Hierophant card: a figure in long white robes against a starry black sky, one hand raised to a star — Hierophant

Black Violet Tarot

A deck for artists and dreamers.

A 78-card tarot deck exploring archetype, intuition, transformation and the inner life through stark black-and-white illustration.

Illustrated tarot deck, 2021

King of Cups card: a figure in a white robe holding a cup stands on a patterned shore by a dark sea under a crescent moon — King of Cups

King of Wands card: a white silhouetted figure raises a wand and holds a cup beside a lion, against a starry black sky — King of Wands

Queen of Cups card: a crowned figure in a black robe holds out a cup over pale, lined water from a patterned shore — Queen of Cups

Queen of Wands card: a crowned figure in a long black gown stands beside a black panther — Queen of Wands

Knight of Swords card: a rider with a raised sword on a rearing black horse, butterflies rising beneath dark clouds — Knight of Swords

Three of Pentacles card: three figures work at an arched trellis hung with grapes and three pentacles — Three of Pentacles

The Empress card: a woman in a long dark gown with flowing hair holds a flower among slender trees and butterflies — The Empress

Page of Swords card: a figure in a white robe holds a tall sword and releases butterflies under a starry sky — Page of Swords

Five of Pentacles card: a cloaked figure with windblown hair passes two arched windows marked with pentacles in falling snow — Five of Pentacles

The Lovers card: two winged figures with flowing hair embrace, their tails intertwined, on black — The Lovers

Justice card: a figure with long dark hair holds a sword and scales, draped in a long black-and-white robe — Justice

Strength card: a woman in a flower crown rides a lion, both in black silhouette — Strength

Throughout history and folklore, violets have represented life and fertility, death and remembrance—a striking contrast of joy v. grief, beginning v. end, and future v. memory.

I created Black Violet Tarot as I became a mother while losing my own mother to cancer. I illustrated it entirely in black and white to reflect this idea of bittersweet dualities—of shining a light in times of darkness.

After self-publishing the deck for four print rounds and selling out each time, I signed with Rockpool Publishing and Simon & Schuster to make Black Violet Tarot available worldwide in June 2024.

Role: Creator, writer & illustrator
First edition: Self-published, 2021
Publisher: Rockpool Publishing / Simon & Schuster, 2024
Links: Black Violet Tarot (opens in a new tab)
Simon & Schuster (opens in a new tab)