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Crow Tarot Review

TAROT CARDS REVEALED7 MIN READ

5/5 - (2 votes)
Aurica presenting The Star from Crow Tarot beside its box, a face-up three-card spread, and the stacked remainder deck

Aurica’s Quick Take

Crow Tarot by MJ Cullinane is a shadowy, beautiful, animal-led tarot deck that stays close enough to Rider-Waite-Smith structure to feel familiar, while giving every card a wild corvid spirit. If you like crows, ravens, liminal symbolism, moonlit skies, and readings that feel like messages from the edge of the woods, this deck has a strong voice.

My quick answer: Crow Tarot is best for readers who want traditional tarot meanings with a more intuitive, nature-mystic atmosphere. It can work for beginners because the suits, court cards, and Major Arcana are recognizable, but the mood is deeper and more symbolic than a plain teaching deck.

I notice the crows before I notice anything else: one watches, another carries, and a third seems ready to lift the question into the air. The Star feels especially tender here, with its dark wings opening beneath that bright point of gold. I read that contrast as hope with its eyes open—not a promise that the night vanishes, but a reminder that there is still a direction to follow.

When I lay these cards together, I begin with the gesture that catches me. The High Priestess may guard a silence; the Two of Cups may bring two truths close enough to meet; the Six of Pentacles may ask whether care is flowing fairly. Then I return to each card’s familiar tarot role and test my first feeling against its neighbours, until the spread gives me one honest next step instead of a cloud of symbols.

I reach for Crow Tarot when a question feels half-spoken, when instinct is circling but has not yet landed. Its collage art can feel shadowy, yet the warm ochres, blue water, flowers, cups and stars keep opening little windows of feeling. The crow does not ask us to banish every shadow; it reminds us that our own bright inner compass is patient, watchful, and always ready to guide the next brave step.

Art Style and First Impressions

The art has a layered collage feeling: feathers, branches, keys, moons, roses, bones, crowns, and weather all appear like clues in a dream. The crows are not cute mascots. They feel alert, clever, and a little otherworldly, which gives the deck its magic.

Color is important here. Many cards lean into dark blues, smoky blacks, glowing golds, and jewel-toned skies. That makes the deck feel dramatic without becoming hard to read. The images have enough Rider-Waite-Smith echoes that you can still spot the emotional shape of a card, even when the human figures are replaced by birds, animals, and symbols.

How the Crow Tarot Reads

Crow Tarot reads like a messenger deck. It is especially good at showing what is hidden, what is circling in the background, and what your intuition has already noticed but not named yet. In a reading, the crow energy can feel like a tap on the window: pay attention, look again, there is a sign here.

Because the structure follows traditional tarot, it does not feel random or overly abstract. The Fool still begins the journey, the suits still carry their familiar elements, and the court cards still show different ways energy can mature. The difference is the atmosphere. This deck asks you to read the landscape, the animal posture, and the small objects as much as the card title.

The Fool - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Fool

Card study

The Fool: trusting the first wingbeat

In Crow Tarot, The Fool feels less like a person stepping off a cliff and more like a creature answering a call. I read this card as a clean beginning, but not a careless one. The crow reminds you to stay curious, watch the signs, and let the journey teach you as you move.

Beginner Friendliness

Crow Tarot can be beginner-friendly if you already like symbolic images. It uses the standard 78-card tarot system, the suit names are familiar, and the card titles are not heavily renamed. That makes it much easier to learn than a deck with a totally new structure.

The challenge is mood. Some beginners want bright, obvious scenes with people acting out the meaning. Crow Tarot is more poetic. If you enjoy asking, “What is this bird noticing?” or “What feeling does this sky create?” then the deck becomes a very good teacher.

Four pack

Beginning the path

These cards show how the deck handles the inner journey: instinct, skill, quiet knowing, and retreat all feel connected by the watchful crow presence.

The Fool - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Fool
The Magician - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Magician
The High Priestess - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
High Priestess
The Hermit - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Hermit

Easy, Medium, and Hard Reading Examples

Easy example: “What should I focus on today?”

If you pull Ace of Pentacles, keep the answer simple: start something real. Make the call, clean the desk, save the money, plant the seed. Crow Tarot makes this kind of practical message feel sacred without making it complicated.

Medium example: “Why do I feel stuck?”

If 8 of Swords appears, look for the belief that is trapping your attention. The deck often frames stuck energy as a matter of sight: what are you refusing to look at, and what has become bigger because you keep circling it?

Hard example: “What truth am I avoiding?”

If The Tower appears, the message is not punishment. It is release. Crow Tarot can make difficult cards feel like storm warnings: not doom, but a chance to stop clinging to a structure that is already cracking.

The Moon - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Moon

Card study

The Moon: reading the signal, not the fear

The Moon is one of the deck’s natural homes. In a Crow Tarot reading, I would treat this card as a foggy path rather than a final answer. It asks for patience, dream notes, and honest emotional checking before making a big decision.

Best Uses for the Crow Tarot

This deck shines in intuitive readings, shadow work, animal-spirit journaling, new moon spreads, creative planning, and “what am I missing?” questions. It is also strong for readers who like to blend traditional tarot with nature observation, folklore, and personal symbolism.

I especially like it for reflective questions such as: What sign keeps repeating? What message am I ignoring? What is my instinct trying to protect? What part of me is ready to fly, even if my mind is still nervous?

Four pack

Facing the shadow gently

These cards show the deck’s gift for difficult material. It does not shout. It watches, waits, and asks you to tell yourself the truth.

The Devil - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Devil
The Tower - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Tower
The Moon - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
The Moon
9 of Swords - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
9 of Swords

What to Know Before Buying

Crow Tarot is a 78-card tarot deck by MJ Cullinane, published by U.S. Games Systems. It comes with a guidebook, and the card size is close to a standard tarot deck. The cardstock is smooth and easy enough to shuffle for most hands.

Buy it if you want a moody but readable tarot deck with strong animal symbolism. Pause if you dislike collage-style art, dark palettes, or decks where the meaning comes through symbol and atmosphere instead of clear human scenes.

King of Swords - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
King of Swords

Card study

King of Swords: the crow as clear witness

The King of Swords is excellent in this deck because the crow energy sharpens the card’s intelligence. I read it as calm truth, clean boundaries, and the ability to speak from observation rather than panic. It is a very useful card for decision-making spreads.

Orica’s Golden Rule

When reading with Crow Tarot, do not rush to tame the image. Let the crow be wild for a moment. First notice where your eye lands, then connect that symbol back to the card’s traditional meaning. This keeps the reading intuitive without losing the tarot structure.

Four pack

Emotions in motion

The Cups cards feel like water seen at night: reflective, emotional, and full of quiet messages.

Ace of Cups - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
Ace of Cups
4 of Cups - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
4 of Cups
8 of Cups - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
8 of Cups
Queen of Cups - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
Queen of Cups

Where instinct becomes action

The Cups may show what the heart is carrying, but the Pentacles ask where that feeling will land. I pause between these two four-card moments so the reading can breathe, then look for the grounded choice that turns a circling message into something kind, useful, and real.

Four pack

Grounded decisions

The Pentacles cards bring the deck back to earth: resources, body wisdom, work, and the kind of magic that becomes real through practice.

Ace of Pentacles - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
Ace of Pentacles
6 of Pentacles - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
6 of Pentacles
9 of Pentacles - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
9 of Pentacles
King of Pentacles - Crow Tarot - Tarot Deck by MJ Cullinane
King of Pentacles

Final Thoughts

Crow Tarot is a strong choice if you want a deck that feels mystical but still readable. It honors the Rider-Waite-Smith system while giving the cards a darker, feathered language of signs, omens, and instinct. For daily pulls, shadow questions, and intuitive spreads, it has a memorable voice.

If crows already make you pause and listen, this deck will probably feel like it has been waiting on the branch for you.

Crow Tarot FAQ

Who created the Crow Tarot?

Crow Tarot was created by artist and author MJ Cullinane. The deck is known for its crow and raven imagery, layered collage style, and traditional tarot structure.

Is Crow Tarot based on Rider-Waite-Smith meanings?

Yes. Crow Tarot follows the familiar 78-card tarot system, with recognizable Major Arcana, suits, and courts. That makes it easier to read if you already know Rider-Waite-Smith basics.

What do the crows and ravens symbolize in this deck?

They often feel like messengers, watchers, memory keepers, and threshold guides. In readings, the bird symbolism can point to intuition, warnings, cleverness, survival, and signs you may have overlooked.

Is Crow Tarot good for beginners?

Yes, if the beginner likes symbolic and moody art. The structure is traditional, but the images ask you to read atmosphere and animal body language, not only obvious human scenes.

Does Crow Tarot come with a guidebook?

The standard published deck includes a guidebook by MJ Cullinane. It helps connect the crow imagery with the card meanings, which is useful when a symbol feels mysterious at first.

What kind of readings suit Crow Tarot best?

It is especially good for intuitive readings, shadow work, animal-spirit reflection, dream questions, new moon spreads, and situations where you want to notice hidden patterns.