The practice & game associated with the Tarot has always been about messages & advice. While tarot has not always been about cartomancy or divination, it has invariably been about symbology, and subsequently: art. The True Black Tarot is, in my opinion, a perfect unison of quality, creativity, and tarot fundamentals.
The creator; Arthur Wang, has elegantly managed to sidestep the trappings of sticking to any one specific methodology in Tarot. By embracing his intuitiveness and creativity, he has created something that lands far, far away from yet another generic tarot deck.
As a tarot deck collector, I have an unreasonable amount of both good, and mediocre decks. Some are great because of how insightful they can be, and have pretty crappy art. Many have dope art, and their creators fail completely at having attempted an intuitive, meaningful deck that can be used for any sort of cartomancy. Good art does not always mean good function, as any patron of the arts can tell you.
Mr. Wang has managed to create a deck outside of the traditional divinatory confines of RWS or Thoth, that is both incredibly beautiful, and highly intuitive for those that practice the Tarot. It doesn’t stop at good illustration; the cards are insanely well designed from a manufacturing perspective as well. They are thick, water resistant, and feel almost velvety in your hands. The housing they come in - a beautiful box with magnetized enclosure - demands respect as soon as it is in your hands.
Furthermore, the major Arcana have a secondary layer of subtle, glossy detail laid over their matte surfaces. As if that wasn’t enough, there is a black foil inlay on the back of every card: black on black. Reaching for an un-opened card forces you to approach with some thoughtfulness. These kinds of subtle details are what the vast majority of decks out there lack.
Turns out, he’s coming out with a new deck, that is very bright! Seeing versatility from an artist like this is really humbling, and inspiring. Especially because I can understand how insanely complicated creating 78 unique pieces of art must be, in addition to handling the logistics of producing the physical product. Go check his account out on Instagram, and I guarantee you will find something you love, whether you’re into tarot or not.
I always like to mention that most occult-associated practices exist to serve one’s needs, that cannot be conventionally achieved. There is an art to such practices, whether you believe in them or not, not just in how they are facilitated, but also how they are designed. If you’re not into it, that’s fine; just don’t go yucking other people’s yums.
It’s important to note that the first tarot cards were not divinatory tools at all. The first tarot cards were created in the 15th century as a game, called “trionfi.” They went through quite a few variations as the game spread across Europe, from Minchiate, to Tarot de Marseille. Eventually, decks were adopted to reflect occult affairs, mostly associated with hermetic principles. Even Jungian psychologists began to see the Tarot as reflections of the human psyche.
Should I write a long form article about the history of tarot cards, and associated practices? It would come with a heavy dose of cynicism, and acceptance that there are no freaking rules to anything. Let me know in the comments, or just hit me up on Twitter.
Free claim for FxC holders this Wednesday, February 1st. You have until the end of Tuesday, January 31st to grab one, so that you can claim yours (via Manifold).