The Numinous Tarot
Posted: 15 Jun 2018, 21:48
Since I've had a couple comments on it here and elsewhere, I wanted to note that the indie, self-published deck I'm working with most right now, The Numinous Tarot, is currently available for sale.
(I'm not affiliated with the artist and gain no benefit if you buy; I just love the deck and want to see it eventually go into more printings.)
The basic idea of the deck is to be radically inclusive of people of color, people all along the gender spectrum, people who are disabled, etc. The artist has changed the gendered titles of the Court cards and certain Major Arcana, in most cases to get away from the idea that nurturing, for example, is primarily associated with women. I find that the deck really helps me to think more broadly about what those cards mean, and then I still have the more traditional names/titles in my back pocket if I find that they enrich a reading. I think of the Tarot as a sacred text, and the problem with lots of old sacred texts is that they bring a lot of patriarchal, colonial baggage with them- this deck helps bring the sacredness forward while stepping out of the more problematic elements. If Tarot is a dialogue, I think this deck is an important contribution.
The overall art definitely references RWS, but the subjects of each card are a bit more contemporary, which I find brings the ideas out of the mythic and more into the practical for me. The art is incredibly bright and cheerful and rich with symbolism- the artist has a great love for Tarot and put a lot of thought into every flower, book, background image, etc. Basically, I love looking at the pictures so I find that I get more out of them than, say, my Morgan-Greer.
Oh, also, it has my favorite Fool, which is my forum avatar.
I really can't say enough about it if you like contemporary imagery in your decks. The guidebook that comes with it is a full-sized, trade paperback with two pages for each of the Majors and one page for each of the Minors, including suggestions for reversed meanings, plus several pages on spreads and general Tarot info. The card stock is nice and thick, with gilded edges. The whole package is gorgeous- my one complaint about it is that the box is so big to accommodate the book (the cards sit in a plastic tray) that it's not really practical to store the cards in the box if you plan to carry it around. So I wrap it in a spread cloth and stick in a velvet bag instead.
(I'm not affiliated with the artist and gain no benefit if you buy; I just love the deck and want to see it eventually go into more printings.)
The basic idea of the deck is to be radically inclusive of people of color, people all along the gender spectrum, people who are disabled, etc. The artist has changed the gendered titles of the Court cards and certain Major Arcana, in most cases to get away from the idea that nurturing, for example, is primarily associated with women. I find that the deck really helps me to think more broadly about what those cards mean, and then I still have the more traditional names/titles in my back pocket if I find that they enrich a reading. I think of the Tarot as a sacred text, and the problem with lots of old sacred texts is that they bring a lot of patriarchal, colonial baggage with them- this deck helps bring the sacredness forward while stepping out of the more problematic elements. If Tarot is a dialogue, I think this deck is an important contribution.
The overall art definitely references RWS, but the subjects of each card are a bit more contemporary, which I find brings the ideas out of the mythic and more into the practical for me. The art is incredibly bright and cheerful and rich with symbolism- the artist has a great love for Tarot and put a lot of thought into every flower, book, background image, etc. Basically, I love looking at the pictures so I find that I get more out of them than, say, my Morgan-Greer.
Oh, also, it has my favorite Fool, which is my forum avatar.
I really can't say enough about it if you like contemporary imagery in your decks. The guidebook that comes with it is a full-sized, trade paperback with two pages for each of the Majors and one page for each of the Minors, including suggestions for reversed meanings, plus several pages on spreads and general Tarot info. The card stock is nice and thick, with gilded edges. The whole package is gorgeous- my one complaint about it is that the box is so big to accommodate the book (the cards sit in a plastic tray) that it's not really practical to store the cards in the box if you plan to carry it around. So I wrap it in a spread cloth and stick in a velvet bag instead.
I absolutely love it and have felt so blessed and loved by it and I'm really grateful to the creator for making it. It's incredible.