5 Mass Market Tarot Decks that Deserve More Attention
Introduction
I have a lot of tarot decks and my collection continues to grow. And yes, I have most of the very popular mass market decks such as, Light Seers Tarot, Wild Unknown, The Everyday Witch Tarot, The Forest of Enchantment Tarot, Druid Craft Tarot, The Llewellyn Tarot and five different versions of the RWS tarot. They are popular for a reason. They are wonderful tarot decks and they deserve the attention they receive.
But I have others in my collection that I believe deserve a lot more recognition. I rarely see them featured on Tarot Tube or socials so this is my attempt to remedy that. At the time of writing this they are all still available.
These are not presented in order of preference as I feel they are all fantastic in their own way. I am presenting them in the order they are stacked on my desk. For the purposes of full disclosure initially I had The Dreamkeepers Tarot on this list but since it will appear in my “Top 10 Mass Market Decks” list, which is coming soon, I decided against writing about it here as well. The decks are:
- Gregory Scott Tarot
- The Housewives Tarot
- Traditional Manga Tarot
- The Bohemian Animal Tarot
- The Cook’s Tarot
You can access my full review for each by clicking on the links above. I have included them at the end of the post as well.
The Gregory Scott Tarot
Why it deserves more attention:
- It changes the typical gender associations on many cards without feeling tokenistic
- Powerful, original representations
- Really easy-to-interpret court cards
- Great little white book
It changes the typical gender associations on many cards without feeling tokenistic
- Example – 3 of Pentacles reads, “Crafting – Creating by your own effort. giving shape to ideas, giving value to things. There is creativity in the hands of everyone.
Really easy to interpret court cards
- Examples King of Swords and Queen of Wands
- If you struggle with court cards, this is a great deck to help change that. Here you can imagine their stories, their personalities and their lifestyles easily.
Powerful, original representations
- I could have chosen so many cards to showcase this but as examples I chose 5 of Pentacles and 7 of Wands
- This version is one of my favourite 5 of Pentacles. It is so emotive and it covers so many connotations.
- The 7 of Wands gives quite a different perspective yet still captures the standard card meaning.
Great little white book
- The LWB gives you enough information to make you think without being overwhelming
- Example – Knight of Pentacles which in part reads, “What drives us should be our own volition, and not obsession or greed. Things have meaning, and not just value.”
The Housewives Tarot
Why it deserves more attention
- It’s a really fun deck to work with
- Really easy to read
- Great attention to detail
- Book is fun to read
- Great aesthetic
It’s a really fun deck to work with
- Example XV The Devil.
- This deck doesn’t take itself too seriously and yet it manages to get across everything you need to know.
- The cards and the book are really clever and they bring a smile to my face.
- It also offers some great original spreads: The Virgin, The Neapolitan, The Dinette (inspired by a dinner place setting), The Clothesline of Life and The Martini
Really easy to read
- Example XIV Temperance
- Each card brings the message to life in a clear, accessible and fun manner. You can draw so much meaning from this Temperance card. The metaphors that underpin this deck come to life so readily and so stories just spring to mind effortlessly.
Great attention to detail
- Sometimes packaging can be an issue but rarely is it a selling point but with this deck it is. The attention to detail in this deck is wonderful. The divider cards you can see in the picture contain recipes that are also linked to some of the spreads in the book eg Ice Box Fortune Cake for use with the Neapolitan Spread. “Eat this cake quick before your past, present and future start melting together.”
Book is fun to read
- Example XVI The Tower
- Yes there’s that word again – fun but I’ll show you what I mean. The write up for XVI The Tower reads, “It’s time for you to break the mold – the gelatin mold that is. When The Tower appears in a reading it represents the need to question things, to see the delicious gelatin for what it really is – ground up bone and pig hooves. Appearances can be deceiving: Are those maraschino cherries … or lima beans? Don’t resign yourself to becoming another piece of fruit trapped deep inside the conventions of this towering dessert.”
Great aesthetic
- Example Queen of Swords – that’s one way to show that she’s independent and possibly divorced!
- Love the 1950s poster art style. It works perfectly with the deck title, it looks great and, like any good poster, it showcases so much.
Traditional Manga Tarot
Why it deserves more attention
- RWS clone offers an alternative for those not drawn to more traditional decks or common themes
- Offers some original elements
- Great artwork
RWS clone
- Examples: IX The Hermit and 8 of Pentacles
- It offers an alternative for those not drawn to more traditional decks or common themes such as animal- or witch-based decks
- Has the standard inclusions on each card which allows it to be read alongside most RWS based books. This is important because the LWB preamble might be great but the card meanings are sadly lacking.
Offers some original elements
- Examples: VIII Strength and X The Wheel
- Still easily recognisable but love that on this Strength card she is nurturing the lion and thus that part of her nature and on The Wheel she is part of the cycle. She is not separate from it. Small details but I like them.
Great artwork
- Example: XXI The World.
- Love the colour palette. It’s soft but not wishy washy
- Gets the point across in a gentle manner. The usual elements are there but due to artistic choices they are not as harsh.
- I am not a manga fan but from the first time I saw someone reading with this deck I was drawn to the artwork.
The Bohemian Animal Tarot
Why it deserves more attention
- Beautiful artwork
- RWS clone with a difference
- Fantastic guidebook
- Australian
Beautiful artwork
- Example Seven of Earth
- Illustrations that could adorn a children’s book. The details on the animals are incredible: their eyes, their features, their fur – just beautiful. These are pretty, pretty cards.
RWS clone with a difference
- Example: Nine of Fire
- This is an RWS clone but in a very different way to the Traditional Manga Tarot. The scenes are highly recognisable but the animals are not just plonked their to replace the people. They add to the understanding.
Fantastic guidebook
- Example Eight of Air and 3 The Goddess
- This book gives you so many additional facts to add to your mental database. From the Eight of Air I discovered that Albatross and Alcatraz are etymologically linked. I Googled to double check. These included facts aren’t random though. They add meaning.
- 3 The Goddess shares information about Greek mythology. In this case it’s to Melissae.
- The book also provides information on numerology, and goes into detail on each element in the artwork and its relevance.
Australian
- Example Three of Fire
- Okay this is a bit of a personal reason but it’s created by an Australian and I believe some of our wonderful creators and their decks should receive more recognition.
- The deck features animals from the around the world as well.
The Cook’s Tarot
Why it deserves more attention
- It’s original
- It’s relatable
- It’s non-threatening without being fluffy
- Great guidebook
It’s original
- Example Four of Swords
- Shows the idea of taking time to rest and relax but it suggests there’s more to it. Every time I look at this card I imagine his tan mark when he wakes up and so many things come to mind. That’s a great deck in my eyes.
It’s relatable
- Examples: The Emperor and Ten of Wands
- These are real people and real, imaginable situations. Who hasn’t met the “King of the BBQ”?
- The Ten of Wands shows the burden is partially of her own making. Who needs that many carrots and why is she trying to juggle it all? But, who hasn’t tried to carry to much to save an extra trip?
It’s non-threatening
- Example 16 The Tower and Three of Swords
- Both cards offer relatable scenarios without being overly dramatic. The Three of Swords captures the emotion and the mental aspect clearly without the harshness of seeing three swords piercing a heart.
Great guidebook
- Great information that adds to the reading experience of the deck
- Example: The Magician
- Includes a section called “Kitchen Wisdom”. For The Magician it reads, “True alchemy involves a sense of rightness and timing. Trust your instincts; test the temperature of the air as well as the oven.”
Wrapping it all up
These are all great decks in their own right. They each have something to offer that makes them worthy of consideration and I hope they make their way into many more collections.
Publishing details and links for the decks mentioned
Gregory Scott Tarot
Created by Gregory Scott with artwork by Davide Corsi. Published by Lo Scarabeo in 2020
The Housewives Tarot
Created by Paul Kepple & Jude Buffum and published by Quirk Books in 2004
Traditional Manga Tarot
Concept and artwork by Shou Xueting with LWB by Riccardo Minetti. The pictured version was published by Lo Scarabeo in 2021
The Bohemian Animal Tarot
Created by Scott Alexander King (Author) and Sharon McLeod (Illustrator) and published by Rockpool Publishing in 2014
The Cook’s Tarot
Created by Judith Mackay Stirt and published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd in 2014
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