The Tarot Circle is a new comic that explores the Tarot through the eyes of a diverse group of people. Entering the musty old Ace of Cups Bookshop through its fogged-up door, Jay joins Enid, Dorothea, Rowan, Fuchsia and Angel, a circle of friends who have gathered to read tarot for each other and share all they know about the craft. They begin with the earliest historical accounts of tarot; in Egypt or Russia, or was it Roma fortune tellers? They discuss Aleister Crowley's
Thoth Deck, with its rich alchemical symbolism. They shine a light on the female artists behind the most acclaimed tarot decks to date; Pamela Colman Smith (
Rider-Waite-Smith), Penny Slinger (
Secret Dakini Oracle) and Frieda Harris (
Thoth Tarot). Their discussions explore everything from the Spanish tarot in the 16th century, the fashionable fortune-telling of the French aristocracy all the way to the Satanic panic of the 1980s. As a total tarot newbie, Jay is fascinated and quickly discovers the power of the card's guidance for her personal struggles.
The Tarot Circle narratively blends Jay's personal strife with a rich exploration of the extensive and fascinating history of the divination practice.
