- Deck name: Noble Moon Tarot
- Author & Artist: Claire Christine Sargenti
- Publisher: Black Cat studios NOLA Publishing House
- Publishing Date: 2022 – 1st Edition
- RRP: GB£55.80 plus VAT & delivery costs where applicable
- ISBN: 979-8-89074-687-0
- Reviewed By: MadeInChrome
Noble Moon Tarot is a richly storied, highly inclusive ancestral deck where “we [get to]…see ourselves in the archetypes that play out in these 78 magickal cards.”
Created by New Orleans artist and witch Claire Christine Sargenti, Noble Moon Tarot is a feminine call to arms. Loud and proud in its inclusivity, this LGBTQ+, body-positive deck speaks to “the femme in all bodies, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, identity, ability, shape, nation of origin or current economic status,” to quote from the guidebook.
Dedicated to Sargenti’s great grandmother, Noble (herself featured as the Page of Pentacles), this deck is an homage to those who have been ‘othered’ by society, and aimed specifically at those in the Tarot world who saw, and continue to see, themselves unrepresented in the traditional Rider Waite Smith.
The deck is also testament to and a celebration of Sargenti’s own resilience, as it was born out of the pandemic, when Sargenti was made homeless by the Californian wildfires, and finally completed, poignantly, on the very day the US Supreme Court repealed Roe vs. Wade.
Using collage, Sargenti deftly expresses how “everything we are is a compilation of everything that we are not,” and how “a literal bringing together of found objects and fractured pieces to form a new whole” represents such a mystery. “For better or for worse, we stand upon the shoulders of our ancestors.”
But don’t get me wrong, the deck isn’t heavy, the rose, pink and purple pastel palette sees to that! The images are all vintage fun and style, shot through with humour (check out Judgement with the little pink ghosts!), some cheekily so (like the Two of Pentacles), and thrum with empathy, love, joy, wisdom, and support through example.
Some more standout cards for me are: The Fool with white rabbits and psychedelic van, the revved up wheelchair of the Chariot with hairless sphynx cats, and the Six of Wands riding in victory atop an ostrich. Also, the Four of Wands with its sheer familial joy, the dour dowagers of Death and the Four of Pentacles, the elegance of Strength, and the joie de vivre of both the Hanged One and the Nine of Pentacles.
Based on the RWS system, I found it easy to do a reading. The 3 cards I pulled were the Four of Wands, Two of Wands and Two of Cups, underscoring the importance of Family, the stability and foundation from which we can envision a better future, one of equality and the freedom to love whoever we do – an appropriate summation of the deck I think.
Now to the packaging, which is gorgeous. The sturdy box is a glossy pink two-piece measuring 23.5 x 15.5 cm – so, yeah, it’s big! – with a bright pink velvet-like lining.
The glossy 180 paged hardback grimoire, 14.5 x 22 cm, is beautifully produced with large full colour pages of all the cards, and includes an affirmation, associated chakra, yoga pose, deity, crystal, and ritual spell for each arcanum. I was particularly moved by Sargenti’s introductory notes on how she came to create the deck, and highly recommend that these pages be read first before anything else, despite the small print – a minor quibble in the face of the deck’s themes.
The cards come in a light pink pouch, are 7.5 x 12.5 cm in size, and printed on 100% FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) paper with rose gold gilded edging. The card stock is of standard thickness and makes for a pleasant shuffle, while the card back is an attractive kaleidoscopic confection of collaged elements allowing for reversals. The package also includes 4 stickers – mini versions of 3 of the cards, and the 4th, one of Sargenti’s artworks.
I would also like to mention that thanks to the design and size of the box, I was able to pack in neatly a tarot cloth (here, a favourite scarf of my late mother’s, tying in perfectly with the theme of this deck), a pink crystal and a few votive candles or tea lights (reminding me that I need to get some in pink!), all to create my very own boxset or tarot compact for any suitable occasion. This makes a welcome change from the space wasting cardboard inserts of more commercially published tarot box sets.
To conclude, I would recommend Noble Moon tarot for all ancestral related readings; it might prove a bit of a learning curve for beginners, but more seasoned readers will find plenty to divine. In addition, if you have and love The Rosebud Tarot by Diane Rose Harper, which I do, Noble Moon makes for a great companion sister (or your favourite Aunt!) deck.
About the Author & Artist:
Claire Christine Sargenti is an interdisciplinary artist working in the intersectional feminist movement. Her work has been exhibited at the New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and featured in galleries, digital spaces and publications in the US and around the world. She is a native of San Diego and a New Orleans witch. You can visit her at https://www.xoclaireart.com/ or follow her on Instagram at @clairevoyantspirit.
Noble Moon Tarot is available for purchase via these links:
Earth Odyssey Store -New Orleans
And is also available from the New Orleans Playing Card Company for US buyers, and A Coven of Two for European purchasers.
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