Vivid, vintage, and vivacious in style, Deckstiny‘s Old School (V2) Tarot is a quirky, cutesy, marvellously modern take upon the traditional Rider Waite Smith Tarot.
Who Is Deckstiny?
Based in Thailand, Deckstiny first came about in 2020 when they released their first indy Tarot Deck – The Shuffle Tarot A & B. Formerly known as ‘Shuffle Tarot’, Deckstiny is a team collaboration of Mate Horonumber, Oomsin Phumphat, and a number of other artists and contributors including JuJiir.
Over time Deckstiny, alongside their contributing artists, has designed and produced a wide selection of divination decks, all of which are available to purchase Worldwide via their Etsy shop.
The Old School V2 Tarot
This colourful cartoon-style Tarot deck has been inspired and influenced by the bright, bold imagery from the rubber-hose cartoon era.
Similar in style to Liminal 11’s Mystical Medleys Tarot, the Old School (V2) Tarot is a charming, cheery seventy-eight-card Tarot deck ideal for readers of all ages and abilities.
Presentation & Packaging
The Old School (V2) Tarot arrives packaged in a sturdy, colourful, cardboard box featuring decor and detail on the front, back, inside, and outside of the box.
Whilst Deckstiny once sold many of their decks in much cheaper, flimsier tuck box-style packaging, they seem to have rectified and replaced this style of storage with much sturdier counterparts ideal for collectors who may wish to store and display their decks.
What, No Guidebook?
Though Deckstiny has included the odd guidebook with their decks from time to time, there aren’t many of their publications that have done so. The Old School (V2) Tarot arrives without a guidebook thus beginner readers may wish to consider this.
The Cards
This standard-Tarot-sized (measuring 70 x 120mm) deck is printed on a silky smooth, high quality 350 GSM Art Card and features the most gorgeous green glitter edging which matches the colour scheme of the bullseye-style symmetrical card backs.
Though printed on Matt-finish card, the Old School (V2) Tarot uses a linen-style, tea-stained, vintage look for the backing of the majority of this borderless deck. Though the background imagery appears textured, the cards are most certainly matt.
Additional Certification & Art Cards
Included with the Old School (V2) Tarot are eight additional cards: a certification card providing proof of the exact edition of the deck, a title card, a thank you card, a note card, and four protective art cards.
The Major Arcana
Though modern in style, the Old School (V2) Tarot uses the setup, figures, suits, and court cards from the traditional RWS Tarot.
Retro-rubber-hose-style imagery features heavily throughout the deck thus many of the figures from the major arcana have cutesy cartoon-style eyes, including background elements such as the sun and the moon.
The Minor Arcana
The minor arcana uses the traditional suits of Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles alongside the well-known court card figures (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings).
The vivid cartoon-style artwork continues throughout the minor arcana offering bold, bright, and informative readings.
The Suit of Wands
The Suit of Cups
The Suit of Swords
The Suit of Pentacles
Let’s Take A Closer Look
I have put together a short walkthrough video further illustrating and explaining the Old School (V2 Tarot)
Reading & Working With The Old School (V2) Tarot Deck
I have worked and read with the Old School (V2) Tarot numerous times throughout the past week, and whilst I adore the artwork, I cannot help but to compare it to that featured in Gary Hall’s Mystical Medleys Tarot, yet another deck based upon the 1930’s rubber-hose cartoon style.
This beautiful borderless deck features cute, clear and easy-to-interpret imagery ideal for younger, less experienced readers. However, it is worth noting that this deck comes without a guidebook or information included thus this would perhaps need to be an additional purchase for beginner readers.
Purchasing & Pricing Information
First published in July 2022, the Old School (V2) Tarot is available to purchase online via Deckstiny’s Etsy Store, the deck is currently retailing from £57.97 (with an additional £35.35 postage fee dependent upon where you may live).
To Summarise
Combining cartoons with cartomancy, the Old School (V2) Tarot is a modern take on the traditional Tarot with a retro twist. Suitable for readers of all ages and abilities, the Old School (V2) Tarot is a beautifully presented and printed deck with a cheery vibe ideal for upbeat, optimistic readings.
For further information on the Old School (V2) Tarot or alternative Deckstiny divination decks visit www.etsy.com/shop/ShuffleTarot
Disclosure: I was sent the above product for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.