Infinite Tarot

A review, by D. J. McAdam

Let me begin by saying that, like many people, I find virtually all types of cards of interest - tarot cards, playing cards, fortune-telling cards, and more.  Not surprisingly, then, I find the Infinite Tarot cards of interest.  This may seem like an unnecessary point to make, but I felt it was a good idea to provide some appropriate context upfront.  Because, while I find the Infinite Tarot cards to be of interest, I do not consider the Infinite Tarot (despite its name) to actually be a tarot deck.

When Is a Tarot Deck Not a Tarot Deck?

Cards are cards, but we all draw some distinctions.  A deck of Bicycle Playing Cards, for example, is not a tarot deck.  They can be used for fortune-telling, but they are still playing cards.  Even Jane Lyle's excellent Fortune Teller's Deck is, at base, a deck of playing cards.  Mlle. Lenormand's Fortune-Telling Cards are not playing cards, but they are also not tarot cards.  I Ching cards are neither playing cards nor tarot cards.

Having given examples of cards that are not tarot decks, let us move on to attempting to define what constitutes a tarot deck.  In general, a tarot deck consists of 78 cards.  22 of these are the major arcana, and the remaining 56 are the minor arcana.  The minor arcana are grouped into four suits.

There are variations.  Some tarot decks, like the Glow In the Dark Tarot, have only the 22 major arcana cards.  Some tarot decks have more than 78 cards - Piatnik's Deva Tarot has 93 cards - and 5 suits!  And, of course, suit names vary widely.  Take, for example, the Halloween Tarot, where the four suits are pumpkins, bats, ghosts and imps.  Still, all these decks have a major arcana - usually the major arcana.

The 76-Card Infinite Tarot

The Infinite Tarot was conceived by Jolynn Kottke, and illustrated by Rachel Ritter.  There are four suits - Earth, Sky, Water and Fire.  Each of the Suits has cards numbered 1 through 10, plus High Ace, King, Queen, Gift and Joker.  There are then, in addition, Family Cards, such as Mother Earth, Sister Water, etc.  Copyrighted in 2000, the deck comes with a 64-page instruction booklet. 

The quality of the artwork is, in general, fair.  Some of the cards - such as the 6 of Fire (Athlete) - seem a bit on the cartoonish side.  The Sky Daughter card is another example of this. 

On the positive side, the quality of the printing is quite good, and the booklet is well-written.  The cards can certainly offer some insight into things, and if a reader personally "clicks" with this deck I'm sure the insights would be of value.

Summing up, this isn't a deck I'd tell someone to rush out and buy - especially if what that person wanted was a tarot deck!  Still, the Infinite Tarot represents an interesting attempt at something novel from an independent publisher, and has value as such.

For more information on this deck, contact the manufacturer at: Infinite Tarot, PO Box 1055, Redway CA 95560.