The Wild Unknown Archetypes

My Introduction to The Wild Unknown

Two years after graduate school, I was still working toward my licensure to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I was seeking guidance from friends, family, coworkers, colleagues, and a therapist, as I felt defeated by the need to obtain 3000 interning hours.

One day a friend and fellow therapist suggested we see a psychic at a shop she frequented in undergrad. As someone who is often drawn to the spiritual world, I agreed, and off we went. The psychic was attentive and attuned to my anguish, and she answered the questions I had bubbling in my mind. I found the experience validating.

Seeing her was not the highlight of the experience, however. It was waiting to see her that followed me back home. Dimly lit and smelling of calming sage, her waiting room was filled with various Tarot and other spiritual card decks. I played around with a few and was drawn to various decks around spirit animals. I kept picking the same animal, no matter how much I shuffled the different decks. I even had my friend shuffle them to ensure I wasn’t playing a trick on myself.

Fast-forward to three years later, and, by happenstance, during my Christmas vacation with my grandmother, I found The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Boxset at Barnes and Noble. Though this wasn’t an exact match to the decks I’d fiddled with in the psychic’s waiting room, I believe it was the deck I was meant to have.

Their creator, Kim Krans, is a New York Times best-selling author and artist pursuing her MA in Jungian psychology. Her design style, setup, creative expression, and even how she writes her guidebooks are (I swear) what my dreams are made of (can you tell I’m fangirling a bit?). Her work clicked with me as a therapist, artist, and spiritual seeker.

So, of course, on October 15, 2019, when her new deck was released, I grabbed one.

What Are Archetypes?

An archetype is an ancient symbol or pattern spanning culture, time, and space. Universally present, these ideas can be found residing deep in our shared psyche. Known since the time of Plato, this collective knowledge is understood to be found imprinted within everyone. Throughout the history of human civilization, we have used archetypes in our stories to teach lessons. Common lessons, such as the hero and the villain, the mother and the child, or the rise and the fall, are all archetypes.

Your story is written in the stars and grounded on the Earth. The words to describe it fly through the universe. After delving into the vast and limitless information around archetypes, Krans attempted to create a deck that would help individuals understand its revelatory power. Thus, The Wild Unknown Archetypes Deck was born. This deck was designed to decipher the ancient text of archetypes so that users may better understand their stories and the characters that appear in their chapters.

The Wild Unknown Archetypes Deck

I purchased the set and patiently waited for it to arrive. I remember my heightened anticipation every time my dogs ran to the door to bark at something. Was it the delivery man with my new acquisition?

When it finally arrived, I couldn’t wait to tear into it. Arriving in a box set made for the deck, I was awed by the quality and detail of the packaging. The box was sturdy and could stand up to years of usage.

Opening the box, I saw the 224-page guidebook nestled in a nook on top of the lid, greeting me with the same diamond symbol used on the back of all the cards. The guidebook has solid binding and a smooth, waxy feel. Complete with a table of contents; it describes every card in the deck. Like her previous decks, the guidebook also provides suggestions on using and interpreting the cards (or spreads). The most compelling writing, however, is found in the first entry, “The Ocean within the Mountain.” The vulnerability, humbleness, and magic woven within Krans’ words on her experience creating the deck are profound.

Removing the guidebook, a round box dutifully holds the cards. This box is gorgeous. It, too, uses the diamond, surrounded by a strong black background and contrasting white text.

Taking the cards out of the box, their shape and size became apparent. The deck comprises large circular cards that almost overpower my grip because I have small hands. It took some time to get used to handling them, but once I did, there was a sense that their structure was meant to be sturdy and lasting, much like an archetype should be. The deck comprises 78 cards broken into four suits: The Selves, The Places, The Tools, and The Initiations. Each card is made in her signature Wild Unknown style, mixing the contrasting watercolor freeform with the sketched ink pen structure.

What separates the artwork of this deck from previous decks, is her use of collage imagery. To be honest, this was something I had to get used to. I fell in love with the watercolor and drawing style she’s expertly mastered. I didn’t know how to respond to collage. I love mixed media, don’t get me wrong, and collaging is a staple in my art therapy tool kit. Still it seemed to me, looking at the cards from a novices eye, that the collages  simplified, and almost cheapened them.

After reading the included guidebook, researching archetypes, and doing a few readings myself, I realized that the accessibility of the imagery was actually a perfect choice for this deck. Archetypes are, essentially, complex behavioral tendencies and personalities found within us, and therefore flow into every part of our world. Using everyday imagery found in magazines brings our modern day understanding of archetypes to the forefront. It reminds us that they never left, and never will.

Do you use tarot or spirit cards? Did you purchase this deck? Tell me in the comments section below!

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