Gay Tarot - traditional 78-card tarot from a gay perspective
Most tarot decks place the couple formed by a man and a woman at the centre of their imagery. The Gay Tarot by Lee Bursten starts somewhere else: the situations, relationships and archetypes are drawn from gay experience and identity. That is not a surface change. It is a rereading of what the images show.
The illustrations are by Antonella Platano, an Italian illustrator who has worked with Lo Scarabeo before. Lo Scarabeo, the Italian publisher, produced the deck. Llewellyn distributes it exclusively in North America.
What this deck does differently
A standard deck like the Rider-Waite depicts human experience largely through figures in heterosexual relationships. The Gay Tarot keeps the full 78-card structure intact, with Major and Minor Arcana, but places different figures and situations within it. It is not about removing something. It is about making visible what is absent from most decks.
The cards measure 66 x 120 mm, a standard tarot size. The edition is multilingual and includes instructions.
Who reads with this deck
This deck is designed for anyone who wants to read tarot with imagery that reflects gay experience. Readers looking for a fully traditional deck with a male perspective as its starting point have also found it fits that need.
If you already know the classic tarot structure well, you will notice immediately what has shifted in the imagery. That comparison is part of what makes reading with it interesting.
About Lee Bursten and Antonella Platano
Lee Bursten wrote the Gay Tarot as a deliberate reinterpretation of the traditional couple symbol in tarot. Antonella Platano created the illustrations. Both work within Lo Scarabeo's tradition of artistically considered tarot editions.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Language: Multilingual, including English
- ISBN: 9780738705972
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- Dimensions: 66 x 120 mm
- Author: Lee Bursten
- Illustrator: Antonella Platano
- Included: Instructions
Questions we often get
Which languages are included in the multilingual edition?
English is included. Lo Scarabeo typically covers several European languages in their multilingual editions. The full list appears on the packaging.
Does this deck follow the traditional tarot structure?
Yes. The Gay Tarot contains the full 78 cards, divided into Major and Minor Arcana, in line with traditional tarot. The imagery has changed. The structure has not.
