The Light Grey Tarot

Lindsay Nohl and Jenny Bookler are busy setting up the “Tarot, Mystics and the Occult Exhibition” at the Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis. (Photo by Corrine Kenner)

I stopped by the Light Grey Art Lab today to pick up a copy of the Light Grey Tarot deck. It’s one of the most exciting decks I’ve ever seen.

While I was there, gallery owner Lindsay Nohl and manager Jenny Bookler were busy setting up the exhibition that will showcase the cards, so my daughter Julia and I got a sneak preview of some of the prints. I thought the images were amazing.

Creating the deck was a massive undertaking: 78 different artists collaborated on the project. Yes, you read that correctly: 78 artists — one for each card.

While each artist put his or her own spin on the traditional tarot, I had no trouble recognizing the cards. All of the artists stayed true to the heart of tarot, and references to the classic Rider-Waite deck are easy to spot.

What struck me, though, is that even though the cards themselves are individual expressions of a wide range symbols and themes, the deck itself still seems unified and cohesive. I think it speaks to the fact that tarot is based on symbolism — and symbolism is every artist’s native language.

I’ll be doing readings with the Light Grey Tarot deck next Friday, October 26, at the opening reception for “Tarot, Mystics and the Occult.” I can’t wait!