---
product_id: 41564791
title: "The Illuminated Tarot - Card Games & Gift Giving - The Illuminated Art Series Tarot Cards - Modern Tarot Deck, Cards - Illustrated, Art Series Edition, | 53 Unique Cards for Divination & Gameplay |"
price: "VT9375"
currency: VUV
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/41564791-the-illuminated-tarot-card-games-and-gift-giving-the-illuminated
store_origin: VU
region: Vanuatu
---

# The Illuminated Tarot - Card Games & Gift Giving - The Illuminated Art Series Tarot Cards - Modern Tarot Deck, Cards - Illustrated, Art Series Edition, | 53 Unique Cards for Divination & Gameplay |

**Price:** VT9375
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- **How much does it cost?** VT9375 with free shipping
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## Description

The Illuminated Tarot - Card Games & Gift Giving - The Illuminated Art Series Tarot Cards - Modern Tarot Deck, Cards - Illustrated, Art Series Edition, | 53 Unique Cards for Divination & Gameplay | [Keegan, Caitlin] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Illuminated Tarot - Card Games & Gift Giving - The Illuminated Art Series Tarot Cards - Modern Tarot Deck, Cards - Illustrated, Art Series Edition, | 53 Unique Cards for Divination & Gameplay

Review: Tarot artist performs prodigious prestidigitation, melding Major Arcana into Minor, with magical effect! - The Illuminated Tarot is a tarot deck that's been created using just the 52 cards of a standard playing card deck (plus a 53rd card for The Fool), rather than the 78 cards that usually comprise a tarot deck. I'm not a playing-card reader, but I am an avid tarot reader, so I wasn't sure how the deck would work for me. But the imagery on this tarot/playing card deck is so gorgeous--and the price so reasonable--that I was happy to take a chance on it just to see the images up close and personal. And they fulfill their on-line promise beautifully, in hand. Bright, graphic, and personality-filled, the cards are a joy to look at. I assumed they would be standard playing card size, but in fact they are oversized cards. At 5" high by 3.5" wide, their proportions are closer to playing cards than to the taller, narrower standard tarot deck. Their generous size allows the viewer to see all the details of the artwork (which is a particular pleasure for someone with aging eyes). So, how does deck creator/artist Caitlin Keegan get a 78-card tarot into 53 cards? Very cleverly! First, she eliminated the four Knights, leaving her court cards as Jack (Page), Queen, and King. But all the other cards are there! Really! By making some very sharp connections between the Majors and the Minors, she gets 21 of the cards to do double duty. For instance, the Ace of Wands is also Strength: That card illustration (did I mention clever?) shows a lion holding a wand in its mouth. Some of the connections work better--that is to say, more immediately--for me than others, but all of them make me think, most bring a smile of recognition and understanding, and one, Seven of Swords/Chariot, brought tears to my eyes. (Not sure why. I do have thing for horses, though.) I won't list any of the other pairings, as it would spoil the fun of discovering them for yourself. But you're not left to decipher the "translations" on your own. Keegan provides a beautifully designed, full-color "little white book," which reveals where the doubles appear. Her card meanings do not stick strictly to standard Rider-Waite-Smith meanings, but stray a bit here and there, perhaps toward Crowley, maybe toward playing-card divination. However, although I'm neither a Crowley-style reader nor a playing-card reader, I found the images expressed themselves clearly to me. I did a quick four-card reading for a friend, to test drive the deck, and WOW! It really delivered! So smart, so spot on, and so easy to interpret. I was surprised and impressed! And, like every deck worth its salt, it gave me new insights about the cards drawn. Like the playing cards their graphic vibe borrows from, many of the cards are mirror-image reversible. And the suits are Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades, rather than tarot's Wands, Coins, Cups, and Swords. Deck and cards are housed together in a useful, beautifully designed hard-shell box that hinges on the left side. A ribbon lays across the well the cards lie in, to facilitate removing the cards. My only disappointment is the card stock. It's too "paper-y" for my taste, feeling a lot like cardboard, rather than playing-card or tarot stock. However, I've riffle-shuffled the cards pretty thoroughly, and they held up just fine, so far. But for sure I'm going to purchase another copy. Just in case. And because this deck rocks.
Review: What An Interesting Little Jem! - Everything about this deck—from the feel of the stock to the structure of the reading system—is different from traditional RWS type decks. Which suits me fine. I'm a big fan of non-traditional decks. But while I'm always fine with non-traditional art and interpretations, I'm rarely enamored with anything that breaks the 78-card mold. This deck does that in some really interesting ways, so it won me over. Keegan found ways to work the majors into the 40 cards of the pips, and she reduced the courts to twelve by combining the pages and knights. An example of working the majors into the minors is the Two of Spades (Swords) doubling as the Hanged Man. It makes perfect sense to me. Both have their perspective skewed, both are taking a pause. I thought it was clever. There were other examples like that in the deck, too, such as the Seven of Spades doubling as The Chariot and The Four of Spades doubling as Death's cycle of renewal. The art is very graphic. Some have an updated hippie rock poster sort of vibe, with lots of little details to peruse. And others are very simple almost like wood cut kind of images. All of them felt "new-age modern retro" to me, which has its own story to tell within each card. And most are fully illustrated, while a small handful come close to being TdM style pips. I'm not into non-illustrated pips, but even in the less illustrated ones, she inserts something clever and evocative. My favorite is that, on the Four Of Diamonds/Coins, a king is peeking through one of the coins, checking to make the sure the others are still there. How clever is that?! It's also interesting to note that, while the suit may be Hearts, she uses Cups in her illustrations. Diamonds used Coins (with diamonds on them). Same for all the suits...playing card suits, but with tarot suit imagery. Now, I will say that the book meanings were hit and miss for me based on the vibe I was getting off one card or another. Overall, the book meanings were skewed to the cheery and positive, which could make the deck more mainstream, along with the 53-card structure—a deck of playing cards plus the Fool as the Joker. Totally approachable for the tarot-curious. And maybe I'm getting things from the images the artist didn't intend. But that's OK, because the deck is sparking all sorts of new tarot neurons for me regardless. And I've been reading tarot for 30 years and have a collection of hundreds of decks, so my neurons are pretty jaded. I don't usually get excited enough about a deck to review it. Finally, the packaging is flawless. A sturdy hinged box and first-class presentation. The card stock is thick and sturdy, along the lines of a Schiffer deck, but superior. The cards have a matte gloss finish and the ink (I think) creates a lightly ridged surface to the cards. This creates the perfect friction for shuffling right out of the box. The feel is very different than you're used to, but in a pleasant way. For the price, everything about it is high quality. If you're RWS all the way and uptight about people who mess with tarot's sacred structure, steer clear of this deck. But if you just love exploring decks and different interpretations and perspectives in cartomancy and tarot, give this one a try. And if you know nothing about tarot and just want to have fun and tell fortunes, this is the perfect toe in the water. It is not the same experience as a true, 78-card deck, but it sure is an attractive, approachable alternative.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #310,347 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #242 in Card Games (Books) #260 in Illustration and Graphic Design #908 in Tarot |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,162) |
| Dimensions  | 4.9 x 1.53 x 6.43 inches |
| Edition  | Box Tcr Cr |
| ISBN-10  | 0451496833 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0451496836 |
| Item Weight  | 15.6 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 53 pages |
| Publication date  | April 25, 2017 |
| Publisher  | Clarkson Potter |

## Images

![The Illuminated Tarot - Card Games & Gift Giving - The Illuminated Art Series Tarot Cards - Modern Tarot Deck, Cards - Illustrated, Art Series Edition, | 53 Unique Cards for Divination & Gameplay | - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81UJIucxZBL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tarot artist performs prodigious prestidigitation, melding Major Arcana into Minor, with magical effect!
*by J***S on April 26, 2017*

The Illuminated Tarot is a tarot deck that's been created using just the 52 cards of a standard playing card deck (plus a 53rd card for The Fool), rather than the 78 cards that usually comprise a tarot deck. I'm not a playing-card reader, but I am an avid tarot reader, so I wasn't sure how the deck would work for me. But the imagery on this tarot/playing card deck is so gorgeous--and the price so reasonable--that I was happy to take a chance on it just to see the images up close and personal. And they fulfill their on-line promise beautifully, in hand. Bright, graphic, and personality-filled, the cards are a joy to look at. I assumed they would be standard playing card size, but in fact they are oversized cards. At 5" high by 3.5" wide, their proportions are closer to playing cards than to the taller, narrower standard tarot deck. Their generous size allows the viewer to see all the details of the artwork (which is a particular pleasure for someone with aging eyes). So, how does deck creator/artist Caitlin Keegan get a 78-card tarot into 53 cards? Very cleverly! First, she eliminated the four Knights, leaving her court cards as Jack (Page), Queen, and King. But all the other cards are there! Really! By making some very sharp connections between the Majors and the Minors, she gets 21 of the cards to do double duty. For instance, the Ace of Wands is also Strength: That card illustration (did I mention clever?) shows a lion holding a wand in its mouth. Some of the connections work better--that is to say, more immediately--for me than others, but all of them make me think, most bring a smile of recognition and understanding, and one, Seven of Swords/Chariot, brought tears to my eyes. (Not sure why. I do have thing for horses, though.) I won't list any of the other pairings, as it would spoil the fun of discovering them for yourself. But you're not left to decipher the "translations" on your own. Keegan provides a beautifully designed, full-color "little white book," which reveals where the doubles appear. Her card meanings do not stick strictly to standard Rider-Waite-Smith meanings, but stray a bit here and there, perhaps toward Crowley, maybe toward playing-card divination. However, although I'm neither a Crowley-style reader nor a playing-card reader, I found the images expressed themselves clearly to me. I did a quick four-card reading for a friend, to test drive the deck, and WOW! It really delivered! So smart, so spot on, and so easy to interpret. I was surprised and impressed! And, like every deck worth its salt, it gave me new insights about the cards drawn. Like the playing cards their graphic vibe borrows from, many of the cards are mirror-image reversible. And the suits are Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades, rather than tarot's Wands, Coins, Cups, and Swords. Deck and cards are housed together in a useful, beautifully designed hard-shell box that hinges on the left side. A ribbon lays across the well the cards lie in, to facilitate removing the cards. My only disappointment is the card stock. It's too "paper-y" for my taste, feeling a lot like cardboard, rather than playing-card or tarot stock. However, I've riffle-shuffled the cards pretty thoroughly, and they held up just fine, so far. But for sure I'm going to purchase another copy. Just in case. And because this deck rocks.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What An Interesting Little Jem!
*by S***E on September 1, 2017*

Everything about this deck—from the feel of the stock to the structure of the reading system—is different from traditional RWS type decks. Which suits me fine. I'm a big fan of non-traditional decks. But while I'm always fine with non-traditional art and interpretations, I'm rarely enamored with anything that breaks the 78-card mold. This deck does that in some really interesting ways, so it won me over. Keegan found ways to work the majors into the 40 cards of the pips, and she reduced the courts to twelve by combining the pages and knights. An example of working the majors into the minors is the Two of Spades (Swords) doubling as the Hanged Man. It makes perfect sense to me. Both have their perspective skewed, both are taking a pause. I thought it was clever. There were other examples like that in the deck, too, such as the Seven of Spades doubling as The Chariot and The Four of Spades doubling as Death's cycle of renewal. The art is very graphic. Some have an updated hippie rock poster sort of vibe, with lots of little details to peruse. And others are very simple almost like wood cut kind of images. All of them felt "new-age modern retro" to me, which has its own story to tell within each card. And most are fully illustrated, while a small handful come close to being TdM style pips. I'm not into non-illustrated pips, but even in the less illustrated ones, she inserts something clever and evocative. My favorite is that, on the Four Of Diamonds/Coins, a king is peeking through one of the coins, checking to make the sure the others are still there. How clever is that?! It's also interesting to note that, while the suit may be Hearts, she uses Cups in her illustrations. Diamonds used Coins (with diamonds on them). Same for all the suits...playing card suits, but with tarot suit imagery. Now, I will say that the book meanings were hit and miss for me based on the vibe I was getting off one card or another. Overall, the book meanings were skewed to the cheery and positive, which could make the deck more mainstream, along with the 53-card structure—a deck of playing cards plus the Fool as the Joker. Totally approachable for the tarot-curious. And maybe I'm getting things from the images the artist didn't intend. But that's OK, because the deck is sparking all sorts of new tarot neurons for me regardless. And I've been reading tarot for 30 years and have a collection of hundreds of decks, so my neurons are pretty jaded. I don't usually get excited enough about a deck to review it. Finally, the packaging is flawless. A sturdy hinged box and first-class presentation. The card stock is thick and sturdy, along the lines of a Schiffer deck, but superior. The cards have a matte gloss finish and the ink (I think) creates a lightly ridged surface to the cards. This creates the perfect friction for shuffling right out of the box. The feel is very different than you're used to, but in a pleasant way. For the price, everything about it is high quality. If you're RWS all the way and uptight about people who mess with tarot's sacred structure, steer clear of this deck. But if you just love exploring decks and different interpretations and perspectives in cartomancy and tarot, give this one a try. And if you know nothing about tarot and just want to have fun and tell fortunes, this is the perfect toe in the water. It is not the same experience as a true, 78-card deck, but it sure is an attractive, approachable alternative.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by T***I on January 11, 2019*

First the box is soooo good!! Card stock is amazing,they shuffle so well!! Images are so vibrant detailed. This isn't a deck for beginners because major arcana cards are put into minor arcana(thus reducing number of cards to 53). It might be confusing and tough to get used to it at first. But once you are comfortable with this,you will love it!! Its so good that now it has become my "go-to" deck for any queries. I'm loving it! Glad that i got one..if you are bored of RWS and its clone decks,try this..its amazing! No regrets whatsoever..♥️♥️♥️

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Illuminated Tarot: 53 Cards for Divination & Gameplay (The Illuminated Art Series)
- The Illuminated Tarot Guidebook
- Illuminated Playing Cards: Two Decks for Games and Tarot (The Illuminated Art Series)

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*Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu*
*Store origin: VU*
*Last updated: 2026-03-18*