Japaridze Tarot

Japaridze Tarot - surrealist imagery with renamed suits

This is not a deck that follows the Rider-Waite-Smith standard. The Japaridze Tarot by artist Nino Japaridze renames the four suits as Fire, Tides, Winds and Gardens, and redraws all 78 cards in a collage-like style that recalls the great surrealists. It is tarot, but with its own language.

The cards are published by U.S. Games Systems and come in a sturdy storage box with an extensive 180-page guidebook. All text in English.

What you see on the cards

Japaridze combines painting with collage. The forms are abstract, the perspective distorted, the colour combinations unusual. Where you would see a cup in a traditional deck, here you find Tides: moving water, a wave or a liquid that refuses to stand still.

The Court cards have been transformed into Jester, Stranger, Queen and King. These four archetypes replace the traditional Page, Knight, Queen and King, which gives readings a different dynamic.

The Minor Arcana do not follow scenic depiction like the Rider-Waite deck. Instead you get abstract compositions in which the numerological and elemental aspects of the number take centre stage.

Who this deck works for

This deck asks for intuition. The images are open, symbolic, not directly translatable into fixed meanings. That makes it interesting for readers who want room to make their own connections, but it is not a deck where you quickly draw a card and immediately know what it says.

The guidebook is extensive and detailed. Each card receives its own discussion with divinatory meanings and background. That helps, especially in the beginning, to learn the visual language Japaridze has created.

Draw one card from the Tides suit and see what happens when you leave it on your bedside table for a few days. The images work more slowly than classical tarot cards, but stay with you longer.

About Nino Japaridze

Nino Japaridze is a contemporary artist based in Paris. Her work is characterized by detailed compositions in which abstraction and figuration meet. With the Japaridze Tarot she has designed a completely original tarot system that functions equally well as an art object.

Specifications

• Creator: Nino Japaridze
• Number of cards: 78
• Card size: 76 x 133 mm
• Guidebook: full-colour, 180 pages
• Storage box dimensions: 114 x 165 mm
• Language: English
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems
• Finish: sturdy storage box

Questions we often get

What exactly do Fire, Tides, Winds and Gardens mean?
These are the four suits that in traditional tarot cards are called Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. The renaming emphasizes elemental energy: Fire for passion and action, Tides for emotion and intuition, Winds for thought and communication, Gardens for material growth and earth.

Is there text on the cards or only images?
Each card has a title. No further text appears on the cards themselves, but in the guidebook.