Erenberg Tarot

Tarot seeks to show us a different way of looking at things. The Erenberg Tarot shows us a different way of looking at tarot. Tarot of the Hidden Realm and the Morgan Greer Tarot put us more up close an personal than most decks. But to compare them to the Erenberg Tarot‘s up close and personal approach is like comparing photos of a full moon taken on my phone with those taken with a telephoto lens.

Now this is all great but why do this? Why? Well firstly because it’s different and that in itself is great. It’s refreshing; it’s interesting and it’s exciting. Secondly, it allows you to hone in on specific details and to really think about what those details mean to you within the context of the card. This deck says, “Hey look at this.” Then you get to decide how it is relevant to you.

General information about the deck

Physically, Steve Erenberg’s deck is a joy to work with. The card’s measure 7cm x 12cm and the card stock is easy to shuffle and handle straight from the box. It’s not overly slippery but it does slide easily. Some people don’t like a slide-y deck but I do. It makes it easy to fan the cards. I also like everything about the art style – the zoomed in images, the pencil artwork, the hand drawn font, and the red and green inner border that softens the white outer border. Everything blends seamlessly. Normally, I want to remove white borders, but not in this case. Here they work. I’d go so far as to say they add to the overall aesthetic.

The titles are clear even though he has only drawn symbols for the suits, except for the Court. Their titles are written out in full. I do find it unusual that he has presented the Major Arcana as title then number, as in Tower XVI. Although, when the cards are in a spread it looks in keeping with the way the Minor Arcana are labelled. All in all everything is clear, which is the main thing.

Even though his approach is different this is a distinctly RWS-based deck. As such it retains all the typical names for the Major and Minor Arcana. Strength is VIII and Justice is XI.

Since the card backs appear to be hand drawn as well they are not truly reversible but you would have to be very, very intimate with the back of the cards to notice that when you were actually reading with them.

Who is the Erenberg Tarot for?

When I look at some cards I think this is a great beginners deck because it focuses in on the details. But, then I look at many others and I think no it’s not. However I do believe it’s a great companion deck for beginners. In other words I think working with it alongside an RWS deck would be a wonderful way for beginners to connect with both decks.

Personally, I will use this deck for readings with questions related to focus. For example, “What do I need to focus on in my upcoming writing project?” or “What do I need to focus on in my relationship with ………………………?” If I need to understand the main areas of impact then this deck is likely where I will start.

Let’s take a look at a few individual cards

Two of Wands & Four of Cups

This deck asks questions. Consider the Two of Wands pictured above and then think of a more traditional RWS-based Two of Wands. (If you’re not familiar with the card, scroll down. I’ve included the RWS version of both cards.) On the RWS Two of Wands we see a man standing staring out over the landscape. Maybe he can see things that we can’t and that in itself can raise questions. But, usually when we see someone staring at something we look too. We want to know what has captured their attention.

In the Erenberg Tarot version we can see exactly what she’s looking at. Now I’m looking at it. What does the world mean to me? Why am I looking at it? Why has Steve Erenberg drawn my attention to it? Is my view too small? Do I want to go somewhere? Should I want to go somewhere? Where do I want to go?

The other obvious detail is the flower in her hair. If that becomes my focus what is it suggesting? I don’t do predictive readings but I look at that and see someone going on a holiday. It could well mean something totally different to you. I also just had my granddaughter pop into my head. She likes putting flowers in her hair. Now it suggests seeing the world through fresh eyes.

There are two elements in this card. It is a very simple scene. A woman with a flower in her hair is looking at an ornate globe and yet in less than a minute, there’s so much information for me to think about. I am focused on her and what she is focused on.

The Four of Cups shows a straight up refusal. There is no interest in what is being offered. In contrast to more typical versions, we can’t see what she is focusing on instead. Nor do we know what is causing her dissatisfaction. They are the two things I would consider when looking at this card. What is drawing my attention away from what is being offered? Why am I not satisfied with what is on offer?

Two of Cups & Four of Pentacles

Most cards in the Erenberg Tarot focus in on details that are present in the RWS tarot. However, for some cards, such as the Two of Cups and the Four of Pentacles featured above, he has taken a different approach. On the Two of Cups, is that a human mouth rather than a lions? And if so why? Or why do I see it that way? Why the lion? I see it as a link to VIII Strength and thus strength in partnership. Add in my confusion about the mouth and I add the importance of maintaining your own voice within that partnership. The lion looks a little angry to me so there’s that angle as well.

The Four of Pentacles is another great example although it does offer a more limited viewpoint than many other versions of the card. This card offers a straight up indication of being chained to something in the material world. This could be anything ranging from material possessions to something or someone that drains your energy and drags you down. It definitely gives the impression of being slowed down. It might offer a limited viewpoint but that doesn’t mean it lacks nuance.

Eight of Pentacles & XVII The Star

For such a close up deck, this deck expresses and involves subtle distinctions. Take the Eight of Pentacles pictured above as an example. I see that he is using a sharp point to craft his pentacle. So, paying attention to the finer details of the work and honing your skills come straight to mind. To me the lamp suggests taking the time to perfect the work. He’s not knocking off at 5pm. Depending on the reading this can be taken in so many ways. Dedicated versus workaholic. Thorough vs perfectionist.

On XVII The Star, the brightness of the main star jumps out at you but, it isn’t looking at you. When I follow it’s gaze I’m looking to my right. The direction of the future and where I’m headed. Psychotherapists say this direction suggests deceit because it is a sign of creative thinking.

Depending on the question I would consider both ideas, as in “Am I kidding myself about where I want to head or what I think is possible?” Am I tuned in to a vision I think I should be focused on rather than the one I feel called to focus on? Am I creating a future that is in line with my own North Star? Where do I want to go? Seeing the little space ship makes me think of the possibilities that exist. The Erenberg Tarot really can take you wherever you want to go.

Eight of Cups, Five of Pentacles & XVI The Tower

Before I move on to the book I want to talk about three cards which don’t quite fit with the rest of the deck. The Eight of Cups, pictured above, and the 5 of Pentacles and XVI The Tower, pictured below, change the focus. They pull right back. The artwork is great and I really like the Eight of Cups. It’s a beautiful card and I don’t have any ideas just popping into my head on how else it could have been done. Nevertheless it gives it a different feel.

After literally being right up in people’s space, it feels detached. Personally I read that as detaching from other people’s expectations as you move away from something that others don’t believe you should. But that is not mentioned in the book. It talks about walking away from a large cup which indeed, in this presentation, he is doing.

But, XVI The Tower I think presents many opportunities for a close up depiction. He could have possibly zoomed in on either one of the people, the lightning and the tower, the fire and the tower, or simply an up close drawing of a crack in the tower. For the Five of Pentacles, which as a general portrayal is stunning, I think there were possibilities too. Nevertheless, with the Five of Pentacles and XVI The Tower, the idea of only highlighting a few details remains.

The Erenberg Tarot Guidebook

The accompanying 74 paged, black and white guidebook for the Erenberg Tarot contains no padding. Following a brief introduction where Steve Erenberg shares that US Games Systems founder Stuart Kaplan’s passion for, and knowledge about, tarot inspired him, you get straight to the card meanings.

The meanings are short and sweet too. There’s a black and white thumbnail image followed by a paragraph or two and a few keywords for both upright and reversed presentations.

For example, Justice XI reads:

Holding the gavel, Justice brings order to chaos. Her blindfold symbolises the absence of prejudice and preconception (“justice is blind”). This card urges impartiality in weighting evidence and a dedication to fairness and truth. It also reminds us to accept the consequences of our actions.

Keywords Upright: Unbiased, consequences, fairness, honesty.

Reversed: One sided, tendency to false equivalency, harsh.

That’s it. It’s not a lot but it’s enough. I particularly liked “tendency to false equivalency.” That idea really stood out to me. Such a powerful sentiment. Just because something appears the same doesn’t make it so.

For the Minor Arcana there is slightly less information but it is still adequate. The Three of Wands reads:

A merchant uses his spyglass to view the vessels he has sent forth to assess their progress and to become aware of any obstacles they may encounter.

Keywords Upright: Progress, commitment to plan of action

Reverse: Setbacks, lack of foresight, delays, poor planning.

The book concludes with a brief outline covering how to do a spread followed by three spreads and a couple of pages on the author. As a card sized book with a good sized font it won’t take you long to read it from cover to cover so it’s worth doing. You’ll discover a few fresh keywords for some of the cards, and though brief, you’ll discover the story of each card. With a three-card spread, a “Moving Forward Spread” and a relationship spread, the general bases are covered their too.

Wrapping it all up

On my very first flick through of a deck I usually grab a piece of paper and write down the first things that come to mind about the cards. Then I work with the deck for a little while before I write about it. For the Erenberg Tarot I reached straight for my notebook and began my actual review process. It just cut straight through the small talk and got straight to the heart of the conversation. There’s no chat about the weather with this deck unless it’s to establish a wet weather plan.

Most decks take you into their own scenic world and they introduce you to the people and situations you’ll meet there. Some, like the Tarot of the Hidden Realm really urge you to have an intimate conversation with the inhabitants you meet. The Erenberg Tarot says, “HERE – YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!!!” and I’m loving it’s directness. If you’ve read to here then I’m guessing you will too.

Summaries

The Erenberg Tarot Cards

Artist	Steve Erenberg
Card Size	Approx. 7cm x 12 cm
Card Stock	Satin finish, flexible
Shuffle	Easy to shuffle in any manner
Fan & Flip Through	Easy to fan and flip through
Suits	Cups, Wands, Pentacles, Swords
Court	King, Queen, Knight, Page
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII & Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Two piece solid box

The Erenberg Tarot Guidebook

Written by	Karen Boginski
Pages	74 pages
Appearance	Perfect bound, black and white, card-sized
Contents	Introduction Major Arcana Minor Arcana – Cups – Pentacles – Swords – Wands Tarot Spreads and Readings About the Artist
Spreads	Past – Present – Future (3 cards) Moving Forward Spread (4 cards) Relationship Spread (7 cards)

Publishing Details

Deck Creator:

Steve Erenberg (artist and creator) with guidebook by Karen Boginski

Pictured Version:

Published by US Games Systems Inc in 2024.