I think that we’re at a time when our world is changing, and it’s definitely getting to a point where we can’t ignore it–and they shouldn’t be ignored. This can be reflected in our tarot practices simply with the decks we choose.
So this week’s theme is Social Statements.
Cultural Revolution Tarot
This deck has images from the Cultural Revolution in China. In my opinion, it’s a very powerful deck with strong messages in its images. They pull the heart in so many directions, cerating a feeling of peacefulness when looking at the Hermit, a feeling of joy with the 6 of Cups which depicts children pouring water into garden cups while their parents watch. The 4 of Pentacles is a man starving to deal as he kneels over his coins.
The borderless deck is based on Chinese Propoganda, and has a powerful commentary on the influence of propaganda on the public. I have to say, I’m quite tempted to et this deck myself.
The deck is still available, though under a different name, The Chinese Propaganda Art, and can be found on TarotCollectables.com. The creator is James Battersby, the same creator for the next deck, the Trippin’ Waite Tarot.
Trippin’ Waite Tarot
I picked this deck becuase while the images are basically the Rider-Waite remastered to be psychadelic and with a 60’s and 70’s ‘groovy’ vibe, The Trippin’ Waite Tarot has quite a few pieces of social commentary in it. The Devil Card for example shows the harshness of the Vietnam war, both on those who were drafted and of those who lived there and had no say in the matter.
(Images above from Co-Author’s Twitter account @Cellinidiamonds)
While there could be more diversity in the deck overall (in fact I think there is only a couple of non-white individuals in the Minor Arcana), it is still more inclusive than other decks, featuring a beatufiul depiction of Judgement and the World.
This deck is a self-published deck and is available for purchase.
Next World Tarot
Chrissy C. Road created the Next World Tarot, which depicts the next stages the world needs to go into if we are to evolve into an inclusive society.
Featuring body outlaws, endangered cultures, and anti-colonial belief systems, the Next World Tarot envisions a world where justice relies on respect and revolutionary love. The Fool’s Journey is about smashing systematic oppression, owning their truths, being accountable to the people and places that support them, and taking back a connection to their body that may have been lost through trauma or societal brainwashing. The Next World Tarot is a visual spectacle of both the battle cry and the reconnection between outcasts and their criminalised identities. (Deck description)
As I read through some of the reviews, the negative reviews said that they were too dark or too political, which is why I think that this deck is all the more important. We need things which make us think in our media, working with it in our daily living. If this deck can help us to be more conscious to what’s going on around us, then I think it is an essential item.
The trail of crumbs I found for this deck was mostly posts about the Kickstarter to get this going. There isn’t actually a page for it on Aeclectic, but there are lots of forum posts on it, and further, there are articles interviewing the creator. Finally, you can easily find it on Amazon, which I recommend you do. I mention the crumb trail becuase I think it is amazing that a self-published deck which started on Kickstarter made it on to Amazon as something that can be ordered via Prime.
I actually found it kind of difficult to find decks that had this theme. I’d like to put some more research into this and see what else I can find. If you know of any decks that have a social commentary that I haven’t found, please, let me know in the comments! This to me is an extremely important theme!
