Tarot Neocolonial de las Américas

Tarot Neocolonial de las Américas - 500 years of history in oil paint

Few tarot decks show history this directly. This deck by Patrick McGrath Muñiz lays 500 years of colonial narratives over the classic tarot structure. What you see are not safe fantasy images, but paintings that reference conquest, cultural collision and the cost of globalization.

The style is baroque, inspired by Spanish colonial art from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Muñiz works with oil painting technique and the visual language of retablos, devotional panels used in Latin America to tell religious and historical stories. The result is theatrical and dense.

What you see on the cards

Each of the 78 cards carries layers of symbolism. Renaissance aesthetics and baroque compositions form the foundation, but layered over that are references to consumerism, ecological crisis and the tension between Old World and New. Gold tones, deep shadows and detailed figures give the cards a museum-like quality.

The cards follow the traditional tarot structure: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. That makes the deck usable for standard spreads, even though the imagery asks for more time and attention than an average RWS deck.

The 92-page guidebook is multilingual: Spanish, English, Portuguese and French. It explains the historical and symbolic layers for each card, so you read not only the archetypes but also the stories behind the images.

Who this deck works for

This is not a beginner deck. The imagery is complex and requires some knowledge of tarot and interest in history. Many buyers use it both for readings and for study: each card offers entry points for reflection on power, heritage and cultural identity.

Collectors appreciate it for the technical quality and artistic courage. It is one of the few decks in which political context is explicitly part of the symbolism, without becoming a statement deck that loses its function as tarot.

Pull one card and place it next to a classic RWS deck with the same name. See what Muñiz adds to the archetype through his choice of historical context.

About Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Patrick McGrath Muñiz is a Puerto Rican artist working from Texas. He specializes in oil painting technique and retablos, applying the style of Old Masters to contemporary social issues. His work bridges colonial art history and current themes such as globalization and ecology.

For Muñiz, this tarot deck has become a visual archive in which he captures the complexity of Latin American history without simplifying it.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78
• Card size: 70 x 135 mm
• Guidebook: 92 pages
• Languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, French
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
• Card quality: High-quality cardstock
• Packaging: Sturdy storage box
• Artist: Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Questions we often get

Does this deck follow the traditional tarot structure?
Yes. The deck consists of 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana, divided into four suits. You can use it for all standard spreads. The imagery departs strongly from RWS, but the structure is classic.

Is the guidebook necessary to work with this deck?
That depends. If you want to understand the historical symbolism, the guidebook helps enormously. For standard tarot readings you can manage without, but you will miss the layers Muñiz has explicitly built in.