Christina Ricci’s New Tarot Deck Represents Her ‘Subconscious Mind’ — with Little Nods to Her Most Notable Characters (Exclusive)

The veil between worlds is growing thinner, and once again, Christina Ricci is our guide — this time with the launch of her Cat Full of Spiders tarot deck, seamlessly blending her haunting legacy with the timeless wisdom of the tarot.

From her breakout role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family to legendary performances in films like Sleepy Hollow and The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, Ricci, 44, has long been an icon for mystics and lovers of all things macabre.

“I just feel like I kind of lucked out,” Ricci tells PEOPLE exclusively when asked about her experience portraying such unique roles. “I was lucky as a young person at that time [with] where our culture was to play really interesting roles, interesting young girls and then interesting women.”

Be it Kat Harvey’s complicated relationship with a ghost in Casper or her chilling portrayal of a young woman navigating dark secrets in The Gathering, Ricci never ceases to pierce through the screen, captivating audiences worldwide with her eerie aesthetic and supernatural charm.

Launching on Oct. 8, just in time for the spookiest season of the year, Cat Full of Spiders is a “surrealist dive” into Ricci’s “cinematic subconscious,” featuring 78 cards and a specially curated guidebook explaining each tarot card. It also includes fun, simple tarot spreads for beginners who want to experiment with an easy reading.

Although the Yellowjackets‘ star first discovered tarot cards on the set of Now and Then — when her character (Roberta) visits a psychic with her friends — her relationship with mysticism goes much deeper.

“My perspective on pretty much all things mystical is that there is real magic in the world. Most of it is sort of grounded and nature-based,” she says. “I think all of the magic that comes from something like tarot has a lot to do with the person asking the questions.”

This is true — if you’re familiar with tarot, you know that the magic lies not just in the cards themselves but in the energy and intention of the person asking the questions. Tarot is equivalent to a mirror, reflecting the seeker’s inner thoughts and essentially guiding them towards clarity.

“Tarot for me feels like an incredible instrument to use your self-knowledge, self-reflection capabilities [and] your intuition,” Ricci says. “You come as yourself with your full journey behind you, all the things you’ve collected in your life emotionally and experientially.”

Metaphorically speaking, this was Ricci’s inspiration behind Cat Full of Spiders: the concept of life’s accumulated experiences — like the cinematic adventures uniquely portrayed in her deck — becoming the “spiders” we carry with us.

“The way you interpret the card in relation to your question has everything to do with who you are and all of your experiences — all the spiders that you’ve swallowed,” she says.

Ricci’s ability to intertwine such creative and profound metaphors with mystical elements showcases not just her creativity but her deep understanding of the human experience.

Cat Full of Spiders is Ricci’s passion project, and just by glimpsing at the brilliant artwork and intricate detail of each card, it’s clear that it comes straight from the heart.

“The minor arcana are all younger versions of me because all of those things have come from my subconscious and have all been expressions of some version of myself,” she continues. “That’s why there are a lot of little nods and references to characters I’ve played.”

With the help of her husband Mark Hampton’s creative direction, California artist Felipe Flores bringing Ricci’s ideas to life and tarot expert Minerva Siegel lending her wisdom, the actress hopes the world can find deeper meaning in their own lives through the ancient practice of tarot.

“This idea also speaks to what I want to do as a humanitarian [which is] pointing out to people that each individual is so much more than what you see in front of them,” Ricci says. “The depths of our minds, our subconscious, are so incredible and so rich, and just the idea that this sort of theme reinforces the importance of the individual over the group.”

The Addams Family star remains true to her Sun sign (Aquarius) in her humanitarianism and collective consciousness.

“I do feel like I’m a good match for an Aquarius,” Ricci says when asked if she resonates with her zodiac sign. “I care a lot about humanity, but more at the level of individuals. I have some passions and themes in my life that have a lot to do with my interest in humanity.”

A highly intellectual Air sign, Aquarius is governed by revolutionary Uranus, the planet of rebellion, individual freedom and unexpected change. Everything from the intriguing roles Ricci has portrayed to her innate connection with the supernatural goes hand-in-hand with Aquarius’ unique essence.

“I don’t really fit into any kind of stereotype and I very much do things my own way, and it totally makes sense to me, [even when] other people think it’s crazy,” she adds.

As Greek philosopher Aristotle so famously said, “There is no great genius without a touch of madness.”