Ephemere

There are decks that really can take your breath away - Ephemere (the sister deck to TrueBlack tarot) is one of those decks.

Arthur Wang (the deck creator) and Ellie (his wife) have outdone themselves again - if you’re a fan of the TrueBlack tarot, this is the companion deck that you didn’t realise you needed to have (and save hard for). Believe me, its worth it!
Following the high quality and beautiful aesthetic of TrueBlack tarot, Ephemere brings the light to join the dark. She shines, she seeks attention, she commands space - in the nicest and most elegant way of course!
The ‘Heroes journey’ is the theme that links the cards together in this deck - I love decks that tell a story across the cards (particularly with a fresh perspective). I know the re-imagining of the cards (which introduces new concepts into what is generally a ‘set’ tarot system) can be uncomfortable for some initially. But stick with it - this is another opportunity to look at the cards differently and perhaps learn and expand your understanding of the cards even further. The guidebook is very helpful in this respect also.
I have no problems with photographing this deck - no matter what, she is a stunner. Its such a joy to read with these cards (I love the guidebook!). Honestly, I could just be sitting with the deck to look at the art and I would be happy. The card stock is a little different to TrueBlack, but in my view, no less special. In fact, they may be a little easier to handle than the TrueBlack cards.

And as with TrueBlack - these decks are VERY exclusive and special, and as a result, pricing will reflect this. And there will only be a small number of decks available at any time. So please make sure you consider this before you purchase.

Again, I don’t really have enough words to do this deck justice - so I will leave it to the brilliant deck creator to tell you a bit more about this deck. Feel free to check out the TrueBlack website to find out more. But in the meantime, let me express my joy at having this amazing deck as part of the MoonAmaia collection of decks - so so honoured! (insert excited trilly scream here ha ha!).

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From the TrueBlack website:

Ephemere reimagines the classic Fool’s Journey to present a new odyssey inspired by literary classics and ancient mythologies. Known as the Hero’s Journey, this story tells a timeless tale of humble origins to inspiring moments, heartbreaking defeat to lifelong lessons, and triumphant victories that build an enduring legacy. Combined with classic Rider-Waite-Smith minor arcana, this full set of 80 cards presents a story that is both familiar and refreshing, intuitively relatable and timelessly relevant.

One Ephemere deck contains:

• The most luxurious and highest-quality tarot deck on the market, featuring inks from Japan, coatings from Spain, foil from Germany, cut with tungsten blades from Switzerland, and printed on artisanal paper here in the United States. Unparalleled in quality and craftsmanship.

• 80 cards on 16pt nonreflective matte stock (more flexible compared to TrueBlack)

• Sturdy magnetic-closure book-style box

• Printed and foil-stamped guide booklet

• Standard tarot size, 2.75”x4.75”

The major arcana cards have been reimagined as a "Hero's Journey" in place of the classic "Fool's Journey". Countless historic, ancient, and modern epics follow a curiously universal structure sometimes called the “Hero’s Journey.” Ephemere tells this timeless story of our willpower, struggles, failures, and how we pick up the pieces to continue onwards. Most reimagined major arcana cards retain strong parallels to traditional Rider Waite-Smith counterparts, though some will seem completely new. These reimagined majors are:

• Origin, Dream, Summon

• Fighter, Alchemist, Keeper

• Voyager, Dulcess, Nemesis

• Obscurio, Burn, Healer

• Seeker, Counterpoint (m/f), (m/m), (f/f)

• Defiance, Crescendo

• Victor, Sacrifice, Ovation

• Death, Legacy, Continuum

The booklet, co-written by Mat Auryn and Arthur Wang, will detail the similarities and differences between these new cards and the traditional RWS majors, as well as diving into the expanded storyline of the Hero’s Journey. The Minor Arcana cards still follow traditional Rider Waite-Smith symbolism and the classic 4 suits.