Review by Lalia Wilson
The HooDoo Tarot fills a decided cultural gap in the tarot world, which is predominately associated with European and white American culture. This deck tells the story of a cultural mingling in what is now the United States, a mingling of various African tribes, Indian tribes, and European immigrants. This mingling was one of blood and bone as well as culture. The story is overlooked in many versions of American history, perhaps in efforts to make it simpler.
The deck and book were created by Tayannah Lee McQuillar and artist Katelan V. Foley. It is a 78 card deck, with the standard 22 trumps, most given new names reflecting the HooDoo tradition, with Strength as number VIII and Dr. Buzzard (Justice) as number XI. The easy to handle cards are 2 ¾” by 4 ⅝”. The cards themselves are bordered. The subdued pallet has almost a sepia look to it. The accompanying book is 6” by 9”, 145 pages, with all cards illustrated in black and white. The four suits are: Sticks (Wands/Fire), Baskets (Cups/Water), Knives (Swords/Air), and Coins (Pentacles/Earth).
The HooDoo or Rootworker culture comes from centuries of mixing of the cultures of the First Americans (many different tribes which combined in early American history, in the southeast, to form the Creek Confederation and the Cherokee Confederation), the various African slaves (also representing many tribes), and European immigrants who themselves were diverse. This culture was most pronounced and sustained in what is now the Southeastern United States. Much of it is more claimed as Black culture, but it actually originated in a number of traditions which were combined.
You will find six cards shown on the Tarot Scopes page. This deck, coming from a Protestant-influenced tradition, is contrasted on that page with the Afro-Brazilian Tarot that comes from a similar mingling but a Catholic tradition. Here are three more.
The Nine of Coins/Pentacles shows a woman lounging at leisure in her fine home. A fluffy white Persian lies in her lap, also at leisure. This card certainly reflects the meaning of the traditional Nine of Pentacles: “personal satisfaction, fulfillment of basic needs, and savoring the rewards of past work,” as described by Janet Boyer’s Naked Tarot.
Big Mama is The Sun. Big Mama is a central figure in African-American culture. She’s the ultimate community arbitrator of good and bad, the community’s influences, and the decider of whether an individual will be supported in his or her efforts. One might say that Big Mama is less than the archetype represented by The Sun, but she is clearly trending in that direction, and the most likely personification of that archetype in most communities of color.
The Garden is this deck’s embodiment of The World archetype. Here our heroine has it all. She has earned all her rewards and she has the leisure to pursue gardening, making her home and its surroundings more beautiful. You have made it when you reach this stage of life, even if you are not yet aware or appreciative of that.
This is an important deck in terms of cultural inclusivity. It is a vital deck for anyone looking for diverse faces in American culture, particularly anyone interested in the mixtures of American Indian and Black culture in the southeast from colonial times. The deck will be easier to use for people already familiar with the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition. Some of the stories associated with these cards are harsh, and not as friendly to anyone wanting a rosy-eyed view of the world, or the very young.
A review copy of the book and deck was provided by the publisher, Destiny Books, a division of Inner Traditions Bear Company.