The Antique Anatomy Tarot

A friend mentioned that she liked The Antique Anatomy Tarot but I didn’t think it was a deck I could get behind. Nevertheless, since I trusted her judgement, I bought it. And, contrary to what I’d expected, I discovered that I do in fact connect with an anatomical pip deck that collages greyscale images with colourful flowers. Plus, in another surprise, I found these cards quickly took on a specific role in my practice. Now I reach for The Antique Anatomy Tarot when I’m seeking to understand what’s at the core of an issue especially in regards to anxieties, fears and doubts. So far it has served me well in this capacity.

The Antique Anatomy Tarot Deck

In creating The Antique Anatomy Tarot, creator Claire Goodchild took inspiration from the Victorian era. She used digital collage to combine imagery from medical texts with plant images she found in botanical journals. Now I realise that this deck isn’t going to be for everyone – not that I believe such a deck actually exists – but if you’re curious about it at all then I believe there could be something here for you.

General information

Each suit is represented by certain colours which ensures they stand out in a spread. This has not been done randomly. Claire Goodchild ascribes each colour with meaning. These are incorporated in the information below.

Blades (Swords)

On the Blades cards she has chosen to use either black and/or white flowers as she feels they suggest harshness. Personally I see them as more representative of black and white thinking. White only flowers I associate with a sense of peace, as in the IV of Blades above, and black to a darker or more shadowy energy. Claire Goodchild says that the Blades suit relates to the positive and negative thoughts we all need to process.

Elixirs (Cups)

Blues, pinks and purples are used to represent the suit of Elixirs (Cups) because she associates these colours with dreamy and emotional states. We each have our own ways of working with colour though. For me, when reading cards I tend to link colours with the chakras and I find this still serves me well with this deck. I rely on the colours to provide additional context. The labels on the bottles in the Elixir suit add another layer. Her intentions here are quite clear.

Rods (Wands)

To represent the lively, energetic and creative energy of Rods she uses orange, yellow and red flowers. She does include a breakdown of general colour associations in the guidebook as well. As you can see above, the positioning of the flowers adds to the meanings also.

Coins (Pentacles)

Interestingly, she states that she has used yellows, purples and blues to represent Coins because to her they represent the material nature of the suit. However, those colours don’t overly gel with me. What I connect with on these cards is the green growth and what is pictured within the coins. Fortunately, despite the similarity in colour choices, the coins and the elixirs are easy to differentiate.

Major Arcana

The colourings don’t carry through to the Major Arcana elementally though. As you can see above, even though Temperance is fire energy she has chosen yellow and purple. However, I do consider the colours and how else they can be used to give meaning to the cards. For example, viewing the Temperance card through a practical, grounded lens, (as suggested by the flower colours aligning with the Coins), broadens the way I view the card. Then when I add in the chakra connection the scope becomes broader still. With minimalist cards I seek to draw meaning from everything.

Physical aspects of the cards

While I believe that The Antique Anatomy Tarot is a well put together tarot deck, I’m not a huge fan of the card stock. I find it clunky. For those that rely on “jumpers” to select their cards I’m not sure how you’d go. I don’t rely on this method for my spread cards but I do use it occasionally for clarifiers. But when I have, I get “clumpers” rather than “jumpers”. Groups of cards just plop out onto my desk. Yet, I can riffle and overhand shuffle the deck easily enough. Nevertheless, even though they fan okay, I don’t find them easy to flip through. Fortunately I do feel they are loosening up and the cardstock doesn’t stop me from wanting to work with the deck.

They measure 7 x 12cm and have non-reversible backs. I do like how the titles are in keeping with the source material for the cards and I find them easy to read. This is one of the few decks that having Roman numerals on the Minors doesn’t bother me.

Discussions on some individual cards

I approached these pairs totally randomly because I was curious as to what would come out. These are the pairs that presented themselves.

V of Coins & VIII of Coins

On the V of Coins, looking at the skull, I see fractured thinking. The hands and feet suggest there is a way to change the situation that isn’t being considered. Growth is possible but you need to have the mindset to make it so. While you may have taken some knocks, part of the work that needs to be done, VIII of Coins, is to look at things from different angles. The lungs suggest the need to breathe new life into the situation and commit to your ability to change things through your own efforts.

Since the VIII of Coins has no flowers and yet the V of Coins is covered in them, maybe there is an element of wanting everything to be “pretty” and easy rather than focusing on the work that needs to be done. Wanting the harvest without doing the work. The story of the Three Little Pigs just came to mind.

VIII of Blades & 0 The Fool

This one seems quite straight forward. If you’re feeling trapped it’s time to simplify things and just look for the next step. Then, trust in your ability to take that step. Maybe think outside your normal way of doing things, colour outside the lines a little. Or at the very least add some colour. There is more than one way to approach things.

VI of Elixirs & I The Magician

For this pair, the first thing that came to mind, since one jar label is hidden from view, was to question what we are hiding from our past rather than addressing. Our past will always have an impact on how we see the world but it’s important to realise that we can break cycles and create something different if need be. Awareness is key though.

The labels on the bottles, which to be honest I had to take a photo of and then zoom in to be able to make them out, read “for rekindling love,” “for past life regression,” “for uncovering secrets,” “for encouraging comfort,” “for promoting harmony,” and then there’s the one you can’t see. Another thought linked to that jar is not to forget that no matter how much we reconsider the past there will still be things we just don’t, or can’t, see.

The instructions for use on the bottle hold a powerful message as well. “Take one tsp only.” This is a potent reminder that this medicine should only be taken in small doses. We are not meant to spend too much time hearkening back to what once was.

XI Justice & V The Hierophant

I love this Justice card because of its emphasis on the heart and mind. Here both are given equal weight. Looking at this pairing I see it as suggesting that we utilise both our heart and mind to investigate and establish our core values.

As is the case with all these pairings, it is obvious to me that I am relying upon the existing knowledge I have about the card meanings and then layering additional interpretations based on both how the cards speak to each other and the inclusions in the artwork. They encourage me to strip things back and look at the details which is why I like them for readings intended to mine below the surface.

X Wheel of Fortune & VI of Rods

I imagine as this wheel spins the hands are grabbing at different elements. In other words, I see it as changing approaches. So, when followed by the VI of Rods I see it as a changing approach to success and what in fact counts as success. Here the suggestion is a multifaceted approach rather than a one size fits all idea that is supposed to be relevant to all people at all times. Different people have different definitions and each is as valid as the other. Plus there’s those that lie in between. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach.

The VI of Rods reminds me of XIX The Sun. It’s funny that when I took the general photos I paired XIX The Sun with XV The Devil. I think there is a message in that too. Chasing success and abundance to the exclusion of all else is a sure fire way to trap you in some unhealthy patterns of behaviour.

The Antique Anatomy Tarot Guidebook

The Antique Anatomy Tarot comes with an 80-paged, A5-sized, full-colour guidebook. It opens with an Introduction that shares the background and inspiration for the deck followed by a “History of Tarot;” “Tarot Basics;” “Numerology and the Tarot” which, along with “Astrology and the Tarot,” were good. Then there’s “The Elements and the Tarot;” “Ways of Using the Tarot” which includes five different suggestions; and “Caring for your Deck.” The book isn’t long but it is beautifully presented and well put together. I know I’ve used that expression a few times but it really is the first thing that comes to mind when I consider this deck.

Look at the randomly chosen pages below. Time has been put into each photographic layout.

Major Arcana

As you can see, for the Major Arcana there are two columns to a page with a full colour photographic layout as well. Headings for Numerology, Astrological Correspondences, Elements, and the Companion Cards, are followed by easy to digest card meanings and keywords. She doesn’t cover reversals. While that doesn’t bother me, I wish she had included information on the plants and/or flowers, even if just to give their names.

Rather than getting you to try and read the information on the picture above I’ll share the card entry for XVIII The Moon to give you an idea of her approach.

The Moon

Minor Arcana

Less information is provided for the Minor Arcana. At the beginning of each suit she gives you the basics. For example,

Elixirs – Rules Emotional and relationship matters; Astrological Correspondences which includes the star sign, dates and seasons.

However, since she says Elixirs are Summer because Cancer, the cardinal water sign, is June doesn’t work for those of us in the southern hemisphere. You can obviously still follow the thinking and apply it accordingly if you wish.

Next, she follows the same two column layout, but for the minors, beneath a small, full colour picture she only provides the meaning and keywords. It’s enough though.

Wrapping it all up

The Antique Anatomy Tarot isn’t how I thought it would be but in a good way. Even though it comes with a good guidebook, I probably wouldn’t recommend it for beginners simply because I know I layer my pre-existing knowledge onto the cards when I’m reading them. However, if you are just starting out and have worked with a pip deck I would love to hear about your experience. I’m curious as to whether you find them easier to work with because there is not as much going on or you prefer to have scenes to interpret. If you’d like to share, please either comment below or email me directly by clicking here.

And, if you’d like to add this deck to your collection you can find it by clicking here

Summaries

The Antique Anatomy Tarot Cards

Artist	Claire Goodchild
Card Size	7cm x 12cm
Card Stock	Low sheen
Shuffle	Okay to shuffle in any manner
Fan & Flip Through	Okay to fan, bit clumpy to flip through
Suits	Coins, Elixirs, Blades, Rods
Court	King, Queen, Knight, Page
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII; Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Beautifully presented solid box

The Antique Anatomy Tarot Guidebook

Written by	Claire Goodchild
Pages	80pp
Appearance	Full-colour, A5 sized book
Spreads	Once card spread Three card spread (includes tips on what to look for) Moon Cycle Spread (8 cards) Celtic Cross (10 cards)

Publishing Details

Created by:

Claire Goodchild

Pictured Versions:

Published by Abrams Image, in 2021 (ISBN 917 1 4197 3914 9)

Websites:

Claire Goodchild