The Invisible Light Tarot
A dark and hazy landscape sets the tone for this photo-based deck. Empty buildings, foreboding beaches, and desert boulders punctuate the images. Each card, including the minor arcana, contains an image of a young figure contrasting with the desert-like background.
With the Invisible Light tarot deck Brandy Allen showcases the people and nature of California. The California she portrays, however, is more apocalyptic than the bubbly brightness most of us associate with this state. Half the cards consist of black and white photography and the other half uses a limited palette of crimson, chartreuse, and lilac. The subdued tones enhance the dystopic dreamscape portrayed in these images.
The dusky figures in this deck are thin and fragile, yet their beauty is evident. They occasionally appear nude, yet their sensuality is not the main focus. They seem lost, searching perhaps, as eternal wanderers in this strange world. In this deck the figures look like us, are fragile like us, and in that way we can relate and connect to them on our level.
Occasionally this deck uses Rider-Waite symbolism but the references are often subtle and not the main focus of the image. I would consider this deck to be an intuitive deck. A deck that would be good to meditate with, possibly to place one or two images on an altar and envision yourself walking among these California searchers.
This is a youthful deck and is something that would certainly appeal to millennials. As a millennial myself, I was definitely drawn towards the characters depicted in the cards. However, the imagery falls a bit flat when considering several cards of the Major Arcana. I expect my Emperor, Hierophant, and Chariot to be powerful and strong. The figures, while languidly beautiful, sometimes don’t portray the otherworldly power these characters represent. Although, I do certainly appreciate how each suit card is pictorial and that alone definitely makes this deck worth a look.
I commend Brandy Allen for her unique style with this deck. She really brings something to the table that I have not seen before and I look forward to using this deck more. One of the true joys of being a reader in the internet age is that it has allowed artists from all over the world to connect and create their own interpretations of the Tarot cards. I look forward to seeing what Brandy and other deck creators do next.
If you'd like to learn more about Brandy Allen and the Invisible Tarot Deck you can do so here.
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