Over the past few years, I have acquired a rather large collection of Tarot and divination decks. Whilst I work and read with almost all of my collection, there are a select few decks that I hold particularly close to my heart – the Rainbow Heart Tarot is one of these and thus I was delighted when earlier this week the postman delivered a second, much smaller pocket edition of this stunning deck.
Designed and created by Rachel Rosenkoetter, the Rainbow Heart Tarot is a vibrant, bold, very colourful and rather cheery Tarot deck based on the traditional Rider Waite Smith Tarot system and setup. This is a modern, inclusive, and very diverse deck featuring a wide range of figures and characters representing modern society.
Rachel Rosenkoetter
Based in Portland, Oregan, Rachel Rosenkoetter is a visual artist. Rachel enjoys exploring the concepts of mysticism and the states of being throughout her work. She has received a BFA in Painting from The Missouri State University and an MRA in Visual Studies from The Pacific Northwest College of Art. Rachel is a founding member of Killjoy Collective and the creator of the Rainbow Heart Tarot. and it’s various editions and versions.
Packaging & Thoughts For The Future
The Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot comes in a pretty purple box which is stylish and sturdy thus ideal for storage and display purposes. The box is smaller but otherwise identical in terms of design to that of the previous editions of this deck.
Given that pocket decks tend to be used mostly whilst out and about I might suggest that alternative packaging options such as a drawstring bag or perhaps a tin should be made available for transporting and carrying the deck with more ease (as the cardboard, despite being thick and sturdy, is highly likely to get bashed about if it were to be thrown into a bag).
I personally plan to use this deck whilst on my travels and thus will most likely put together a pouch on my sewing machine (ideally in matching purple fabric) to carry it safely within.
The Deck With A Difference
Unlike the standard Rainbow Heart Tarot (which comes with a small black and white printed guidebook/ pamphlet), the Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot arrives without any form of written guidance. A guidebook can however be purchased separately via Rachel’s website.
The Cards
The Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot is a standard seventy-eight-card Tarot deck with pretty purple card backs decorated with cutesy, emoji-style heart, rainbow, and cloud imagery using mostly primary colours.
The pocket-sized Tarot deck feels luxurious to the touch with super smooth matt card stock and stunning shimmery gold gilded edging. The card stock is high quality and makes for a super smooth shuffle. Featuring plain white borders and clear titling and numbering, the Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot is certainly an upgrade to the previous editions.
Pocket VS Standard Size Tarot
Whilst the original Rainbow Heart Tarot was rather large in comparison to standard-sized Tarot decks, the new pocket edition is far smaller measuring 2.5 x 3.5″.
Though both the first and pocket editions of the Rainbow Heart Tarot use silky smooth matt card stock, the newer pocket-sized edition of this deck uses slightly thicker 400 gsm card stock and when placed next to the original deck is a little thicker in-depth.
Whilst the card size, stock, and edging have been modified, the original imagery and titling fonts remain the same.
The Major Arcana
The Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot follows the traditional RWS setup and titling though is otherwise a very modern take on the Tarot. The major arcana is made up of a rather unique and very diverse set of figures and images, all of which are bright, bold, and very easy to interpret.
The Minor Arcana
The Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot uses the traditional RWS suits of Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles alongside the standard court cards (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings).
Much like the major arcana, the minor arcana has a range of brilliant, bright, bold imagery clearly defining the figures and symbology.
The Suit of Wands
The Suit of Cups
The Suit of Swords
The Suit of Pentacles
Let’s Walkthrough The Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot
In order to further explain and illustrate the Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot, I have put together a detailed walkthrough of the deck including comparisons with the standard version of this deck.
I’ve been reading and working with the original Rainbow Heart Tarot for well over a year now, it’s one of the first decks I reach out for if I’m ever feeling a little under the weather or in need of cheering up as the fabulous flamboyant, friendly imagery never fails to raise my spirits.
I love that I now have a pocket-sized version of this dazzling deck to carry around with me. I will admit, it feels a lot more luxurious to shuffle than the previous edition of the Rainbow Heart Tarot though I’ll be sure to continue using both decks (at home and whilst out and about).
The Rainbow Heart Tarot and Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot are ideal decks for readers of all ages and abilities. The Rainbow Heart Tarot is essentially an RWS clone only marvellously modern, far more diverse, much more colourful, and with the added bonus of cutesy rainbows and glitzy golden edging.
The imagery is clear and concise making for easy intuitive interpretation. I’ve grown very fond of the original Rainbow Heart Tarot and cannot wait to be able to carry this dinky divine little deck around with me for readings here, there, and everywhere.
Purchasing & Pricing Information
Both the Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot and the Rainbow Heart Tarot are available to purchase alongside a number of accessories, books, and collectables via Rachel Rosenkoetter’s website. The Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot currently (as of April 2023) retails at $45.00, though it is worth noting that additional postage and shipping fees will apply, especially so for those outside of the USA.
To Summarise
Illustrated by hand, the Rainbow Heart Tarot is a vibrant, vivid deck that is a jazzy and very joyous take on the traditional Tarot. Ideal for readers of all ages and abilities, the Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot is a marvellously modern, luxurious, divine, diverse and dinky little deck which brings rainbows and rapture to any and every reading.
For further information on the Rainbow Heart Pocket Tarot or alternative publications and products from Rachel Rosenkoetter visit www.rainbowhearttarot.com
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Product Rating
Disclosure: I was sent the above product for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.