20th Century Tarot
General
78 cards with a 24 page soft cover companion booklet, packaged together in a large-format, two part lidded cardboard box. No title card.
Cards measure 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
The card stock is thin and flexible, with a fairly smooth, mostly matte finish.
The backs have a non-reversible design featuring a candelabra.
The cards are black and white (and grey), and the art is minimalistic. The minor arcana are just pips.
Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
Suits are Pentacles, Wands, Swords, and Cups. Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Published by:
SKOR-MOR CORP.
1107 E. Kimberly Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92801
Burne, Kevin G. (writer)
No artist was credited; Burne may also be the artist, but I'm not certain.
The back of the box has a copyright statement that mentions someone named Burns (could it be a misspelling of Burne?).
Listed in the Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. I, p. 283
Skor-Mor Corporation, California, United States
1970 (c)
24 page companion book, soft cover
78 cards
English
Plain pips
Gustave Doré Bible Tarot
Gustave Doré, Art, Bible
78 cards in a standard cardboard tuck box that is too large for the deck, and thus dents in very easily. The deck did not come with an LWB or book.
Cards are 13.1 cm tall x 9.1 cm wide -- oversized, but still easy enough to handle.
Backs are not quite fully reversible, but you'd have to be paying close attention to notice the difference between upright and reversed.
The card stock has a shiny laminate coating.
The art is black and white, and consists entirely of the Biblical illustrations of Gustave Doré (1832-1883), carefully chosen to "fit" within the general concept of each tarot card. This is very much an art deck; I cannot personally imagine reading with this deck.
Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
Suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
In addition to their tarot numbers and titles, each card also bears a subtitle conveying the Biblical scene, person, or concept portrayed in the art.
Published in the Czech Republic. Price is 40,00 EUR.
Doré, Gustave (artist)
Romi, Omi (deck creator)
<a href="http://www.pyroskin.com.ua/en/catalog/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=809" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.pyroskin.com.ua/en/catalog/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=809</a>
Pyro Skin A.I.
2008
78 cards
English
Other
Granny Jones Australian Tarot
Cats
Grandmothers
Australia
78 cards packaged as part of a set. The set includes a 168 page soft cover companion book, an inner tuck box for the cards, an LWB, a small spread cloth (plain black), and an outer two-part lidded set box made of very sturdy cardboard.
None of these photos are to scale, by the way -- for instance, the scans of the book cover are larger than those of the set box, but actually all the various parts of the set fit quite neatly into the set box.
Cards measure 10.5 cm tall x 7.1 cm wide.
The card stock is incredibly nice -- it's wonderful to touch and handle. Velvet smooth and super flexible, with a matte finish.
The card backs are utterly non-reversible, featuring a big drawing of Granny Jones with her cat.
Suits are Buttons, Wands, Swords, and Cups. The Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
The minor arcana are fully scenic . . . as well as quirky, original, and colorful.
According to the retail price sticker on the back of my set box, this set originally sold for $29.95 (when distributed in the United States, anyway). The price sticker indicates it was distributed stateside by Seven Hills Book Distribution in Cincinnati, OH.
Jones, Rebecca (aka Granny Jones)
Kangaroo Press, Australia
1994
168 page soft cover companion book -- "Granny Jones Australian Tarot Book" by Rebecca Jones, 1994, ISBN 0-86417-665-1
78 cards
English
Other
0-86417-667-8 (ISBN on the set box)
0-86417-665-1 (ISBN for the book)
Tarot of the Master
I Naibi di Giovanni Vacchetta
Tarocchi del Maestro
Meister-Tarot
Tarot del Maestro
Tarot du Maître
Vachetta
Historical
78 cards plus a title card and an advertising card. Packaged with an instructional foldout, in a standard cardboard tuck box.
Cards are 12 cm tall x 6.5 cm wide.
Card stock is durable yet flexible, with a smooth matte finish.
Backs are non-reversible.
Part of the Tarocchi d'Arte series by Lo Scarabeo.
Strengh (La Forza) is 11 and Justice (La Guistisia) is 8.
Suits are Denari (coins), Spade (swords), Coppe (cups), and Bastoni (batons or wands).
Courts are Fante, Caval, Regina, and Re.
The card titles are part of the original border art, and are in Italian. In addition to the titles, keywords in five languages appear along the left-hand border of each card. These were added specifically for this edition, and were not part of the original I Naibi di Giovanni Vacchetta tarot.
Giovanni Vacchetta created the original art for this deck in 1893 in Turin. The colors -- complete with age spots -- for this 2002 edition were done by Michela Gaudenzi.
The majors and court cards are fully scenic. The minor arcana are beautifully and richly illustrated, and far more detailed than the minors of a TdM deck -- however, they do not feature people, and are not scenic.
The majors show some definite TdM influences, but this really isn't a TdM -- it's unique and, in my opinion, truly amazing and worth seeking out by any collector.
Vacchetta, Giovanni (original art)
Gaudenzi, Michela (coloring)
Lo Scarabeo
2002
78 cards
Italian
Multi-lingual
Historical
0-7387-0236-6
Fey Tarot
Fey
Fairies
78 cards + a title card + an advertising card with a LWB in a cardboard tuck box. <br /><br />Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible with a smooth, semi-matte finish. This deck could be easily riffle-shuffled without damage. <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 />Suits are Chalices, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King. <br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic in the RWS tradition, though this deck is not a clone. <br /><br />As is common in many Lo Scarabeo decks, the cards titles are multi-lingual. The English titles are printed at the tops of the cards, with titles in 4 additional languages (Italian, Spanish, French, and German) appearing along the bottom borders. <br /><br />On a personal note, though I disliked this deck in the years after it was first published, I've warmed to it now. Looking back at it for the first time in years, I'm struck by how talented the artist is, and how consistent this deck is. There are many fey and fairy-themed decks out there, but few are as original and readable as this one. <br /><br />A note about the publication date: I've found two different dates of publication for this deck in various sources online: 2002 and 2004. On the back of the LWB, the copyright date is given as 2002, but I suspect that <strong>either</strong> the 78 card, mass-market release of the deck did not take place until 2004 <strong>or</strong> that there were 2 different printings. <br /><br />I don't have documented proof of this, but I was just starting to collect tarot decks in 2005, and I remember a lot of buzz and conversation about this deck, as if it had only recently been released. A 2004 release checks out with what was normally the pattern of distribution for LS decks -- that a new deck would be available in European markets first, and then available in the U.S. about 6 to 9 months later.<br /><br />On the other hand, Diane Wilkes of Tarot Passages <a href="http://www.tarotpassages.com/fey.htm" target="_blank" title="Tarot Passages - Fey Tarot" rel="noreferrer noopener">very clearly notes</a> that this was a 2002 release.
Aghem, Mara (artist)
Minetti, Riccardo (author)
Lo Scarabeo
2002 / 2004
78 cards
Multilingual
RWS
ISBN 978-0738706528
Nefertari's Tarots
Nefertari Tarot
Egypt, Ancient
<span>78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box. The box has the same gold foil stamping as the cards.</span><br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is smooth and very flexible. <br /><br />The cards are embellished with gold foil stamping, which doesn't show up well on the scans, but is stunning in person. The aged/worn look is an intentional part of the art, not actual wear and tear.<br /><br />The gold stamping is not stiff at all, and does not flake or chip when handled.<br /></span><br />The card backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />The suits are Chalices, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and (mostly) follow the RWS tradition.
Alasia, Silvana (artist)
Alligo, Pietro (graphics and layout)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2007
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS
ISBN 978-0738700205
Albano-Waite Tarot
Rider-Waite-Smith clone
78 cards + 2 different title cards + a standard LWB in a cardboard tuckbox.<br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 4.75" long. The cardstock is sturdy yet flexible, with a smooth, lightly glossy finish. <br /><br />The card backs are white, with a gold sun design in the center that is non-reversible.<br /><br />This tarot is a recolor/clone of the RWS, and as such, adheres to the RWS system of card naming, numbering, and suit designations.<br /><br />The LWB notes that this is a "fasimilie" of the original 1968 edition of the Albano-Waite.
Albano, Frankie
U.S. Games
© 1991 (<em>date in the LWB</em>) <br />© 1968, 1987 (<em>dates on the box</em>)
78 cards
English
RWS
ISBN 0-88079-466-6
Golden Age of Horror Tarot
Horror comics -- 20th century
78 cards in a generic white cardboard tuck box with a see-through panel on the front. No title card. A printed slip of paper containing a note of thanks was included with the package.<br /><br />The cards measure 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide.<br /><br />The cardstock is very flexible, with a smooth matte finish.<br /><br />Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Wands, Pentacles, Swords, and Cups. Court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The card backs are non-reversible.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the digital collage art seems to have been stretched out of proportion, perhaps during the layout and printing process. The art is already quite busy; the distortion renders the deck unreadable for me.<br /><br />This deck was originally marketed and funded via Kickstarter. I was a backer of the campaign at the $28 level (for one copy of the deck). The deck is currently offered for sale in the creator's Etsy shop.
Alexander, Bobby
<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1468389582/tarot-card-deck-based-on-golden-age-of-horror-comi" target="_blank" title="Kickstarter Campaign" rel="noreferrer noopener">Golden Age of Horror Tarot -- Kickstarter Campaign</a>
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bobbystarotdecks" target="_blank" title="Etsy" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bobby's Tarot Decks -- Etsy shop</a>
Self-published
2019
78 cards
English
Other
WPA Tarot
WPA posters
78 cards in a plain white cardboard tuck box with a see-through window on the front. A small slip of paper accompanied the deck, providing basic details (title, artist, and Etsy shop URL).<br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 4.75" long. The cardstock is flexible, but doesn't "bounce back" as well as it might; I'd advise caution when shuffling. The cards have a smooth, matte finish with a barely discernable texture.<br /><br />The card back design is non-reversible, feauturing a red, white, and blue "Exhibition" poster.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are not scenic; like all of the cards in the deck, they feature largely unedited pictures of WPA posters. <br /><br />Had this been produced as a majors-only art deck, I might be able to recommend this tarot -- but as a 78 card deck, it fails. The minor arcana simply aren't the same quality as the majors, in that the art doesn't seem to be intentionally matched with suits and numbers. Also, on some cards the art is stretched out of proportion.<br /><br />After being so disappointed by Bobby Alexander's "Golden Age of Horror" tarot, I was on the fence about this deck, but decided to give them one more chance. But I made a poor gamble. This is the last of Alexander's decks that I will buy.<br /><br />This tarot was initially marketed and funded via a Kickstarter campaign in 2020. I was a backer at the $25 level, for one copy of the deck. Following the conclusion of the campaign, the creator also began offering copies for sale in their Etsy shop.
Alexander, Bobby
<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1468389582/tarot-card-deck-based-on-1940s-wpa-posters-major-and-minor/description" target="_blank" title="WPA Kickstarter" rel="noreferrer noopener">WPA tarot - Kickstarter campaign</a>
Self-published
2020
78 cards
English
Other
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
Tarot of Transformation
Feminism
New Age
Spirituality
Healing
78 cards plus one extra card with publication details, packaged in a standard cardboard tuck box.
On the bottom of the box, the phrase "Not sold separately" appears, suggesting that this deck was originally sold as part of a set. However, I do not have any book or LWB with this deck. I purchased it used.
Cards are 13.4 cm tall x 9 cm wide.
Backs are almost, but not quite, fully reversible. You have to look closely to notice that, though.
Strength is 11 and Balance (aka Justice) is 8. The Fool is numbered as 0, and the Aces are all numbered as 1 (for example, "1 of Wands" instead of "Ace of Wands").
Suits are Swords, Wands, Disks, and Cups. Each suit has a different colored border. Swords have yellow borders, Cups have blue borders, Wands have pink borders, and Disks have green borders. The major arcana have purple borders.
Courts are Teacher, Server, Healer, and Master. I confess, I cannot tell for certain which court name corresponds with which traditional court name. I think the Teacher = Page and the Healer = Queen, but without an instructional guide, I cannot tell for certain.
Many, though not all, of the majors are renamed, and all cards (including minors) have a word, brief phrase, or question for thought printed at the top, in addition to the card titles at the bottom.
The card stock is thin and flexible and easy to shuffle. The cards have a shiny coating, but are not at all sticky. The deck was printed in China.
The card art relies heavily on soft purples and pinks and has a distinctly New Age, feminine vibe. The art is pretty, but so "busy" that I personally find this a challenging deck to read with.
The cards are fully scenic.
In terms of system and symbolism, you can see a RWS influence, but overall this deck is doing its own thing. It seems geared towards readers who prefer to use tarot for personal insight, healing and spiritual growth.
Arlenea, Willow
Cori, Jasmin Lee
Red Wheel / Weiser, LLC
2002
78 cards
English
Other
1-57863-239-0
Rider Waite Tarot (1971)
Golden Dawn
This particular deck is my significant other's personal copy of the "standard" Rider Waite deck from U.S. Games, with the 1971 copyright on the cards.
Cards are 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
We have no box and no title card or LWB with this copy. We do, however, have one blank card with it. It is housed in a green faux suede drawstring bag that I hand-sewed for it.
It is in good shape, but has edge wear -- you can tell it has been used and shuffled, though no cards are dog-eared or bent.
Most likely printed in the 1980s; he purchased it used in the 1990s.
Suits are Swords, Cups, Pentacles, and Wands.
Strength is 8 and Justice is 11.
Court names are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Art is fully scenic, and card backs are a reversible plaid pattern.
Arthur Edward Waite (concept and direction) and Pamela Colman Smith (artist)
U.S. Games
USG
1971 (copyright)
78 cards
English
RWS