Quantum Tarot Version 2.0
The Quantum Tarot Version 2.0 has been sitting on my shelf for a while. Recently rewatching Interstellar and reading Andy Weir’s books, The Martian and The Hail Mary Project, primed me to work with this deck. Am I normally a sci-fi person? No. But, since I was engrossed by all three, maybe I am becoming one. The fact that The Martian and Interstellar are said to be highly scientifically accurate fascinates me. So, a deck that combines modern science with tarot was bound to do the same. It did.
The Cards
This deck is awe-inspiring. From the immensity of galaxies to the microscopic subatomic world this deck shares information about current scientific understanding whilst demonstrating how little we actually know. In so doing it made me believe in what previously seemed impossible. Quantum Tarot Version 2.0 is a dare to dream deck. Or more accurately, a dare to imagine; imagine what may be possible.
It has encouraged me to view life and possibilities through a lens of what I do not understand. That may sound odd but to me it is not. It makes me curious. What new knowledge will come to light to explain what for many now seems implausible? I am excited to find out. Plus it makes me wonder what may really be possible. And, could our current science explain more than it does? String Theory, Superstring Theory and M Theory makes me think so. I am starting to realise just why I became drawn back to this deck. Of late I have been owning aspects of myself that I cannot rationally explain.
Sometimes, when using this deck, I find it hard to slow my mind. It is like I am tapping into something that has been waiting patiently for me to do so. Its patience has run out. Now it is trying to show me everything all at once.
I am someone who likes to ask questions. The Quantum Tarot Version 2.0 does too. The cards have meanings but it is the questions that it raises, both literally and as a result of the knowledge it imparts, that are the strength of this deck. And wow it raises some questions.
For example VIII The Strength card pictured above asks, ‘Who or what needs your kindness?’ This deck asks something of us. It asks us to look both inside and outside of ourselves and to think before we act. XI The Justice card asks, ‘How can you look at your situation more honestly?’ Again it is about our role in the situation. Yes it can be used for divination. But, for me, this deck is about asking the hard questions in order to gain a greater understanding about ourselves and how we interact in the world.
The two cards pictured above provide more examples. XXI The World card asks, ‘How are you embracing infinity in a finite world?’ This is not a question I have been asked in any other guidebook. The book suggests the World dancer on The World card demonstrates the ability to live happily in material reality while being aware of the unseen and limitless levels of being.’ This makes sense since The Fool begins his journey with a belief in his limitless potential.
And, while the Nine of Cups question, ‘What do you have cause to give thanks for?’ is a fairly common one, I like that it is asked directly here. This is great if the card comes up in a “future” position. Even when life may not seem so wonderful, there is always something to be grateful for. Adopting an attitude of gratitude can usually improve how we are feeling in the moment.
Moving on to the cards themselves, this is an 80 card deck. The Major Arcana has two new additions, The Universe and The Phoenix. The book explains that ‘The Universe card is like XXI The World card, except it asks us to expand our awareness still further. It requires a paradigm shift in our thinking. It asks us to realise that ‘the reality we perceive is but a tiny component of all that is.’ On a day to day basis we have to stop sensory input from overloading our brains. However, this card is a reminder that what we “see” is not all there is. The Phoenix is The Fool ready to begin the journey through the Major Arcana again armed with all the knowledge he has gleaned through his previous experience.
Apart from those changes the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana adhere fairly closely to the RWS system. Nevertheless, even though the Ace of Cups and XIII Death card show some amazing space photography, this is not just a deck that collaged some pretty pictures taken from the Hubble telescope to create a tarot deck. Each card in the Major Arcana focuses on the the theories of quantum mechanics and Einstein’s Theories of Relativity.
Through the Major Arcana alone I have learned more about: The Weak Force; The Strong Force; the difference between Special Relativity and General Relativity; Planck’s Constant; The Uncertainty Principle; Supersymmetry; M-Theory; String Theory and Superstring Theory; Quantum Foam; and The Multiverse. It took a mind map to help me make sense of it. Oh, and a couple of Quantum Physics for Dummies You Tube videos.
The Minor Arcana introduced me to the phenomena the theories describe. With fifty-six to list there is way too many to go into. But to give you some idea, the Pentacles suit alone covers gluons, spin, atomic structure, elliptical galaxies, leptons, hadrons, baryons, mesons, quarks, galaxy formation, quasars and the solar system.
The Court cards introduce another element to the Quantum Tarot Version 2.0. They ‘take a new look at familiar mythic archetypes from the night sky – the planets and the constellations – through the lens of science.’ For example, The Page of Wands, (pictured below), features information about the Orion constellation but also shares the mythological story of Orion, Artemis and Apollo. I cannot say I ever thought I would combine the Mythic Tarot with a science-based tarot but this deck makes it seem normal. This deck makes a lot of things seem more normal to me. The Two of Swords, also pictured below, shows and shares information about the planet Mercury and shares the Roman mythology associated with its namesake.
Additionally, these cards have a satin finish with certain elements embossed with a spot varnish. In an interview on You Tube, deck artist Chris Butler states that he believes Quantum Tarot Version 2.0 was the first deck to use this technique. Others have used gold, silver and holographic embossing but this is definitely the only deck in my collection that has this feature. Unfortunately it is very hard to capture in photographs.
The phoenix on The Phoenix card is brought to life when the light hits the varnish, as are some of the birds on the Six of Swords. Some of the birds are included in the artwork but, as you can see in the images below, others only appear when the light strikes the embossed area. These areas come to life much more readily when you are actually working with the cards. They are largely camera phobic though. You will have to trust me when I say they are present on every card and on the two part solid box the deck comes packaged in.
The cards are a standard 7 x 12cm tarot size which makes them quite manageable. However, I am hesitant to give them a hard riffle shuffle. When I edged my deck with a purple alcohol marker, some cards stuck together afterwards. I have edged many decks and this has never happened before. Fortunately, I was able to fix them with a black marker. Nevertheless it has made me more cautious with the cards overall. They are fine to shuffle overhand.
The Quantum Tarot Version 2.0 Book
While the cards are interesting in their own right, it is the 128-paged, (only 55 pages in English), card-sized book that makes this deck. From the outset you are drawn into a world of possibilities. The potential to learn about the inner workings of the Universe as well as our own inner workings is immense. As Kay Stopforth writes, ‘The Quantum inhabits two extreme environments beyond our normal experience – the vast reaches of outer space and the unimaginably tiny world within the atom.’ From there, having outlined briefly the layout of the deck, the book moves straight into the card meanings.
The card meanings are divided into two sections. Well four if you break it down into the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana, but that is just me being pedantic. The initial section lists either the scientific theory or the associated phenomena alongside the card title followed by a brief tarot meaning. For example, ‘0 The Fool – The Big Bang – The Fool represents innocence and new beginnings. he has no experience of life and so is open and fearless.’ The card meaning ends with a question. For The Fool it is ‘What are you ready to embark upon?’
In ‘The Advanced Course’ section the meaning is interwoven with the relevant scientific information. Using the Queen of Wands as an example, her section reads:
Queen of Wands – Venus
Venus is an extremely inhospitable planet with an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid and temperatures hot enough to melt lead. This unfriendly environment seems at odds with the love-and-beauty image of Venus, but the mythological goddess also rules passionate emotions. These find an apt metaphor in the superheated, seething atmosphere of the planet. The Queen of Wands, like the Greek Goddess, has gained a certain level of comfort with powerful feelings. She is the independent-minded woman who has the courage to be authentic. She contains the fiery energy of Wands by being true to her own nature, to the boldness of her grand vision.
Kay Stopforth
Now before reading that, conditioned as I am to the idea of Venus, The Empress, and Taurus, I would never have paired the Queen of Wands with Venus. Here they make perfect sense and I love the fact that this pairing challenged by general associations.
The choice to link the Two of Wands with Planet Formation made me consider this card differently too. In this version things, for the Inspiration from the Ace to create something tangible, things have to come together. A concrete plan is necessary. Oftentimes I see this card as my ‘need to get out of a comfort zone’ card. Here it feels different albeit I can wrangle the two concepts into a less paradoxical whole in my mind.
XVIII The Moon – Extra Dimensions links with Superstring Theory. Superstring Theory proposes that the “particle strings” might vibrate in ten dimensions rather than only one. This is all theoretical. It is an attempt to make sense of things that as yet cannot be explained. M-Theory, used for XIX The Sun, added another dimension, but back to The Moon because I love how the book connects Superstring Theory with the meaning of The Moon card.
Having briefly discussed Superstring Theory, the meaning reads, ‘The Moon shows up when the indefinable starts demanding attention in our consciousness – and to the conscious mind this can seem like a threat.’ Together they serve as a reminder that rather than being fearful, we should continue to try and make sense of what we do not understand. After all, that is where the potential for a breakthrough exists.
Spreads
The book includes two original spreads:
- Relativity Spread (4 cards)
- Uncertainty Principle Spread (5 cards)
I worked with both, but of the two, I prefer the Relativity Spread because I can see myself using it more.
When I first discovered Quantum Tarot Version 2.0 I was excited about it and I purchased it quite quickly. Then I shelved it. From memory I thought my lack of scientific knowledge would make it a difficult deck to use. That has not been my experience. The conciseness of the book helps.
Although, it is not the layering of scientific knowledge onto the card meanings that makes this deck so powerful. It is the scientific approach. Asking questions about things we do not understand in order to try and formulate theories and ultimately find solutions rather than just asking the cards for answers comes to the fore. This deck inspires curiosity and the more curious we are, the more open we become. We truly embody The Fool’s energy. In marrying two seemingly disparate systems, Kay Stopforth and Chris Butler (Healing Light Tarot) have created a fascinating tarot deck.
Publishing Details
Created by:
Kay Stopforth (author) and Chris Butler (illustrator)
Pictured Version:
This is Version 2.0 published by Lo Scarabeo in 2021
Websites:
Unfortunately Kay Stopforth’s website www.quantumtarot.co.uk is no longer active.
Christopher Butler website
