You found it!
I'm glad to see that the Wizards deck has been discovered here on Aeclectic! I've been working on it for two years, so it's great to get some feedback.
I thought I'd chime in to clarify some of the questions that have been raised on this thread. First, Llewellyn's marketing department hasn't influenced the concept or the design at all. Two years ago, they asked me to develop a tarot deck set at a school of magic -- but that was the full extent of their involvement. In fact, they've given me a completely free hand in creating this project; I'm the one who decided what would appear on every card.
One thing I'm really glad to see is that everyone "gets" the concept behind the deck -- because it wasn't always as obvious as it seems. I played around with a lot of different ideas before deciding that the Majors would be professors. For a while, for example, I thought that the deck could follow a single "Fool" character through every card. That idea didn't flow as well as I hoped, though. Then I thought about letting the Fool experiment with various magical lessons ... and that led to the introduction of all the archetypes as instructors.
I'm still finishing the guidebook, but it will include a detailed description of all the professor cards, followed by a brief lesson in the subject they teach. The section on the Magician, for example, will describe sacred space and standard magical principles. The section on the High Priestess will offer basic instruction in how to read tarot cards. (I'm so glad they both appear at the front of the book!)
I'd kind of like to include the names of the professors on each card, but I don't know if they'll fit. Having the titles might also be a distraction to anyone who wants to do traditional readings with the deck, too.
Most of the professors are loosely based on mythic figures -- which explains why they're preternaturally young and attractive. If I were a goddess, I'd much rather look like the Star than a frumpy, forty-something housewife in Minneapolis. It is, after all, a fantasy deck.
The Minor Arcana cards will have a distinct Rider-Waite-Smith influence, because most tarot readers use that deck as their foundation, and I wanted the Wizards Tarot to be as approachable as possible. I've added my own twist, though -- after a lot of thought, trial, and error.
I played around with the idea of having the four suits correspond to four houses at the school, but that seemed too easy. Instead, I decided to let the Minors represent students who practice the magic they've learned from the Majors. The four suits will depict students engaged in four specific types of magic -- fire magic, water magic, air magic, and earth magic -- with corresponding spells, charms, and rituals for each card. In the end, the Minor Arcana portion of the guidebook will read like a Grimoire or a Book of Shadows. I'm hoping that the book designers at Llewellyn will be able to give the text an old-fashioned, magical feel.
For a while, in fact, the working title of the deck was the "Book of Shadows Tarot." When I mentioned it to people, though, no one seemed to know what I was talking about. Everyone gets the idea of a "Wizards Tarot." (The name could change, though. Nothing is set in stone at this point.)
The Minor Arcana cards aren't done yet, which is why they're not online. The Court Cards are finished, but I haven't had time to make a video of them yet. They are amazing, though -- both because the art is gorgeous, like the Majors, but also because they tap into some truly primordial energy.
The concept I used for the Court Cards was probably the hardest part of designing the deck. For the longest time, I honestly didn't know what to do with them. Should they constitute a Board of Regents? Parents? Alumni? Donors? I was trying to force them into the "school" mold, but they just wouldn't fit. Finally, I decided to let them be the magical, elemental creatures they are -- so in the Wizards Tarot, the king, queen, prince, and princess of wands are fiery salamander beings. Their counterparts in cups are undines. The swords are sylphs, and the pentacles are gnomes. (John did an incredible job of personifying them all.) In the story of the deck, they are elemental royalty, and they assist, protect, and guard the students and the faculty alike.
I got the idea after reading that there really is a King of Gnomes, whose name seems to be Ghob. I figured that if there's a king, there's probably a queen, too ... which would lead to a prince and a princess. I've looked and looked, but I still haven't been able to learn if they've ever been named. (If you happen to know where I could find their names, will you tell me?)
I've probably rambled on long enough. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate all of your comments -- even those of you who suggest that the deck is a little too lightweight for your taste. In fact, I anticipated that criticism ... that "fluffy bunny" in the Fool card is there especially for you! ;-D
-- Corrine
