An Independent Tarot Deck Review by Ian Bryant
Melanated
Classic Tarot by
Julia Goolsby & Oubria Tronshaw
Independently Published via Vervante.com Jan. 2019
https://www.oubria.com/melanated-classic-tarot.html
Introduction
The search for a tarot deck with multicultural tones began early in the year when I realized my collection did not represent my kids or my wife, who is Filipino. I’d not thought much about it up to now for some reason. Growing up I was always reminded of my Cherokee and Spanish roots, but it was the Danish American culture I was raised with. Living in Los Angeles which is as much a melting pot as my genes, I’ve taken multiculturalism for granted. But I didn’t translate that to my tarot practice and when it came time to start using the cards to tell stories to my kids, one of the first things they asked was why all the people in my decks were light-skinned. Luckily the question was asked in a time when there are more tarot deck designs out there than most can wrap their head around! I started my search initially for a Rider-Waite-Smith style deck that might give my collection some needed color.
The Deck Creators
Before I introduce you to the deck itself, I want to take a moment to honor the deck creators, Julia Goolsby and Oubria Tronshaw. Julia is a Chicago based MC (Hemenjini Ma'at "FLiPSiDEe" Nubian) and artist who has beats as powerful as her tarot art. Oubria is a tarot reader and writer in the San Francisco Bay area who also supports the Women’s Rights movement and whose online collection Marrow Women has some of the most powerful interviews with women I’ve read. These two women combined produced the energy needed to create this deck. In the Little White Book (LWB) Oubria highlights an important detail about the painter of the original Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) tarot, Pamela Colman Smith (Pixie). She reminds us that Pixie spent considerable time living in Jamaica, a culture that must have permeated her vision of the world and informed her thinking to some extent. Oubria notes in the LWB “This Melanated Classic is FOR everyone, but it’s finally ABOUT us, ya dig?” I can’t help but think Pixie would have approved of this deck.
Major Arcana
As I often do with new decks, I immediately took the Major Arcana from my RWS tarot deck and did a side-by-side comparison with those from the Melanated Classic Tarot. First, in terms of symbolism there is no loss. The Melanated deck takes the original RWS card art as template and then paints into the card persons of color and creates softer hues. The titles and numbers are quite loud, however, but as they are not set against a light background this is a good thing. The font reminds me of classic tattoo lettering. With rare exception is there deviation from the original symbolism, notable, for example, in the Judgement card where the flag on the trumpet is changed to the Pan-African flag. There are some similarities to the Universal Waite deck in terms of coloration, but the overall tone is darker, to be sure, enhanced by black borders where in the RWS cards they are white. One stand-out difference caused by the darker hues is in The Hermit, a favorite card of mine in any deck. Here in the Melanated Tarot, the light of the lantern is strikingly enhanced by surrounding darkness and only the front of the Hermit is illuminated by the lamp. I love this effect and looking at the original art wonder why Pixie didn’t add more darkness to the card. Another curious difference is in The Devil. Pixie’s inverted pentagram is missing and the human genitals are covered by what appear to be tails tipped with a flower (over the woman) and a flame (over the man). I noticed the genital coverage in The Lovers cards, as well. The LWB doesn’t explain these alterations so I look forward to starting the conversation with the creators on this one! Overall, I am drawn to these cards and the Major Arcana of the Melanated Classic Tarot speaks as deeply to me as do Pixie’s original tarot card illustrations.
Minor Arcana
Just as with the Major Arcana, the Minor stick to tradition with rare exception and the detail and colors are no less attractive. Most of the same general comments hold true here, and it is in the pulling out and comparison of some of the more iconic cards that I have note. As the Swords and Cups are often more significant for me at this stage in my life I drew several for close review. In the Melanated tarot, the II, III, IX and X of Swords leap out, a sharp contrast to Pixie’s original cards. In the III of Swords, we see an added symbol – a face peering out from behind the pierced heart, a woman with dark lashes and slightly parted lips. The darkness of a storm is highlighted here, the storminess of love perhaps. In the Ace of Cups the water flowing from the cup takes on a more silvery and ethereal quality before hitting the ocean below, and the hand holding the cup is decidedly female in the Melanated tarot. The V of Cups is reminiscent of The Hermit, the Melanated tarot providing a darker atmosphere; coming from the dark figure of the male figure is an illumination not found in Pixie’s card from the RWS. A touch I rather like, I admit. And somehow the VII and X of Cups in the Melanated tarot deck jump out with clarity and a feeling of optimism shines from them. Throughout the whole Minor Arcana I had this feeling of vibrant color, heightened emotion and personal attachment. It was a treat to sit and read from these cards for the first time, and I was engaged an entire evening closely examining each card.
The Cards, the Box and the LWB
As with most independent tarot deck creations the quality of the deck often rests with the manufacturer, in this case Vervante. I took my 2007 The Rider Waite Tarot deck printed in Italy (yellow box) and compared it to the Melanated Classic Tarot. With the cards themselves I have no complaint. While the durable paper of the Rider deck has a weight and size most tarot reader hands are used to, these are not far off. The paper is a touch thinner and the cards just slightly larger. However, side by side the two decks are clearly related and complement each other. I have shuffled and dealt the Melanated deck repeatedly and it feels good in the hands, though I admit to some concern I might bend and crease them if not careful. My first true complaint is with the box. Those familiar with the compact feeling of holding the Rider yellow box deck will be disappointed here. For some reason the manufacturer box is much too big and if squeezed, will dent downward. No tight fit here for the cards and LWB. Another complaint I have is the cut of the LWB, which I have to be fair and say I actually noticed the same issue in the LWB of my 2007 Rider deck from U.S. Games Systems! The LWB I received with my Melanated deck was cut at a slant and while it did not remove any text, it came close. If the box was a better fit and the LWB cut cleanly this would be a “10 out of 10” review for me. But as tarot collectors know, sometimes it’s less about the packaging and more about the cards. And these cards are worth jumping the packaging hurdle for.
Finally, a note on the LWB contents. The text is refreshing and the vocabulary modern. The integration of astrological influences in the cards is well noted. I read this LWB twice before I started using the deck for the first time and I felt as if I was approaching the deck from the mindset of the creators. It’s a personal LWB that does not try to appear overly wise, yet expresses wisdom in the simplicity of the card descriptions and the practical application of the meanings to modern life. Oubria, who wrote the text, has hinted at a possible book down the road and I look forward to reading that.
Conclusion
This deck filled a needed gap in my collection and the wonderful women who created it have contributed to me as a person, too, in learning about them and their causes. My favorite decks are those where I get to know the creators on a personal level and see where the cards and the creators are merged. I hope you enjoy this deck as much as I do and I hope to see more editions down the road.