An in-depth look at The Anthropologist Tarot deck
The Anthropologist Tarot was created & designed by multi-disciplinary artist, Michael Burk.
The illustrations in the deck were created by combining all manner of imagery and textures from a collection of vintage paper ephemera, along with material from open-source museum archives. These disparate fragments were digitally manipulated & layered to create this novel & unique vision of the 78 cards of the traditional Tarot.
The source material comes from a variety of cultures from around the world, across thousands of years of human history. Each piece comes powerfully charged with its own symbolism and significance, which is now remixed to create new meaning for current-day seekers.
No artificial intelligence programs were used to create the images in this deck– They were all painstakingly created by the [human] artist.
Though the imagery on the cards may seem unfamiliar, careful attention has been paid to honoring the essential meaning of traditional Tarot illustrations (the most famous of which come from the Rider-Waite deck of 1909) in a new way, apt for our modern times.
For those familiar with artist-designed Tarot decks, this deck sits somewhere between a traditional deck and a “pip” deck. Each card has a unique illustration filled with symbology and nuance, however the suit cards still feature the appropriate number of suit symbols (i.e., the Four of Cups shows four cups, the Ten of Pentacles shows ten pentacles). This presents seasoned readers with the opportunity to explore the Tarot canon in a new way, but still maintains clarity and ease of use for beginners.
Going deeper…
In the Tarot tradition, each of the four suits are tied to one of the four elements: Water, Air, Fire and Earth.
To honor this concept, each suit of cards in The Anthropologist Tarot has been assigned a visual theme to tie the cards back to the elements they represent. The Cups cards (Water) all contain aquatic life, like fish, shells and corals. The Swords (Air) all contain flying creatures like birds, butterflies and insects. The Wands (Fire) have heat-loving, reptilian creatures like snakes and lizards. And the Pentacles (Earth) have flowers and foliage.
Additionally, rather than sticking to consistent iconography to represent the four suits, these are also represented in a variety of ways. Wands, traditionally visualized as wooden staffs, are here represented by things like animal bones or tree branches. Pentacles, tied to ego and earthly desires, are visualized through human hands (count the fingers!). Cups, usually represented with golden chalices, can be as ornate as a nautilus shell goblet, or as simple as a teacup. And Swords can be daggers, scimitars, or medieval rapiers.
The deeper you study the imagery of the deck, the more details you’ll find!
The Guidebook
The guidebook is a 40-page, saddle-stitched booklet with keywords for each card, both upright and reversed. It's a quick reference guide to the essential meaning of the cards– a starting point for your own exploration of Tarot wisdom.
There are also simple instructions for performing 4 styles of Tarot reading: Celtic Cross (a ten-card spread), Decision-Making (5 cards), Past-Present-Future (3 cards) and Power-Challenge-Action (3 cards).
Quality & Materials
Careful consideration of materials and attention to detail have been put into the making of the Anthropologist Tarot deck.
The deck box is a premium clamshell design, with a magnetic closure, high-gloss finish and artwork printed on every surface (even the inside). The cards are offset-printed on heavyweight cardstock with a matte finish for no-stick shuffling.
All parts of the deck are manufactured in Dongguan, China, in a factory with Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange), BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certifications. Decks ship from the United States.
Decks ship from the United States, using as much recycled/recyclable material as possible. They are shipped in plain, recyclable cardboard boxes, wrapped in unbleached kraft paper padding, using as little packing material as possible (while still ensuring your deck is protected during shipment).
Questions? Comments? Email us.
Ready to experience The Anthropologist Tarot for yourself?
For a limited time, get free shipping within the USA! No code necessary.