Folkloric Forest Tarot

A deck that began only as a single copy for myself...

The Folkloric Forest Tarot embraces the earth element, the natural environmental surroundings, and Finnish and Northern European folklore, myth, and magic. It highlights the highs and lows of nature, living with the land, and respecting the unknowns of the dense trees.

Each card features an antique painting from the public domain. (This is not AI.) I could see the vision of this world I was curating: hunting, foraging, and farming amongst the brutal honesty of the forest, surviving challenging encounters of life and death. There's nothing held back while living amongst nature.

The beauty of this curation of artwork is the ability to adapt and mold with you. The forest environment embraces many commonalities throughout various myths and lore. And the great thing is, it doesn't have to be about that either. That's just where I've placed it for myself. 

If you are a lover of nature, the darkness of the woods, or a fan of the unforgiving honesty of survival amongst the land, then you may enjoy this deck.

The Creation

My interest in Finnish mythology sparked this idea for four elemental decks, like a mini encyclopedia set, embracing the myths and lore of a part of my heritage. You would be surprised to learn that there is little out there in terms of resources and goods compared to pantheons like Sumerian and Egyptian, Greek and Roman, and so on. I've slowly been building a small collection of books and other materials relating to the Kalevala and other Finnish tales.

As the deck formed and the completed cards increased, my original intention of representing Finnish tales shifted. I was bumping into areas where I couldn't find the "right" painting to represent the tale and the tarot card. Then, I began to overly analyze every decision I had made previously for the completed cards. At that point, I realized that I needed to widen my scope. It didn't have to be ultra-specific and detailed to just Finnish mythology and folklore; I can keep those connections for myself and the deck. There are many influences of it in the deck, but it was okay for the deck to become something more far-reaching.

There are many crossovers among Northern European folklore, so opening the perspective from strictly Finnish to a broader region couldn't hurt. With this adjustment in mindset, I quickly continued searching and placing paintings on the cards. Much was from intuition, and some were from research. Once I selected a painting, I used Photoshop to retouch and edit it. Sometimes, I would move an entire animal over to create a better composition. Sometimes, I would remove one of the painting's subject matter or other elements to create a better focus. Sometimes, I just removed flaws or made color adjustments.

The Cards

A deep journey into the darkness of the forest. Add a rich layer of rural living to your readings with farming, hunting, and ruggedness of nature.

• 70x120 mm
• 330 gsm German black core paper 
• Matte UV coating
• Linen finish
• Gold foil (front and back)
• Forest green matte color edges

The cards follow the Rider-Waite-Smith, with name changes to some majors and suit titles. The minors feature the suit emblem at the top instead of Roman numerals like the majors.

• The Seer: The High Priestess
• The Maiden: The Empress
• The Guardian: The Emperor
• The Elder: The Hierophant
• The Wheel: Wheel of Fortune
• The Sacrifice: The Hanged Man
   
• Fire: Wands
• Water: Cups
• Air: Swords
• Earth: Pentacles

The Box

The minimalist design nods to an encyclopedia-like series. Each deck in the upcoming set will feature the same design with the title, pattern, and icon swapped.

• Tuck Box
• 400 gsm cardboard
• Satin matte lamination
• Linen finish
• Gold foil stamp on exterior
• Interior printing

The Guidebook

Please note that the guidebook is for guidance with the artwork, not as a resource for learning specific folklore. I'm providing nuance to the card, but I'm by no means an expert or teacher on the subject matter.

The guidebook contains brief information about tarot, animals, and general Northern European folklore meanings. However, each card's artwork is open to interpretation and applicable to your practice, traditions, and meanings. Just because I started it in this place of Finnish and Northern European folklore doesn't mean that's where you have to keep it!

The title and date of each painting and the artist's name, birthplace, and lifespan dates are included for each card entry.

• 70x120 mm
• Perfect binding
• 104 pages
• Black & white interior pages
• Matte lamination and linen finish cover
• Gold foil stamp on cover

The Four (Five) Deck Set

The additional decks are for future creation and are not offered for sale at this time.

I developed the set's concept based on Kalevala's world map. Each region aligned so well with the elements that I decided to use that as a starting point for each deck's theme:

• Forest / Earth
• Underwater / Water
• Village / Fire
• Mountain Sky / Air
• Underworld / Shadow

There's potential for the fifth deck. It was part of my original idea, but I'm curious if I can find enough imagery for an entire deck. Rounding out the series with an underworld theme would be the cherry on top.

An exciting perk to the set is the potential to create a personalized deck by mixing and matching the cards, forming your perfect curation.

Looking for reviews, walkthroughs, and commentary? Check out the YouTube playlist.

Buyer is responsible for any duties/taxes/import fees to your country.