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
Elven Tarot
Fantasy art--elves
27 cards and a little handmade pendant on a ball chain. No title card, box, or bag. I keep my copy in a small, 2 part, plastic box with a snap-on lid.<br /><br />The cards are smaller than average, measuring 2.5" wide x 3.5" long. The card stock is flexible, with a smooth, yet slightly textured finish.<br /><br />The card backs are almost fully reversible, but if you look closely, there are a couple of red spots that aren't symmetrical.<br /><br />While the cards don't bear English titles, they can be identified by number. Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Essentially this is a majors-only tarot with one bonus major, plus 4 cards representing each of the 4 suits.<br /><br />No identifying information is included with this deck, and the artist didn't mention the year of publication in the Etsy listing, but Adam McLean's online collection database identifies the Elven tarot as having been published in 2010.<br /><br />I purchased my copy from the artist's Etsy shop in January 2014, for <span class="currency-symbol">£</span><span class="currency-value">15.00 (about</span> $25.50 USD). Her shop's name is MyBizarreBazzar, and it currently appears to be dormant.<br /><br />The artist seems to be known most frequently as Karla-Chan with a hyphen, but I've also found her name online without the hypen (Karla Chan).<br /><br />Her Etsy store gives her location as Manchester, UK.
Karla-Chan
<a href="https://www.deviantart.com/karla-chan/gallery#Tarot-Cards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karla-Chan's gallery on DeviantArt </a><br /><a href="https://www.patreon.com/KarlaChan" target="_blank" title="Karla-Chan on Patreon" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karla-Chan's Patreon</a>
Self-published
[2010]
27 cards
Elvish (<em>invented</em>)
Other
Vampires Tarot of the Eternal Night
Vampire Tarot of the Eternal Night
Vampires in literature
Vampires in popular culture
Vampires in film
78 cards + a title card and a publisher's card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box. <br /><br /><strong>Side note</strong>: Lo Scarabeo used to include what I think of as an advertising card at the bottom of each mass market deck, listing other current titles. I notice that here, the bottom card is simplified, providing contact information for the publisher, but without advertising other titles.<br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, mostly-matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.<br /><br /></span>The backs are almost reversible, but not quite; if you were paying attention to the emblem in the middle, you could tell whether a card was upright or inverse.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />No titles or suit names appear on any of the cards; it is necessary to check the LWB to be sure. <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, with a nod to the RWS; I can see the RWS influence more strongly in some cards than in others.<br /><br />I can also see the influence of literature and movies here; for example, the Emperor (IV) recalls the appearance (and hairstyle) of Dracula in the early scenes of the 1992 film, <em>Bram Stoker's Dracula</em>. The Hermit (IX) seems to reference the same film, in that the figure resembles Dracula as he appears after arriving in London.<br /><br />The art style is digital / computer-generated, and though it is improved over some of Davide Corsi's earlier work, it still isn't all that good. There remains a level of awkwardness and blandness, and a lack of detail. <br /><br />Barbara Moore, author of the companion book (which I don't happen to own), is commonly credited online as a co-creator of the deck along with artist Davide Corsi. <br /><br />However, none of the materials with the deck list Moore as a creator; she is not mentioned on the LWB, box, or cards. Hence, I have not listed her name as a creator here. She may have been the person who scripted the deck; I just haven't yet found a definitive source to confirm this.<br /><br />Personally, I can't read with this deck. If you are looking for a vampire-themed deck from Lo Scarabeo, a better choice by far is their "Gothic Tarot of Vampires" from 2003.
Corsi, Davide (artist)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2009
78 cards
Multilingual
RWS
ISBN 978-8883958885
Tarot of the Elves
Elves
<span>78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /><br />Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, mostly-matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible. <br /><br />No titles appear on the cards, though they do have numbers and suit symbols. The LWB identifies each card by title, however.<br /><br />Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Discs. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and are meant to depict a story within each suit. The LWB provides further details about the story lines.<br /><br />Because this is a story-driven deck, it would be a challenge to use it for readings without first familiarizing yourself with the narrative. However, there are some nods throughout to the typical RWS pattern, if you look carefully. Some cards align much more closely to the RWS than others.<br /><br /><strong>A final note</strong>: While I recognize the time, work, care, and creativity that goes into the creation of 78 cards, the digital art of this deck is distractingly awkward and poorly rendered. Elven storylines aside, I would not and could not use this deck for readings simply because I find the art so off-putting. Admittedly, this deck dates from a time when the tools for creating digital art were still rough-hewn compared to what is available now.</span>
Corsi, Davide (artist)
McElroy, Mark, 1964-
Lo Scarabeo
© 2007
78 cards
Multiple languages
Mixed / RWS
978-0738711713
El Goliath Tarot
Shadow work
78 cards + 17 "bonus" cards in a sturdy cardboard set box with a softcover companion book. The box lid is hinged with a magnetic closure. <br /><br />Cards measure 14.9 cm tall x 10.4 cm wide. <br /><br />The card stock is smooth and flexible, with a lightly glossy surface. As stated on the deck's <a href="https://theelgoliathtarotdeck.com/pages/faq" target="_blank" title="FAQ page" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAQ page</a>, "The cards are made with highly-durable 300 GSM card stock, coated with a protective UV film and finished with gold-gilding on the sides." <br /><br />The art is black and white (though the backs are in color). Some cards have black borders and others have white borders. According to the deck's <a href="https://theelgoliathtarotdeck.com/pages/faq" target="_blank" title="FAQ page" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAQ page</a>, "<span>The art work was drawn by hand from real-life references, using grey lead pencil on A3 or A1 size paper."</span><br /><br />The card backs are <em>almost</em> fully reversible, but you could discern the difference if you looked closely.<br /><br />Strength is XI and Justice is VIII. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords. Court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are fully scenic. Though the guidebook states that the deck is based on the Rider-Waite-Smith, the minors often diverge significantly from the RWS images.<br /><br />Seventeen bonus cards are included in addition to the usual 78 cards.<br /><br />This deck looks amazing online, but is truly exquisite in person -- the artwork is unique and captivating. It's as if the animals are looking the viewer right in the eye; it feels as if they truly <em>see</em> you. <br /><br />I purchased my copy through Amazon.com on October 18, 2019.
Goliath
<a href="https://theelgoliathtarotdeck.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://theelgoliathtarotdeck.com/</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/El-Goliath-Tarot-Deck/dp/0646991531" target="_blank" title="El Goliath on Amazon.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">El Goliath Tarot - Amazon.com</a>
Self-published
2019
95 cards
English
Other
ISBN 978-0-646-99153-5
Ellis decK
Tarot archetypes
78 cards in a standard cardboard tuck box, accompanied by a softcover guide booklet (it's essentially a large format "LWB").
The odd capitalization of the deck's title is deliberate (lowercase d and uppercase K in "decK").
Cards measure 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
The card stock is flexible, with a smooth, matte finish.
Backs are black and white, and non-reversible.
Suits are Rods, Pentacles, Cups, and Swords. Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
The minors are scenic and largely follow the RWS tradition.
According to the box, my copy is from the 2nd edition.
Ellis, Taylor
<p><a href="http://www.ellistrations.net/about-the-ellis-deck.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.ellistrations.net/about-the-ellis-deck.html</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/ellis-deck/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/ellis-deck/</a></p>
Self-published
2013
78 cards
English
RWS
Efflorescent Tarot
78 cards with an informational insert in a plain, two part lidded cardboard box.
Cards measure 5 inches tall x 3.5 inches wide (12.7 cm tall x 8.9 cm wide).
The card stock is plain white and uncoated, and mildly flexible. The card corners are square.
The backs are a black and white, reversible design.
The major arcana are unnumbered.
Suits are Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
The minors are scenic, in the RWS tradition, though they vary enough from the RWS that this could not be considered a clone.
There's no date of publication on or with the cards, though the informational note from the artist mentions that she worked on the deck from 2009-2011.
The first mention I can find online of this deck having been for sale is in late 2012.
The deck was offered for sale through the artist's Etsy store -- I purchased my copy in late 2012 -- but as of March 2013 is no longer listed. The artist's website doesn't currently contain any information about the deck.
Contact information for the artist:
Katie Rose Pipkin
katierosepipkin.com
712 E Dean Keeton
Apt. D
Austin, TX 78705
Pipkin, Katie Rose, 1990-
<a title="http://katierosepipkin.com/" href="http://katierosepipkin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://katierosepipkin.com/</a>
Self-published
[2012]
78 cards
English
RWS
Tarocchi eVoluti
Tarot Evolution
Contemporary Art
Collaborative Project
22 major arcana -- no box, LWB, or title card. This is the way the deck came brand new, purchased from Tarot Garden.
The cards are long and narrow, like bookmarks. They measure 20 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
It's a collaborative project by a group of Italian artists, and as such the art varies from card to card. Some of the cards are titled and/or numbered, but not all of them are. I am able to determine which "traditional" major most of the cards are intended to represent, but there are a few I cannot figure out.
The deck was compiled by the Museo del Tarocchi.
The card stock is very flexible and has a matte finish. The card corners are square.
Card backs are reversible.
The Justice card isn't numbered, but the Strength card (Forza) is 11.
According to Taropedia, this was published as a "Limited edition of 1000 Deck & Book Sets. Also available as a limited edition deck (of 200, numbered.)"
However, if my copy ever had a numbered title card, I did not receive it.
Multiple artists
<a href="http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/evoluti/" target="_blank">http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/evoluti/</a>
Hermatena, Italy
n.d. [2005 or 2006]
22 cards
Multi-lingual
Other
El Tarot Universal de Waite, 4a edición (4th edition)
Edith Waite Tarot
Golden Dawn
78 cards, packaged as a set with a 264 page softcover companion book. The cards are in a cardboard tuck box, and the set is in a larger cardboard box.
The cards measure 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
The cards have a slightly glossy, lightly textured finish and are nicely flexible.
Card backs are reversible.
The card titles and companion book are in Spanish. Likewise, all text on the packaging is in Spanish.
Suits and courts and majors are all titled just like the Rider-Waite-Smith.
As I cannot read Spanish, I'm not certain if the companion book gives any insight into who Edith Waite is, or why this re-coloration (and slight redrawing) of the RWS was made.
Anyway, it is an attractive, colorful, more contemporary-feeling RWS.
Waite, Edith
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8478084061/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=theosbotaroco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=8478084061">Purchase this deck from Amazon.com</a>
Editorial Sirio, Spain
n.d. [2002 or 2003 according to Amazon]
78 cards
Spanish
RWS
978-84-7808-406-7 (set)
978-84-7808-405-0 (deck only)
Experimental Tarot
Digital art
78 cards plus two advertising cards with a LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.
Cards measure 10.2 cm tall x 7 cm wide (4 inches tall x 2.75 inches wide).
The card stock is slightly flexible, with a matte finish.
Card backs are non-reversible.
This is the English edition (as noted on the bottom of the box) -- the LWB is entirely in English, and the card titles are printed in both English and in German.
Strength is 8, Law (Justice) is 11, and the Fool is numbered 0.
The minor arcana are somewhere in between "illustrated" and "scenic" -- the art doesn't quite form cohesive scenes in most cases; it's more like tossed together, layered bits of clip art.
Suits are Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Courts are Daughter, Son, Mother, and Father.
Kossatz, Samvado Gunnar
AGMüller, Switzerland
AGM
1995
78 cards
English
German
Other
3-905017-83-0 (printed on box)
3898756491 (sticker on box)
Elle Tarot
General
Promotional
78 cards with an instructional foldout in Chinese, in a double-pouch black velveteen case.
The cards are smaller than average, measuring 8.8 cm tall x 5.7 cm wide.
This deck was a promotional giveaway with copies of the Hong Kong edition of Elle magazine.
The card titles are in English.
The card stock is flexible, with a slightly glossy finish.
Backs are non-reversible.
Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.
The minors are illustrated but not scenic.
Suits are Wands, Swords, Pentacles, and Cups. Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Wu, Wun
Elle Magazine, Hong Kong
n.d. [2002]
78 cards
English
Chinese
Other
Tarot Egyptien (Grand Jeu de l'Oracle des Dames)
Tarot Egyptian
Book of Thoth Etteilla Tarot (version published by Lo Scarabeo)
Etteilla, Esoteric, Historical, Reproduction
78 cards with a 112 page booklet in English and French, packaged in a standard cardboard tuck box. Did not come with a title card.
Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide.
This is a reproduction of a deck from 1870 that is currently housed in the French Bibliothèque Nationale, in Paris. The same deck has also been reproduced and published by Lo Scarabeo, under the title Book of Thoth Etteilla Tarot.
Card titles are in the original French, with no modern titles added.
The card stock is flexible and has a matte finish.
Card backs are a reversible red and cream pattern.
The majors can't really be compared to a typical / traditional set of tarot cards; Etteilla truly did his own unique "thing."
The minors are simple arrangements of suit symbols with decorative scroll work borders -- I classify the minors as "plain." They are not illustrated in the way you'd expect to see in a TdM deck, for instance.
Suits are d'Epee, Baton, Coupe, and Denier. Courts are Valet, Chevalier, Reine, Roi.
Etteilla (Jean-Baptiste Alliette)
Editions Dusserre, France
1985 (according to TG)
78 cards
French and English
Historical