i Tarocchi Barocchi di Marina Cirinei
Art and architecture of Acireale, Sicily
Artwork of Pietro Paolo Vasta (1697-1760)
Art--Italy--Sicily
26 cards with an instructional/informational booklet in a sturdy cardboard tuck box.<br /><br />The cards are larger than average, measuring 10 cm wide x 16.5 cm long. The cardstock is thick and sturdy, yet surprisingly flexible. The card fronts have a high-gloss coating and the backs have a matte finish.<br /><br />The card backs aren't quite reversible, in that each features information identifying the artwork pictured on the card.<br /><br />La Giustizia (<em>Justice</em>) is VIII. La Forza (<em>Strength</em>). Il Matto (<em>The Fool</em>) is unnumbered. <br /><br />In addition to the 22 major arcana, 4 aces are included, bringing the total number of cards to 26.<br /><br />I cannot read enough Italian to understand the instruction booklet, but according to <a href="http://tarotgarden.com/i-tarocchi-barocchi-di-marina-cirinei/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tarot Garden's</a> information, this tarot was "commissioned and published by the ministries of culture and tourism of Acireale, Italy" and was "[d]esigned to commemorate the tricentennial of the birth of Baroque artist, sculptor, and archtect [<em>sic</em>] Pietro Paolo Vasta (1697 - 1760)."<br /><br />I'm not certain, but I believe I may have purchased this deck during a Tarot Garden "reverse auction" sales event in August 2015. I don't remember what I paid, but a used copy that is currently for sale on their site (in March 2020) is listed at $125.
Cirinei, Marina
<a href="http://www.tarotpassages.com/barocchi.htm" target="_blank" title="Tarot Passages" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tarot Passages -- Tarocchi Barocchi di Marina Cirinei</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.delucaeditori.com/prodotto/i-tarocchi-barocchi/" target="_blank" title="De Luca" rel="noreferrer noopener">De Luca Editori d'Arte -- Tarocchi Barocchi di Marina Cirinei</a>
Edizioni de Luca
1998
26 cards
Italian
TdM / Other
ISBN 9788880162551
VAMP: The Theda Bara Tarot
Theda Bara
Silent films
Count Matteo Boiardo
78 cards in a high-quality, custom-made flip-top box with a ribbon inside for safely lifting and removing the cards. Along with the deck and box, the set also includes:<br /><ul><li>a signed and numbered card indicating that this copy is 75/200 from the first edition</li>
<li>a beautiful, handmade accordion-style folding booklet with more information about the deck and cards</li>
<li>a card with verses of Matteo Boiardo on both sides</li>
<li>a business card with a handwritten thank you note, signed by Steve Gammon</li>
</ul>
Also of note is a burgundy cardstock band wrapped around the deck, with the Jook Tarot seal stamped in gold wax.<br /><br />The cards measure 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide. The card stock is thin and moderately flexible, with a smooth, mostly matte finish. I'm not sure how well this deck would stand up to routine shuffling; I advise exercising care when handling.<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 Fear (<em>Swords</em>), Jealousy (<em>Wands</em>), Hope <em>(Coins),</em> and Love (<em>Cups</em>). The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />Each card (minors, courts, and majors) features a different black and white photo of silent film actress Theda Bara. In the background, the major arcana have text from PD Ouspensky's <em>Symbolism of the Tarot</em> while the minor arcana contain verses from 15th century poet Matteo Boiardo (1441-1494). <br /><br />As the artists note on the deck's website: "Boiardo wrote a three-line poem for each card, and these are shown in their entirety on each minor card in the deck."<br /><br />Initially marketed via an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign in 2018, the deck was eventually completed and sold via Jook Art's Etsy store. Buyers were given a choice of box colors and patterns; by the time I purchased my copy, the choices were very limited, but I absolutely LOVE the color I ended up with -- a sort of silvery-lilac with a lace-like pattern.<br /><br />Jook Art is a father/daughter collaboration of Steve and Katie Gammon.
Gammon, Katie
Gammon, Steve
<a href="http://jooktarot.com/theda-bara-tarot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://jooktarot.com/theda-bara-tarot</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/716960512/vamp-the-theda-bara-tarot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kickstarter campaign</a>
Jook Art
© 2018
78 cards
English
Other
#75 of 200
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
Mountain Dream Tarot, 3rd edition
Blue Ridge Mountain culture
Americana
Photography
78 cards + a title card and an informational card, with a small, fold-out insert with information about the artist's other work. No box or LWB was included.
The deck came shrink-wrapped in a poor quality, undersized, stiff, purple drawstring bag, which I promptly put aside in favor of a velvet drawstring bag.
Unlike the 1st and 2nd editions of the Mountain Dream tarot, this is an open edition.
Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.9 cm wide.
The card backs are reversible.
The card stock is slightly flexible, with a smooth, matte finish.
The cards are borderless, unlike the 2nd edition which had white borders. This is one way in which to immediately distinguish the 3rd edition from the 2nd. The title card doesn't not contain the words "3rd edition" -- but it does list a copyright year of 2012.
Another distinguishing feature of the 3rd edition is the tinting added to the black and white photography which forms the basis of the deck. While the suits of the 2nd edition were each tinted a different color, in the 3rd edition the tinting is more judiciously and skillfully applied throughout the deck, and the suits are not differentiated by color.
The suits and courts are the same as in the RWS (Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles . . . & Page, Knight, Queen, and King). The numbering of the majors is also the same as in the RWS.
Nettles, Bea, 1946-
Self-published
2012
78 cards
English
RWS
Sirian Starseed Tarot
New Age
78 cards packaged as part of a set with a small, 87 page companion book, in a very sturdy, two part lidded cardboard set box.
The cards are larger than average, measuring 6 inches tall x 4 inches wide (15.2 cm tall x 10.2 cm wide).
Card backs are non-reversible.
The card stock is flexible, with a smooth, shiny laminate coating.
Many, though not all, of the major arcana have been renamed. Strength is 8 and Divine Justice is 11. Starseed (the Fool) is numbered 0.
Suits are Crystals (Pentacles), Chalices (Cups), Orbs (Swords), and Flames (Wands). Courts are The Seeker, The Adept, The Sage, and The Master.
The minors are scenic.
Cori, Patricia
Bartha, Alysa
North Atlantic Books
2012
78 cards
English
Other
978-1-58394-536-0
Black Ibis Tarot
Photography
Gothic
22 cards plus a title card and a credits card (listing the models and photographers), wrapped in a piece of black and white checkerboard printed paper. No bag, no box, and no LWB.
Not numbered or signed.
Not dated, though I purchased it in June 2011 from the artist's Etsy store, and did not see any copies listed for sale prior to 2011.
Cards measure 10.5 cm tall x 7 cm wide.
The card stock is flexible, with a predominately matte finish.
Card backs are reversible.
Strength is 8, Justice is 11, and the Fool is numbered 0.
Some cards -- including the Lovers, the Fool, and the Emperor -- are blurry with blurry titles, while other cards are very crisp and clear. The blurry cards and titles look like a printing problem rather than a deliberate choice.
Bajema, Bethalynne
Self-published
2011
22 cards
English
Other
Healing Tarot
Healing
Spirituality
Feminism
New Age
78 cards plus a title card and a dedication card, in a 2 piece lidded cardboard box. No LWB.
The bottom of the box is signed and numbered. The title card is also signed and numbered, though the signature is unreadable, as the ink doesn't show up against the black background of the card.
My copy is #427 out of a limited edition of 1000.
The cards are larger than average, measuring 12.7 cm tall x 8.8 cm wide (5 inches tall x 3.5 inches wide).
The card stock is poor quality -- stiff, with a sticky, glossy coating that is peeling around the edges even though the deck has never been used. Also, a lot of white "dust" from the edges of the cards is all over the deck and is hard to wipe off.
The backs are reversible.
Strength is 8, Justice is 11, and the Fool is numbered 0.
Suits are Swords, Pentacles, Wands, and Cups. Courts are Daughter, Son, Woman, and Man.
My overall impression of this deck is that it is an interesting photographic take on the RWS, but that the card stock renders it nearly unusable.
Moore, Rev. Jennifer Elizabeth
<a href="http://www.bluewitch.com/healingtarot/index.html">http://www.bluewitch.com/healingtarot/index.html</a>
Self-published
1997
78 cards
English
RWS
#427 out of 1000
Silver Era Tarot
Photography
78 cards plus 2 advertising cards and a 96 page instructional booklet, in a sturdy cardboard hinged box with a magnetic closure.
Cards measure 11.9 cm tall x 7.3 cm wide.
The card stock is slightly flexible, with a glossy finish that it just a bit sticky (making the deck awkward to shuffle).
The backs are reversible.
Strength is 8, Justice is 11, and the Fool is numbered 0.
Suits are Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
The art style is that of digitally enhanced photography. The images are mostly black, white, and grey -- but with certain spot colors emphasized on each card to draw the reader's eye to specific details.
The minors are fully scenic. This deck is largely a RWS clone, but with some variances.
Originally retailed for $24.99.
Kahn, Aunia (artist)
Moon, Russel J. (author)
Schiffer, United States
2010
78 cards
English
RWS
978-0-7643-3438-2
Mountain Dream Tarot, 2nd edition
Blue Ridge Mountain culture
Americana
Photography
78 cards plus a title card and an informational card in a two piece, lidded cardboard box. No LWB.
Cards measure 13.3 cm tall x 8.6 cm wide.
The card stock is extremely flexible and has a matte finish.
The backs are reversible.
The Mountain Dream tarot has been self-published by Bea Nettles twice -- the first edition was in 1975, and the second edition (my copy is a second edition) in 2001. The photography is the same between the two editions, with the exception of the Pages of Swords and Cups, which now feature Nettles' son and daughter. Also, in the second edition, each suit is lightly tinted a different color.
This is a black and white photographic deck (aside from the tinting).
It is also very much a RWS style deck, with the same suits and courts as the RWS (Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles . . . & Page, Knight, Queen, and King).
Nettles, Bea, 1946-
Self-published
2001
78 cards
English
RWS
Tarot de Paris, revised edition
Paris, Photography, France
78 cards plus one card showing a special arrangement of the major arcana, in a standard cardboard tuck box. No LWB or title card is included.
I believe this came with a blue velveteen drawstring bag, in addition to the box, but if memory serves, the bag was a very tight fit and so I put it away somewhere.
The cards are larger than average, measuring 14.4 cm tall x 8.9 cm wide.
The card stock is flexible, with a matte finish.
Backs are non-reversible.
This deck features digitally modified photography of architecture, statues, and other features/locations of Paris, France. I find this to be one of the most beautiful decks in my collection -- beautiful, and readable.
Most, but not all of the major arcana have been renamed. Equilibrium (Justice) is 8 and Presence (Strength) is 11. The Death card is titled The Crossing.
Suits are Fire, Matter, Water, and Air.
Courts are Spirit, Stallion, Queen, and King.
The minors are fully scenic and reader-friendly. Sometimes they are very close to the RWS, and sometimes less so, but the scenes are always evocative.
Thomas, J. Philip
<p><a href="http://www.tarotdeparis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.tarotdeparis.com/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.tarotdeparis.com/about.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.tarotdeparis.com/about.php</a></p>
InSpira Editions, United States
2009 (revised edition)
78 cards
English
Other
Alcohol Tarot
Alcohol, Drinking, Photography
78 cards plus two informational cards, packaged in a standard cardboard tuck box. Not accompanied by an LWB, though a URL is given for downloading a PDF version of the instructons (<a href="http://www.beertarot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.beertarot.com/</a>).<br /><br />Cards are 12 cm tall x 7 cm wide. The card stock is flexible and smooth, with a semi-matte finish.<br /><br />The theme is alcohol and drinking, and the art style is photography. Only the major arcana feature people; the minors are more or less plain pips, with photos of a certain number of beer bottles or glasses, etc. I'd classify this as a illustrated deck, but definitely not scenic.<br /><br />Backs are non-reversible.<br /><br />Suits are Beers (Wands), Lager (Cups), Spirits (Swords), and Wines (Coins). <br /><br />Courts are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />Strength is 8 and Justice is 11. The Fool (named The Drunken Fool) is numbered 0.<br /><br />The name of the photographer or deck creator does not appear anywhere on the deck box, cards, or informational cards. In the PDF of the LWB, it is attributed to The Drunken Prophet.<br /><br />Though published in this century, there is no ISBN on the box or informational cards. However, there is an ISBN in the PDF LWB.<br /><br />Published in Great Britain.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: I deliberately chose not to display the Death card first in this case, as the image is so gross that I personally hate to see it.
The Drunken Prophet
<a href="http://www.beertarot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.beertarot.com/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.beertarot.com/TarotGuide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.beertarot.com/TarotGuide.pdf</a>
Beer Tarot / Carta Mundi
2004
78 cards
English
Plain pips
0-9549153-0-5