The Symbolic Tarot - everyday objects as entry points into tarot
Most tarot cards show us figures: an empress on her throne, a fool at the edge of a cliff. The Symbolic Tarot does something different. Writer Suki Ferguson and artist Ana Novaes chose everyday objects as the visual language of this deck, symbols carrying meanings accumulated across many cultures and generations, without being tied to any single tradition.
Ferguson describes the deck as a process of discovery in the space between seeing and knowing. That is not just a poetic phrase. It describes how the cards actually function: not as fixed answers, but as images whose meaning shifts depending on what you bring to a reading.
What you see on the cards
Ana Novaes is a Brazilian artist based in São Paulo, with work published worldwide including Soul Mirror Oracle, Nova Witch Tarot and The Tarot of Secrets. Her illustrations for this deck sit between the conscious and the unconscious, between reality and dream. The images are dreamlike without being vague: they call up associations that feel like they are waiting to be read.
There is a deliberate and sustained focus on feminine figures and perspectives outside the male gaze. That is not decoration. It is a conceptual position that runs through the whole deck.
How you work with it
This deck is most productive for readers who already have a feel for tarot's basic structure and want to move toward a more intuitive, less prescriptive way of reading. Because the symbols are not anchored to one specific cultural tradition, the cards work naturally for open-ended reflection and journaling rather than straightforward predictive readings.
Single-card pulls with a specific question, held over time, are particularly rich with this deck. The layered imagery tends to give something new each time you return to it.
Try placing a card beside a personal object that holds particular meaning for you, and let both sets of symbols speak before reaching for any written interpretation.
About Suki Ferguson and Ana Novaes
Suki Ferguson is a writer based in London who reads tarot online for people around the world as @mirrortarot. She describes reading for others as one of her great joys.
Ana Novaes has been active in the illustration market since 2015. Her work explores the collective unconscious through symbols and imagery that evoke dreams, with a consistent focus on feminine figures and perspectives.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781646713110
- Author: Suki Ferguson
- Artist: Ana Novaes
- Card dimensions: 78 x 130 mm
- Box dimensions: 105 x 150 mm
Questions we often get
How does this deck differ from a standard Rider-Waite-based deck?
Rather than showing traditional figures and scenes, The Symbolic Tarot uses everyday objects as its visual language. These symbols carry meaning from many cultures and generations, without being tied to one Western esoteric system. That approach calls for a more active, intuitive reading style than strictly illustrative decks tend to require.
What language are the cards in, and does a guidebook come with the deck?
The cards are in English. The source information does not describe a separate printed guidebook as a boxed insert. Ferguson's writing provides a mythic framework for the imagery. We recommend checking the current product listing for the most up-to-date details on what is included.
