Remember being forced to learn how to write like this in third grade only to have cursive ruled out of the curricumlum and then having all proceeding teachers shame you for writing in cursive?
Update on my sprained ankles: I feel better. I haven’t stopped moving and I think it’s helping much more than rest would. It hurts but I’ve been through much worse! So let’s go back to normal blogging. I’m pretty sure you all know about Lovecraft. Even if you haven’t read any of his works, you’ve probably heard about him. I remember getting to know about Lovecraft when I was pretty young, I read his stories in adapted children’s books (yes I’ve always liked horror stuff). So it makes me incredibly happy to know his legacy can also be enjoyed in other ways, like in tarot. The Book of Azatoth Tarot deck is created, illustrated and self published by Nemo at Nemo’s Locker, and it is a beauty of its own kind.
I wanted to start mentioning Keziah Mason but Nemo has already done that on the site: “[it] is intended to be a deck that might have existed in the Lovecraftian universe, perhaps even used by the witch, Keziah Mason, or old wizard Whateley; and to carry forward the eldrich atmosphere that Lovecraft weaved so well”. Both Keziah and Azathoth are Lovecraft’s creations, the former being a 17th century witch, and the latter a deity in some of his works. You can start imagining what to expect: dark atmosphere, supernatural characters, the unknown. What you may not expect is all of its glory: the richness of symbolism, the intricacy of the illustrations, and the sheer dark beauty of each card.
The bigger than usual cards feature detailed pen and ink drawings. You can see a main palette of gold toned yellows against a black background - which is not static, as the illustrations make use of it to produce the elements of the cards (one clear example is the left column in the High Priestess). The illustrations themselves are full of details which help create an atmosphere fit for a tale, but they also contain astrological and alchemical symbols as well as hebrew letters to expand the tarot interpretations of each card. In general, the cards are rich and have several meaning layers, and everytime I look at them I find something new. It feels labyrinthic in a good, very lovecraftian way.
The deck doesn’t come with a booklet so with some cards I am not sure if I am seeing a particular character or simply someone (or something, you know) that could exist in the Lovecraftian universe. So while I can’t get to scream “omg Cthulhu” as much as I wanted (ha!) it’s also a good thing, because I get to theorise and use my imagination. Pentacles feature mostly human figures as swords do, though in the swords their ears are pointy and you can also find winged figures; cups ingeniously feature lizard people, and wands show humanoid figures with hooves, tails and horns. Majors are all different, each has its own personality, and they take my breath away. It’s a cohesive work rooted deeply in tarot tradition which also manages to be entirely lovecraftian and unique. I can’t hide how much I love it.
This is a limited fourth edition of 1000 copies, and as far as I know the change is to be found on the back of the cards. They feature a red on black illustration that works really well with the hues on the front. The cards come in a sturdy two part box, which also contains the deck number. I have to mention the careful packaging too, as well as the extra gift - a print! So if you are a fan of Lovecraft, you like horror, or you’re simply willing to expand your collection with a very special deck, this is your chance. Despite not having a specific resource for reading this deck, it’s good for beginners who like the imagery and aesthetics as general tarot literature can help. Basically, the Book of Azathoth Tarot is a jewel both as a workable deck and as a collectors item, and I definitely think you should check it out!
