What's different about this deck?
Curation of Voices
One of the goals of this project is to amplify southern voices, voices with southern ties, queer voices, and voices that speak from the intersections of those identities. The collection and collaboration of these voices will create a beautiful, relatable, thoughtful, deck that has intention and integrity.
Diversity of Art Style
Over 30 artists and 4 writers participated in the project. Every one who worked on the project either has southern ties, identifies as queer, or both. The deck is a vibrant collection of illustration styles and voices, tied together by handmade feel and process, fine level of craft, and a unified color palette. A collection of many voices tells the story of one deck
Book
Each deck includes a guidebook that is approximately the same size as the deck. The book includes detailed description of each card’s meaning, some guidelines for reading tarot, and some basic information about the project and artists/writers.
The deck comes wrapped in a printed hanky, tied with twine.
Color palette
Distinctive 3 color palette consisting of black, metallic gold, and bright red inks.
Printing
The deck is printed in the US, using 3 inks – red, black, and metallic gold. The deck standard tarot size on white playing card stock.
Goals for the tarot project
- Co-create a beautiful object (that has potential for meaningful social interactions and potential to be a spiritually meaningful or sacred object)
- Create a deck that is artful but also reasonably affordable
-
Compensate artists with a modest illustration fee
- Amplify Queer and southern voices and their intersections (The artists involved in this project either identify as Queer, southern, both, or have experiences with or connection to the South. There is something beautiful and powerful about the accumulation of these voices into a single project)
We are a group of artists, makers and contributors who are working together to create a beautiful object that people will interact with in meaningful ways. Folks with varying levels of familiarity with tarot are involved in illustrating and planning the deck. Folks who practice tarot more seriously are contributing lots of work and input throughout the planning, writing and feedback. We are planning the project in a way that maintains the integrity of the deck, while also re-imagining parts of it. We are working together to make a deck that is finely crafted, imaginative, intuitive, and thoughtful.
Photos by Esar Aadil and E Henderson.
Teaser video by E Henderson. More artists were added after the video was created. Music by T0w3rs.
Teaser video by Xander Stewart. Music by Sylvan Esso.
