Tarot Fellow
Black Violet Tarot — Heidi Phelps Dark Botanical 78-Card Deck
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Black Violet Tarot by Heidi Phelps is a lush 78-card deck steeped in dark botanical imagery, gothic florals, and moody, atmospheric art. Every card is a visual meditation on shadow, beauty, and transformation — ideal for readers drawn to dark aesthetics, shadow work, and deeply intuitive readings.
Description:Quick Specs
- Brand: Rockpool Publishing
- Type: 80-card tarot deck with 176-page guidebook
- Size/Quantity: 80 cards at approximately 70 x 120 mm, matte finish with violet gilded edges
- Best for: Creative practitioners, intermediate readers, and anyone drawn to black-and-white Art Nouveau illustration
A Black-and-White Tarot Born from Bittersweet Dualities
Heidi Phelps created the Black Violet Tarot while her mother was dying of cancer and while she was pregnant with her daughter. That origin is not incidental: it is the entire heart of the deck. Violets have represented life and fertility alongside death and remembrance across centuries of European art and folklore, a contrast of joy and grief, beginning and end. The deck carries that tension in every card, rendered in precise black-and-white line work that draws on Art Nouveau illustration, Victorian mourning costume, and the spare elegance of Aubrey Beardsley.
The 80-card set is loosely Rider-Waite-Smith in structure, with clear visual echoes of Pamela Colman Smith's compositions that make it accessible to anyone already familiar with the RWS tradition. But Phelps works intuitively, diverging from traditional meanings where her own experience demanded it. The result is a deck that speaks with a distinct creative voice while remaining fully readable for established tarot practitioners.
Two Bonus Cards and a Creativity-Centered Approach
Beyond the standard 78, the deck includes two additional cards, Ghost and Coven. Ghost addresses regret, avoidance, and the need for self-compassion, the haunting that comes from unfinished emotional work. Coven speaks to the bonds of sisterhood, both supportive and binding. These additions make the deck particularly effective for introspective readings on relationships and the past. The guidebook includes three original spreads designed specifically for creative practitioners, including a weekly Project Kick-off spread and a Daily Inspiration draw.
The card stock carries a smooth matte finish with no gloss, and the edges are finished in a deep violet metallic gilding that echoes the deck's name without overpowering the black-and-white compositions. Kings and Queens across all four suits are both female-presenting, which is a conscious design decision Phelps discusses in the guidebook. Explore more in my tarot decks collection.
How to Use the Black Violet Tarot
How to get started with and deepen your work with the Black Violet Tarot.
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Flip through the deck before your first reading
The Black Violet Tarot rewards close looking. Spend time with each card before you read with it. Phelps hides callbacks to classic RWS imagery in small details, and spotting them deepens your understanding of where she diverges intentionally.
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Use the Ghost and Coven cards intentionally
These two bonus cards sit outside the traditional 78-card structure. Pull them into a spread when you are exploring grief, creative blocks, past relationships, or the dynamics of a group you belong to for a more nuanced reading.
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Try the weekly Project Kick-off spread for creative work
The guidebook includes spreads built around creative practice. If you work as an artist, writer, or maker, the Project Kick-off spread gives you a weekly structure for identifying energy, obstacles, and the lesson your creative work carries.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry the Black Violet Tarot because it earns its shelf space through genuine artistic and personal authenticity. Heidi Phelps made this deck while living inside the exact themes it explores, grief and new life, endings and beginnings, and that origin shows in every card. The Art Nouveau line work is executed with real skill, the matte finish handles beautifully, and the creativity-focused spreads make it genuinely useful rather than decorative. Browse my full tarot and divination collection to find companion decks and reading guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is loosely RWS-based. Compositions echo Pamela Colman Smith, making it accessible to RWS-trained readers. Phelps diverges intentionally in places, with Author Notes in the guidebook explaining each departure from tradition.
Ghost addresses regret, avoidance, and healing from past trauma. Coven explores sisterhood bonds, both nurturing and constraining. Both sit outside the 78-card structure and can be added to spreads when those themes arise in your reading.
It works best for readers familiar with RWS fundamentals. The black-and-white imagery is less symbolically literal than classic RWS cards, so some foundational knowledge helps. Once you know the basics, this deck is extremely rewarding to work with.
The cards have a smooth matte finish with no gloss and deep violet metallic gilded edges. They measure approximately 70 x 120 mm, shuffle without sticking, and are printed on a card stock with a very slight tooth that feels excellent in the hand.
