For the past several years, I have been working on a complete (standard) tarot card deck, where every card represents a different animal.
Most animal species have their own religious or cultural significance, depending on who they have interacted with and what lives they have touched. Because of this, there is a rich, untapped vein of possibilities in regards to connecting our most beloved species with cards that hold deep meaning to those who know how to read them. It is my belief is that every living being has a story, packed with symbolism and lessons that can be readily represented by individual tarot cards.
From studying these cards and finding appropriate animals to represent each one, I have compiled a list of what species will be celebrated in my own deck. The four suits can be seen as their own kingdoms or environments where these animals dwell: Cups being the sea, Wands being the plains and warmer climates, Swords being the mountains and elevated areas, and Pentacles being the woods and surrounding terrain.
As this has been a private project thus far, I will continue to update this page as I finalize card designs. There will be larger updates on my Instagram account (as well as this page), so be on the lookout if you are interested!
(Featured here is the Four of Wands, a card that represents joy, celebration and homecoming. Parrots have many positive associations in various cultures, but for this joyful card I wanted to lean into the colorful and celebratory view of these lovely creatures!)