Vesper Tarot - black and white linework with a narrative structure
Most tarot decks present 78 separate images. The Vesper Tarot takes a different approach: every card follows a single character, Vespertiliu, a half-man, half-bat, on a journey through the Major and Minor Arcana. The deck is a continuous story, not a collection of symbols.
Lo Scarabeo published this deck as part of the Horizons line, a series of experimental editions with a strong artistic identity. The print run is limited to 4,000 copies worldwide.
What you see on the cards
The deck is entirely black and white: detailed pencil-style linework with high contrast, close in feel to a graphic novel. Colour is absent throughout. What remains is composition, linework, and the expressions of the figures.
Alongside Vespertiliu, a character representing the Magician appears throughout, described as a small, wise sorceress. Together they give the deck a clear narrative tone that carries from card to card.
Narrative structure as a reading tool
Because the illustrations are scenes rather than static symbols, the cards offer an intuitive reading direction. Where is Vespertiliu looking? What is in the background? These visual cues carry a reading without requiring memorised meanings.
The guidebook is multilingual, making the deck accessible to readers who do not work in English.
In a reading, pay attention not just to the card itself but to the direction Vespertiliu is facing. His position relative to the other cards in a spread adds another layer to how the sequence reads.
About Veronica Ciancarini
Veronica Ciancarini studied scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and works as a cartoonist, illustrator and content creator. She is known for her graphic novels, including Bleeding Mariachi, and her webcomic Nundead. A long-standing fascination with bats and dark themes runs through her work.
For the Vesper Tarot, she used her own alter ego Vespertiliu as a starting point: a character she had already developed in her drawing practice, now given a complete symbolic journey across the full deck.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Language: Multilingual
- ISBN: 9780738778686
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- Weight: 340 g
- Dimensions: 65 x 118 mm
- Print run: Limited to 4,000 copies worldwide
- Line: Lo Scarabeo Horizons
- Illustrator: Veronica Ciancarini
Questions we often get
What is the Lo Scarabeo Horizons line?
The Horizons line is a series within Lo Scarabeo's catalogue reserved for experimental and strongly artist-driven decks. They are typically released as limited editions with an artistic approach that differs from Lo Scarabeo's standard range.
Which languages does the guidebook include?
The guidebook is multilingual. The specific languages included are not detailed in the product information. If you need to confirm a particular language, our customer service team can help.
