All Hallows

Halloween and tarot's gothic streak fit together more naturally than either side would admit, and Robyn Tisch Hollister's All Hallows leans all the way in. The archive traces its history: it began as a 22 card set before growing into the full 79 card deck sold now, the standard 78 plus an extra called the Happy Squirrel. That kind of expansion, a small release proving itself before the full deck follows, is worth noting on its own, evidence of a project built in public rather than delivered complete on day one. The theme is modern rather than antiquarian: strange figures emerging out of darkness, closer to contemporary horror illustration than to historical woodcut tradition. A seventy-nine card deck means one card outside the standard structure, a wink rather than a system, and readers who want spreads unbroken by jokes should know it is there before they buy. This one belongs with Halloween collectors, readers who like a deck with a sense of humor about itself, and anyone partial to gothic art over gilded angels.