Aquarian Tarot

The Aquarian Tarot deck illustrated by David Palladini combines Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles with the intention to bring medieval Tarot symbolism into the Modern Aquarian Age.

Originally published in the late 1960s, the Aquarian Tarot gives a flavour of the era’s changing energies with the fold out Little White Book beginning with “In this the dawning of the Age of Aquarius the Tarot Cards are enjoying a revival of interest”. This is a “traditional” deck which follows the standard system of 78 cards, 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana divided into four suits of Cups, Swords, Pentacles and Rods (wands). There is a white border around the cards and within the majors the card title is elaborately worked into the design and a Roman Numeral tops each card. The colours have a muted melancholy feel, as if seen by moonlight, making the occasional spot of bright colour jump out.  Faces are mostly shown through as serene and thoughtful.

The minors follow the symbolism set out in the Smite-Waite rendered through an art-deco style. In contrast, Palladini took more liberties with the Majors with a preference for closeups on the figures.