Black Violet Tarot by Heidi Phelps, Collector Edition

A black and violet palette. The Black Violet Tarot reads beautifully in low light, which makes it a natural choice for evening draws, Samhain readings, and shadow work where you want the imagery to feel quiet and inward.

Collector edition finish. Collector edition packaging and durable cardstock mean this deck can be shuffled nightly for years and still feel like the special object it is.

Archetypal imagery. Heidi Phelps keeps the tarot archetypes at the heart of each card, so the cards speak clearly whether you read by the book or purely by intuition.

• Creator: Heidi Phelps
• Edition: Collector Edition
• Cardstock: durable, made for regular shuffling
• ISBN: 9781922786227
• Card count: 80
• Style: Art Nouveau, Rider-Waite-Smith based
• Weight: about 1.6 lb

Tarot is used for divination and self-reflection in contemporary eclectic witchcraft and in the Western esoteric tradition that runs through the Golden Dawn. You can use the Black Violet Tarot the way you would any tarot deck: a single card to frame the day, a three-card spread for a decision, or a longer spread when a situation needs to be laid out and looked at honestly.

The cards themselves began as a fifteenth-century Italian game, tarocchi, and were turned toward divination in late-eighteenth-century France by Etteilla and Antoine Court de Gebelin. The dark, moody deck is a much newer development, one that grew alongside modern shadow work, the practice of turning the cards toward the parts of yourself you usually keep out of the light.

That is where a deck like this comes into its own. The black ground and violet tones ask you to slow down, read by lamplight, and stay with the card a moment longer than you might with a bright one.

1. Cleanse the Black Violet Tarot before its first reading: pass the deck through incense smoke, lay it on selenite overnight, or simply knock three times on the top of the deck to clear it, whichever your practice uses.
2. Dim the room. This deck was built for low light, so let the setting match it: a candle, a lamp, a quiet hour.
3. Shuffle while you hold your question, then cut the deck once and draw a single card for a daily message or three cards for past, present, and what is coming.
4. Sit with the imagery before you reach for a book. Notice the first feeling, then the details in the violet, then the archetype underneath.
5. Write the draw down. A short line in a journal each night turns readings into a record you can look back over by the next dark moon.

None of this is a rulebook. If your intuition says draw five cards, or none, or to read the deck upside down tonight, trust it.

• White Selenite Wand: Rest the deck against it between readings to keep the cards clear and ready.
• Purple Velveteen Bag, 5 x 7 Inches: A violet pouch to keep the collector edition safe in a bag or on the altar.
• Black Chime Candles, Set of 20: A black chime candle beside the deck sets the low-light mood these cards were made for.
• Tarot for Beginners by Barbara Moore: A plain-spoken guide to card meanings if you want a reference beside the archetypes.
• Moon Phase Embossed Leather Journal with Latch, 5 x 7 Inches: Record nightly draws and watch patterns appear across a lunar month.

How many cards are in the Black Violet Tarot?

The Black Violet Tarot has 80 cards. A standard deck has 78: 22 Major Arcana for the big life themes and 56 Minor Arcana in four suits, and this deck follows that Rider-Waite-Smith structure with two extra cards. The supplier does not say what the extras are or whether a guidebook is included, so ask before you order if that matters.

How do I cleanse the Black Violet Tarot?

Cleanse the Black Violet Tarot with smoke, stone, or sound. Pass the cards through incense or palo santo smoke, leave the deck on a selenite wand overnight, or knock firmly on the deck three times. Many readers cleanse a new deck once and then again whenever readings start to feel muddy or after reading for someone else.

How do I shuffle a tarot deck without damaging the cards?

Shuffle a tarot deck with an overhand shuffle rather than a riffle to protect the cardstock. Hold the deck loosely in one hand and drop small sections into the other until the cards feel mixed. The Black Violet Tarot's durable stock stands up to regular shuffling, but a gentle hand keeps the edges crisp for years.

How do I use the Black Violet Tarot as a beginner?

Use the Black Violet Tarot by starting with one card a day. Cleanse the deck, ask a simple question, draw a single card, and note what you feel before looking anything up. After a few weeks, add a three-card spread. Beginners are welcome here; the archetypal imagery gives you plenty to read from without prior study.

Is the Black Violet Tarot good for shadow work?

The Black Violet Tarot suits shadow work well, because its black and violet palette invites slow, inward readings rather than quick answers. Shadow work in modern witchcraft means turning toward the parts of yourself you usually avoid, and a dark deck read by lamplight makes that easier to sit with.

What makes this a collector edition?

This is the collector edition of the Black Violet Tarot: collector packaging and durable cardstock chosen for regular use, the version you keep rather than wear out. The box holds 80 cards drawn in Art Nouveau style on the Rider-Waite-Smith structure. Whether a guidebook ships with them is not stated, so ask if you need one.