Coins of the Tarot
This is a set consisting of 78 tarot coins, as well as a small deck of 78 cards. <br /><br />The coins and cards are housed together in cardboard box. Within the set box, the coins are divided into separate zip-top bags by suit, and the cards are housed inside a white cardboard tuck box. A black drawstring bag is also provided for the coins, but I have doubts regarding whether they'd all fit comfortably. A spiral-bound guidebook is also included, but it is larger format and doesn't fit in the box.<br /><br />The coins measure about 2.5 cm in diameter. The cards measure 5.7 cm wide x 8.9 cm long. The card stock is semi-flexible, with a smooth, semi-matte finish.<br /><br />The backs of the coins and the cards are fully reversible.<br /><br />In terms of numbering and naming, the coins and cards follow the RWS system.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />The suits are Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are pips; just arrangements of suit symbols. Even in the majors and courts, the art is perfunctory and reduced to simple, recognizable symbols. <br /><br />This set was initially funded and marketed via a Kickstarter campaign; I was a backer. In the campaign, the creator's name was given as Arthur Pittsley. In the guidebook, credits are given to additional members of the team, as well. "Asher" wrote the spreads, meanings, and introduction. Kyle (the creator's nephew) and Shari (the creator's wife) are also mentioned as having helped with the project.<br /><br />My copy of the guidebook is signed in the back, on the last page. There are 3 signatures; one of the names is clearly Kyle, but the others are less legible. One appears to start with an A, but that could be Arthur or Asher. The other appears to start with an S, which would most logically be Shari.
Pittsley, Arthur
<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/casting/coins-of-the-tarot-metal-coins-for-tarot-readings" target="_blank" title="Kickstarter campaign" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/casting/coins-of-the-tarot-metal-coins-for-tarot-readings</a>
Zenacast LLC
2020
78 coins and 78 cards
English
RWS / Other
Cute Cat Tarot
Cats
78 cards + a bonus card (The Alignment) + a small format, 199-page softcover guidebook in a sturdy cardboard box with a magnetic flip-top cover. I also received a postcard-sized copy of The Fool card along with my deck.<br /><br />The cards measure 6.9 cm wide x 12 cm long. The card stock is fairly inflexible; I wouldn't recommend riffle shuffling. The cards have a smooth, flat, matte finish. The edges are gilded in iridescent silver.<br /><br />The card back design is pink and white, and non-reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic in the RWS style, though there's enough variation that I wouldn't call this a true RWS clone.<br /><br />The art is sweet and family-friendly; there's no nudity to be found, and even the traditionally "dark" cards are (such as The Devil and The Tower) are rendered in an approachable, non-frightening way.<br /><br />The guidebook is better than most, and includes a section on the real-life cats that served as the inspiration for the cards, providing their photos and biographies.<br /><br />I am mildly confused regarding the name(s) of the creators/artists, as the information varies between the guidebook and the box. The back of the box, for example, credits Shela Usadi and Sonia Febyola as the <em>creators</em>, Silvana N. S. and Sonia Febyola as the <em>artists</em>, and Shela Usadi as the <em>author </em>of the text. <br /><br />In contrast, the guidebook credits Shela Usadi as the author and Sonia Usadi as the illustrator, with no mention of Silvana. Also, it isn't clear if Sonia's last name is currently Usadi or Febyola.<br /><br />No date of publication is given on the cards, the box, or in the guidebook. My source for the publication year is the Kickstarter campaign information. I was a backer at the $40 level, for one copy of the deck. I received my copy in the late autumn of 2020.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: The back of the guidebook includes an Acknowledgements section, listing the names of all of the Kickstarter backers. My name is included in the list (on page 197).
Usadi, Sonia (artist)
Usadi, Shela (author)
<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cutecardtarot/cute-cat-tarot" target="_blank" title="Cute Cat Tarot Kickstarter" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cute Cat Tarot -- Kickstarter campaign</a>
Self-published
2020
79 cards
English
RWS
Emerging From Darkness: A Tarot Deck for Shadow Work
Shadow work
79 cards + a title card + a slim foldout LWB in a standard, cardboard tuckbox. I also purchased the companion book; my copy of the book is signed.<br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 4.75" long. The card stock is reasonably flexible, with a smooth, matte finish. The cards are edged in silver.<br /><br />The card back design is not technically reversible, but you'd have to be looking closely to see the difference during a reading.<br /><br />Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />The suits are Swords, Cups, Wands, and Coins. The court cards are Daughter, Son, Mother, and Father.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and loosely follow the RWS pattern.<br /><br />In addition to the traditional 78 cards, an extra card is included at the end of the deck -- the Mother of Shadows.<br /><br />This deck was initially funded and marketed via Kickstarter. I was a backer for one copy of the deck and book; as such, my name is listed (amongst many, many others) in the Dedication section of the book (on page iv).<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: In addition to the deck and book, I also received a postcard with a handwritten, signed thank you note from the artist/author.
Cole, Robin L.
<a href="https://robinlcole.com/tarot-deck/" target="_blank" title="https://robinlcole.com/tarot-deck/" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://robinlcole.com/tarot-deck/</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/147642179/emerging-from-darkness-tarot" target="_blank" title="Emerging from Darkness (Kickstarter campaign)" rel="noreferrer noopener">Emerging from Darkness (Kickstarter campaign)</a>
Self-published
2020
Cole, Robin L. <em>Emerging from Darkness: Using Tarot for Personal Shadow Work</em>. 2020.<br /><br />This is a 230-page, softcover companion book that I purchased with the deck. The title page of my copy of the book is signed by the artist/author.
79 cards
English
RWS
Tarot Vandestijl
De Stijl (Art movement)
78 cards + a "Happy Squirrel" card + a title card in a plain, white cardboard tuckbox with a clear window on the front. <br /><br />The reverse side of the title card provides information about the deck as well as a URL where a PDF text supplement may be found; however, no printed LWB or reading guide is provided with the deck.<br /><br />The cards measure 7 cm wide x 12 cm long. Two versions of the deck are available--one on smooth cardstock and one on linen-finish stock. My copy has a matte, linen finish that is very pleasant to handle. The cardstock is nicely flexible as well.<br /><br />The card backs are completely reversible.<br /><br />The card titles are all in Dutch; here I am using their traditional English names for convenience. Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is unnumbered. <br /><br />The suits are Zwaarden (Swords), Staven (Wands), Bokalen (Cups), and Munten (Coins). The court cards are Knecht (Page), Ridder (Knight), Koningin (Queen), and Koning (King).<br /><br />The minor arcana are illustrated, but not scenic.<br /><br />In overall structure and imagery, this deck follows the TdM tradition, and would be recognizable and readable for anyone familiar with the style. That said, I'd classify this more as an "art tarot" than a true TdM--or perhaps as a mixture of both.<br /><br />I purchased my copy from ParalumanStudio's Etsy shop in 2020. Last I checked, copies are also available from the Tarot Garden (at a lower price than on Etsy), as well as from the artist's website (linked below).
Narciso, Lynyrd-Jym
<a href="https://www.paraluman-studio.com/" target="_blank" title="Paraluman Studio" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.paraluman-studio.com</a>
Self-published
2020
79 cards
Dutch
TdM
Journey of the Sacred Bee Tarot
Bees
Sacred geometry
78 cards + a small, softcover guidebook in a sturdy cardboard box with a magnetic flip-top. <br /><br />A drawstring bag was also included; it is made of an unbleached burlap-type fabric with the deck's title stamped on the front. I also received a small enamel pin with my copy, which I've attached to the bag for safekeeping.<br /><br />A paper "thank you" insert was included as well, noting that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the deck will go to the "Honeybee foundation." However, when I Google searched for it, it was unclear which Honeybee foundation is being referenced. <br /><br />The cards measure 7.7 cm wide x 12.9 cm long. (Page 81 of the guidebook gives the length as 5 inches, but after repeated measurements, I find them to be slightly over 5 inches.)<br /><br />The cardstock is mildly flexible and has a very flat, matte finish, but is embellished with blue foil stamped bees on the card backs. The deck is edged in blue foil, as well. There's something about the feel of the cards in my hand that leads me to caution against riffle shuffling, as this could lead to accidental creases. <br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />The suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Disks. The court cards are Princess, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are semi-scenic, with occasional nods to the RWS, but not enough so to be easily readable.<br /><br />On reflection, I mildly regret purchasing this deck. It's beautiful, but not usable. Every card gives me the same impression -- "pretty! bee!" -- rather than drawing me into a divinatory headspace.<br /><br />Artistically, it is extremely consistent, competent, and thoughtful. It is lovely. It would look fantastic in Instagram photos. But it doesn't succeed as a tarot deck.<br /><br />The bottom of the box notes that this is the first edition. This deck was initially marketed and funded via a Kickstarter campaign; I was a backer for one signed copy. Inside the flip top portion of the box, my copy is signed by the artist and numbered as #301 of 840. The deck itself is not signed.
Burton, Kelly
<a href="https://sacredsoultarot.com/" target="_blank" title="Sacred Soul Tarot" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://sacredsoultarot.com/</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sacredbeetarot/journey-of-the-sacred-bee-tarot" target="_blank" title="Kickstarter campaign" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sacredbeetarot/</a>
Sacred Soul Productions
2020
78 cards
English
Other
1st edition, signed, #301 of 840
Tarot del Toro
Guillermo del Toro--films, themes, and characters
78 cards + 1 extra card + an 87-page small, softcover guidebook in a sturdy, 2-part lidded box. Note that the extra card is largely just a blank/spare; it features the deck's title, but nothing else.<br /><br />The cards measure 7.1 cm wide x 12.7 cm long. The card stock is nicely flexible, with a smooth, matte finish that feels good to handle.<br /><br />The card back design is non-reversible, though you'd have to pay close attention to notice. <br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is unnumbered. <br /><br />Suits are Blades, Goblets, Wands, and Discs. The Court cards are Valet, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />While not a true TdM style deck, the major arcana reflect a significant TdM influence, and would be recognizable to readers familiar with that tradition. <br /><br />Regardless of how famliar you are with Guillermo del Toro's filmography, Tomás Hijo's art is delightful, engaging, and readable. Just be aware that the minor arcana are not scenic; I'd say they are somewhere on the continuum between "decorative" and "illustrated."<br /><br /><strong>Of note</strong>: The cover of the guidebook contains a misspelling. Guillermo del Toro's name is listed twice on the cover, and in the second case, one "l" is omitted from his first name. His name is correctly spelled on the title page and box, however.<br /><br />The box lists the retail price as $29.99 USD. I received my copy as Christmas gift in 2020.
Hijo, Tomás
Insight Editions
2020
78 cards
English
TdM / Other
ISBN 978-1-68383-979-8
Shitty Arcana: A Deck of Majors
22 majors + a card with brief, pithy meanings + a card-sized paper insert with the Celtic Cross layout, housed in a cardboard tuckbox.<br /><br />The cards measure 7 cm wide x 13.7 cm long. <br /><br />The cards are delightful to hold and use. The cardstock is very flexible, with a smooth, velvety matte finish. <br /><br />The card backs are non-reversible.<br /><br />Artistically, the deck is quirky and personal, while still being consistent and readable for those already familiar with traditional tarot systems. There are influences of the RWS to be found, but I wouldn't call it an RWS-style deck. Also of note: the entire deck is black and white.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0 on the "meanings" card; however, The Fool card itself features a small skull by the card title in lieu of a number.<br /><br />I am unsure of the exact price, as this deck was purchased for me as a gift, but I believe it to be very affordable (especially so for a self-published deck).<br /><br />The artist, Jenny Hubbard, is local -- she resides in the same city as I do. She initially ran a small Kickstarter campaign to fund the deck, though I was not a backer. In the Kickstarter campaign, her name was listed as Jenny Alvarez. I'm not sure if she maintains any other web presence for this deck.
Hubbard, Jenny
Self-published
2020
22 cards
English
Other
Heroine Tarot
Feminism
78 cards + a slim LWB in a two-part, lidded box. My copy was also accompanied by an enamel pin and a postcard-sized print of the Sun card, with a handwritten note from the artist on the back.<br /><br />The cards measure 3.<strong>25</strong>" wide x 5.1" long by my measurements; however, the deck's Kickstarter page lists the dimensions as 3.<strong>35</strong>" x 5.1". <br /><br />The cardstock is flexible, with a smooth, glossy finish. The cards have a shiny, iridescent silver edging. <br /><br />The back design is non-reversible.<br /><br />A notable feature of this deck is that there are no men depicted. Cards that would normally feature a male figure (such as Emperor, for example, and the Kings of each suit) all feature a female character instead.<br /><br />Other than that, the Heroine tarot follows the RWS system fairly closely, with some artistic variations.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />The suits are Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana cards are fully scenic, and will be easily readable to anyone familiar with the RWS.<br /><br />Though listed with a copyright year of 2019, it was late in 2020 when I received my copy. I was a Kickstarter backer at the $60 level, for one copy of the deck.
Schiappacasse, Gina (creator & illustrator)
<a href="https://shop.theheroinetarot.com/" target="_blank" title="Heroine Tarot website" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heroine Tarot website</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theheroinetarot/the-heroine-tarot" target="_blank" title="Heroine Tarot Kickstarter" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heroine Tarot Kickstarter</a>
Self-published
© 2019
Murtagh, K. Nicole (support & design)
78 cards
English
RWS
1st edition
Transformational Tarot
Collage art
78 cards + a title card + an author's "about" card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box. <br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 4.75" long. The card suffers from having been printed in Italy -- Italian printings of USG decks from this period are notoriously sticky, and this deck is no exception. The cardstock is somewhat flexible, with a lightly glossy yet sticky finish. The cards do not slide or shuffle easily; they glom on to each other and must be carefully separated, even after repeated handling.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />Some, though not all, of the major arcana have been renamed. Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Dreamer (Fool) is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Cups, Wands, Swords, and Coins. The court cards are Princess, Prince, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are somewhat scenic, insofar as possible given the collage art. Sadly, the print quality does the art a disfavor in that it is too dark; <br />distinctions are lost. Also, the dimensions look slightly skewed and stretched in some cards.<br /><br />In some of the cards, an RWS influence is evident, but in many cases these cards are doing their own thing, without obvious references to any major system.<br /><br />My copy is signed by the artist, Arnell Ando, on the title card. If memory serves, I purchased this deck through her website in order to receive a signed copy.
Ando, Arnell
U.S. Games
© 2005
78 cards
English
Other / RWS
ISBN 1-57281-539-6
Ibis Tarot
Egypt--Religion
78 cards + 2 advertising cards + a dense, 79 page LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.
The cards are slightly smaller than average, measuring 6.2 cm wide x 12 cm long. The card stock is flexible, with a smooth, matte finish.
The card back design is non-reversible.
The major arcana contain echoes of both the RWS and the TdM traditions, though almost all of the cards are given unique titles in keeping with the deck's Egyptian/mystical theme. The equivalent of Justice, "The Balance and the Sword," is numbered VIII and the equivalent of Strength, "The Tamed Lion," is numbered XI. The Fool is named "The Crocodile," and is placed at the end of the majors, numbered XXII.
Suits are Sceptres, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Court cards are Master, Mistress, Warrior, and Slave.
The minor arcana are illustrated, but not scenic; they show influences of multiple tarot systems, but remind me most strongly of the typical Etteilla pattern.
Machynka, Josef (artist and author)
Rabben, Mascha (translator)
AGM Müller Urania
1991
78 cards
English
Mixed / Other
ISBN 978-3-905021-59-2 (on the back of the box)
ISBN 0-88079-516-6 (on a sticker affixed to the bottom of the box)
Cruel Thing Tarot
Gothic art
78 cards + a title card and an artist's card in a standard cardboard tuckbox.<br /><br />I suspect that this deck came with an LWB, as there is a little bit of spare room in the box. I may have it stored elsewhere, or I may have aquired this deck used (<em>sans</em> LWB); honestly, I don't recall.<br /><br />The cards are a bit smaller than average, measuring 6 cm wide x 11 cm long. The card stock is flexible, with a smooth finish that is somewhere in between matte and glossy. The deck is very easy to handle and shuffle.<br /><br />The card backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />The cards are titled in 4 languages: German, English, Spanish, and another language that I'm not sure of. It isn't French -- it could be Italian or Portuguese, perhaps?<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />The suits are Coins, Cups, Wands, and Swords. The court cards are Jack, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are a curious mash-up -- at first glance, they seem to be decorative pips with various arrangements of suit symbols. But if you look closer, many of them are clearly influenced by the RWS, with the arrangement of symbols mirroring those of the corresponding RWS cards.<br /><br />The major arcana, conversely, are more referential of the TdM tradition.<br /><br />No ISBN is present on the box or cards, though there is a barcode on the box bottom, as follows: 8 420707 387600.<br /><br />No date is given on the box or cards, either, but Aeclectic Tarot lists the year of publication as 2009.
Vecchio, Luciano
Fournier
[2009]
78 cards
Multiple languages
Other
Navigators Tarot of the Mystic SEA
Cabala
Kabbalah
Mysticism and art
Golden Dawn
78 cards + a title card and an "about" card + a 39 page LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box. <br /><br />The cards measure 7 cm wide x 11 cm long. The card stock is flexible, with a smooth, mostly-matte finish. The card back design is non-reversible.<br /><br />The major arcana are unnumbered. Suits are Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King. <br /><br />The minor arcana are a blend of abstract and semi-scenic, and show influences of both the Thoth and the RWS style. <br /><br />All cards feature distinct titles in addition to their names--for example, the Empress is titled "conception" and the Four of Swords is titled "recuperation."<br /><br />A note about the date of publication: The LWB gives the year as 1997, but the cards themselves have a copyright date of 1996 printed in the lower right margins.
Turk, Julia
U.S. Games
1997
78 cards
English
Thoth / RWS / Other
ISBN 1-57281-012-2