African
Whimsical tarot celebrating vibrant artistry and accessibility across cultures.
by Denese Palm, Marina Romito · US Games Systems
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The record
This could very well be the single cutest tarot deck in existence. The title "African Tarot" is probably quite offputting to many people: are the art and descriptions specifically meant for Black people? Not at all. I am a black woman in Washington state and have showed this deck to countless white friends who have found it adorable. Its booklet displays meanings that seem pretty much standard to Rider-Waite system. Indeed, I've seen this deck defined as a "Rider-Waite clone". The suits are also traditional: Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles. However, in the artwork the Swords are depicted as spears, the Cups as gourds and the Pentacles as golden discs. It is a very colorful (mainly primary colors, even), happy little deck, even though the people rarely give more than a vague Mona Lisa-type smile, if that. They have dark skin and dredlocks, but that's about where any cultural departure ends. The artwork, however, was the clincher for me. There are a lot of "whimsical" decks out there with "childlike" art, but so help me, the art on the African Tarot is something I'd be *proud* to display on my 'fridge. It's childlike, but also of good quality and seems very secure in itself, a rari
The cards
