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
Prisma Visions Tarot
Art
79 cards + a small instructional booklet in a sturdy cardboard box with a flip-top lid.<br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 4.75" long. The card stock is stiffer than average, with a lightly glossy finish that is just <em>slightly</em> textured to the touch. The cards have silver gilt edges.<br /><br />The card back design is almost fully reversible, though it is possible to discern whether or not the eye in the middle is upright or inverted.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Immediately following the major arcana, an additional card is included, titled Strawberries. It isn't given a number; instead, a ? appears at the top.<br /><br />Suits are Wands, Pentacles, Chalices, and Swords. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana cards are somewhat scenic and generally follow the RWS tradition. Each of the four suits is designed so that the cards can be laid out in order to form a larger, connected scene.<br /><br />Multiple editions of the Prisma Visions have been published; this particular copy is from the 1st edition.
Eads, James R. (artist)
Tombs, Katherine (author of the instructional booklet)
Self-published
© 2015 (year given on the inside of the box)<br />© 2014 (year given inside the booklet)
79 cards
English
RWS
1st edition
Tarot of the Time Being
Poetry
Art
79 cards + a 207 page, softcover companion book in a flimsy cardboard shelf box. The deck is inside its own cardboard tuck box that fits inside the larger box. <strong>Note</strong>: The information on the back of the box indicates that the book has 212 pages. Technically this is true, but the page numbering ends at 207.<br /><br />The cards measure 2.75" wide x 4.75" long.<br /><br />The cardstock is thin and flexible, with a smooth, semi-matte finish.<br /><br />The card back design is non-reversible.<br /><br />Two versions of the Lovers card are included; one is titled <strong>Lover</strong> (<em>singular</em>) while the other is titled <strong>Lovers</strong> (<em>plural</em>).<br /><br />No numbering appears on the cards themselves, but according to the companion book, Strength is VIII and Balance (<em>Justice</em>) is XI. La Mat (<em>The Fool</em>) is 0. Many of the majors have been renamed in the book; for example, Death is called the Wildcard.<br /><br />The suits are Flame, Songs, Spirits, and Earth. The book does not state specifically how these align with traditional suits; I'm running on the assumption that Flame=Wands, Songs=Cups, Spirits=Swords, and Earth=Pentacles, but I could be wrong.<br /><br />The court cards are Fool, Witch, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are--honestly, I'm not sure how to classify them. They aren't scenic. They aren't pips, in that no suit symbols are depicted. They are illustrated, I guess, but a more apt description is that they are <strong>art cards</strong>. They don't bear any distinct resemblance to traditional tarot cards.<br /><br />The companion book provides a poem for each card as well as a description of each card. The poems are written by the artist/poet Steven J. Kilbey, and the descriptions are written by author K. P. Buk.<br /><br />The book includes very little information regarding divinatory use of the deck.<br /><br />Someone who enjoys using oracle decks may be able to read with this deck, but otherwise, my advice is to skip this set.<br /><br />The set was published in 2015, but much of the poetry appeared in previously published collections and have earlier copyright dates.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: This set has some of the flimsiest packaging I've ever seen. The cardboard shelf box is very thin and easily crushed. The tuckbox for the cards is likewise quite thin.
Kilbey, Steven J. (artist and poet)
Buk, K. P. (author)
Batten Down the Hatches: A New Muse Press
© 2015
79 cards
English
Other
ISBN 9781495162879 (appears on the back cover of the book)
ISBN 9781495139819 (appears on the reverse of the title page inside the book)
Mythical Creatures Tarot
Mythology
79 cards + a title card + a nicer-than-average LWB in a sturdy cardboard box with a hinged lid. Two versions of the 3 of Cups card are included -- one of which is illustrated in the style of the rest of the deck, and one of which is scenic. <br /><br />The deck was also accompanied by a small printed note that explains the extra card, as well as the customary "thank you" Baba Studio card that features an image from one of their decks on one side, and Baba Studio social media info on the other.<br /><br />The cards measure 7.8 cm wide x 12.8 cm long. The card stock is of excellent quality--flexible and durable, with a softe matte finish and metallic ink overlay highlights that catch the light. As noted on the Baba Studio site, these metallic highlights are under the card varnish, so they won't wear off when the cards are handled. <br /><br />The card back design is reversible.<br /><br />The major arcana are unnumbered.<br /><br />The suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are beautifully illustrated, but not scenic. They may be read using TdM meanings or with RWS meanings; both are provided in the LWB.<br /><br />This copy is from the water-colour, standard (<em>non-limited</em>) edition. A limited edition was also made available for sale.<br /><br />I paid a pre-order, discounted price of just under $50 USD for my copy in 2019, and received it in February 2020.<br /><br />Note: A limited, signed, numbered monochrome edition preceded the water-colour edition, and is long sold-out. The monochrome edition was published in 2016. (I own a copy of this edition, too.)
Mahony, Karen
Ukolov, Alexandr
Kozachuk, Elena
<a href="https://baba-store.com/products/the-mythical-creatures-gilded-and-water-coloured-standard-format-open-edition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mythical Creatures Tarot, Standard Edition -- Buy from Baba Studios</a>
Magic Realist Press
© 2019
79 cards
English
TdM
Standard edition
Tarot of the Unknown
"Over the Garden Wall" (TV series)
79 cards + an informational card with a small guidebook in a flip-top cardboard box with a magnetic closure. The deck also shipped with a few extras including stickers and a notecard with an enamel pin. <br /><br />The inside of the box lid is signed by the artist.<br /><br />Cards measure 4.75 in tall x 2.75 in wide.<br /><br />The cards have shiny gold gilt edging. The card stock is somewhat stiff (though still flexible enough to be shuffled), with a glossy finish.<br /><br />The deck takes its inspiration and its characters from the 2014 animated TV series, "<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3718778/" target="_blank" title="Over the Garden Wall on IMDB" rel="noreferrer noopener">Over the Garden Wall</a>."<br /><br />Strength (<em>Auntie Whispers</em>) is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool (<em>The Greg</em>) is numbered 0.<br /><br />Two versions of The Magician card are included; The Wirt (one of the main characters from the TV series) and The Chris (the deck artist's self-portrait).<br /><br />Suits are Axes (<em>Swords</em>), Pentacles, Wands, and Cups. Court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King. <br /><br />The card backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />The minors are fully scenic, melding RWS scenes with "<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3718778/" target="_blank" title="Over the Garden Wall on IMDB" rel="noreferrer noopener">Over the Garden Wall</a>" characters and plot points.<br /><br />This deck was initially marketed and funded through Kickstarter. I was a backer of the campaign at the $50 level (for one signed copy of the deck).<br /><br />On a personal note, this is one of the most charming, consistent, thoughtful "themed" takes on the RWS that I've seen. <br /><br />Also, "Over the Garden Wall" is the most delightful, magical animated series I've ever watched, so if you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? (It's worth buying if it isn't currently available on your streaming service of choice.)
Smith, Chris
<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/whenwordsfail/tarot-of-the-unknown-a-78-card-cartoon-inspired-deck/description" target="_blank" title="Tarot of the Unknown (Kickstarter campaign)" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tarot of the Unknown (Kickstarter campaign)</a>
<a href="https://www.randocalrissianpresents.com/" target="_blank" title="Rando Calrissian Presents" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rando Calrissian Presents (creator's website and shop)</a>
Self-published
2019
79 cards
English
RWS
Mibramig Magical Tarot
Fantasy
79 cards (the normal 78 plus a Happy Squirrel card), with a title card and a LWB, in a standard cardboard tuck box.
Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.5 cm wide.
The card stock is flexible, with smooth, matte finish.
Card backs are non-reversible.
Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
Suits are Chalices, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords. Courts are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King. I took this information from the LWB, as no suit names or titles appear on any of the cards.
The minors bear Arabic numerals and suit symbols, but no titles. The majors bear Roman numerals, but no titles. The only titled card is the Happy Squirrel.
The minors are scenic, and follow the RWS tradition quite closely.
I received this deck as a Christmas gift in 2013. It was purchased from Amazon.com.
Mibramig
Lo Scarabeo, Italy
LS
2013 (c)
78 cards
English (the LWB is in 6 languages, though)
RWS
ISBN 978-8865271896
New Orleans Voodoo Tarot
Voodoo
New Orleans
African-American culture
79 cards + a 276 page softcover companion book housed together in a sturdy shelf box.
Cards measure 11 cm tall x 7 cm wide, have rounded corners, and white borders.
The backs are non-reversible. The card stock is flexible, with a smooth, matte finish.
Given the descriptions in the companion book and the naming and numbering of the cards, this deck seems to have been influenced by both the RWS and Thoth traditions.
Possession (Strength or Lust) is 8 and Secret Societies (Justice or Adjustment) is 11. The companion book suggests alternate numbering for Possession and Secret Societies (that each could be 8 or 11), but the cards themselves bear only one number.
Suits are Petro (Fire), Congo (Water), Rada (Air), and SanterÃa (Earth). Courts are called the Temple cards, and are Hounsis (Princess), La Place (Prince), Mambo (Queen), and Houngan (King).
The minors are scenic, but are light on traditional tarot symbolism.
There's also a Wild Card in this deck in addition to the usual 78 -- The Barons. According to the companion book, this card may indicate an "extreme unexpected turn of events; a sense of humor pulls one through dire circumstances" (page 90).
I purchased my copy of this set, new, from eBay for roughly the normal retail price (about $27 USD) in February 2014.
Glassman, Sallie Ann (artist)
Martinié, Louis (author)
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0892813636/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0892813636&linkCode=as2&tag=theosbotaroco-20">The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot (Destiny Books)</a>
Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont
1992 (c)
<em>The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot</em> by Louis <span class="st">Martinié </span>and Sallie Ann Glassman. Softcover. 276 pages. Black and white illustrations. 1992 (c). Packaged as part of a set with the cards.
78 cards
English
French
Other
978-089281363-6
Petrak Tarot
Art
Esoteric
79 cards + a title card in an exceptionally flimsy cardboard tuck box. No LWB (though there might have been one originally). The box is a bit too big for the thickness of the deck, and thus there is a foam insert to keep the cards snug.
Cards measure 12.5 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
There are two versions of the Magician card, both designed with roman numeral I -- the Light Magician and the Dark Magician.
Card backs are non-reversible.
The card stock is lightly flexible, with a very smooth, just slightly glossed finish. It's exceptionally nice-feeling card stock.
The minors are illustrated, but not scenic.
The art style is watercolor paintings, and very colorful.
Balance/Justice is VIII (8) and Desire/Lust is XI (11). The Fool is numbered 0.
Suits are Wands, Discs, Swords, and Cups. Courts are Princess, Prince, Queen, and Knight.
There's a mild Thoth influence present in this deck, though it's far from what I would term a Thoth-style deck.
The year of publication is not clear; it does not appear on the box or cards or website, but the R. Somerville site is believed to have noted the date as 2009, and the artist has mentioned on the Petrak deck website that she worked on the deck until 2008.
Retails for 30.00 Euros.
Reiter-Petrak, Petra
<a title="http://www.petraktarot.com/" href="http://www.petraktarot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.petraktarot.com/</a>
Piatnik Wein
[2009]
79 cards
Multi-lingual
Other
Regretsy Tarot
Internet Humor
79 cards (includes the typical 78 plus an extra, "Towel Mike") plus a title/explanatory card. Housed in a standard cardboard tuck box.
This deck was a collaborative project; 25 artists contributed images. Each card bears the name and web address of its artist at the bottom. The printing of the deck was funded via Kickstarter.com contributions.
Cards measure 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
The card stock has an extremely smooth, matte finish and is somewhat flexible.
Suits are WTF, Genitalia, Whimsicles, and Tools. As far as I can discern, they don't correspond at all directly with any traditional suits or images. Courts bear the more typical titles of Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Some of the cards are fully scenic while others fall more under the category of "illustrated" -- and the art style varies greatly from card to card.
April's Army Artist Collective (Multiple artists)
Sheridan, Wendy
Moon & Star for the April's Army Artist Collective
2011
79 cards
English
Other
Raven's Fool Tarot
Ravens
Animals
79 cards with an informational card, tied with a bit of blue plastic raffia, in a greatly oversized plain white cardboard box. No LWB and no title card.
There are 2 copies of the Sun card -- the art is identical but the numbering differs. One of them is numbered XIX and the other is number IXX.
The cards are somewhat square (but with rounded corners), measuring 10.1 cm tall x 8.9 cm wide (4 inches tall x 3.5 inches wide).
The card stock is flexible, with a glossy finish.
Backs are non-reversible.
The deck is very "thick" and would be challenging to shuffle.
In terms of art, this deck is fully scenic, but the "scenes" contain very little detail in most cases. The ravens are the focal point, and they sometimes look much the same from card to card.
Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
Suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins. Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
For me, this deck falls into the general category of "collector's decks" -- something of interest for those interested in animal decks or in ravens, or who like to collect self-published decks. But I can't fathom using this deck for readings. The scenes just don't have enough detail or symbolism to spark the imagination. Or, I should say, not enough to spark MY imagination.
I paid $30 USD for this deck in September 2011.
DeFrancesco, Vicky
<a href="http://www.ravensfool.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2&zenid=6293ba065273294d93a02ad352191900" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.ravensfool.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2&zenid=6293ba065273294d93a02ad352191900</a>
Self-published
2011
79 cards
English
Other