Tarot of the Vampires - full RWS structure through a vampire lens
Vampires have always been a mirror for human themes: power, desire, outsiderdom, death and return. This deck takes that mirror seriously. No campy Halloween visuals, but vampires as a considered archetype for those who move outside the established order.
The illustrations are by Craig Maher, a fantasy illustrator trained at The Kubert School under Joe Kubert, with a Best in Show win at GenCon to his name. The guidebook, titled Codex of the Vampires, was written by Charles Harrington, who has read and taught tarot for 25 years and previously wrote guidebooks for the Murder of Crows Tarot and the Ferenc Pinter Tarot at Lo Scarabeo.
What you see on the cards
The imagery is dark and deliberately layered. Church elements appear throughout: stained glass windows, columns, cathedral ceilings and stonework on multiple cards. This is not decoration. It references the long, uneasy relationship between vampire mythology and religious institutions.
The pentacle cards pull in two directions. The Ten and Nine of Pentacles carry an old-money feel, while the Page of Pentacles and the Emperor lean corporate and cold. Blood is present but not used cheaply. The Strength card shows a blood lion tearing from a woman's chest. It is macabre, visually arresting, and one of the most committed interpretations of that archetype in any tarot deck.
No cards are renamed and no extra cards are added. The 78-card structure is fully RWS-compliant.
The guidebook: Codex of the Vampires
The guidebook opens with a short history of tarot and a ritual for blessing the cards. It includes multiple spreads, a range of tarot practices, and an opening chapter called 'In the Shadow of the Vampire', which explains how vampire mythology maps onto classical tarot themes.
Harrington writes with engagement rather than distance. His 25 years of reading and teaching come through in the tone, and the connection between the vampire framing and the card meanings feels thought through, not bolted on.
If the dark imagery draws you in but tarot is still relatively new to you, the guidebook covers card meanings and RWS structure in enough depth to get started without needing another reference.
About Charles Harrington and Craig Maher
Charles Harrington has read and taught tarot for 25 years. He co-hosts podcasts, speaks at conferences and runs meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area. His earlier guidebooks include the Murder of Crows Tarot, Ferenc Pinter Tarot and Tarot V for Lo Scarabeo.
Craig Maher is an illustrator specialising in fantasy and tarot art. He trained at The Kubert School, won Best in Show at GenCon, and has appeared in Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art and the Infected By Art illustration annual. He sees figurative illustration of otherworldly subjects as the heart of storytelling art.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9780738766287
- Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.
- Publication date: 8 July 2023
- Dimensions: 30 x 139.7 x 215.9 mm
- Guidebook author: Charles Harrington
- Illustrator: Craig Maher
Questions we often get
Does this deck change the standard RWS structure?
No. The cards keep their traditional names and no extra cards are added. The full 78-card RWS layout is intact. The vampire theme lives in the artwork and the guidebook, not in the card structure.
Does the guidebook include spreads?
Yes. The Codex of the Vampires contains card meanings, multiple spreads, a deck blessing ritual, and an opening chapter on vampires as mythological archetype.
