The Unveiled Tarot

I knew The Unveiled Tarot would end up in my collection because I was curious about Jesse Lonergan’s approach. My curiosity was rewarded. I fell for the artwork instantly. This came as a huge surprise because it’s not an art style that generally calls to me. But now I have a whole new appreciation for it. I am fortunate to own many wonderful decks, most I could not imagine parting with, but this one has leapfrogged most of them, straight onto my personal top 10 list.

About The Unveiled Tarot Deck

Why? Because The Unveiled Tarot is such a clever and thought provoking deck. As a comic book artist, Jesse Lonergan’s craft demands that his images tell a story. These cards are alive with movement. When taken together they progress you through a narrative without letting you forget there is an underlying story that you need to be aware of and that you need to think about. They urge you to consider the what, when, why and how of the scene.

The Philosophy

In the Introduction Jesse Lonergan writes, “All of the cards have two images which come together in some way or another, and the intention is for the juxtaposition to create harmony or dissonance that leads to new ideas that are more than the sum of the constituent parts.” I find this idea so appealing. Looking at how disparate elements relate to each other has always motivated both my writing and how I read tarot so I connect with his way of thinking. I also appreciate the questions he inspires.

The approach

He utilises one of three approaches to tell each card’s story: a modern image inserted within the more traditional card; the traditional image within a modern setting; or an entirely original image pairing. The Seven of Wands is an example of the first option.

This card strikes me for several reasons. Firstly, when I look at the inset I imagine a hockey goalie and the message is clear – defend your goal. But, while I’m no hockey aficionado, that doesn’t look like a hockey stick he’s holding. It looks more like a cricket bat. But why?

Why did he do that? I don’t believe it’s because he couldn’t draw a hockey stick. Mixed metaphors maybe but why? Is it asking us to consider whether we are confused in some way? Are we acting rashly? Are we ill-prepared for what’s coming? Or maybe we are caught up in something we don’t understand? I don’t have the answers but oh how I love the questions these cards raise.

The second card shows the traditional overlaying the modern. Freddie Mercury performing at Wembley Stadium for the Live Aid concert captures the essence of the King of Wands so well for me. He’s alive. He’s real and he’s flamboyant. But, I’m also aware that before he was Freddie Mercury he was Farrokh Bulsara. There’s another layer right there.

But, it’s his original interpretations, as seen both above and earlier on the Strength and Ten of Pentacles cards, that showcase his talent. Each card is open to a wealth of possibilities. On The Lovers it is easy to jump straight to the idea of being caught up in technology to such an extent we lose our passion for true human connection. It is definitely a modern day issue – one that seems harder than it should be to overcome.

However, for me, the masterstroke of this card is the setting. I have always been fascinated by the impact place has on how we perceive things. Nearly every essay I wrote at university focused around that theme in some way. What ideas come to mind when you focus in on the fact the people are on a train? For me it’s all about how trains run – the tracks and the timetables and how automated everything has become – and how that relates to The Lovers.

I’m not going to talk about The Devil card except to say I found it to be one of the most raw, and thus one of the most powerful, cards in the deck. This deck reminds me of a slogan I have internalised from my childhood – layer upon layer upon layer. There is nothing sweet and fluffy like Sara Lee Danishes here though. Jesse Lonergan makes it nigh on impossible to reduce this card to mere generic or surface level interpretations.

Physical aspects

The Unveiled Tarot includes two additional unnumbered Major Arcana cards – The Mob and The Puppeteer. Everything else is standard. The suits are Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles with Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages for the court.

The cards measure 12.25 x 7.25 cm which makes them slightly larger than standard but I still find they shuffle nicely. However, unlike the rest of the deck, the backs don’t grab me. I’m surprised they are bordered and that the black line work doesn’t carry over. It’s the only production detail I don’t gel with though.

The box is next level solid. And, unlike some bottom opening packaging, Tarot Cards of Modern Goddesses I’m thinking of you especially, the magnetic flap holds the deck in place when you pull it off the shelf. I appreciate that and the overall thought that has been put into the box. I don’t generally fuss about packaging but the effort that has gone into The Unveiled Tarot box deserves to be mentioned. That done, now let’s chat with some cards.

Discussions on some randomly drawn card pairings

Seven of Cups & Nine of Pentacles

The first words that came to mind when I looked at these cards sitting side-by-side was curated living. The focus is on what looks best rather that what we inherently know is best for us. On the Seven of Cups she is reaching for what is pure and natural and yet we see her dressed “dutifully” walking down a shopping aisle buying the products that are marketed to her.

On the Nine of Pentacles it appears she’s made her choice. She’s sitting in a beautiful setting, sipping her tea, and life looks good. But why is she dressed so formally? Maybe she’s not really an outdoorsy type and she’s just going through the motions. If so, has her success brought her the freedom she thought it would? It depends on how you perceive the walls. Do they provide a sense of safety and status or do they isolate her? Are they real or imagined?

I can’t help but notice that her dress and the packaged goods are a similar colour.

Ace of Swords & Knight of Pentacles

Like The Devil, this Knight of Pentacles hit hard. When this pairing came out, I looked at the Ace and thought, “Ah that’s nice, some clarity.” But then I looked at the Knight and I was forced to look back and take notice of the number of clouds on the Ace. Maybe there’s a clear path beneath the inset. Therefore the sword is just there as a reminder that we need a clear intention before we can see what constitutes a clear path. But then there’s the Knight.

He seems like an upright and upstanding citizen with a clear intention, but is he? And, what about the others. The rebel has refused to officially join the ride while the man and the woman look like they are doing so but in their own way. All though are still on the merry-go-round that doesn’t look like it’s moving at all. Even if it was to move they wouldn’t be going anywhere except for round and round and up and down.

I initially took the short message to be that if you don’t know where you’re going you’ll go nowhere. But it feels much deeper than that. Those that are rebelling aren’t actually achieving anything. Are they any more free? If you’re going to fight for something at least know what it is your fighting for. There’s not much point being a rebel without a cause or fighting a battle just because you think you should. There is always more than just one truth. Don’t get on the roundabout just because everyone else is. Ouch.

XVIII The Moon & Eight of Swords

As part of writing these posts, I read the accompanying book so I am aware of the intentions behind the cards. Nevertheless, when I write about the pairings I share what they say to me in the moment. However, when I first saw these two cards together the words in the book came straight to mind. In part, Jesse Lonergan wrote about The Moon, “You must ask yourself what domestication has brought you and what fear and deception it took for you to bury those wild animals away.” The Eight of Swords suggests the answer.

The fear of being exposed can make it feel safer to do what we are told. But is being a meek and mild version of ourselves, or trying to pretend that it feels okay to do so, worth the price we pay? Does it make us more or less vulnerable? Furthermore, maybe the more important questions to ask are whether, and if so why, we equate being vulnerable with being weak and which is actually the weaker position – being wild and free or tame and controlled? And, how did we get that so confused?

Eight of Wands & Three of Swords

Before I drew this final pairing, I asked, “So what’s the solution?” Now of all the cards that I thought might appear, the Three of Swords wasn’t one of them. The Eight of Wands seemed apt though. Focus and dedication will expedite your path to success. Yep, that’s a simple notion and one we are taught to believe. Then I thought about a show I watched last night and the Three of Swords came into play.

I was watching an Australian program called Take 5 with Zan Roe. People share the five songs that have impacted their lives in some way and in so doing they share their story. In this particular episode she was interviewing a man that had been a professional footballer. He had bought into that philosophy – the one that says hard work and dedication will result in success – only to find that in fact that isn’t always the case. After five years the club didn’t renew his contract so suddenly he had to try and find himself outside his identity as a footballer. For a while he struggled to do so.

So, I see this pairing as a cautionary tale. By all means go after what it is you want but, especially in light of the cards that came before, remember two things. One – every choice means we have to compromise in some way and two – never mistake who you are for what you do. Pursuing a goal should not require you to lose everything. Nor should not achieving your goal diminish your sense of who you are or your worth. No-one is a single story therefore no individual goal should define us. That is way too high a price to pay.

The Unveiled Tarot Guidebook

The Unveiled Tarot comes with a slightly larger than card size, 59-paged, hardcover guidebook. It opens with a Foreword by American comic book writer, Mike Mignola. He may have no actual working experience with tarot but in sharing his perceptions he captures its essence and this deck really well. For example he writes that Jesse Lonergan is making “a comment on our world of today without losing any of the power of the way back whenever.” This is a great description.

Next is Jesse Lonergan’s Introduction. I’ve already shared an excerpt from that, so, like the guidebook, I’ll move straight on to the card meanings.

For the Major Arcana, a paragraph or two follows the card image. I’ll share two examples. The first, The Magician, is so you can get a feel for his writing style. The second will be The High Priestess because I didn’t relate to the artwork until I read the book. I want to showcase that if an image doesn’t make sense at first, you don’t need to worry, because in the space of a paragraph that can change very quickly. There are no card images for the Minor Arcana.

I The Magician

Anything is possible if people believe it so. Through pure willpower, determination and a clever shuffling of the elements, the Magician unifies heaven and earth, or at least makes people believe he has. In some cases, facts only get in the way of dreams and pure imagination. In moving forward, you must be resourceful and use your skills and abilities to manifest the reality in which you want to live. You have everything you need to craft the best version of you. In much the same way as the ball moves from cup to cup, jump between personas until you find the one that is most useful for your goals. Reach for the heavens, but keep your head clear. Don't lose track of the ball or yourself. 

II The High Priestess

Anyone can sing the notes, but the High Priestess knows that the spaces in between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves. The superficial world demands we pay attention to the sounds of clocks ticking, cars running, and voices talking. We've become so inured to the noise and the volume that we actively run from the silence. In the silence we are alone with ourselves, and this shouldn't feel like a terrible thing. The silence is where we breathe. Our unconscious raises its head, the soft inner voice speaks, and logic and pragmatism cower in the face of pure intuition. What mysteries will be revealed. What secrets will be exposed? Is someone hiding something from you, or are you hiding something from yourself? Perhaps it is time to join the High Priestess and revel in silence in the midst of the maelstrom.

I can see his intention now. Plus it takes me back to listening to a musician talking about the power in the silence during another episode of Take 5. Everything really does speak to everything.

Wrapping it all up

Obviously, since I’ve already said this deck is in my top ten, you know I’m going to recommend it to everyone. However, what I will add is that if you’re in search of a quick answer I wouldn’t reach for these cards. The Unveiled Tarot is a deck that raises more questions than it answers. That is its power. It’s what makes it such a wonderful introspective tool, a great deck for shadow work, and an instant favourite for me.

Summaries

The Unveiled Tarot cards

Artist	Jesse Lonergan
Card Size	7.25cm x 12.25cm
Card Stock	Flexible, low sheen
Shuffle	Easy to shuffle in any manner although mine is now slightly warped so I will now focus on overhand only
Fan & Flip Through	Okay to fan; easy to flip through
Suits	Pentacles, Swords, Cups and Wands
Court	King, Queen, Knight, Page
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII; Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Solid packaging; Design by Liminal 11

The Unveiled Tarot Guide book

Written by	Jesse Lonergan with a Foreword by Mike Mignola
Pages	59 pp
Appearance	Hard cover
Spreads	Various Three-card Spread suggestions

Publishing Details

Created by:

Jesse Lonergan

Pictured Version:

Published by Sterling Ethos in January 2025

ISBN 13: 978-1454955771

Websites:

Jessie Lonergan