The Wonderland Tarot

Wonderland Tarot in Tin Box - Alice in Wonderland drawn as tarot

Lewis Carroll wrote characters you do not forget. The Mad Hatter pouring tea at an endless table. The Queen of Hearts demanding heads. Alice herself, changing size and wondering who she really is.

Chris and Morgana Abbey took those figures and placed them in the structure of a traditional tarot deck. The illustrations are based on Sir John Tenniel's Victorian drawings, but in colour. What you get is a deck that reads like a story and functions as an oracle.

What sets this deck apart

The Minor Arcana uses different symbols than you are used to. Flamingos replace Swords. Pepper mills stand for Wands. Hats take the place of Cups. Oysters become Coins.

Those choices are not random. They come straight from the book. The flamingo as croquet mallet, the pepper mill from the Duchess's kitchen, the Hatter's hat, the oysters walking with the Walrus. These are objects that have their own logic in Wonderland.

Each card shows small playing-card symbols in the corners. You can use the deck for regular card games as well, though that is unlikely to be your first reason for buying it.

How it works in practice

The pocket format makes the deck easy to shuffle. The cards feel light in your hand. For people who struggle with larger cards, this is a solution.

The tin box protects better than cardboard. If you carry the deck often, it stays in good condition longer. The tin will not tear or warp.

The 56-page guidebook gives short meanings for each card and explains how the Wonderland characters relate to the traditional tarot structure. If you know Carroll's stories, you will make connections faster. But it is not required.

Draw one card each morning and see which character accompanies you that day. The absurdity of Wonderland sometimes makes serious subjects easier to carry.

About Chris and Morgana Abbey

Chris and Morgana Abbey created this deck as a tribute to Lewis Carroll's books. Their aim was to hold on to the humour and strangeness of the original while making a functional tarot deck. The balance between playfulness and usability is what defines this deck.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78 (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana)
• Card size: 57 x 89 mm
• Packaging: Tin storage box
• Guidebook: 56 pages, English
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
• ISBN: 9781572818309
• Creators: Chris and Morgana Abbey
• Illustration style: Based on Sir John Tenniel's drawings
• Card stock: Sturdy cardstock with slight gloss

Questions we often get

Does this deck follow traditional Rider-Waite meanings?
The structure is traditional, but the symbols differ. Flamingos, pepper mills, hats and oysters replace the usual suits. That calls for a slightly different interpretation, but the core remains recognisable.

Is the small format a problem when laying out cards?
No. It actually makes the deck easier to handle. It shuffles smoothly and takes up little space. For anyone who finds large cards awkward, this is a comfortable size.