The History of Tarot Art: Demystifying the Art and Arcana, Deck by Deck

In this luxurious, slipcased volume, delve into the art styles, artists, and fascinating historybehind more than a dozen of the world’s most noteworthy tarot decks.

Guided by Holly Adams Easley and Esther Joy Archer, hosts of the popular Wildly Tarot podcast, The History of Tarot Art provides a fresh look at the influence of tarot from its beginnings to today. This gorgeous book features:

• A slipcased hardcover format
• Large, full-color illustrations and compelling text chronicling the history of tarot through its art
• 24 removable Sola-Busca tarot cards
• An illustrated foldout timeline with important dates in tarot development on one side and a cheat sheet on the meanings of the Rider-Waite-Smith, Thoth, and Tarot de Marseille cards on the reverse
• Tips for how to do your own tarot readings

Discover how tarot morphed from a fifteenth century card game to a popular modern activity. Learn more about the stories behind the art of tarot’s most influential decks, like Rider-Waite-Smith and Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, as well as the female artists whose work was often overshadowed in their time.

Take a close look at the Visconti, Sola-Busca, Tarot de Marseille, Aquarian, Morgan-Greer, Motherpeace, Cosmic, Druidcraft, Wild Unknown, and Deviant Moon decks, alongside dozens of contemporary decks.

In many cases, you’ll see how tarot art reflects its era. The Morgan-Greer deck, for example, could only have been born in the 1970s. More recent decks, such as Black Power Tarot and Fifth Spirit Tarot, aim to represent more diverse experiences in regard to race, gender, and sexuality.

Whether you’re a longtime tarot practitioner or a newcomer to the practice, you’ll find fascinating new insights in this retrospective.

Holly Adams Easley is a lifelong spiritual searcher with a fondness for surrounding herself with beautiful things. Her first exposure to card-reading came at the hands of a friendly nun and a bowl of small angel cards in the early 2000s, but she has been putting her efforts towards studying, collecting, and reading tarot cards since 2016. Since 2018, she has co-hosted the popular Wildly Tarot podcast (discussing tarot reading, tarot decks, and mystical life). An academic advisor at a large public university by day, Holly emphasizes the allure of growth, the importance of knowing yourself, and the joy of learning, both at work and in life.

Esther Joy Archer has been an avid tarot reader, deck creator, collector, and tarot educator since 2017. Always a spiritual person, she found tarot to be a unique tool to empower herself and others in their own journeys. Soon after meeting Holly Adams Easley, she began co-hosting the Wildly Tarot podcast, where every week they get the opportunity to be ＂tarot big sisters＂ to their listeners. Esther currently lives in South Korea where she continued her career in education by teaching elementary students in a small town. She lives with her husband, adorable dogs, and a vast collection of reptiles.