For years, I did not see myself within the cards.
Living as a gay and disabled man, when I read with the cards I found it difficult to see myself. I know that Tarot goes beyond gender and race but there is just something so wonderful about picking up a deck and automatically seeing yourself without having to think about how you would fit into the cards.
For Pride Month, I thought I would take a deep dive into the decks where I’ve seen myself without having to look too deeply, the decks where I’ve immediately felt at home within the cards. I think it’s so important for anyone who uses Tarot to see themselves within the cards. It’s especially important during Pride Month.
Here are the decks I return to again and again that are unapologetically GLBTQ+:
The Numinous Tarot by Cedar McCloud
I love The Numinous Tarot for so many reasons. It’s a totally GLBTQ+ revisioning of the cards in bright and beautiful colour. There is representation of race and also disabilities. You can get your copy here: https://numinoustarotthird.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
The Harley Spencer Tarot Deck by Harley Spencer
This deck is amazing. It’s queer positive and is so inclusive of gender, race and sexuality. I particularly love how in the Lovers card, the people are neither male nor female. They are just two beings who love each other. You can get your copy here, but upon publication it looks like the decks may be sold out except for the new factory-made edition: https://www.hs-tarot.com/
The Fifth Spirit Tarot by Charlie Claire Burgess
This deck is so inclusive and so wonderfully queer. It has people of every gender type and is inclusive of race and disability too! It goes beyond binaries and is wonderfully diverse in every possible way. You can get your copy here: https://www.fifthspirittarot.com/
The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott
I love this deck so much. It’s got representation of GLBTQ+ and gender, race and disabilities too. It’s wonderfully diverse and it’s more aligned with Thoth than RWS, but it’s so evocotave and wonderful. You can get your copy here: https://www.usgamesinc.com/the-urban-tarot.html
This Might Hurt Tarot by Isabella Rotman
I hear this deck. It’s wonderfully diverse and just so sweet and lovely. It’s got so much substance to it and it’s inclusive of GLBTQ+ and people with disabilities. It does a remarkable job of representing people from different races too. You can get your copy here:
https://www.thismighthurttarot.com/
Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani
This deck uses stories, legends and myths from all over the world to tell the story of the cards. It’s inclusive of GLBTQ+ and races from all over the world. I love how Yoshi chose each story or legend to represent each card and it’s so bright and colourful. You can get your copy here:
The Pride Tarot by US Games
This deck is a collaborative deck with all kinds of GLBTQ+ Tarot readers and artists creating cards for this deck. It is so wonderfully inclusive in terms of race and disability and of course being the Pride Tarot it’s unapologetically GLBTQ+ and oh so wonderful. You can get your copy here: https://www.usgamesinc.com/pride-tarot.html
The Uncommon Tarot by Shaheen Miro
This deck is a wonderful reimagining of the RWS we know and love and it includes beautiful collage artwork. It makes this deck somehow timeless and more current. It’s inclusive of gender, GLBTQ+ and race and is oh so lovely! You can get your copy here: https://redwheelweiser.com/detail.html?id=9781578637140
Any one of these decks would make a welcome addition to your collection or perhaps start you off on your Tarot journey.
Happy Pride Month to everyone! Be proud, be loud and let’s celebrate!
There aren’t enough words to say how much I love this deck, but I’m certainly going to try.
Ryder Wait Smith deck that is so well known, keeping true to the symbolism, but making the deck her own. It truly is a gorgeous deck and seeing all body shapes and sizes was another plus. I loved the 2 of Cups. It’s the first time that I’ve seen two gay men in a card. It’s the first time that I’ve seen myself in a deck and it’s so wonderful. Addison Duke has done incredible work on the colouring, making the art appear deeper and more vibrant.
Spirit of the Wolf 