THE CRUX TAROT, a minimalist tarot deck illustrated queer tarot reader Harvey James, brings inclusivity and accessibility to tarot. It examines the card’s themes in a minimalist fashion, with clear execution of the card’s meanings. It abandons the traditional naming conventions and gendered figures, and creates instead a world at the intersection of magic and practicality. The Crux tarot is a tool to help you elevate your practice while diving deep into the symbolism of the tarot.

The Crux Tarot is currently in a prototype phase and does not have a release date.

ORIGINS

About a year into my tarot journey, tired of the lack of queer inclusive decks available and abundant biased resources for learning tarot, I embarked on a project to create a deck of my own. One that stripped away the stereotypical and problematic, reducing tarot down to its root archetypes and meanings.

I used clean minimalism to create a deck that acted as a canvas, the figures and suits as guidelines, for any personal narrative to be painted on. I explored a court system that encouraged the reader to analyze sexist perceptions of the queens and kings. I proposed a renaming of the majors that offered a fresh perspective on the narrative it depicted.

This deck was intended to be a deck just for personal use, but has found lots of love and support through social media. It is an ongoing project, I hope to one day realize fully.

A DECK AT AN INTERSECTION

Time and time again I return to the use of tarot as a tool for enlightenment, but like most things, it is far from inclusive and accessible across the board.

Most tarot decks hardly challenge stale and problematic perceptions of diversity. For allies, the task of reading inclusively can be hard when the most accessible decks are bias or stereotypical. For marginalized readers, the lack of community and validation can be the difference between falling in love with tarot, and not connecting with it.

I have always believed that these two problems were not inherently separate. Both problems require learning tools and resources that don’t rely in bias interpretations. At the intersection is the search for inclusive, minimalist tarot. This is where The Crux Tarot is to manifest.

The Crux Tarot is a tool for all readers to investigate the core of tarot, introducing a fresh perspective into their practice. It acts as a beginners deck for the work of inclusivity, community building, and critiquing the way we talk about and use tarot.

Crux refers to the core of an issue or situation, as well as a particular point of difficulty. In this way, the name of this deck reminds us not only of the sacred truth available to us through tarot, but of the very important work that gets us there. A more inclusive future is only possible through our dedication and hard work. Likewise, diversity and creativity in the tarot community relies on us creating a collective space that is accessible and inclusive.

COMPLETED CARDS

(These pictures are of test cards, and may not represent 100% accurately the final deck.)

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