet says, Strength exists in a tender caress given in vulnerability. Strength looks with love into the eyes of what she fears, knowing that is the way to find her true self. I’ve never considered the Strength card to indicate insecurity in who one is, so I find part of this interpretation odd. Strength usually represents willpower and asserting the self, but not finding the self. We can interpret the mask in her hand as the ‘showing of the true self’. The Devil reminds me of Pan. Other decks also use variations of ‘the horned one’; in this instance I like there are no signs of bondage. The booklet says, The Devil watches carefully as you approach, scanning for chinks in your armor. What use, he wonders, is this person to me? This card is a warning to maintain integrity and stay alert when dealing with others. Offers may hide a nefarious intent or come with commitments that are hard to escape from.
The minor arcana also feature standalone images, and this always makes a deck more interesting. In the Pentacles, the two has a curious image of a woman looking at herself in a full-length mirror. The card often represents juggling, or trying to maintain balance in an ongoing situtaion. The imagery suggests possible mirroring. Maybe it’s a case of as above, so below? The crow tells us that communication may be necessary to ascertain between reality and what we think we’re seeing. The booklet gives us: Are you looking at a picture of what you wish were true or a mirror that revealls things as they are? What is the space called between what you are and what you are aiming for? She is posing somewhat; this could suggest a person who is dressing something up, or maybe a need to pay attention to presentation? I am interested in the five of pentacles because we normally have a picture of poverty of someone being left out in the cold. The Tarot of the Sweet Twilight has a hippy bus, and two females who look like friends. The booklet says, Is wealth something we chase after or something we carry with us? The measure of wealth is a personal thing. A shift in point of view may reveal more wealth than first perceived. Okay, but sometimes people are really skint, and not even the best philosophy can stop the worry over an unpaid gas bill.
The King of Pentacles is an unusually intense image for a court card. The King holds a pentacle, but there’s also woman with her mask raised, holding fruit in a glass. In the background we see a figure who looks like she’s wailing or vocally objecting to something. Look closer still, and other figures are loitering among the trees. The interpretation given says, Different people like different things. Those who pay attention can easily please others. However, those who are overlooked will absolutely not be pleased. Is this card a warning to be on guard against jealousy? Why does the King hide his face? I suppose it could suggest discretion will be the better part of valour. Or in this instance, if you’re doing okay financially, be discreet, or you run the risk of attracting the wrong sort of attention.
The Wands are an equally fascinating suit. I find the imagery on the two a little bizarre because of the arrows pointing to Death Valley. I would assume a hidden message in the card that the current direction may not lead to fertile land. This isn’t something that generally comes up with this card, and I need to check the booklet. It is odd, isn’t it, that while they’re are really so many paths to choose from that they all, in the end, lead to the same place? How much does that realization affect our choices? Okay, so Cristina is saying all roads lead to death eventually, and how does this fact influence any decisions we’re currently facing. Does it compel us to be braver? A person crying with sadness dominates the six of wands, and we also have a tiny jack-in-a-box, smiling, holding a wand in its hand. Rather than focus on the ‘success and victory’ this card usually represents, Cristina instead draws attention to the moments after when our hearts and minds feel empty because we have achieved an important goal. The King of Wands is another intense court card: it seems to be a theme with the kings in this deck. The King looks straight at the reader, which suggests someone with boldness who prefers to look at situations head-on. He has two women dancing with abandon behind him, and I wonder if there’s a hint of Dionysian energy within this image. The interpretation in the booklet says, Some people, born leaders with charisma to spare, energize and inspire people with just their presence. When they focus and apply themselves, they can accomplish even more. I’d be a little wary of pulling this card in a relationship reading. . .inspiring women to dance? Hmmm. . .’tis the King of Wands for sure!
In the Tarot of the Sweet Twilight, the Cups are called Chalices. Again, some of the cards are more straightforward than others. I don’t get much of a 'new emotion' vibe from the ace, but I love the romance in the two of cups. The young woman looks incredibly comfortable sitting on a bed talking to a young man. Both are fully clothed, but the presence of the bed suggests a desire for a situation to progress further. We can see water in the background (emotion is present), and the candle burning in the foreground tells us there is passion here. A caduceus wand appears to rise from the left hand of the man. Is he making magic? Is this situation a manifestation of someone’s thoughts and words? The booklet says, Love, romance, candles, and wine. There is nothing like it while it burns to light the darkness, fill the world with beauty, and heal all manner of ills. A lovely card. The seven of cups in this deck is especially good at offering extra details, and I especially appreciate the woman looking into the water and seeing herself as a skeleton. This card often comes up when we’re in a situationship that drains us of lifeforce because we’re investing far more than the other person. This card looks less about choices, another traditional meaning associated with this card, and more about the necessity to ensure the soul is nourished through any emotional activity and not depleted. The booklet says, When you dream, when you relax into your fantasies, do you see what you want, what you think you should see, what you think is true, what you fear, what you wish for but don’t think will happen, or all of the above? A great image, but not a great card to see in a reading.
The body of the King of Cups is constructed entirely of books. The booklet says, Is it wisdom and experience that keeps someone well away from the dangers and risks of love? Is it wise to turn your back on potential pain. . .and potential joy? I think this interpretation is intriguing because over the years, I’ve found the King of Cups never materialises when he shows up in a reading for those looking for a relationship. Now is not the time nor place to get into the mechanics of that particular note of mine, but rest assured, I’ll be meditating on this one for a while.
As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, the three of swords is one of my go-to cards to get an overall impression of a deck. I am always interested in how an artist portrays the difficult moments we can experience. Cristina gives us a young woman wearing a t-shirt with an enormous red heart. X marks the spot in the centre of the heart, and she holds a dagger to the centre while using her other hand to point to her own heart. In the booklet, Cristina writes, There it is, right there, X marks the spot. Your heart is cut, broken, bleeding. Such exquisite pain. But wait! Whose hand is holding the dagger? This is one of those cards whose meaning really does depend on the context and the questions someone is asking. It can talk of betrayal and also of grief. But, it can also refer to self-inflicted dramas and those situations where we hanker and lament after something non-existent. If you know, you know. But, it’s actually better if you don’t. I find the seven of swords an odd card when comparing to other cards in this deck. It stands out as a little busier, and the colours and contrast make it appear almost neon-like. The winged creatures make me think of the words ‘temporary’, ‘ephemeral’, and ‘easily torn’. At a glance, it could easily be mistaken for the seven of cups. The booklet says, A wall is built, ready to withstand whatever attacks may come. What does it mean, though, when the builder of the wall spends more time convincing herself that she is in the right as she does anything else. Keyword interpretations of this card can include futility, strategy, deceit, theft, sneakiness.
To be consistent, I want to mention the King of Swords because he is no exception when it comes to having an unusual depiction. I mean, poor bloke. He hasn’t even got any legs and is portrayed as a scarecrow with his back to the reader. Off in the distance we can see a woman scarecrow. Both have their arms outstrected, but I have to wonder how they’ll ever have physical contact. Parts are missing here. Something has ‘no legs’. . . yet, they seem well-suited. The booklet gives us, Logic is a very good thing. However, it may not always be as rigid and narrow as you’d think. A good mind is flexible, and can bend with the winds of time and react well to whatever comes its way. I get what she’s saying, but like the King of Wands, I’d not want this card in a relationship reading, either.
Some of the interpretations are incredibly spot-on, and it’s one of those decks that ages well. It’s very much got its own theme, which makes me feel it’s probably one of those decks that is exceptionally good for a specific period of time. Often, it’ll correlate with an important relationship, or a significant situationship. I guess what I’m saying is this deck has something about it.
Despite the complex-at-times imagery, I think it would be okay to use if you’re a beginner as long as you have a few extra books to hand to give you some ideas of what else you should be seeing. Part of my reasoning comes from feeling that Cristina has sometimes given interpretations that offer solutions, or ways out of the difficulty the card generally represents. I think this is one aspect that make this a good deck for experienced readers. It’s the very same aspect that could make it a challenging deck for beginners. Personally, I’m not getting ‘self-development’ vibes from it, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. I feel kinda sad that Cristina didn’t do any more decks because I think she’s done a really good job with Tarot of the Sweet Twilight. But, I suppose one deck is enough of a project for any artist, and I’m just greedy.
