Jennifer Cooper Steidley

"The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no others signs." --A. E. Waite Tarot Disassembled is a full seventy-eight-card tarot deck that deconstructs and reexamines the traditional symbolism found in the classic Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck. Utilizing a bright color palette and simple, bold graphics, each card reveals a pattern created from a fresh arrangement of the traditional symbols. One of the most unique tenets of this deck is the almost complete absence of human representation. This allows the user of the deck to connect with the symbols in a completely intuitive way, free from any pictorial narrative around gender, skin color, age, size, ability, or any other human constructs. (There are only four exceptions to this rule in this deck: The Hanged One, The Tower, Judgement, and The World. In each of these cards, the positioning of the human figure is so inherent to the meaning of the card that a simple wooden mannequin-style symbol was used.) Tarot Disassembled can be used and enjoyed by seasoned tarot readers and complete novices alike. The simplicity of the symbols makes it a great first deck for a newbie, while the complexity of the visual information makes it a great deep dive for a pro. Digging into the research for Tarot Disassembled has been like going on a walk in the forest and discovering that every tiny rock and leaf holds hidden treasure underneath. The reverence and fascination of the tarot has only been compounded by discovering the layers upon layers of meaning each individual symbol holds. Reviews: "This deck is incredibly unique and genius" --Brandy Rachelle, cohost of Keepin' It Symbol podcast "Tarot Disassembled is an exciting new way to work with the Tarot. Jennifer Cooper Steidley created the deck by isolating the traditional RWS symbols and rearranging them in a bold and colorful pattern on each card. This has the effect of liberating the symbols from time and place, allowing the reader to freely construct new meanings and stories" --TarotArts "This vivid, solar-hued reimagining of Rider-Waite-Smith swept me off my witchy feet at first sight What's brilliant about this deck--aside from the eye-catching colors--is its ability to break each card down into symbolic pieces devoid of people or human characters (except for an artist mannequin contained within a few cards only). This adds a sense of intuitive freedom that might sometimes be lost with the detailed human elements common in most tarot systems." --Calling Corners

This guide uses the traditional symbolism found in the tarot and shares it as bold graphics to allow readers to connect to the cards in a completely intuitive way. Sometimes we need to take apart a sandwich to appreciate what's in it, and the same is true for the ingredients--the individual symbols--that make up the complex picture of a tarot card. There is potential for deep understanding that comes with the act of disassembling, and the Tarot Disassembled Guidebook deconstructs each of the seventy-eight cards to look at the individual symbols. This fully illustrated guide presents a picture of each card but reduced down to the bare minimum: so the Fool card is a satchel, a dog, the sun, a feather, a flower, a mountain. Even without the actual Fool, these symbols speak for themselves, and the card is still undeniably recognizable. Once you do this with all the cards, the rich symbolism becomes clear--the sun and mountains appear over and over in many other cards, as do feathers, clouds, flowers, and so on. For people looking to find deeper card connections in their readings, this book is for you. Although this book is based on the symbology of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot--arguably the most iconic and widely used deck in the world--once you understand the disassembling of tarot symbols, you can begin to apply this deconstructing technique to other decks, finding the inner patterns. This method allows you to connect with any traditional deck in a completely intuitive way, free from any pictorial narrative around gender, skin color, age, size, ability, or any other human constructs. This unique and innovative guidebook includes keywords, astrological and planetary associations, and elemental associations for each tarot card. It can be used with any deck based on the Rider-Waite system or as a companion to the Tarot Disassembled deck, sold separately.