The Soul Seeker Tarot - the shadow side of all 78 RWS cards
Every classic tarot deck leaves something out of the picture. The Soul Seeker Tarot puts exactly that on the table. For each of the 78 traditional Rider-Waite-Smith cards, there is a dark counterpart here: the same archetype, seen from its shadow side.
The deck is illustrated by Mirko Andreoli, an Italian artist who trained at the Ego Bianchi Art School in Cuneo, attended courses at the Comics School in Asti, and currently studies at the Albertina Academy in Turin. His work has appeared at exhibitions and competitions since 2001.
What this deck does differently
Most alternative tarot decks reinterpret the symbolism of the RWS tradition. This deck asks a different question: what is hidden behind the familiar image? That makes it less a replacement for a classic deck and more an addition to an existing tarot practice.
The guidebook is written as a continuous story following a lonely soul travelling through the Arcana in search of meaning. Charles Harrington chose that narrative form deliberately: not a list of meanings, but a text that carries the atmosphere of the deck itself.
About the guidebook
Harrington previously wrote the guidebooks for the Murder of Crows Tarot, the Ferenc Pinter Tarot and Tarot V, all published by Lo Scarabeo. He has been reading, teaching and speaking about tarot for 25 years, including at conferences and meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area. He knows how to write a guidebook for people who already know the cards.
The guidebook runs to 128 pages and is in English. No translation has been announced based on the available information.
Who this deck works for
This is not a starter deck. The shadow versions of the cards assume you already know the original RWS images and their traditional meanings. With that foundation in place, this deck adds a different layer to a reading practice.
Pull a card alongside its counterpart from your existing RWS deck and lay both side by side. What one image shows, the other withholds, and the other way around.
About Charles Harrington and Mirko Andreoli
Charles Harrington has been reading and teaching tarot for 25 years. Alongside his writing for Lo Scarabeo, he co-hosts podcasts and organises meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area. His interest lies in finding new ways to use the cards.
Mirko Andreoli is an award-winning Italian artist with a background in comics and a formal training at the Albertina Academy in Turin. His work combines technical precision with a dark, narrative visual language.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Guidebook: 128 pages
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9780738784816
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- Publication date: August 2026
- Author: Charles B. Harrington
- Illustrator: Mirko Andreoli
Questions we often get
Is this a good first tarot deck?
The concept of this deck is built on the shadow counterparts of the 78 classic Rider-Waite-Smith cards. The guidebook assumes familiarity with those originals. Without that reference point, the central idea of the deck does not fully come through.
What language are the cards and the guidebook in?
The guidebook is in English, 128 pages. Based on the available information, it is not known whether the cards themselves carry text or keywords.
