tarot
Deck of the Bastard
Usable vintage deck combining Rider-Waite with historical tarot systems.
by Pamela Colman-Smith, Carlo DellaRocca, Jean-Baptiste Alliette, Seven Stars
Find a copy →We link out and never sell decks. Buying through links may earn us a small commission.
The Canon's read
Tarot Canon's own assessment, written for this catalog.
The name is honest genealogy: the Deck of the Bastard is a deliberate mongrel, compiled by Seven Stars from historical decks, Pamela Colman Smith's RWS scenes, Carlo DellaRocca's engraved Soprafino elegance, Etteilla's old cartomantic line, aged to vintage finish and fitted with keywords upright and reversed. The design brief, as the archive review records it, was a usable vintage deck: antique atmosphere without antique obstacles, illustrated minors, English titles, training wheels included and unashamed.
Purists wince at compilation decks, but this one's honesty disarms the objection; it declares its parentage in its name and delivers exactly the workhorse it promises. For readers who love the historical decks' look but stall on pip minors and French titles, it is a genuine solution. It suits vintage-aesthetic readers who actually read, beginners who want atmosphere with their keywords, and collectors amused by tarot's most cheerfully illegitimate lineage. Documentation sticklers should adopt one of its well-born parents instead.
From the archive
An excerpt from a review at the Aeclectic Tarot archive, in the original reviewer's voice.
The Deck of the Bastard was created to be a useable vintage deck: based on the Rider-Waite system, with illustrated minors, in English, and with keywords for both upright and reversed positions. It's a compilation of historical decks, including the...
If you like Deck of the Bastard
Stay in the loop
From the Canon
Updates from Tarot Canon, when there is something worth sharing.