The Deck and Book Nook – Tarot of the Boroughs

I’m a sucker for anything cool. And in my mind, tarot is extremely cool. So is New York. Put them together and it’s like peanut butter and chocolate combined – irresistible! Being that this is my mindset, you are probably not surprised to hear that I love the “Tarot of the Boroughs” by tarotist Courtney Weber and photographer George Courtney, a contemporary tarot deck based on the heartbeat and imagery of New York City.

This vibrant deck is a visual masterpiece comprised of stunning original photography. The deck stays true to the traditional Rider Waite format but don’t be fooled as this deck is anything but traditional. The pictures are a fresh, hip take on the usual tarot images making this deck absolutely unique and a good antidote to the accepted standard. Many of the people featured in the deck are well known artists and writers (techno musician Moby!) as well as typical native New Yorkers. This captures the spirit of modern New York better than any painted deck could.

Moby as the King Of Coins!

The titles for the Majors are the norm with the exception of the Fool who becomes the Seeker. Suits are Cups, Wands, Swords and Coins. The Court cards remain as King, Queen, Knight and Page. The cards are printed on a glossy card stock that seems to be pretty sturdy. Borders are black all the way around and the back is black as well with a reversible image of the city in a little circle (sweet!). They shuffle well and feel good in my hands – another plus. It is obvious that the authors took pains to make this a quality deck.

It comes with a small book but there isn’t much in there. They give short, pithy explanations for the cards but encourage the reader to come up with their own meanings. The interpretations provided are sometimes hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud over a few:

5 of Cups: Country music required

Queen of Swords: Don’t piss her off

Knight of Swords: Asses will be kicked

Some of the images are simply amazing (Be sure to visit the website for bios on each of the models – I loved this clever feature.):

The High Priestess becomes a Santeria goddess in full regalia, lighting her cigar on a votive:

The Hermit is a homeless man sitting by candlelight outdoors (this card reminded me of a homeless man that my husband befriended in San Francisco named Zeus who would sometimes be given to brilliant and deep spiritual babbling – a wise hermit indeed):

The 3 of Swords shows a purse snatching in progress and the look on the victim’s face suggests pain and fear clearly (My favorite suit is the Swords in this deck, by the way.):

The 5 of Cups shows a man bowing his head sadly towards a half finished glass of liquid:

The details are eye catching and I found myself developing whole new concepts for the cards. It definitely will inspire you to get creative with the meanings – making this deck a good one if you are in a “tarot rut”. This deck will also appeal to deck collectors, photography fans, New Yorkers and anyone who is looking for a more modern twist on tarot tradition. This is not your mama’s tarot!

I asked tarot what I need to know about this deck – I pulled the Queen of Wands. The book gives this interpretation: Creative power; enterprise. I think that perfectly sums up the energy of Tarot Of The Boroughs as it is one of the most creative decks I have seen in a long time.