The Infinite Door

first impressions of a new deck

It has been a very long time since I’ve purchased a new tarot deck. Two years, maybe? But that all changed when I was lurking on Instagram and got a targeted ad for the Infinite Door Tarot by Pamela Love.

(I am displeased on principle when targeted ads work, but hey, at least it was for a small niche business that aligns with my interests!)

I was not familiar with Pamela Love before this, but I have learned she is primarily a jewelry designer who creates pieces inspired by mysticism. She’s had a long standing interest in tarot and partnered with artist Krys Maniecki to make this deck (available here).

First impressions: the box is sturdy, featuring a top cover from which the bottom piece holding the cards pulls out. A ribbon is placed to make this more convenient. This is larger than a standard size tarot deck, which is a bit of a downside to me. Larger cards are difficult for me to shuffle and I’m never very fond of oversize decks. I can still work with them, but it makes the tactile experience less pleasant.

The deck comes with an elegantly bound guide book. It’s hard to tell in my photos but the booklet is printed on an off white/green/grayish hued paper that matches the outer box. It’s a small detail that makes the whole thing feel more cohesive.

The guidebook is mostly what you’d expect: an intro to tarot, some spread ideas, interpretations for each card. Pamela also includes some personal info on her own introduction to and approach to tarot. I really like her concept of tarot having four pillars. Quoted from the booklet:

Illumination: bringing subconscious things to the surface and coming to terms with the past.

Navigation: finding a way through the trials and questions of the present.

Meditation: processing and considering our circumstances and goals.

Divination: glimpsing the possibilities of the future via the power of magical thinking.

Now, the real important stuff. The overall style and vibe of the deck. It’s surreal, and that’s what drew me in. You have some familiar Waite-Smith inspired imagery in many cards, but some are completely their own thing. A few of my favorites:

There are also definitely some cards I’d struggle to interpret in a reading. But that’s okay. Sometimes we need decks to challenge us.

There are a lot of flying fish in this deck…

And a few cards look similar enough that I could imagine mixing them up in a reading.

There’s some classical inspiration in the artwork. Columns, pillars, geometric shapes. Then there’s some cards - suit of wands in particular - that feel like something out of a Dune-esque sci-fi world.

There are many human forms in this deck, and they are almost all… or maybe entirely all… chiseled and thin. It would have been nice to have more diversity in age, body size and skin tone.

My overall first impressions: this deck is interesting and unique enough that I’m glad I bought it. However, I’m not sure how much I’ll actually use it due to some of the downsides (lack of diversity, some imagery I don’t connect with immediately and card size).

Another very odd first impression I’m kind of stunned by: Annie and I have been slowly but surely working on another tarot deck, very different from the Spacious Tarot. And there’s a few cards in the Infinite Door with similar imagery to some of our new cards. Must be something bubbling up from the collective consciousness…

Back to the guidebook! I’m a sucker for decks that come with a spread to go with the deck’s theme. The Infinite Door does not disappoint in this regard. Offered here is a simple but enticing two card spread, aptly titled The Infinite Door Spread. Card one represents the Door. Card two represents the Key.

Pamela elaborates:

To use this spread, first shuffle the cards as you envision your life as a long and winding pathway leading towards a gleaming golden door at its end. When you feel you’ve reached that door and know what to ask, stop shuffling. Select two cards… the first card is the door…it is also your query: it can be an externable obstacle, a decision that needs to be made, an unanswered question, a mental block. The second card is your key: the path through, the answer to the question…or a warning sign that you should leave that door closed and find a new route.

This will be my first time actually doing a reading with this deck, let’s try it together.

I didn’t have a question in mind as I started shuffling, but I did try to envision the path and door as described above. And as I was shuffling, the question came to mind, how can I have more excitement for life? I’m doing better than I was a year ago but still struggling to find OOMPH.

And wow, the cards I received.

The Door is the Fool. This connects as I am searching for a sense of feeling in harmony with life. Feeling light, free, open. Moving and doing things just because. Not with a set agenda but just to be ALIVE. In flow.

It stands out to me that this Fool faces away from the cliff. He still dances, so he may leap. But he may also move back towards steady ground. Because even on steady ground there is magic. I do have a mundane daily routine. Do the dishes, feed the dogs, work, cook and so on. Maybe moving more deeply into those mundane things is part of what I need.

Instead of moving on autopilot moving with a little more curiosity. Purposefully seeking the magic in the mundane. Being actually PRESENT with each moment instead of viewing tasks and something to just get out of the way.

All of this is informed by the Key, which is the Sun. Prioritizing joy is the key. Taking even the most mundane moment and being open to how it may become more JOYFUL. Embracing the newness in each moment (the baby in the sun).

The imagery in this card also reminds me that in some ways, joy is a choice. Obviously it’s not always that simple, there’s privilege involved, and brain chemistry and all that jazz. But with where I am right now, it resonates that joy can be a choice.

Joy has to be prioritized and upheld (the women holding the sun). It is something I have to actively seek out instead of just expecting it to show up. It is something I have to maintain through not only my daily actions, but my energetic state.

As we are approaching winter the literal theme of LIGHT is applicable too. My therapist and my husband both keep encouraging me to get out my sunlamp. I need to do that. And keep going for daily walks even when it is cold. Get some literal light into my life.

Well! Doing a reading with this deck actually went more smoothly than expected, and I now feel more confident to continue to sit with the imagery and get to know it better. Thanks for being here for this lil deck introduction and review and sending you LIGHT.

Carrie