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
Lover's Tarot
Love and romance
22 oversized cards + a 160 page, hard cover guide book packaged together in a cardboard shelf box with a ribbon tie closure. <br /><br />The cards are very large, measuring 12.8 cm wide x 22.5 cm long. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, nearly matte finish.<br /><br />The card backs are dark blue, with a reversible gold Cupid motif in the middle.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />In the lower right border of each card appears a copyright line in small print, reading <strong>Copyright © Oliver Burston 1992</strong>. <br /><br />Insofar as "gift shop" tarots go, this is a very pretty set, but not particularly usable. The cards are light on symbolism and details, and given their size, cannot be shuffled via ordinary means. Even laying them out in a spread would be a challenge due to their size. The companion book looks and feels very high quality, feauring thick paper, a sewn binding, and full color graphics.
Lyle, Jane (author)
Burston, Oliver (artist)
St. Martin's Press
© 1992
22 cards
English
Other / Mixed
ISBN 0-312-08258-4
Tarot Magical Game (<em>aka Tarot Magic Game</em>)
22 major arcana + 2 blank cards, packaged with a small guide booklet and a larger softcover guidebook, in a narrow slipcase-style shelf box. There's no inner box for the cards, but the deck is thin enough to simply slide into the guidebook for safekeeping.<br /><br />The cards are quite large, measuring 13.8 cm tall x 9.7 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a glossy finish. <br /><br />The card back design is a reversible dot pattern. <br /><br />The gold color used in the cards and card borders is quite eye-catching. Though the cards aren't foil stamped or gilded, they almost look as if they are when you move the cards around in the light. I think it's an effect of the glossy coating combined with the rich gold.<br /><br />The cards are titled in both Chinese and English. The guidebook (and booklet) are entirely in Chinese except for occasional English names of cards. I assume the deck was published in Taiwan because of the price on the back of the box, but I could be wrong.<br /><br />Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />This deck was clearly more influenced by the Tarot of Marseille than by the Rider-Waite-Smith; the arrangement of the cards is very reminiscent of the TdM.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: I'm used Google Translate to find an English-language title for this deck. Likewise, all artist and publication information is the best that I could puzzle out from Google Translate, after searching for the ISBN and then translating results from different sites. Only one site returned a date of publication (1997); I have not yet been able to independently verify this.
Lin, Yaode (author)
Chen, Luqian (translator)
Yuan Liu (or Yuanliu) ?
1997 (?)
22 cards
Chinese
TdM
ISBN 9573231190
Subversion Tarot
Golden Dawn
Rider-Waite-Smith tarot
This is an Asian tarot set, consisting of 22 major arcana cards + 2 blank cards, packaged with a softcover guide book in a cardboard folder/shelf box with a velcro closure. <br /><br />The cards are narraower than average and rectangular in shape, measuring 12.2 cm tall x 5.1 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a glossy coating.<br /><br />This is a majors-only reprint of the Rider-Waite-Smith, with English-language titles and roman numerals in addition to what I believe are Chinese titles and/or numbers. <br /><br />The card back design is reversible.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: All of the information regarding the origin, date, and title of this deck have come from Google Translate results. I have not found a definitive English-language version of the deck's title: translations have included "Subversion Tarot Graphic Crash" as well as "Subversion Tarot Illustrated Crash" and "Top Over Tarot." For simplicity's sake, I'm entering this as simply the Subversion Tarot, as that was the most consistently-returned translation.<br /><br />The name Zou Dacheng came up in Google Translate's results, as well, but I could not be certain if this name refers to a place, a publisher, or to an artist/author.
Unknown
Unknown, Taiwan
2003
22 cards
Chinese
RWS
ISBN 957101114-2
Alice Tarot (<em>aka</em> Tarot Card Alice)
Literature--Alice in Wonderland
Art and illustration
22 major arcana cards with a 176-page softcover companion book, packaged together in a clear plastic cover. The book is in Korean, but the cards are titled in English. The only English-language words on the cover are "Tarot Card Alice."<br /><br />The cards are contained in a clear plastic sleeve that fits snuggly into a foam frame under the clear plastic book cover. (If this sounds like a lot of packaging, it is. It takes effort to get to the cards.)<br /><br />The cards measure 11 cm tall x 6.5 cm wide. They are reasonably flexible, with a glossy coating. <br /><br />The card back design is completely reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />The art is derived from the Sir John Tenniel illustrations in the <em>Alice in Wonderland</em> and <em>Through the Looking Glass</em> books. <br /><br />I cannot read Korean, and thus don't know the artist's name or even the publisher's name. I also can't identify a date on the packaging or book, but <a href="http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-card-alice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Aeclectic Tarot</a>, the set was published in 2015.
Unknown
<a href="http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-card-alice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-card-alice/</a>
2015
22 cards
Korean
English (card titles)
Other
ISBN 978-89-6046-027-0
Lost Tarot
History
The Lost Tarot from artist Hans Bauer includes 22 major arcana and 4 aces, for a total of 26 cards, as well as a signed, numbered title card. <br /><br />Also included with the set is a companion guide written by Carly Fischer, and a copy of what is called "<span>William Bradford's Testamentum" -- a faux historical document that was created as part of the deck's narrative and backstory. <br /><br />In addition to the above, a small card business card/thank you card was included in the box.<br /><br /></span>The deck is housed in a 2-part, lidded box. The box is extremely high quality; far, far better than most. It is durable, beautiful, and thoughtfully designed. It seems <em>intentional</em>, if that makes sense, whereas most deck boxes do not.<br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 5.5" tall. The card stock is good quality; quite flexible, with a smooth, glossy coating.<br /><br />The backs are a gold color, and are almost completely reversible.<br /><br />Fortitude is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />The Lost Tarot was initially marketed and funded via a Kickstarter campaign. I was a backer at the $40 level, for one signed, numbered copy of the limited edition deck. <br /><br />The campaign has since ended, but copies remain available for sale (currently priced at $60 USD) from the deck's website: <a href="https://thelosttarot.com/" target="_blank" title="The Lost Tarot" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lost Tarot</a>.<br /><br />My copy is number 48 of 500.
Bauer, Hans (artist)
Fischer, Carly (writer)
<a href="https://thelosttarot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://thelosttarot.com/</a><br /><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1950965002/the-lost-tarot-major-arcana-limited-edition/description" target="_blank" title="Lost Tarot Kickstarter" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lost Tarot - Kickstarter Campaign</a>
HJB Studio (Kerrville, Texas)
© 2017
26 cards
English
Mixed
#48 of 500
Arcades Tarot
Art
Carolus Zoya Marseille Tarot
Photography
22 cards + a signed, numbered title card in a handmade, burgundy slipcase cover. This deck is part of a limited edition of 22 decks; my copy is #1. <br /><br />When the deck was initially offered for sale, Camelia notified those on an email list and there was a "countdown" event in a closed Facebook group as we waited for a chance to buy a copy. I was fastest on the "buy" button when sales launched, and thereby got copy #1.<br /><br />Cards are smaller than poker size, measuring 7.8 cm tall x 5.1 cm wide. They are handmade, with silver edging and square corners.<br /><br />The card backs are reversible. <br /><br />The card stock is uncoated and smooth to the touch. Though reasonably sturdy, I would not shuffle this deck by traditional means.<br /><br />As noted by Camelia Elias on <a href="http://www.cameliaelias.com/arcades-tarot-ltd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the deck's website</a>:<br /><br />"<strong>The Arcades Tarot</strong><span> deck is an entirely handmade, Majors only deck, showcasing the images of the unique Carolus Zoya Marseille Tarot from c. 1780 (the only known copy of which is in our possession), photographed by me in a mirrored arcade setting, with talismanic objects surrounding the Zoya originals."<br /><br />The deck was sold together with a hardcover companion book (<em>Arcades Tarot: Haiku Poems</em>). My copy of the book is signed by the author/artist. <br /><br />The book isn't needed to use the deck, though; it's not a book of card interpretations but rather a book of photography and poetry.</span>
Elias, Camelia
<a href="http://www.cameliaelias.com/arcades-tarot-ltd/" title="Arcades Tarot website">http://www.cameliaelias.com/arcades-tarot-ltd/</a>
Self-published
2019
<em>Arcades Tarot: Haiku Poems</em> by Camelia Elias. (Hardcover book purchased with the deck; my copy is signed.)
22 cards
TdM
#1 of 22
Dancing Tarot
Dancing
22 cards + a blank white card in a blue and white tuck box, wrapped inside a large red and white piece of cotton fabric.
The fabric was folded and tied very neatly in order to keep the deck snug, but it unfolds to form a reasonably sized reading surface.
The cards measure 10.5 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
The card backs have a blue and white reversible design.
The card stock is flexible, with a high-gloss finish. The card corners are rounded, though the scans don't do a good job of reflecting this (in some of the scans, the corners look square).
Card titles are in English, and the titles, numbers, and art follow (in general) the RWS tradition.
Strength is 8, Justice is 11, and The Fool is numbered 0.
This deck was published in a limited edition of 500 copies. As far as I know, the copies are not numbered or signed -- at least, mine was not.
In what is possibly a typographical error, the artist's name appears on the box as Minette.K (thus I have listed it that way here, in addition to listing it as Minette K.).
Because the images of this deck on Aeclectic happen to show The Hierophant, Death, and The Star (my usual 3 for a majors only deck), I have also posted images of the High Priestess and The Moon.
I paid $29.24 USD for my copy on March 11, 2014, from the artist's Etsy shop.
Minette.K
Minette K.
<a href="http://www.dancingtarot.com/shop/tarotdeck_en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.dancingtarot.com/shop/tarotdeck_en.html</a>
Self-published
2013
22 cards
English
RWS
Tarot 3D
Golden Dawn
The Pictorial Key
22 cards + a multilingual LWB in a 3D printed plastic tuck box.
The cards are large, measuring 14.5 cm tall x 8 cm wide.
The cards are wonderfully flexible, with a 3D effect on the fronts and a glossy finish on the backs.
The backs are reversible.
This is a majors-only deck. The cards are not titled, but they are numbered. Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
This isn't a RWS clone, but it does clearly follow the RWS tradition.
While the 3D effect is nicely done and adds beautiful visual depth and movement to the images, the art itself seems too smooth and too flat -- too digital and "perfect" in some way, at least to my eyes. The art is also lacking in detail and symbolism (though, perhaps the simple scenes and clean lines are what made this a good choice for applying a 3D effect).
I'm not sure, but I believe the art in this deck is the same as, or very similar to, that of the Pictorial Key Tarot by the same artist, also published by Lo Scarabeo.
A note about the scans I've posted here -- this deck and its box don't scan very well, because of the 3D effect. They look a lot more interesting and clear in person. Also, I had trouble getting the scanner not to crop the card borders down weirdly -- in actuality, the cards are reasonably centered, with reasonably consistent black borders. The card corners are rounded, though not all the scans show this clearly.
I purchased my copy from Amazon.com for $15.42 USD on February 17, 2014.
Corsi, Davide
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738736937/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0738736937&linkCode=as2&tag=theosbotaroco-20">3D Grand Trumps Tarot Deck</a> (<em>view/buy on Amazon.com</em>)</p>
Lo Scarabeo, Italy
LS
2013 (c)
22 cards
Multiple
RWS
ISBN 978-0738736938
Fine Art Tarot
l'Arbre du Thot
Le Tarot des Grands Peintres
Art
22 cards + two informational cards. Unboxed. No title card or LWB included.
Cards measure 11 cm tall x 5.8 cm wide. The deck was released in two different sizes; mine is the smaller size. (According to Tarot Garden's listing, the larger size was 8.75 in x 4.5 in.)
The card stock is WONDERFUL -- flexible, with a super-smooth, glossy coating. The cards are a pleasure to touch and hold.
The backs are a reversible red and white pattern.
La Justice is VIII (8) and La Force is XI (11). Le Fou is numbered XXII (22).
I purchased my copy from Tarot Garden in March 2013 for $61 USD during a Reverse Auction event.
Breyer, J. (concept and compilation)
Multiple artists
Referenced in Kaplan's Encyclopedia of Tarot, volume III, pages 224-225
Unknown - France
Distributed in the United States by U.S. Games
[1979]
22 cards
French
Other
Stolen Child Tarot
William Butler Yeats
22 cards in a lovely, handmade, two part slipcase/folder constructed of heavy paper. The folder is tied shut by a piece of thin brown twine. There are also two blank cards (printed only on the backs) that serve as end papers of a sort. No LWB is included, but the Stolen Child Tarot "Field Guide" is available for free download as a PDF, and I have attached it to this entry.
Cards measure 11.7 cm tall x 7.9 cm wide. The dimension that the artist gives in the Etsy listing are inaccurate (she currently lists the card dimensions as 4.75 inches tall x 3.5 inches wide -- when I measured my copy, I found those dimensions to be off by noticeable amount).
The card stock is lightly textured and lightly flexible, and feels uncoated, but the Etsy listing notes that the cards have an "aqueous coating."
The card backs have a reversible, black and white design.
The card corners are square.
The cards are unnumbered and untitled.
This is a limited edition of 500 decks; my copy is # 171 and is signed by the artist.
I confess, this deck puzzles me. Or rather -- trying to fit this collection of artwork into tarot archetypes puzzles me.
These cards "read" to me simply as art. Not as tarot cards. Even with the cards kept in their original order, I find myself having to count to figure out which card is which. I had to look online to be certain.
I almost wish I hadn't bought this. The art is masterfully done, don't get me wrong. But the delicacy of the card stock and the packaging coupled with the lack of discernible "tarot" symbolism or suggestion means that what I have on my hands is something pretty but utterly unusable, unless I wanted to use it purely as an intuitive oracle.
I purchased my copy for $40.00 USD from the artist's Etsy shop in March 2013.
Knighton, Monica
<p><a title="http://monicalknighton.com/Stolen-Child-Tarot" href="http://monicalknighton.com/Stolen-Child-Tarot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://monicalknighton.com/Stolen-Child-Tarot</a></p>
<p><a title="http://nobordersstudio.blogspot.com/" href="http://nobordersstudio.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://nobordersstudio.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p><a title="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MonicaLKnighton" href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MonicaLKnighton" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.etsy.com/shop/MonicaLKnighton</a></p>
Self-published
2011
22 cards
English
Other
0-9674345-1-3
978-0-9674345-13
#161 of 500
Lowbrow Tarot
Art
22 cards + a Schiffer logo card and a Schiffer advertising card, with a small softcover companion booklet, in a sturdy, flip top cardboard box with a magnetic closure..
Cards measure 11.4 cm tall x 7.3 cm wide.
Card backs are not quite reversible (the wording at the top and bottom is slightly different).
The card stock is flexible, with a shiny (but not sticky) laminate.
Strength is VIII (8) and Justice is XI (11). The Fool is numbered 0.
The deck is the result of a collaboration of 23 artists.
The set retails for $19.99 USD.
Multiple artists
Schiffer Publishing, United States
2012 (c)
22 cards
English
Other
978-0-7643-6