While I have shown a lot of pictures of this wonderful deck on my blog I haven’t actually explored it so here I go.
Created by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell this is one of the best new Tarot decks I have come across in mass production. And that is saying a lot. Barbara and Aly are a match made in match made in Tarot heaven.
The deck is structured on the Rider-Waite Smith decks but there are some incredible new insights to be had reading with these cards due to Barbara’s intimate knowledge of the Tarot and Aly’s incredible art and his knowledge of the Tarot. He worked on the Amanda Palmer tarot creating this amazing piece of work for The Empress Card. Check it out in all of it’s glory and the rest of his website HERE
So back to the Steampunk Deck.
Some of the most charming things about the deck for me is the fact that the Tarot is actually shown in a number of the cards. It is so nice to see a deck that actually shows the Tarot as an integral part of the journey through life and that they are being used or referenced at times when they are shown. They are not just background pieces.
One of the aesthetics that really resonate with me is that anything Steampunk tends to be a little warm and I like that look and feel of the cards.
Court Tarot Cards
The Court cards are represented as Pages, Knights (being both male and female in this deck) Queens and Kings. While traditionally all Knights are on horses in the RWS deck some of the figures in the Steampunk Tarot aren’t which can lend a whole new set of perspectives for people or just confuse people.
Aces in Tarot
The Aces, which are traditionally a little bland in regards to their depiction are rich in the Steampunk Tarot which can aid those who are trying to learn the Tarot.
One of the cards that I really think is rather awesome is The Devil, what a wonderful interpretation of ‘fuelling the machine’ when it comes to the card of the material world. Justice also plays with the Tarot showing us the Hand we have been dealt and how that can relate to the lesson and wisdom of that card.
The Manual is 294 pages long with black and white pictures of the cards next to their meanings for reference. The book covers Tarot basics, The Major Arcana, The Minor Arcana, The Court Cards and Tarot Spreads. Barbara’s books are always a pleasure to read. She knows her stuff and it is very evident when you read the book. I personally love the little quotes she pairs with the Cards.
The back of the card is a lovely Steampunk design with the suits represented with their tools of trade with bronze and brass cogs.
The one thing I wish that was a little better with these cards are the card stock. They are a little flimsy and while I have only had them for a little while they are starting to show the wear of being used more than some decks I have had for years. That is probably more the publishers choice than the creators but they aint really listening to me on that one.
Even with the poor card quality this is one of my favourite decks and it was really unexpected as I thought that Steampunk was a fad that I was not going to be overly interested in, let alone reading with the cards on a regular basis. I would highly recommend this deck to anyone and it is a lovely deck to learn with as well.
