Choose your card for the week from The Tarot of Trees by Dana Driscoll. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you choose—post a comment! (Put your cursor over each card to see its title.)

Isn’t this a gorgeous deck?! I recently stumbled onto tarotoftrees.com and was mesmerized. On her site, Dana Driscoll includes images of each of the 78 cards and discusses her artistic process, which I find fascinating. She even includes photos of the Three of Swords in various stages. There are decks and deck sets for purchase on the site along with other Tarot of Trees goodies such as incense tins, original prints, hand painted boxes, and silk wraps.

The cards are tactilely pleasing. They are a nice size for shuffling—2.5″ x 3.5″, have rounded corners and are thin and flexible, yet sturdy and slick with a glossy lamination. The colors are vibrant and the cards have a nice thin black border—not shown above.

It is fun to look through the images and discover all the creative ways Dana has used trees as metaphor. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is a clear influence, but the tree theme provides new interpretations. See the Five of Cups and Six of Pentacles above and compare:

There are also refreshing and surprising departures such as the Ten of Wands. Compare the card above with this one:

This deck would make a great holiday gift for a tarot enthusiast, art or nature lover.

Choose your card for the week from the Bosch Tarot by A. Atanassov. This deck is based on the work of the Flemish painter, Hieronymus Bosch, b. 1450. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you choose—post a comment!

Let us know which card you choose—post a comment!

Choose your card for the week from the Touchstone Tarot by Kat Black. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you choose—post a comment!

I love the Touchstone Tarot and carry it everywhere in my iPhone. See the Little White Book Tarot iPhone app for details.

Did you know this deck was made possible with the support of a secret benefactor, who admired Kat Black’s first deck, The Golden Tarot?  How cool is that?!

Like the Golden Tarot, Touchstone Tarot is a digital collage, blending elements from old European paintings. What makes the deck unique is that each card features a portrait of a figure whose posture and expression conveys the meaning of the card. Black says in the book that accompanies the Kunati edition, “I felt like a casting agent, seeking the perfect candidate for each role within the deck.” Because the deck features personalities, it is particularly suited for those who enjoy using the tarot to tell stories and inspire creative writing.

Leisa ReFalo of Tarot Connection published the first print edition of this deck, and then Kunati Books put out a second edition. I’m sad to learn that Kunati closed their doors in September due to the economic crisis. On her site, Black says that decks will be available for some time through Amazon. I see that Leisa ReFalo also has a few more left at the Tarot Connection shop.

The Tarot Connection edition comes in a special pouch made by Kat Black’s mom, and a touchstone amulet made by Kat Black.  The Kunati edition comes in a nice, sturdy flip top box. The cards are larger in the second edition and the coloring is a bit lighter—the details therefore more clear. The Kunati edition also comes with a terrific book that includes a list of the painting sources for each card as well as card meanings. The book also includes deck reviews by Dan Pelletier, and Bonnie Cehovet, a dedication by Mary Greer, a foreward by the secret benefactor, and an introduction by Kat Black. Deck collectors will want to have both editions.

Tarot Connection has a fascinating interview with Kat Black on the making of this deck. You can find it here.

Choose your card for the week from the King Solomon Oracle Cards by Orna Ben-Shoshan and Itzhak Mizrahi. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you choose—post a comment!  (Put your cursor over each card to see its title.)

For those of you who have been waiting for a uniquely Jewish deck, here it is! Not exactly tarot, but close enough!

I have become a big fan of Orna Ben-Shoshan’s artwork—it’s magical! I’ve spent hours on her site.

Choose your card for the week from the Halloween Tarot by Kipling West and Karin Lee. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you chose—post a comment!

Choose your card for the week from the Vampire Tarot by Robert Place. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you choose—post a comment!

P.S. That’s Pamela Colman Smith, artist of the classic 1909 Rider-Waite deck, as the Queen of Holy Water!

P.S.S. Kristine Gazel, the author of Kristine Gazel Tarot Web chose the Fate card for her card of the week. See her blog entry for her thoughtful response to the card.  Her blog is terrific and reflects her interest in tarot and alchemy. She has extensively explored Robert Place’s Alchemical Tarot there.

When I entered SF BATS last weekend, I got to pull a random deck from a cauldron—a gift donated by Lo Scarabeo. I picked this very dark gritty deck. So, this week, please choose your card from the Gothic Tarot of Vampires by Riccardo Minetti and Emiliano Mammucari. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you choose—post a comment!

(Put your cursor over each card to see its title.)

Choose your card for the week from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck by Pamela Colman Smith and Arthur Waite. When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you chose—post a comment!

Big thanks to Bob at Carte Karuta for generously donating this deck!

Choose your card for the week from Egorov Tarot, Gold Edition, by Alexander Egorov (published by Piatnik). When making your selection, don’t worry about what the cards mean. Base your choice on the pictures—the stories they tell and how they make you feel.

Let us know which card you chose—post a comment!