Review: Outsider Art Tarot

Rita Rose and Jana Pesek

REDFeather Mind, Body Spirit, Schiffer Publishing, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-7643-6270-5

This deck sung to me as soon as I saw the image online. As an artist, tarot reader and someone who uses shamanic self healing, I immediately saw the artwork for what it was–a raw, unbridled, shamanic journey into each card.

Initially, I was shocked by how big the box was; it is a nice, hefty box! In fact, it stands out over all my other decks–-it may not be my first deck, or my last, but it is the biggest! When I opened the box, I noticed two things. The first was that the guidebook was no little white book. It is highly detailed, and comes in full, vibrant colour. The book tells the story of the artist, her conception and creation of these cards, and her journey to bring them into being. The meanings are also more accurate, and in depth than a typical book, being more informative than some stand alone books! I did note that the explanations for laying out a spread were simplistic, but think this is more a deck for the experienced reader who is really exploring the cards at a deeper level, and maybe doesn’t need a detailed “how to”.

The second thing I noticed was that the cards are very large! I actually thought that perhaps I had misunderstood, and maybe they were large oracle cards, as sometimes oracle cards come up a bit bigger than tarot. But a quick flick through the deck showed me that they are in fact tarot. It is clear that the size is so that the beautiful detail on the cards doesn’t get lost. The cards are vibrant and high contrast and have such a wild and free dance of shape and colour. It’s clear to see why the deck is called the “outsider art tarot”. Rita Rose is totally offering of herself in creating these; they are not sanitised for the masses, they are authentic and her own radical act of self love.

The design on the back of the cards is simple but chaotic, and contrasts well with the art on each card. I gave the cards a quick shuffle and despite their size, they weren’t at all clumsy! The cardstock is a nice sturdy but slippy card, which makes for a satisfying shuffle.

The art on the cards is different to anything I have seen in the tarot before. It is very clearly shamanic, and reminds me of shamanic journeys I’ve undertaken myself, as well as shamanic art which I’ve seen in women’s circles. I felt very at home in it–it seems very pure, raw, and raucous. I feel like Rita Rose has really put her soul into the cards, her own essence. The art is honest, and has a quick, raw feel to it, reminiscent of fringe movements, street art or even zines. There is an authenticity and passion here. There is also a slight discombobulation. Some symbols, like the Hermit with his lantern, are clearly reminiscent of more traditional decks or meanings. Others seem to link more vaguely; for example Judgement is an image of an elephant, so not what you might expect at all, though the book explains all. I also noticed that names of some cards have been changed to reflect a more apt meaning of the card, and also to be more inclusive. I really liked this as the new names still lined up well with the cards’ meanings.

I felt a tad disappointed by the suits. They are very much a pip tarot, rather than pictorial, again better for an experienced reader. The same simply designed wand, cup, pentacle or sword has been repeated multiple times. There is just something lacking there for me personally; it feels a bit rushed. I also noted that each one had a meaning written on the bottom of the card. This is something I personally don’t like as I find it can derail from the reading or give people misconceptions about a spread. This was a drawback for me, but was softened by the aptitude of the card meanings and how closely they line up with my personal reading style.

The court cards brought life back in again, with very daring, characterful art. The faces are so loud, and remind me of Picasso. The Queen of Wands is painted with such a sublime passion and energy, it is hard to put into words.

I absolutely recommend you go work with this deck, particularly if you are an experienced reader looking for some raw, hearty, vibrant, radical art to shake up your perspective!