- Black Ritual Tarot
- Adam Zonca
- US Games, Inc. https://www.usgamesinc.com/black-ritual-tarot
- Recommended retail price: $23.95
- ISBN: 978-1-64671-145-1
- Date of publication: 2025
- Country of origin: USA
- Tarot system: Rider-Waite-Smith
- Card stock: Mass market, but sturdy with a nice weight and size
- Packaging/guidebook: Rigid box and lid (sturdy). The guide is minimalist, but contains sufficient and informative keywords and descriptions
- Reviewed by: Mary du Plessis
I love black and white decks and I’m a Rider-Waite-Smith ‘purist’, so I was extremely excited to dive into the Black Ritual Tarot. The cards are standard size, and the stock is what you’d expect from a mass market deck in this price range. The box is a well-constructed base and lid design that’s both secure, and easy to open.
A small guidebook is included. While a more experienced reader may not have much interest in the basic descriptions and keywords, I always refer to deck-specific guidebooks in hope of discovering some new bit of insight or inspiration and this one did not disappoint.
The design is completely done in black ink, giving each scene the impression it’s happening in the dark of night, without illumination from the moon, or stars. The illumination comes from the aspects of the card meanings, themselves and this perspective, in my opinion, adds another depth to the overall interpretation of the reading.
The card images are true, and created to honor the work of Pamela Colman Smith’s original illustrations, while the black background with white and greyscale figures give each card sharpness and clarity that draws the eye into details either previously overlooked, or not examined on a deeper level.
My only criticism is that the stark white border detracts from the quiet and introspective nature of this deck. The addition of thin, black ‘squiggles’ helps a bit. But a thinner border, or one coloured in grey, would greatly add to the aesthetic.
The deck shuffles easily and cards flow smoothly, without sliding out of control. The size and weight are just about right (I have small hands), and laying a simple three-card spread feels natural. For this review, I’m including photos of the Major Arcana, one of each minor suit, and my quick-take of a three-card spread: Six of Pentacles, Eight of Pentacles, and Seven of Cups:
“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and it opens a world of possibilities (so maybe also teach him the difference between a tuna, and a shark.”)
Your mileage may vary!
0 Comments