Cult of Tarot Forum

It's the season for these, with the nights slowly growing longer and All Hallow's Eve just around the corner.

What are your favorite dark-themed decks? Which do you resonate with the most?

I like the Gothic a lot.

I have a huge love for the Halloween Oracle- it's one of my favorite oracles. It's one of those decks that seems simple and sweet but actually goes quite deep. It's perfect for this time of year.

Other decks in my collection that carry a Samhain or Halloween vibe are Tarot of Vampyres, Dracula Tarot (an indie deck, found here), Ghosts and Spirits Tarot, and Marigold Tarot. Oh and also, the witchy Earthly Souls and Spirits oracle.

For the next six weeks or so I'll probably try to get some work in with a bunch of these.

Oh, and I almost forgot! I also pre-ordered the Seasons of the Witch Samhain Oracle. It's supposed to arrive in time for Samhain, although I have my doubts! If it does it will be nice to work with it.

I like the Vampyres. I think I'm gonna get me some vampire decks. Would be so apt for this season.

The Ghosts and Spirits is nice too.

Here's my Halloween list:

Everyday Witch Tarot
Dark Grimoire Tarot
Gothic Tarot of Vampires
Halloween Tarot
Halloween Tarot in a Tin
Trick or Tarot
Vampire Tarot

(The following are oracles.)
Good Witch, Bad Witch
Halloween Lenormand
Halloween Oracle

My favorite is probably Everyday Witch. Witchy fun but full of useful meaning.

I recommend Robert Place's Vampire deck: Great artwork with lots of info about vampires in literature and film, combined with tarot history.

Not sure how Gothic Tarot of Vampires snuck into (and stays) in my collection. It's very bloody, which so isn't my thing, but I guess I like it because it's contemporary--vampires on the next city block kind of thing. And it's long out of print, so there's that . . .

Dark Grimoire is loosely based on Lovecraft. I just like the artwork.

You can't go wrong with the Halloween Tarot if you like childlike, whimsical Halloween images. And it comes in a tin!

So, yeah, I definitely tend toward fun rather than dark. But I thought I'd share!

RavenOfSummer wrote: ↑03 Oct 2018, 22:31 I have a huge love for the Halloween Oracle- it's one of my favorite oracles. It's one of those decks that seems simple and sweet but actually goes quite deep. It's perfect for this time of year.

I love that deck too! It was one of my very first oracle decks and I used to use it all the time but now I have acquired a few more oracle decks.

The Deviant Moon will forever be my soul dark deck.

I also enjoy the Ritual Abuse, Night Sun, Neon Moon, and Bosch decks. The Russian Black Tarot is lovely, too (Link to an image: https://www.picclickimg.com/00/s/NTkzWD ... ian-_1.jpg)

I think Tinker's Damn is kind of dark and Night Sun very much so, but I've also got for Halloween:

Bohemian Gothic
Trick or Tarot
Ghosts and Spirits

Got the Mary-El. It's gorgeous but it has a dark thread running under all that color. Would be working with it this autumn.

I don't have many dark decks - Night Sun (Uncanny Valley stuff), Deviant Moon and that's it. I love the Deviant Moon because I approached it via the Trionfi della Luna. I hear music when I see it - very strange music.

I just happen to like Halloween-themed decks. So I have:

Ghost Tarot
Ghosts and Spirits Tarot
Halloween Tarot
Haunted House Tarot
Spooky Cats Tarot
Tarot Familiars
Tarot of Halloween
Tod's Creatures Tarot


Halloween Oracle
Witch's Oracle

I just ran into this beauty of a Halloween deck. I missed this Kickstarter, I would have loved to have promoted it here. It succeeded so maybe we'll get to buy it soon.
The Orphans Major Arcana Deck

The Royo Dark Tarot has some reasonably dark fantasy artwork, taken from Luis Royo's pre-existing work, which is very aesthetically pleasing to me - also love the Archeon Tarot from Timothy Lantz, where he uses photo collage to create quite a modern gothic looking work.

Nemia wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 14:46 I don't have many dark decks - Night Sun (Uncanny Valley stuff), Deviant Moon and that's it. I love the Deviant Moon because I approached it via the Trionfi della Luna. I hear music when I see it - very strange music.

I was reading your posts about the Night Sun tarot in the My Planetary Week thread, and though I could see why you had reservations about a couple of aspects of it, after also looking at other images online it seems really promising.

Also found an interview with Listriani here:
http://www.worthytarot.com/blog/2015/9/ ... -sun-tarot

Ah, thank you, that's very interesting! It makes me appreciate the deck more. Lo Scarabeo likes comic illustrators, I don't always find their style appealing. I'd be interested to know whether Listriani worked with a tarot specialist like Riccardo Minetti or whether it's all his own research. But overall, it's a deck that works better than I expected. And the images really worm their way into your brain

I don't have any, but I've been eyeing the kitschy Halloween tarot and Raven's Prophecy. The Lubanko's (in creation) too, and at times the Mary El.

Regarding the latter two, some part of me likes the idea of dark decks, but when it gets gorey, visceral, or psychically disturbing I wimp out. They're great because they can handle heavier emotions and maybe work best there, but I'm all sensitive blaagh hahaha. The Lubanko's Lover card stuck with me in a deeply unsettling way for days. Not sure if that means I oughta not, or if I oughta. Probably the former

It's nice seeing others enjoy them fully though.

edit: linked the deck

Of course it all depends what you mean by dark.

One of my all-time favourite decks is the Crows Magick. It's the one that brought me to a deeper understanding of Tarot.

You may have heard of a deck called the Cult of Weimar?

Other darkish decks I have

New Orleans Voodoo
Tarot of the Celtic Faeries
Roehrig

Hi
If you want a dark deck there is always the giger.
inomminate

Going by feeling and not exactly theme, I’ll toss in that Ophidia Rosa has always felt dark to me, like deep forest. Every time I’ve thought about buying it I haven’t felt ready for that.

I’ll be back to add a few more I’ve seen around once I have the chance <3

(Also thank you all for mentioning so many lovely decks! I’ve bookmarked a few to consider for myself and passed a few along as suggestions to friends, this is fabulous!)

Tiny Blossoms wrote: ↑11 Dec 2018, 17:57 Going by feeling and not exactly theme, I’ll toss in that Ophidia Rosa has always felt dark to me, like deep forest. Every time I’ve thought about buying it I haven’t felt ready for that.

I’ll be back to add a few more I’ve seen around once I have the chance <3

(Also thank you all for mentioning so many lovely decks! I’ve bookmarked a few to consider for myself and passed a few along as suggestions to friends, this is fabulous!)

Oh - I have never seen this. Goes on my wish list!

Dark decks are apt for long, chilly, and black January nights. I find the Shadows and the Gothic perfect companions these days.

Don't forget the Ludy Lescot deck! That is a rather interesting one to look at.

Halloween Oracle also my favorite oracles. It's one of those decks that seems simple and actually goes quite deep.

RavenOfSummer wrote: ↑03 Oct 2018, 22:31 I have a huge love for the Halloween Oracle- it's one of my favorite oracles. It's one of those decks that seems simple and sweet but actually goes quite deep. It's perfect for this time of year.

Other decks in my collection that carry a Samhain or Halloween vibe are Tarot of Vampyres, Dracula Tarot (an indie deck, found here), Ghosts and Spirits Tarot, and Marigold Tarot. Oh and also, the witchy Earthly Souls and Spirits oracle.

For the next six weeks or so I'll probably try to get some work in with a bunch of these.

Oh, and I almost forgot! I also pre-ordered the Seasons of the Witch Samhain Oracle. It's supposed to arrive in time for Samhain, although I have my doubts! If it does it will be nice to work with it.

I like Baba´s Gothic Tarot; I somehow winded up with both first and second edition. I like the first edition the most; except for the Lover´s card that is prettier in the second edition. But it kind of scares me, so it hasn´t got much use.
Everyday Witch Tarot is nice.
In oracles I like Good Witch, Bad Witch.

The Bohemian Gothic is tempting. But I looked at the Baba Studio site and it seems like they only version that they have available is the mini. I'd wait for a regular deck to be released.

Have you seen The Sabbath Tarot on Kickstarter? It's dark and looks beautifully done. (heads up - it contains full frontal nudity of men and women, if that isn't your jam)

There's also the Blood tarot now. Made using actual blood. Haha