As a child I dreamed of running into the sky like Pegasus. I'd glance around my darkened bedroom, trying to pierce the shadows with an owl's eyes. Some ancient Celts also called on the traits of animals, making them their own. Finding the animal within ourselves forms the basis for the Shapeshifter Tarot.
The deck itself is a satisfying size & weight, fairly easy for me to poker shuffle even with small hands. The backs are royal blue, with a yellow Celtic trefoil design. Lisa Hunt's evocative watercolors are set off by the same royal blue border. Unlike some decks, Ms. Hunt's people are distinct individuals, not cookie-cutter copies of only a few faces. The person/animal blending is not seamless, but very nicely done. The artwork makes the meanings almost intuitive. Strength, for instance, features a girl sheltered in her mother's arms, both of them partially shifted into bears. The emphasis here is on spiritual melding, rather than physical shapeshifting..
The Shapeshifter deck does have a few changes from the more traditional decks. No reversals are given, the cards are intended to be read upright only. Most of the Major Arcana have been renamed, and there are three extra majors between Transcendence (Judgement) and Oneness (World) - Double, Journey, and Dreamer - which relate specifically to the Celtic/Shamanistic theme. The Minor Arcana suits are named for the four Elements, with the Seeker, Warrior, God, and Goddess of each Element forming the courts. All the Minors include both the Element name and the corresponding suit at the top of each card, assigning Swords to Fire and Wands to Air. Unlike most decks, the "pip" cards (Ace through Ten) also feature keyword names. While I wouldn't recommend Shapeshifter to a rank beginner because of these differences, it could work quite well for a novice with some grasp of the basics.
While it can be used for traditional readings, the Shapeshifter Tarot is best suited for meditation and self-readings, exploring one's spiritual path. The book was extremely helpful toward this end. I like having a book that goes into the "whys" of a deck's images. Each color, each species of animal and plant, was chosen to convey a specific idea. Authors D.J. Conway and Sirona Knight split the book into sections, using icons at the end of each passage to identify themselves. Two appendices include lists of correspondences to traditional cards (although it's not clear why the Gods are assigned to Queens and the Goddesses to Kings) and a summary of the keywords for each card. The last chapter features five new spreads. My favorite of these is the "Creating a Change" spread, which uses six cards in a pentagram layout.
The Shapeshifter Tarot has quickly become one of my favorite decks. I would have preferred a separate inner box for the cards, rather than shrink wrap, as they have a tendency to slide around between the book and the spacer once they've been opened. The book and deck each have their own ISBN code, in addition to the kit's code given above, so perhaps they will be released separately later on. I pulled one card, asking "What's the one thing I should keep in mind while reviewing this deck?" I got the 6 of Fire (Swords), or Passage. One suggested meaning is, "You are able to bridge the gap between worlds, and suddenly find the ability to communicate your ideas in an entirely new way." The Shapeshifter Tarot bridges the gap between human and animal, communicating instinctively with my spiritual self.