Birthed through the world pandemic, The Idiot’s New Journey Tarot is a 60-card deck that reorganizes the acquainted order of the standard 78. “Sixty Triumphs for a New Daybreak.”
Per the deck description on the field: “In 2020, the world modified. The arrival of a worldwide pandemic ensured it might by no means be fairly the identical once more. In the identical means, going through new points at each stage of life, it’s time for Tarot to vary. The Idiot should start a brand new journey.”
“The Idiot represents the soul of everyman . . . and goes by the life experiences depicted within the 21 playing cards of the Main Arcana,” wrote Eden Grey over half a century in the past. The Majors, famous Grey, have been like archetypes of the unconscious.
However why solely these 21 playing cards of the Majors, as depicted by Pamela Colman Smith no much less, because the immutable mannequin for each tarot deck produced?
So begins the questioning that led to The Idiot’s New Journey, a brand new sequence of playing cards that talk with the archetypal voice governing all beings on earth (to borrow language from Caitlin Matthews).
John Matthews then collaborated with artist Charles Newington for these new archetypal tarot photographs. Collectively, the 2 got down to create imagery that may be stripped of the standard imagery as a lot as doable, and to maintain these image playing cards easy. Matthews then set these photographs into a brand new order, a reset of the tarot.
These 60 trump playing cards current a brand new have a look at the tarot, actually a brand new journey for The Idiot. And but it’s humorous that we consider this as a diverging path from conventional tarot, as a result of in its heyday, circa fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, we had the Minchiate Tarot of 96 playing cards, the 50-card Mantegna, which was additionally thought of a tarot, and the fairly standard pre-Golden Daybreak Etteilla Tarot that has an ordering of the Majors to confound at this time’s RWS readers.
The journey of The Idiot represents the journey of life itself, and so the premise right here can be that we, the everyman, all start earlier than The Maze (Key 1). Within the pure course, we then should embody The Believer (Key 2), however earlier than we will transfer into the function of The Magician, we should confront The Shadow (Key 3). If The Magician is ability and cleverness, The Priestess (Key 5) is knowledge and instinct. I really like that on this New Journey, The Priestess is Key 5, what had been the standard place of The Hierophant.
The Hierophant shifts into Key 9, the place beforehand held by The Hermit. Then the primary decade of this 60-card deck concludes with Marvel.
Card 11, Magnificence, is linked to the earlier Card 10, Marvel, which incorporates inside it points of magnificence. Whereas surprise is instinctual, magnificence is within the eye of the beholder. The Idiot journeys from Magnificence to The Lovers, after which into The Wasteland, the place we lose our sense of goal. We regain course in The Chariot, which takes us to Justice.
I like how on this ordering, a novel addition, The Prisoner, follows Justice and precedes The Hanged Man, after which one other novel addition, The Escape, connects The Hanged Man to The Hermit.
Energies from the standard Minor Arcana have been built-in into this new set of trumps as properly. As an example, you’ll discover traces of the 4 of Swords in Card 20, The Sleep, and the Seven and Eight of Pentacles in Card 25, The Employee.
Card 29 The Sorrowful echoes parts harking back to the Three of Swords. Is it simply me or does that Demise card have some Baron Samedi vibes from Haitian Vodou? Per the guidebook, the three birds depicted right here characterize three souls journeying dwelling, connecting this card to Card 13, The Wasteland.
The basic tarot Tower card has been expanded right here to each The Tower and The Downfall. The Satan right here is self-aggrandizement, energy wielded for the self, reasonably than energy wielded for the great of others. The Questioner represents those that query every part, and there’s one thing poetic concerning the skeptical Questioner facet by facet with the trustworthy Hope.
By way of artwork model, this deck has a child-like simplicity that’s rustic, timeless, and minimalist, which provides it a common high quality. It’s unpretentious and simple, unearthing deep-seated feelings whereas tapping in to common human experiences.
I really like the inclusion of The Diviner as Card 39, intently linked to the cardboard to observe, Card 40, Reality. The usage of muted colours that seem painted in pure supplies provides this deck an earthy texture, and the simplicity of the compositions convey a playfulness. It’s an deliberately unrefined look, stripping away pointless particulars to emphasise core parts. I actually respect how the artwork model lends itself to transcending temporal boundaries.
Personally I don’t love the thick clean white border across the card photographs, which overpowers the picture itself. I want that the perimeters had been cropped nearer to that drawn framing.
Additionally, I believe somebody like me, with my background, goes to note that this deck, with the intention of it being common for a brand new globalized and post-pandemic society, can depart folks of some skintones feeling excluded. So I see that as a little bit of a missed alternative.
Again to the sequence – right here, Matthews has re-ordered from Star (17), Moon (18), and Solar (19) to Moon (42), Solar (43), and The Star (44), then including Nature and The Misplaced. Attention-grabbing how Card 46, The Misplaced is linked to Card 1, The Maze and Card 10, Marvel (i.e., 4 + 6 = 10, 10 = 1).
Within the remaining decade of the Idiot’s New Journey trumps, we get all new playing cards besides The World. There are such a lot of symbolically poignant depictions right here, such because the neighboring playing cards The Highway of a straight path and Knowledge of a winding path. The cubist artwork on Concern actually stands out and is dissonant in comparison with the constant artwork model all through the remainder of the deck.
Within the Idiot’s New Journey, as a substitute of ending on The World, this turns into the second to final card, with the ultimate card now 59, Eternity. The World card is completion, whereas Eternity is timelessness, unbound prospects unfolding, wider views, and looking out forward on the larger image. I’m seeing numerous resonance right here with the sequence of hexagrams (and their meanings) within the I Ching.
In working with the deck, I’ve discovered that it reads rather well. I exploit Key 0: The Idiot as my significator card and do the Opening of the 4 Worlds from the OOTK First Operation. I learn with reversals with this deck, so it’s by coincidence that every one the playing cards pictured above are upright.
The guidebook may be very useful in getting you began on studying these playing cards, together with reverse card meanings. The Clown reversed, as an example. is backward logic, wild knowledge of the clown, escape, and the alternative of the “False Idiot” — true wit and knowledge. The Clown reversed is a second of uncooked honesty.
The Employee card reversed can imply missing consideration to particulars attributable to dissatisfaction with the work that one is tasked to do or reluctance to be diligent with one’s each day grind.
I’ll finish on some notes on the manufacturing worth. I really like that it has that cardboard paper sleeve you’ll be able to slide off, and thus you get a non-descript stunning blue souvenir field you’ll be able to retailer your playing cards in. I love this design method.
I don’t love the cardboard again design. Per the guidebook, the cardboard again is meant to characterize The Idiot full circle, however right here, caught within the midst of his journey dancing around the globe.
It’s useful for individuals who learn reversals, and I like its consistency with the theme of the Idiot, however it’s only a bit meh to me, and reasonably than evoke surprise, it strips a little bit of that mystical vibe away.
The guidebook is implausible. It incorporates all the data you’d need, detailed card which means entries and starter methods to start working with the deck. Half Two of the guidebook is my favourite — it’s a collection of narrative fables that assist to put the playing cards in sequence as a memorable story. Undoubtedly value your whereas to learn.
For these , the above web page unfold reveals you this new ordering of 60 trumps. For those who’re apprehensive about having to “study a brand new system,” I didn’t actually really feel like I needed to. You begin with what you already know of the standard tarot Majors and the extra playing cards are pretty self-explanatory.
The paintings, with nice credit score to Charles Newington, pulls you in to the core essence of the cardboard, so I didn’t must “study” something.
Certain, there have been occasions I wasn’t fairly certain tips on how to method the upright versus the reversed which means of a brand new card, so I’d seek the advice of the guidebook. After just a few occasions reaching for the guidebook, I realized it. Which is all to say the training curve is simple, promise.
Matthews and Newington’s new order and enlargement of the Idiot’s journey to 59 playing cards is a compelling and masterfully executed presentation of a tarot. It’s an expertly conceived and recent, modern system that challenges traditionalist readers. I really like this daring reimagining of the Idiot’s journey, and the re-sequencing displays a story arc that invitations you to discover the tarot in an exhilarating new means.
It’s evident that every card’s placement has been meticulously thought of, making a circulate that feels each logical and deeply religious. The Idiot’s New Journey Tarot: Sixty Trumps for a New Daybreak was launched earlier this 12 months by REDFeather, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing, and has been one of many extra intriguing tarot initiatives to come back out this 12 months.
FTC Disclosure: In accordance with Title 16 of the U.S. Code of Federal Rules Half 255, “Guides Regarding Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Promoting,” I obtained this deck and guidebook set from its writer for potential evaluate. Every part I’ve stated right here is honest and precisely displays my opinion of the deck.
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