Insight Editions Tarot Decks: Modern Pop Culture Meets the Pop Culture of Yore

Insight Editions Tarot Decks: Modern Pop Culture Meets the Pop Culture of Yore

Divination is never science, despite the mind-bending Hulu trip that was Devs. That doesn’t stop people from believing that objects, like Tarot cards, can be used to portent the future.

The history of Tarot does not go back to ancient times. It is a relatively modern invention, well, early modern, around the 15th century―well past the era of active gods and demons that populate myths and religious texts. Superstition, however, persists into our era.

But Tarot was not a tool for soothsayers in its original form. It was just a card game.

Tarot emerged in the early 15th century among the aristocratic courts of Northern Italy as a card game called “Tarocchi,” blending intricate imagery with the social amusements of the nobility. Its original purpose centered on skillful play rather than esoteric insight. Over the decades, these early decks spread through Europe, evolving and diverging into various regional styles. By the 18th century, the Enlightenment stirred fresh interpretations, reframing Tarot’s pictures and symbols through occult, Hermetic, and mystical lenses, which gradually allowed the decks to transcend their initial gaming roots, though they are still used for card games in many areas, including France.

So, the 18th century. That it doesn’t have deep roots in the magic of forests filled with spirits and sprites doesn’t make it any less entertaining. The Disney+ series Agatha All Along used Tarot for good effect, as a weapon and as a key to salvation, and as a portal to death (sorry, spoilers/not spoilers).

If you want to explore Tarot for fun, Insight Editions has taken inspiration from the Rider-Waite-Smith and Tarot de Marseille to create modern Tarot decks that ship in collectible boxes and come with instructions.

Tarot started as a popular culture past time (at least for those who had leisure time at the time), and with the Insight Editions Tarot cards, it moves from obscure and fanciful imagery to reinterpretations of the cards with starships, androids and vampire slayers. Yeah, I get that the last one kind of fits the Tarot mold, but Buffy is not a vampire slayer of old.

We had the pleasure of reviewing the Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Tarot decks. The cards sport character-inspired artwork, familiar scenes from the shows, consistency of design and vibrant, expressive illustrations delivered on sturdy card stock. Each officially licensed deck includes 78 cards and a guidebook. They lean into the occult version of Tarot rather than the card games. Some of the decks celebrate milestones. The Buffy pack was released for the 25th anniversary of the show (I know!).

While they probably won’t foretell your future, they are fun collectibles that add a little historical gravitas to our modern popular culture obsessions.

Insight Editions Tarot Decks run $19.99 and up to $45.00 but can often be found discounted on Amazon. Other popular culture fandoms reimagined through Tarot include Fallout, the DC universe, The Lord of the Rings, Stranger Things, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, The Elder Scrolls, Garbage Pail Kids, Disney Villains, Labyrinth, and Supernatural.

Insight Editions provided the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Star Trek:TNG Tarot decks for review. Images courtesy of Insight Editions unless otherwise noted.

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