Time Time Tarot - MJS Tarot

I can’t say for sure, but I think I first discovered Time Tarot as I was looking at decks on Etsy for my birthday. The art style and concept appealed to me but the additional costs associated with the postage and the currency exchange — not so much. But I couldn’t let it go. The Kickstarter blurb, “The Time Tarot deck was conceived and created to help people understand their relationship with [time and how] it manifests itself in two opposing forms: fleeting moments and endless eternity” had me intrigued. So when I still had enough money left in my birthday budget I clicked “Proceed to checkout” and now I have the pleasure of working with this deck.

A Time Tarot card titled 9 of Cups shows a person in a red hat lounging on grass beside cups, a dog nearby, and a large clock structure and hourglass in the background, with trees and buildings surrounding the scene.

A person in historical clothing stands on the deck of a ship, looking out over the ocean. The sky is clear, and a large clock face from the Time Tarot is faintly visible in the background. Text at the bottom reads 2 OF WANDS.

About the Time Tarot cards

Time Tarot is an RWS based deck inspired by Dutch artwork from the 16th and 17th centuries. I like a good historical art inspired deck and I look forward to adding more to my collection. If you have any recommendations I’d love to hear about them. (I have Golden Tarot, Heaven and Earth Tarot, The William Blake Tarot, and The Medieval Scapini.) But back to this deck.

I love visiting art galleries and with Time Tarot I feel like I’m flicking through a Dutch Golden Age exhibition catalogue. The colouring and the stories each card tell are worthy of admiration.

An elderly man with a cane stands next to a smiling child holding a cup and leading a dog on a leash, under stone arches with an hourglass above them in a courtyard—a charming scene from the Time Tarot. The text at the bottom reads 6 OF CUPS.

A Time Tarot card labeled Death shows a skeleton holding a scythe, seated before a large clock face with Roman numerals. The card is numbered XIII (13) at the top.

Take the 6 of Cups as an example. It is possible to form so many stories around this card. And, while I don’t read XIII Death as literal death, with the focus on time here, it does comes to mind, as do many figurative interpretations.

We never know when things will end, or how quickly, so we need to enjoy things while they last. To the young, growing up takes so long. Ask my granddaughter. She’ll tell you. Yet, ask most people post-40 and they’ll tell you that their youth passed way too quick. I might have no desire to go back but it doesn’t seem that long ago I held my own babies in my arms. Now I’m holding grandchildren and I can’t tell you where those thirty years went.

Tarot card titled The Star from the Time Tarot, showing an elderly man in a brown robe using an astrolabe under a night sky, with a bright shooting star overhead and a town in the background.

A man walks on a long, twisting strip resembling a clock face with Roman numerals. An hourglass floats above. The green landscape and distant mountains evoke the passage of time—classic themes of the Time Tarot. Text at the bottom reads 8 OF CUPS.

Focus

I think we all wonder about where the time went at some point, whether it be in reference to hours or years. That was one aspect artist, Eugene Vinitski was exploring when he hand drew the images for the Time Tarot over several years. Reading the card through a time-focused lens raises a different series of questions which can, in turn, provide a new depth to a reading. Once this habit is established this approach can then be transferred to any deck when appropriate. However, when using this deck it will always be at the forefront of my thinking.

As a side note, on the morning I was editing this post I had been working with the Starman Tarot and I found myself reading the Introduction in the guide book. Exploring our relationship with time is something its creator, Davide de Angelis, is also fascinated by. I never would have connected these two decks but here they are and I can’t help but think there is a greater message at play here. Time will tell.

A man in dark clothing stands by a riverbank, looking down at three spilled cups. Two upright cups and some greenery are nearby. An hourglass hangs from a tree branch, evoking the passing moments of Time Tarot. The card reads 5 OF CUPS.

A tarot card labeled Ace of Wands from the Time Tarot deck shows two men in old-fashioned clothes standing by a giant vertical wand with leaves, set in a rural landscape beneath a cloudy blue sky with part of a clock face at the top.

Structure

The Time Tarot follows the standard RWS nominations albeit Pentacles are Coins. However, Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins are not depicted in the imagery. Instead he has chosen elements associated with time. So, the masculine suits, Wands and Swords, are represented by clock mechanics. Wands are pendulums and Swords are clock hands. The feminine suits, Cups and Coins, are represented by antique timepieces thus Cups become hourglasses and Coins are astrolabes. On some cards you’ll see the number incorporated in some way in the artwork but for the most part that isn’t the case. The symbol for each is shown in the upper right hand corner.

There are no name changes in the Major Arcana. Strength is VIII and Justice is XI.

A man in period clothing sits at a workbench, focused on his craft. Behind him, many clocks hang on the wall, hinting at Time Tarot symbolism. Sunlight streams through a window. Text at the bottom reads 8 OF COINS.

A person in historical attire, wearing a red hat, sneaks away with five swords, leaving two behind. In the background, a chaotic scene unfolds as others react. The card reads 7 of Swords from the Time Tarot deck.

Physical attributes

The cards measure 7cm x 12 cm and are edged with gold gilding. Printed on 350gsm cardstock with a low sheen finish, they are a dream to shuffle and fan. As is the case with most of my gilded decks I don’t riffle this one.

My interpretations of some random pairings

A Time Tarot card, the King of Swords, shows an armored king in a gold crown and red cape holding a sword, standing before a dark wall stacked with skulls and bones arranged in rows.

A Time Tarot card titled Wheel of Fortune shows a giant clock wheel with human faces at three points. Two people push the wheel at the bottom, while clouds and sky fill the background. The Roman numeral X sits at the top.

King of Swords & X Wheel of Fortune

My first thought was that notions of skeletons in the closet needs to change. What thoughts, ideas and experiences is it time to bring to light.

But viewing the idea of time as fleeting and eternal raises the question, “What thoughts that should have been short-lived have been allowed to live on and what would it be like if we changed how we viewed them? It’s time to explore what we’ve been holding on to further and decide which beliefs belong and deserve our attention and which need to be let go.

The skulls remind me of a repository of knowledge since they are lined up like books on a bookshelf. Sitting alongside X The Wheel of Fortune serves as a potent reminder of how knowledge and beliefs change over time. There is a need to revisit not only the stories we tell about ourselves to ourselves and others but also those we tell and believe about others and life in general.

There is also a reminder that “facts” are not as concrete as we imagine them to be. Thinking changes — maybe sometimes not as much as we tell ourselves it does — but nevertheless, like the person on the card, we’ve got to stop flogging a wooden barrel. Just like some of the beliefs that continue to hold sway today, that action makes little sense at all.

A man sits on a bench, looking overwhelmed. Above him, seven floating cups from the Time Tarot hold clocks, a mask, and a castle—symbols of choices and illusions. Lush greenery frames the scene with a distant city in the background.

A tarot card titled King of Coins from the Time Tarot shows a regal man in ornate, gold and blue robes standing confidently. Behind him are large coins with astrological symbols, set against arched windows and a sunlit interior.

7 of Cups & King of Coins

Another king and I feel an even more clear message linked to choice. This time the choice seems obvious. It’s about choosing how we spend our time. Are we choosing wisely? Is what we are dedicating our time to enriching our lives or detracting from it? Is the focus on short-term or long-term gain?

The way the man on the 7 of Cups is looking at the King of Coins makes me wonder if he’s questioning what could have been. But, as to whether his impression is positive or negative is up to individual interpretation. For example, has this King of Coins put all his time into building his business and wealth only to discover now that time is fleeting and can’t be regained? This is a deck about time after all and it is clocks stacked up behind the throne, not money or possessions. Conversely, the man on the 7 of Cups could be wondering why he didn’t invest his time better. Did he choose instant gratification over putting in the effort way too often?

A Time Tarot card labeled XIV Temperance shows a serene woman in a classical dress pouring liquid between two cups, with a large hourglass in front of her and a soft, pastoral landscape in the background.

A man in old-fashioned clothes digs with a shovel in a green field where several pocket watches grow from the ground, evoking the theme of Time Tarot; distant hills and ruins are in the background. The card reads 7 OF COINS at the bottom.

XIV Temperance & 7 of Coins

I am pretty sure there is a bigger message at play here too since I’ve drawn two Major Arcana, two Kings and two sevens. In light of the previous cards, I see this as a time for re-evaluation. If the woman on the Temperance card could look into her crystal ball she’d know how everything is going to play out but she can’t. Time moves on though.

Following on from whatever she left behind in the Death card, she needs to decide what to do now. Maybe she needs to take time to heal, to reconnect, or maybe she needs to shake things up a bit. Or maybe she’s rueing the decisions she made in the 7 of Cups.

Either way, with the 7 of Pentacles here as well it makes me think she’ll need to be patient. She can’t turn back time, nor can she speed it up. Things will take the time they take to grow and develop, including my understanding of the potential of this deck.

Eight people climb ropes suspended in the air against a natural landscape with a rocky hill, evoking swift movement like the Time Tarot. The card is labeled 8 OF WANDS, and a gold sphere hangs from one of the ropes on the right.

A tarot card titled Page of Coins from the Time Tarot depicts a young person in period clothing holding a staff and a book, standing on snow near a tree with a coin emblem. A village and church are visible in the background.

The Time Tarot Guidebook

The Time Tarot comes with a 192-paged, perfect bound, card sized guidebook. The Introduction is taken straight from the Kickstarter campaign. It’s informative and already starts you on the process of thinking about time and how you can link it with the tarot. Then it’s straight into the card meanings starting with the Major Arcana.

Both the Major and Minor Arcana receive similar treatment. Beneath the title is an inset thumbnail image and two to three pages of information. The black text and greyscale image on cream paper is nice.

A Time Tarot card titled The Magician shows a man in a red robe holding a clock and violin, surrounded by drawers filled with clocks, standing by a table with clock faces and an hourglass beneath a dark sun.

Example: I The Magician

This entry runs to three pages so I’ll just share the opening lines. This will still be enough to give you a feel for how the book expresses the card meanings though.

The art of time management is the magic. The magic of combining the past with the future, to live every moment of the present in full force as if time is frozen — only a true Magician can succeed at doing this. The magician moves skilfully and speaks with confidence and, in front of their awe-inspiring spectators, masterfully creates illusions and new realities from the elements stored in their many secret and concealed pockets. In them, as in drawers, lie a multitude of hour dials and well-hidden events of yesterday and tomorrow. But which ones? The magician had removed the hands from all the clocks so that time would stop running, at least momentarily. A pendulum sways like a metronome. ...

This continues for another page and a half. Then there are two keyword sections. For the upright it is headed Meaning.

MEANING: Mastership, the beginning of action, training, leadership, self-confidence, new communication, prosperity, the release of talents.
Reversed: Lack of will, insecurity, problems, trickery, blackmail.

Two figures in winter clothing struggle past a snow-covered church. One uses a cane; the other wears a red shawl. A gold coin symbol glows above. The card reads 5 of Coins, echoing themes found in the Time Tarot.

A person carrying a large clock on their back walks with a cane toward a village, while others work in a field under a partly cloudy sky. The card reads 10 OF WANDS at the bottom, evoking themes from the Time Tarot.

After the card meanings comes a section titled Tarot Cards and Time Frames. I don’t use cards for predictive type readings but it was interesting read all the same. I’m sure this section will appeal to many people, especially since it doesn’t appear in many guidebooks.

Finally there is a spread — Time Tarot Spread subtitled relationships. I tried this but it just didn’t work for me. In part this might be because it was designed around quite a specific scenario. Nevertheless, they do suggest many forms of relationship can be explored with the spread. Elsa Khapatnukovski does explain the spread using a specific example which I think is always beneficial.

All in all, it is an interesting book to read.

A man in a hat and orange coat hands out coins to three children reaching toward him. Outdoors on grass with mountains behind, this Time Tarot card reads 6 OF COINS at the bottom.

A card labeled 3 of Wands from the Time Tarot shows a person in medieval clothing standing on a rocky cliff, holding a staff, gazing over a winding path, hills, and a village beneath a large clock in the sky.

Final thoughts

The Time Tarot is an enjoyable deck to work with. I appreciate the artwork and exploring the cards from a time perspective has been a captivating experience. I’ve been interested in the concept of time for quite a while now, so in hindsight I’m surprised I didn’t jump at this deck immediately. But I have it now and I’m sure it will be in regular rotation.

A Time Tarot card titled The Fool shows a man in colorful clothes and a jester hat stepping toward a cliff with a staff and hoop, followed by a small dog. A torn clock face appears in the sky above him.

A barefoot young person in old-fashioned clothing and a hat stands outdoors holding a long rifle. Trees and a cloudy sky are in the background. The words Page of Swords and the Time Tarot blue sword symbol appear on the card.

Summaries

Time Tarot cards

Artist	Eugene Vinitski
Card Size	7cm x 12cm
Card Stock	Low sheen
Shuffle	I only overhand shuffle this deck
Fan & Flip Through	Easy to fan and flip through
Suits	Coins, Cups, Swords and Wands
Court	Page, Knight, Queen & King
Strength / Justice	Strength VIII; Justice XI
Miscellaneous	Solid clamshell box with spot UV embellishments

Time Tarot Guidebook

Written by	Elsa Khapatnukovski
Pages	192 pp
Appearance	B & W card-sized, perfect bound LWB
Spreads	Time Tarot Spread (6 cards)

A tabletop displays the Time Tarot card deck, its instruction booklet, a classic alarm clock, hourglass, brass compass, and a fan of blue Time Tarot cards with intricate gold designs.

Publishing Details

Created by:

Eugene Vinitski (artist and creator) & Elsa Khapatnukovski (author)

Pictured Version:

First edition self-published by the creators in February 2025

Websites:

Eugene Vinitski

2 Comments

sbe

29 July 2025 at 2:59 am Reply

Wow, this is just so striking. I really love this concept, which seems like a natural fit for tarot (in the same way I thought that the Magical Hours was a great concept). I keep staring at that 8 of Cups. It’s one of my favorte cards in a deck, and I love this take on it. I really enjoy an hourglass image in a tarot deck, and you don’t see it so often…it’s a really cool association with the cups. (fyi, other favorite images in a deck are mirrors and wishing wells). I also keep looking at the King of Swords. This is a really unique take as well. I think I’d enjoy the guidebook for this one based on the Magician description. This has been added to my [very long] wish list.

As for other art decks, obviously you’re receiving Folkloric Forest soon. You probably read on her website that she is planning others in the series. She’s currently working on the Water deck. And also planned are a Fire, Air, and I think a shadow is the final one. I really like her work, so I’ll probably add more to my collection. I’m particularly interested in the Air. Anyway, I have owned (and have since sold) the Tarot of Persephone’s Garden (found on etsy). I thought it was really beautiful but just didn’t reach for it. I will be receiving Sublime Thresholds tarot after a kickstarter campaign, probably in September. It is from Urania press (author of starlore arcana and tarot emblemata and others…most of which I believe are going or are already MM). There are some available from shops on Make Playing cards (rosebae tarot; garden goddess tarot; lennan smith tarot) that look really nice. Rose Bae’s Lacrimosa tarot seems to be a particular favorite.
- Mel
  
  30 July 2025 at 8:37 pm Reply
  
  Thanks for all your suggestions. I really appreciate it. I like the look of Persephone’s Garden but she doesn’t have either version listed on her Etsy anymore. That’s probably a good thing for me since I’m guessing the other decks in the Folkloric set will end up on my wish list as well. The Sublime Thresholds tarot looks interesting too. I look forward to hearing how you find it.
  
  Since you like mirrors, do you have the Chrysalis Tarot?