The new Chapter tarot SALE

The New Chapter Tarot - watercolour tarot with ritual extra cards

Most tarot decks stick to the 78 cards of the classic structure. This deck adds two more: Invocation and Gratitude. Not a gimmick, but a ritual extension designed to open and close readings.

Kathryn Briggs, artist and graphic novelist, painted all the cards in watercolour. The imagery follows the Rider-Waite structure, but the court cards are gender-neutral and the entire set is deliberately diverse in its design. The foreword is written by Rachel Pollack.

What you see on the cards

Watercolour gives the images a soft, flowing quality. Colours bleed into one another, contours are less sharp than in digital work. Each figure is hand-painted, which lends a personal, human quality to the deck.

The court cards show no fixed gender roles. Where traditional decks work with king, queen, knight and page, Briggs chooses figures that do not need to be read as immediately male or female. That makes the cards more accessible to readers who do not recognise themselves in that division.

The card backs are non-reversible. That means you can see whether a card is upside down before you turn it over. For some readers that is an advantage, for others not. Either way, it is a deliberate choice.

The extra cards: Invocation and Gratitude

Invocation is used at the start of a reading to set your intention. Gratitude closes a reading and gives space to reflect on what has surfaced. You can also leave them out, but they are designed as part of a ritual process.

Both cards have no fixed meaning in traditional tarot. They function as markers, as mental anchor points for those who need them.

Draw the Invocation card before you shuffle and lay it open in front of you. It helps you settle. Close with Gratitude and let the card sit for a minute before you clear up.

Presentation and materials

The cards have a soft matte finish. They do not feel smooth or glossy, but rather velvety. That makes shuffling more pleasant, but it can also mean fingerprints show up more quickly.

The set comes in a slipcase box with magnetic closure and gold foil accents. The guidebook is a hardcover mini-book in colour, not a loose booklet. Compact format, sturdy paper.

About Kathryn Briggs

Kathryn Briggs works as an artist and graphic novelist. She also describes herself as an 'art witch', a term that refers to her ritualistic approach to the creative process. Her background is in art education and visual storytelling.

This deck is based on a period of personal change in her own life. That makes the images personal, sometimes vulnerable, not neutral or universal in the sense of a traditional Rider-Waite deck.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 80 (78 tarot cards + Invocation + Gratitude)
• Card size: 89 x 127 mm
• Finish: Soft matte
• Card backs: Non-reversible
• Packaging: Slipcase box with magnetic closure and gold foil accents
• Guidebook: Full-colour hardcover mini-book
• Language: English
• Publisher: Liminal 11
• Artist: Kathryn Briggs
• Foreword: Rachel Pollack

Questions we often get

Can I use this deck if I do not want to use the extra cards?
Yes. You can simply set Invocation and Gratitude aside. The remaining 78 cards follow the standard tarot structure and work on their own.

How does this deck differ from a classic Rider-Waite deck?
The structure is the same, but the imagery is softer and more personal through the watercolour work. The court cards are gender-neutral and the entire set is designed to be diverse. The symbolism is recognisable, but not literally copied.