"Mythos Tarot" Deck Review

Last Updated: October 17, 2023

The Mythos Tarot by Helena Elias is an absolutely gorgeous dedication to Greek mythology, and available from November 1st 2023. Each card is paired with a deity from the mythologies and history to ancient Greek creation, from Chaos & Erebus & Nyx, to Hebe & Iris & Calliope. These incredible interpretative portraits are so bloomin’ lovely, that it would be a deck I’d instantly say is more art and devotional work than it is a simple divination tool.

Using the Rider Waite Smith system, our favourite tarot system here at backyardbanshee.com, you could use this deck for either devotional work or for invokement. Helena writes that they wish to have this deck as a way to showcase the complexities of the Greek pantheon, in a way that is an ardent love letter to the ancient archetypes.

What's In The Box?

Guidebook: Yes, a 160+ page colour guidebook that showcases the Risen (upright) and the Fallen (reversal) of each cards archetype, including a few tarot spreads too.
Artwork: Daydream style digitally illustrated portraits of members from Greek mythologies and stories, each one completely unique to another – compare Zeus as the Emperor to Nyx as the Star? Stunning, but completely unique from one another.
Total Cards: 78 cards
Inclusivity: There’s a lot of different POC and even Hermaphroditus is in this deck, which I was really happy to see. I did notice that everyone is stereotypically stunning, even Hephaestus who was known to not be so, and there wasn’t any voluptuous characters either – if the gods were of different colour, I’m sure they were also different sizes and abilities.
Environmental Impact: TBC; Printed & Bound in China. (No charitable mentions) HOWEVER the deck does come with a free digital app, to encourage further practice.
Unique Deck Points: There is a portrait for EVERYONE. Truly. Every single card is a portrait to some of the biggest and lightly touched upon names from the Greek pantheon, that there is literally so many favourites to choose from. Touching on each character’s archetype aligning with each of the traditional card meanings (such as Helios for the Sun or the Moirai as the Three of Coins) shows such a studied view of not just the cards but the histories of all the players involved.

Downside of the Deck

Knowing that there are a ridiculous amount of Hellenistic pagans out there, the guidebook could’ve included more devotional support. Suggestions like “place this Aphrodite card on your altar space or somewhere prominent when you want to call in themes of self-love and confidence in choices” or “Use the Phobos card in nightmare warding spells” would’ve been a great touch.

There was only three spreads to try in the guidebook too, and none were a “Deity trying to contact me” spread. There could have been a Hero’s journey spread, feat Heracles etc as a signifier, or like a Strong Feminine spread (or Intuitive Masculine) that plays against stereotypes and archetypes. And that’s just it – there could be so much you can use this deck to play with to enjoy your tarot reading craft, that will elevate it massively.

My Favourite Card

The World as Gaea, and the Seven of Coins as Calliope. I’m very biased here as they’re the names of my children, but it is genuinely difficult to pick one card based on the art as it’s all really beautiful.

Why I Love This Deck

For someone who loves Greek mythology but refuses to use the actual Rider Waite Smith because I dislike most of its imagery, this was such an enjoyable and insightful way to have a semi-traditional tarot deck. The art style is so dreamy that I find myself staring at each card for ages, the eyes really pop on each character, and so many of the portraits remind me of real-life celebrities or known personalities (like Rhea being so similar to Angelina Jolie, Aubrey Plaza as Psyche or Hades as Henry Cavill).

I feel that those who would love this deck are those who are just as enthusiastic about using tarot as a tool for understanding the psyche or for introspection, over those who prefer to use it as divination. I think this would be perfect for anyone with strong Hellenistic beliefs and who wishes to keep their faith close to their hearts in every way possible.

The Mythos Tarot is an absolutely wonderful deck for most modern witches, and I genuinely recommend it for the artwork alone.

If you’re interested in learning more about the “Mythos Tarot” deck, you can do so here. Any click-throughs may lead to the affiliate programme awarding us compensation which helps compensate the writers on the website, pays towards the web hosting and all the other boring behind-the-scenes bits.

Thank you for reading my super honest review! Until next time xox