Author: Alice Smeets
Artist: Alice Smeets
Self-Published
2023
The Child Inside Tarot, by Alice Smeets, is a 79-card deck and 119-page companion book. It comes in a sturdy lift-off top box.
The cards are 3.3” by 5.11” and printed on premium heavyweight card stock. The deck comprises 79 cards because there are two “love” cards.
The card backs have a lilac-colored border surrounding white line imager against a lilac background. The card fronts show imagery to the edges, with a white border on the bottom acting as a background for the black lettering that gives the card’s number and title (for the Major Arcana), number and suit (for the numbered cards of the Minor Arcana), and title and suit for the Court Cards.
The High Priestess has been renamed the Sorceress, the Hermit has become the Shaman, The Lovers has been renamed Love, The Chariot has been renamed The Conqueror, Justice has been renamed Karma, The Hanged Man has been renamed The Hanging Girl, Death has been renamed Rebirth, Temperance has been renamed Balance, the Devil has been renamed Imbalance, and Judgement has been renamed The Angel of Awakening.
The suits are Waves (Cups), Magic Wands (Wands), Coins (Pentacles), and Swords. The Court Cards are Princess (Page), Prince (Knight), Queen, and King.
The artwork for this deck features children of indigenous tribes in Guatemala. Softer colors are used for most cards, and the scenes are appropriate for children.
The companion book begins with Smeets addressing the need of this world for the magic of children. She then discusses the background of this deck and the background of Tarot.
There is a section on how to use this deck, three-card and four-card general Tarot spreads presented, as well as a ten-card Inner Child Spread.
Each Major Arcana card is presented with a small full-color image, the card number, title, and energy, the card’s gift and challenge, a discussion of the card, and an Inner Child Message. The Minor Arcana numbered cards are presented with a small color image, the card number and suit, the card’s gift and challenge, a discussion of the card, and a Message from the Inner Child. The Court Cards are presented with a small full-color image, the card title and suit, gifts and challenges, a discussion of the card, and a Message from the Inner Child.
This deck is meant to connect both adults and children to their inner child, the energy within that wants to be playful and wants to see the joy in the world. It is a way to experience the magic in life. (Smeets notes that we experience curiosity, creation, and are open to the world through our inner child.)
This deck is appropriate for all ages and all backgrounds. Smeets suggests that while this deck can be used to answer any type of question, it is geared to answering questions about emotions, releasing old emotional baggage, and reconnecting with the joy felt in childhood.
This deck offers itself to beginners and experienced readers alike – it is a powerful tool for connecting with our inner child, no matter how young or old we are.
© February 2024 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction is prohibited without the written permission of the author.
Perspectives On Tarot 