Deck Review- Tarot of the Tattoo Age

When I first saw the images of Tarot of the Tattoo Age, getting it was a no brainer for me.  I collect tarot, I love tattoos, and it was very reasonably priced.  What I did not know is whether or not it would be a reading deck for me, or another one to grace the shelves, beautiful to look at, but of no use as a reading deck.  I was happy to find it read very well for me!

Tarot of the Tattoo Age is a self published collaborative deck by Flaco Productions, LLC.  78 different tattoo artists were randomly assigned one of the cards from the Waite Smith deck and each produced their own unique take on it.  Some of the artists, I assume, had some exposure to tarot, some none, and some may even have been experts.  I imagine some of the artists delved into deep research about their card, and some just drew whatever they felt like in a snatch of a moment.  Some may have taken weeks to complete their card, and some only minutes.  The result is a diverse set of cards reflecting many different aesthetics, which was precisely my concern when using the deck.  Would I find the different art too distracting to use as a reading deck, no matter how beautiful I found the picture?  Time bore out that the imagery spoke volumes to me, and while I did notice the cards were different in style, it did not detract from my readings.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- The Fool (s)

There are 79 cards in this deck, with two similar but different takes on The Fool by artist Tim Lehi.  Only one of them appeared for me this week, but I did leave both in the shuffle, just to see what would happen.  The box image appears above, featuring The Emperor, and all the work I have done with the deck can be found here.  A Little White Book with some standard meanings and attributions to all the artists is included, but I would not call it a conclusive read on tarot imagery or how to read, nor should it be, since this is clearly a deck for collectors, or anyone who the art just draws in, and those people are likely to be experienced readers.  If you are a beginning student but love the deck, go ahead and get it, because all decks you resonate with will tell you exactly the story you need to hear, and book meanings be damned.  There are no rules in tarot, except to thine ownself be true, and treat other with respect and dignity, as well as yourself.  Those are kinda rules for life, too, so I think you'll be all right.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age Back

Physically, the cards are large, 3 1/2 inches by 5 inches, and glossily laminated with unobtrusive white borders with a thin grey double line.  They come in a slightly thin, to my taste, flap top box, but in the world of self publishing boxes add quite a bit to production costs, so it is understandable.  I do not riffle shuffle, but the cards probably have enough give to do so and are probably sturdy enough to take it.  The 22 Major Arcana are labeled with their Roman numeral at the top and their title at the bottom.  They are all traditionally named, with Strength at Trump VIII and Justice at Trump XI.  The backs are a non-reversible design featuring a green Pentacle surrounded by esoteric symbols for each suit comtained by a green circle and an ombre coloring pattern with a criss cross design.  The Minor Arcana are mostly illustrated, although a few of the cards are what I would call "moody pips", more than just an arrangement of the suit symbols, but less than a full pictorial story in a card.  The suits contain the Ace through Ten of Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, as well as Court Cards called Page, Knight, Queen, and King.  The titles of the Minors all appear at the bottom of the image.

Some of the cards are color saturated, and some are in grey scale.  Some are somber in color, and some are an explosion of it.  The Pentacles Court has three of the four Court Cards in grey tones, and more than its' share of pip cards are also in grey.  I identify myself as the Queen of Pentacles, but I did not get a lot out of her imagery.  I also did not draw this card this week, so if I had in a reading context I may have felt differently.  If I have any complaint about the deck, it is that the Court Cards could have been more evocative in some cases, but even people who have studied tarot for years sometimes struggle with the Courts, so who am I to judge some artists that may have never experienced tarot in a personal way before in their lives?  Some cards are extremely derivative of Waite Smith flavor, some a bit Thoth-y, some went down the Tarot de Marseilles route, and some I am having a hard time reconciling to any tradition that I am aware of, but that is quite all right.  It's good to come at cards from a new angle, to stretch and to grow.  I imagine that some of the artists just created whatever they felt embodied the energy of the card, and part of enjoying art is feeling the differences, as well as commonalities, of the way we and the artist experience the world.

There are some images to allude to violence, some blood, and some stylized nudity.  This deck is probably not appropriate to all audiences, so make sure you know yours before putting it on display or using it as a reading deck in public.  There is nothing I would not let my own kids see, but I let them play Halo on the Xbox and don't freak out if they see a nipple in the course of everyday activity.  If you have a conservative clientele, they may not appreciate the nuances of tattoo as an art form or the hint of buttock, not to mention the cheeky comedy in some of the cards.

The following images did not appear in my week of working with the deck, so may be all new to you, and as usual, I included both favorite and images I like less than others.  I hope they are helpful as you make your decision about this deck!

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- The High Priestess, Four of Pentacles, Five of Swords

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Ten of Cups, Three of Wands, The Devil

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Queen of Pentacles, Two of Swords, the Star

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- The Lovers, Ace of Wands, Two of Cups

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Strength, Seven of Pentacles, Page of Swords

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- King of Cups, Six of Wands,The Hanged Man

I hope this review has been as fun for you to read as it, and the whole week with Tarot of the Tattoo Age, has been for me!  Please pass it around if you find it useful!

The High Priestess is by artist Chad Soner.

The Four of Pentacles is by artist Justin Lipuma.
The Five of Swords is by artist Nick Rodin.

The Ten of Cups is by artist Tomas Kesemeyer.

The Three of Wands is by artist Joey Ortega.

The Devil is by artist Chris Lain.

The Queen of Pentacles is by artist Chris O'Donnell.

The Two of Swords is by artist Dean Bodily.

The Star is by artist Dan Smith.

The Lovers is by artist Bart Bingham.
The Ace of Wands is by artist david.schmoe.ellwanger

The Two of Cups is by artist Sandi Calistro.
Strength is by artist Timothy Hoyer.

The Seven of Pentacles is by artist David Rogerson.

The Page of Swords is by artist Lisa Murphy.

The King of Cups is by artist Mike Pace.

The Six of Wands is by artist Aaron Coleman.

The Hanged Man is by artist Greg Christian.

These cards are from Tarot of the Tattoo Age, a collaborative project self published by Flaco Productions, LLC.

I have had many people who do, or choose, not to have access to Facebook ask me how to get these cards.  The best information I have been able to come up with follows, but I suggest making contact yourself.  The creator, or maybe artists wrangler is a better description, CJ Starkey, was very pleasant to work with and my money order was received with no issues and my deck shipped out with lightning speed.

They are $35 each if paying by check or money order includes shipping and handling in the US. Make payable to:

FLACO Productions
348 South State St.
SLC, UT 84111

or $38 by PayPal includes priority mail & delivery confirmation
sales@slctattoo.com

Daily Draw- Knight of Wands, Seven of Swords, The Hierophant

First, I need to say a very Happy Birthday to my handsome, wonderful, very nearly perfect husband, whose day it is today, and it will be packed for us!  I am hoping 39 will be the best year of your life, sugar, and I will do everything in my power to make it so!

Guess what else- I had another jumper, just like yesterday, and I am thinking this one is advice for the day ahead, or perhaps an explanation.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Knight of Wands, Seven of Swords, The Hierophant

I am not thinking this is going to be the most peaceful day we have had, but we have had two solid days of it, more than we usually get, so I am pleased with that.  Both the Knight of Wands and the Seven of Swords have appeared this week, and neither is a particularly positive message for me, so I am not so happy to see them again.  Actually, the Knight of Wands appeared in a reading I decided not to blog as too personal, but he and I are familiar with each other.

This is not our normal weekend with kids.  My ex is extremely solicitous and willing to work with me, as I am with him, so getting mine to celebrate my husband's birthday has been no issue.  His kids mom, though, is threatening to withhold the kids even though their court orders and parenting agreement clearly state that they are each to be allowed to have the children on their birthdays.  Hers was last month, and she let us know several weeks ahead of time she did not wish to have the kids on her birthday, which fell on our weekend.  My husband does wish to have the kids on his birthday, which falls on her weekend.  I am sorry she did not want to spend her birthday with her kids, but my husband does.  She doesn't get to choose that, and I know it irks her.  These cards reflect that, the fighting Knight of Wands, who is all hot air, and totally turned away from this reading.  I think she would like to withhold the kids, as she has threatened, and we can see that in the sneaky Seven of Swords.  She'd like to steal time that belongs to my husband, and for no true good reason except to hurt him, and it would.  I think she will relent though, as my husband has been clear he will call the police, he will file a report, and he will ask our lawyer to press contempt of court charges against her if she does not relinquish the kids as requested, and the stern Hierophant reflects her fear of punitive actions.  I believe it is not Justice that appears here, because I do not think she is looking for Justice.  She just doesn't want to upset the powers that be, and she shouldn't.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Nine of Pentacles

My jumper is the Nine of Pentacles.  I absolutely do not understand why she wants to fight with my husband over every single kid issue, but that is because I stand on my own two feet, and always have.  My belief, through my personal knowledge of her (which is great; but that is a story for another day) and my personal readings on the subject lead me to believe she has a lot of issues with her dad, which get played out in these power struggles with my husband because she does not have the ability to work out her daddy issues, or chooses not to, because Daddy pays the bills in that family (she has not worked in over 14 years.  We should all be so lucky, I sometimes think, but then, especially when I look at the Nine of Pentacles, I know that I'd rather be independent than not work, especially as I know what her father's money has cost her).  She can't risk his ire, but she can, and does, fight with my husband.

The Nine of Pentacles, this self made, self sufficient woman, explains why I don't understand her- we do not operate from the same view of life, that simple.  We were both single mothers to the same age children, and we handled it in two totally different ways.  It's not my place to judge her, but I know I did the best I could with what I had, and while she has been more financially secure than I have, I would not trade places with her for anything.  That white dove symbolizes peace, of the utmost importance to me, and she and I just have no common ground to meet on, nor does she want to, which is fine.  Her choice to make, and her loss of me as a friend and ally.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Ten of Swords

The Shadow Card is the Ten of Swords, which is one I rather like, but the Ten of Swords often denotes drama to me.  You need one Sword to do a lot of damage.  Ten is just overkill.

Unfortunately, I think we have to be prepared for drama tomorrow, and I hate that.  My kids should never have to see it.  You can hurt me all you want, and I don't care.  I have to give a fig what you think about me in order for you to hurt me, and I just don't in this case.  But hurt my kids, any five of them, and I am wounded to my core.  The Hierophant appears to me to be shedding tears, and that is the card that corresponds to my astrological sign of Taurus.  I may cry today, and I hate that, too.  My husband is a good person, a great dad, an amazing husband, and he deserves to have a happy birthday, not one rife with drama and fighting.

In this case, I deeply hope I am wrong, and the cards are just reflecting the possibilities in this moment.  I hope by the time we are to receive the kids she has come to the right decision and doesn't inflict pain on them or my husband, as well as my other kids.  Her problems should not become the problems of the innocent.

The Knight of Wands is by artist Mike Wilson.
The Seven of Wands is by artist Brenda Flatmo.
The Hierophant is by artist Daniel Albrigo.
The Nine of Pentacles is by artist Vic Back.

The Ten of Swords is by artist Noodles.

These cards are from Tarot of the Tattoo Age, a collaborative project self published by Flaco Productions, LLC.

Daily Draw- King of Swords, The Fool, The World

I had a jumper today.  A jumper is a card that falls out while you are shuffling, and while sometimes it is just clumsy handling of the cards.  This one was pretty insistent, though, so I am adding it!

It's late in the day or me, and I am probably in for the day, although The Man and I are blessed with another night all to ourselves.  We may go out later.  Or we may stay in and go to sleep early.  We have been so busy that we have deeply enjoyed these couple relaxing days.  These cards probably talk about what has already happened, since all that is on my agenda for the evening is writing a couple reviews and reading City Magick by Christopher Penczak in preparation for Tuesday evening's Unearthly Encounters show.  I might make some lotion.  Exciting times.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- King of Swords, The Fool, The World

While my handsome husband tends to show up as the King of Pentacles in my readings I think in this deck he is the King of Swords, at least while he is standing by, stoic but amused, not saying a word but just observing what goes on.  We went to the Denver Tarot Meetup Saturday Social Today, which is usually full of gentlemen as well as women, but today my man was the only man.  He is also happy to indulge me in my card fancies, but really at these things he is just keeping me company.  What a sweetie!  We met at DB Beanery in Castle Rock, which I was happily surprised to see is owned and run by a former coworker of mine.  I was delighted to see how well she is doing, and I hope she was delighted to see how I have progressed since I left Castle Rock.  That is both The Fool, and The World.  I walked away from that city a sad, broken hearted mess.  I went back today a strong, accomplished woman.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Wheel of Fortune

We had a small financial windfall today, always good news, and The Wheel of Fortune kept jumping out today to remind me that the Wheel goes up, but it goes down, too, and doesn't always buy you a drink before giving it to you, either.  I am always happy to see The Wheel of Fortune, as it is a beneficent card, but I am always happy to save a little money, too.  Circumstances beyond our control are keeping us from using that windfall, for the moment, and that is also all of these cards.  In this case, I am the cool King of Swords, pragmatic, and The Man is The Fool.  I am a Taurus, and he is a Sagittarius.  I want to save, he wants to spend.  We see money in totally different ways, and these are big cards for a Daily Draw.  I think that pulling them signifies that we will eventually be glad we (forcibly) saved the money, and they are such big cards I believe that it may make the difference between getting what we really need and want and not.  They are that intense.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age Queen of Swords

The Shadow Card of the reading is The Queen of Swords, which is me being kinda bitchy and raining on my husband's parade, although this one is rather immature looking, because believe me, there are tarot decks and Christmas gifts I really want to buy, some wrongs I want to right, and I am easily swayed by him, so I could have easily backed down from my position.  She is not the strongest Queen of Swords I have ever seen, and neither would I have been today, if The World had not conspired against, or as I rather think we shall see for, us to keep the money safe but untouchable for now.  I don't want to save the money more than I want to see him happy, and honestly, as solicitous as he is to me, he is still going to do what he wants to anyway, and he should.  He is a grown man and I am his wife, not his keeper.  Her appearance, though, shows that the King of Swords cool, thoughtful attitude was the right one to embrace, she being as close as possible to the already being used King to convey that message.

The King of Swords is by artist Tia Janitch.

The Fool is by artist Tim Lehi.

The World is by artist Mike Dorsey.

The Wheel of Fortune is by artist Brian Bruno.
The Queen of Swords is by artist William Thidemann.

These cards are from Tarot of the Tattoo Age, a collaborative project self published by Flaco Productions, LLC.

Daily Draw- Knight of Swords, Queen of Swords, Seven of Swords

There is a whole lotta Sword-ness going on in these cards!  Lots of words flying (I mistype "Swords" as "Words" many times a day), lots of communication, and even though Swords are airy in most systems, this feels like a lot of Fire to me, so those Elements feed each other in this set of cards.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Knight of Swords, Queen of Swords, Seven of Swords

That Knight of Wands may believe he has captured his dragon, but is he riding it or is it carrying him off?  Is he coming or going?  This Queen of Swords weeps tears of blood, having been so thoroughly pierced they have nowhere else to go.  If we run out of water for our tears, do we begin to use our blood?  How many tears would we have to cry to get there?  The imp in the Seven of Swords does solemnly swear he is up to no good, and his materialism at all costs may be his downfall, but he is going to enjoy every moment of it while he can.

For me, these cards perfectly embody how I feel about "Black Friday" and the whole shopping season that surrounds Christmas.  I despise it in every way.  I hate Black Friday that forced my brother's girlfriend to work at 8pm on Thanksgiving Day, I hate the rampant consumerism, I hate the kids counting presents, and I am sickened by the thought of cutting my holiday short so that we can buy things.

The Man, however, loves Black Friday, and any bargain, he loves to shop, to give presents and to get them, for the holidays.  I have nothing against presents, persay, just I don't like them around what should be a sacred holiday, and there is no reason for me to get a gift on Jesus' birthday.  I love to give and give gifts for no reason, at other times.  While fighting is too strong a word for what has been going on in our house, we definitely have different ideas about what Christmas is, and they come out at this time of year.  I want to build traditions, to have experiences, and make memories, which I think happens by spending time and thoughtfully following old and making new traditions.  The Man has nothing against this, but his solution to most problems is to throw money at the situation.  The actual money or gifts are not the issue, which is why there are no Pentacles in this reading (yet) but our communications about the money and gifts are, especially today, one of my least favorite days of the year, and that is why this reading is full of heated Swords.  It's a day off for both of us, right after a very blessed, but hectic holiday, and we have had several months packed with kids' activities and surgeries.  I wanted to snuggle up close to him, sleep in a little, and just enjoy a well earned day of rest.  He wanted to get up, get going, and spend the day buying things.  I hate shopping.  But I love him.  So there we are.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Three of Pentacles

The Shadow Card is the Three of Pentacles, this one portrayed with sobbing babies,  I need to stop being a baby and insisting on getting my way.  This family is a collaboration, a traditional meaning for the Three of Pentacles, and it works because The Man makes it work, and is willing to do anything for me.  I owe him no less, and there are very few of my convictions that matter more to me than his feelings.  Some, but not many, so I need to just let go of my resentment of spending time and money to provide things I don't believe anyone needs, because it makes him happy to do this.  So I will.

There are no Majors in this reading, no Devil, so I know this is not a serious issue.  It is just a mild disagreement, and we aren't even fighting about it.  The money spent won't break us, and there will be more time to spend quietly this weekend.  There is little to actually complain about, just a compromise to be made.

The Knight of Swords is by artist Mike Wilson.

The Queen of Swords is by artist William Thidemann.

The Seven of Swords is by artist Jef Kopp.

The Three of Pentacles is by artist Jeff Wright.

These cards are from Tarot of the Tattoo Age, a collaborative project self published by Flaco Productions, LLC.