Tarot of the Divine

In using deities, folklore, fairy tales, myths and legends from around the world, creator, Yoshi Yoshitani, believes “the Tarot of the Divine fosters appreciation of our differences and of the truth in our similarities.” Although, I believe, when combined with artwork and the structure of the tarot, these stories become truly universal and reflect our shared humanity more so than our differences. The nature of this deck ensures ethnic diversity but I think it shows that regardless of our ethnicity, our size, our age or our gender, for the most part, we all experience the events, emotions, and energies the tarot depicts, albeit in our own ways.

My experience of sorrow and loss may well be different to yours but it is unlikely that anyone will get through life without having to face the resultant emotions. We all experience victory, and happiness and joy too. Just because the experiences that create them are different doesn’t detract from the universality of what the cards and the stories represent. For me, this deck both reminds us of, and celebrates, this fact.

The Tarot of the Divine Deck

The Tarot of the Divine has a distinct colour palette. Teal greens with pale oranges that progress to reds and browns combine with a sprinkling of black, white and purple to create these simple, yet richly symbolic, cards. As someone who relies on colour to trigger intuitive hits, you would think that the limited colour range would inhibit that aspect of my reading style, but I find it does the opposite. I am more drawn to, and influenced by, the colour choices. With more minimalist artwork I feel that every element serves a purpose; it isn’t just there to “enrich the artwork”. Therefore I seek to understand what that purpose is.

Before I dive into some of the individual cards, I want to talk about the cards overall quickly. Firstly, Tarot of the Divine is printed on linen card stock. However, it has a much coarser feel than a deck such as the Superlunaris Tarot whose card stock I would describe in the same way. I’ve attempted to capture the difference in the photo below.

These cards have a more plastic-y feel too. Unless a deck has card stock that makes it difficult to work with I am generally not too fussed in this regard. But since the Tarot of the Divine has such a distinctive feel I wanted to mention it. Also, this is a thick deck, yet it remains pliable and easy to work with straight out of the box. Another thing I wouldn’t normally focus on are the card backs. I don’t create intentional reversals so reversible backs are not a big issue for me. These are reversible but what I love is how great they look next to the card faces. This isn’t something that normally stands out to me, (unless it really doesn’t gel such as with the Penumbra Tarot), but here it highlights the benefit of a limited colour palette. It brings everything together so well.

While I’m talking about the cards overall, I’ll also mention the borders. If you’ve read many of my deck write-ups you will know I’m generally not a fan – especially when the borders are white. Normally, when I see white borders, my instinct is to trim them. But, that isn’t the case with this deck. When looking at the Tarot of the Divine in a spread I feel, due to the limited colour palette, it needs the border to break everything up. Also, the border within the border and the inclusion of the detail serves to both soften the white and complement the artwork. It’s a great addition.

Discussion on some individual cards

Now onto some of the cards themselves. The suits are Cups, Swords, Wands and Coins with Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages making up the Court. Strength VIII and Justice XI and the Major Arcana maintains standard titles. Though I was surprised that she didn’t make some changes. For example, on XII The Hanged Man, pictured below, the person appears to be female, so why not at least The Hanged One? But this is only a trivial observation.

I love this card. Whenever I am flicking through the deck, I always go to turn the card around because it seems upside down. Therefore, this card gives me powerful “turn your thinking around” vibes. I don’t feel any sense of sacrifice in this depiction. The fairy tale linked with this card is Sleeping Beauty so this adds another layer and maybe dependent on the question I may connect with it differently.

La LLorona, a tale from Mexico, features on the Five of Cups pictured above. When I first saw this card, the hand reaching up and attempting to drag down the woman stood out to me. I felt that it could represent “friends”, the three cups, dragging you down and stopping you from focusing on either what you love or those that truly love you. Now that I am aware of the associated folklore I can see a different meaning as well. I love that two interpretations can coexist without diminishing each other. More than two actually. As I wrote that I can see how that idea also links back to the story of Maria.

The Ace of Swords, pictured below, I connect with on many levels also. It is a clever and original representation. For me, it isn’t about unravelling the truth. Instead it suggests cutting straight through any confusion altogether. Depending on the focus of the reading I also see it as a call to do so. Another interpretation, say if it appeared in a position for “what is coming towards me”, might be that information will come to hand that brings clarity and helps you to unjumble your thinking.

While a fairly simple drawing, I find many ways to interpret the card when just looking at in isolation. Within a spread it would say so much more. Furthermore, this is a card where the colouring has a strong significance for me. I connect it with the sacral, the throat and the third eye chakra and all that that entails. Plus, as another layer, orange and blue are complimentary colours which, for me, highlights that creating a space for open communication will create an environment that can lead to the truth. I will stop now before another idea springs to mind. Although, I should mention that the card refers to the legend of the Gordian Knot.

I find the use of the phoenix for the King of Wands interesting for a very different reason. On several decks, such as The Robin Wood Tarot and the Chrysalis Tarot, the phoenix features on the Judgement card. Now possibly because I am familiar with these decks and I associate the action of the phoenix with resurrection I find it an unusual choice for the King of Wands. However, Yoshi Yoshitani writes that the legendary phoenix spans many cultures and that in all of them, “the firebird represents nobility, rebirth, strength and loyalty.”

I resonate with the fire energy but unfortunately my mind doesn’t seem to want to budge on what the phoenix symbolises. Therefore the only other card I would naturally associate the phoenix with is XIII Death. I am curious to see how I read this card when it appears in a spread. So far it has not shown itself when I have worked with this deck.

While the Tarot of the Divine is based on stories from around the world, as I hope I have already shown, you don’t have to know the stories to connect with the cards. The two queens pictured above show how you could instead focus on the strong elemental aspects portrayed in the image. The Queen of Wands definitely has some joyful yet fiery energy about her. She radiates power, whereas the Queen of Cups appears graceful and connected to the world around her. She is literally immersed in it.

I have many, many decks but rarely is it the court cards that stand out to me. In Tarot of the Divine they stand out to me for a whole host of reasons. For example I love that the Knight of Coins shows a figure riding a bull. The fact he is carrying a bow and some arrows suggests that he is focused on his target and willing to do what needs to be done to achieve his aims regardless of how long it may take him to get there. Reading the story of Heitsi-Eibib adds another layer.

The Knight of Cups feels more powerful in this rendition than in many others. He may be driven by emotion but it is backed by insight and an idea of the bigger picture. Well that’s how I see it when I look at the eagle on his wrist. At first glance it draws my attention. That could change but especially when pictured next to the Knight of Coins, it is the animals that catch my eye.

This deck makes me consider many cards in a different way. 0 The Fool offers another example. Here, as you’ll see pictured below, The Fool is represented by the Little Mermaid. I see this and think, “don’t be in too much of a hurry to give up what you have,” which isn’t how I would normally see The Fool. In this version I see the hastiness and the sacrifice rather than a starting point. Maybe, since I am embracing the crone phase of life I can no longer imagine giving up my voice. This is another card I am curious to discover how I “read” it when it appears. Featuring the Little Mermaid very much changes its meaning for me. Although the guidebook keywords still include, “beginnings, possibilities, impulsiveness, innocence, a free spirit.” It is only “impulsiveness” that aligns with my current viewpoint of this rendering of the card.

Another card that surprised me for a very different reason was the Five of Coins. The Five of Coins imagery closely resembles the RWS version and so it really stood out to me. However, the differences have such an impact. For starters, she is on her own. Generally there are two people on this card. Seeing her on her own makes it feel harsher and sadder. The fact it appears as if she has given up adds to that sense. So, a card that felt the most familiar, manages to strike more deeply with only a minor change.

The Tarot of the Divine Guidebook

This guidebook skips the contents page and gets straight into the information. It begins with the philosophy of the deck before moving on to a “How to Read Tarot” section. Here she gives basic information on the Major and Minor Arcana, the suits, and what the numbers reflect. This information aligns with what you’d find in most guidebooks, except, I was surprised to see Pages as “the future” and Knights as “the messengers”. Many consider the Pages as messengers or students and the Knights as seekers. Personally I often see the Pages as a sign to start working with, and to embrace, the potential of the suit. I’m curious to see how I find working with the Pages and the Knights in the way she suggests. I’ll give it a try but, to be honest, I’m not sure how I’ll go.

The ‘How to Read Tarot’ section briefly touches on upright and reversed cards too. Yoshi Yoshitani also does something here that I think more books should include. She takes the time to suggest how you can unlock meaning from a card. This is invaluable information for beginners. Under the heading, “A Sample Card Interpretation”, for VI The Lovers she writes:

An initial reading of this card may suggest love, romance and connection. 

The story of Beauty and the Beast also involves themes of power imbalance, growth, the choice to stay or leave, and ultimately, a couple learning to complement each other.

To interpret this card, a reader may choose what part of the story resonates most. What speaks to a card reader might change depending on other cards in a spread, the reader's intuition, or their personal connection to the story.

Consider the visual symbolism of the roses. Red roses often represent love, but their thorns make them unapproachable, perhaps alluding to unattainable beauty. Consider the art itself. While Beauty is rendered in watery blues and the Beast in fiery reds, the building in the distance is purple. This could symbolise a compromise, harmony. Or it could be a depiction of The Tower - one of the symbols of the Major Arcana - which represents unexpected destruction.

While this may seem like a lot of information to a new reader, what's most important is to relax and listen to your intuition. Enjoy the experience joy of connection with your subconscious and let the cards guide you. 

I think this wonderful on so many levels.

Next she launches straight into card meanings. Depth of information is LWB-like but this is a perfect bound, full colour book. Since there is no contents page or index there are no page numbers either. Each page is divided into two columns. Atop each column is the card image followed by the tale/diety it represents, the country of origin, and the source material. For example, beneath The High Priestess card reads Scheherazade, Turkey, Arabic Folk Tale. The meaning follows. In this case, “The High Priestess is a keeper of vast knowledge. With a story for every situation, Scheherazade asks the listener to focus on what their subconscious tells them, encouraging them to form their own conclusions. Her power is vast yet subtle, her answers always mysterious.”

When I read the tale of Scheherazade in Beneath the Moon, (an additional book you can purchase which includes an abridged version of each tale featured in the deck), I wondered which tarot card she was linked to. Even though the book has a full page replica of the artwork, the title is not on the image. Nor is the information provided in the text. If you’re unsure you need to switch between the two books. If The High Priestess card was called Scheherazade I think I would interpret the card quite differently. It shows how influenced we can be by labels.

I love the Magic Paintbrush for the Ace of Wands. The guidebook reads, “The magical moment right before the ink hits the paper and all dreams and possibilities are within reach.” This feels so energising and so full of hope and enthusiasm which makes it perfect for this card. I like that the image also indicates action rather than just someone passively holding a wand.

For the most part, the additional book is a nice addition but not necessary. In some cases it does help you to understand the link between the story and the tarot card though. For example, V The Hierophant is represented by the story of White Buffalo Woman. One section of the explanation in the guidebook reads, “by uniting the earthly with the Divine, all that [is] needed [will] be provided.” This is great. But unless you are already familiar with the story, it is difficult to draw that from the picture alone.

However, I also believe that in some cases the additional book can make this deck feel a little overwhelming. The guidebook that comes with the deck definitely offers enough to get you started with the deck. Googling can provide additional knowledge if necessary. Although, if you like the artwork on the cards, you will love the book. Each card fills a full page and is reproduced in full colour.

Wrapping it all up

As you can see Yoshi Yoshitani hasn’t created a straight up RWS clone. Nevertheless, for the most part, it can be read in that way. I definitely wouldn’t label this a beginner’s deck though. But if you relish in working with fresh takes on the tarot, this deck has a lot to offer. I’ve enjoyed reading the additional book, Beneath the Moon, to learn more about the stories behind the card images. Yet, to be honest, working purely with the meanings given in the accompanying book make this deck much more accessible. If you are new to tarot I would start there. It would also be fine to stop there and as Yoshi says,

Enjoy the experience joy of connection with your subconscious and let the cards guide you.

Summaries

The Tarot of the Divine Cards

Artist	Yoshi Yoshitani
Card Size	7 x 12 cm
Card Stock	Flexible satin cardstock
Shuffle	Easy to shuffle in any manner straight out of the box
Fan & Flip Through	Easy to fan, flip through, and generally handle
Suits	Coins, Swords, Cups, Wands
Court	Page, Knight, Queen, King
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII / Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Solid box, reversible backs, Additional hardcover book available – Beneath the Moon

The Tarot of the Divine Guidebook

Written by	Yoshi Yoshitani
Pages	–
Appearance	Perfect bound, full colour
Contents	– Introduction – How to read tarot – The suits – The numbers – Upright and reversed meanings – Spreads – A sample card interpretation
Spreads	– One-card spread (suggestions for yes/no or general forecast) – Three-card spread (four suggestions) – Five-card spread

Publishing Details

Deck Creator:

Yoshi Yoshitani

Pictured Version:

Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers in 2020

Websites/Socials:

Yoshi Yoshitani