The Steampunk Tarot: Wisdom from the Gods of the Machine

by John Matthews, Caitlín Matthews, Wil Kinghan (Illustrator)

Imagine a time when vast helium-fueled airships took the place of aircraft, and where the hunger for adventure and exploration took the human race into stranger places than we ever imagined. The Steampunk Tarot imagines this in an alternate-reality tarot where The Technomage is king, and the Punk Diva is queen.

Tumble down the rabbit hole into a construction of technology, machines, retro-art and culture, full of fantastic visions in a time and place that realizes an alternate world to our own. The world of steampunk combines Victoriana, the Gothic, and early invention with a huge dash of imagination and a tremendous sense of style. The Steampunk Tarot is a world a nexus of opulence, innovation and alternate world-views that is reflected in 78 scenes. The 22 major arcana cards are the actors at the heart of the machine, the deos macninae or "the gods of the machine."

Acting as mediators of the Gods of the Machine are the 16 court cards who are the Legates of the Omniverse, or ambassadorial representatives of the Four Leagues, comprising all the skills that maintain the they are the movers and shakers--the Commander, Lady, Navigator, and Messenger, or King, Queen, Knight and Page. They oversee the other 40 cards of the minor arcana, who are the elemental worlds of Airships, Engines, Submersibles and Gears, or Swords, Wands, Cups and Coins.

There are still things to discover and uncover in the Steampunk Imperium. Many new methods of spreading and playing with tarot cards are included, as well as methods of life-navigation by the use of skillful questions. The Steampunk Tarot is an adventurous tarot for the discerning diviner, to be appreciated both by tarot-users and steampunk fans the world over.

Genres: Tarot, Steampunk

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

John Matthews is an historian, folklorist and author. He has been a full time writer since 1980 and has produced over ninety books on the Arthurian Legends and Grail Studies, as well as short stories and a volume of poetry. He has devoted much of the past thirty years to the study of Arthurian Traditions and myth in general. His best known and most widely read works are ‘Pirates’ (Carlton/Atheneum), No 1 children’s book on the New York Times Review best-seller list for 22 weeks in 2006, ‘The Grail, Quest for Eternal Life’ (Thames & Hudson, 1981) ‘The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom’ (Element, 1994) and ‘The Winter Solstice’ (Quest Books, 1999) which won the Benjamin Franklin Award for that year. His book ‘Celtic Warrior Chiefs’ was a New York Public Library recommended title for young people.

Reviews

[Jean-Pierre Vidrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and deck accomplish everything a variant tarot deck should, and more. Both the images on the cards and the text of the book bring new insight and further nuance to the cards' meanings. The book goes several steps beyond what is required, working a whole fictional world into the deck that goes beyond the mere tropes of the genre.
Wil Kinghan's art, besides masterfully reinterpreting the symbols of the tarot, is simply beautiful to look at.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick impressions: Overall, I really enjoy this deck, and it was become a favorite for me. The more I used it, the more in depth I could go with it. It delivers good messages and readings. You feel like you are in the steampunk world when using it.

(Detailed review on my blog soon)

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I belong in the world of Steampunk. Seriously. While reading about the cards in this series - the Gods of the Machine, the Legates, the Leagues, and the questions they all bring, I felt like I was finally home. I'm going to have to create my alternate Steampunk persona now - I need a Victorian name, with a bit of mystique.

Elizabeth the Mystic? Madame Elizabeth? Any ideas??

If you like tarot cards and steampunk, you'll love this book. If you like steampunk, I think you will like this book, even if you don't really like tarot cards. It's like exploring a different land (similar in many ways, but just a bit more "geeky" if you know what I mean).

[Claire Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The packaging is lovely and neat, the cards are nicely illustrated and the handbook is great for tarot beginners. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a tarot deck and loves Steampunk as much as I do.

[Carole Faul · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I got this set of cards, I was slightly disappointed. There was something that didn't quite sit right with me, when it came to some of the illustrations. It's just a feeling, mind you.