"The Cosmic Slumber Tarot" is a tarot deck created by Tillie Walden, a graphic novelist. The deck uses vibrant colors. All of the cards have detailed illustrations which convey the cards' meanings. The deck comes with a guidebook where she talks about the process of creating a tarot deck. Her effort shows---she learned about tarot, worked with another person, and created a tarot deck well-informed by the cards' historical meanings. She also includes two original cards: the morning and the night.
The art is beautiful, in my opinion, but I'll let the cards speak for themselves. Her dreamlike artstyle suits a tarot deck very well. I'd call the deck colorful, unique, and playful.
This pages includes the cards, a summary of the author's description of the card, and my initial impressions on the meanings of the upright cards. Occasionally, I quote the guidebook; I'll state the obvious and say that these quotations are in *drumroll* quotation marks.
Major Arcana
| Card | TL;DR of Author's Description | My Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| The Fool | Blind faith; potential; lessons to come; listen to guides | Naivety; unprepared for the new journey; ignoring warnings; blindly leaping forward |
| The Magus | Potential to grow; be aware of mirages; focus on moving forward; having the tools to grow | Potential knowledge; growth; calm; progress; innocence |
| The High Priestess | Guardian of knowledge; no easy answers; intuition; difficult secrets | Self-aware; focused on the inner world; self-exploration; knowledge; stability; quiet confidence |
| The Empress | Mother; nurture; unafraid; don't fear love; honor vulnerability | Nourishment; calm amidst the storm; caretaker; love; generosity |
| The Emperor | Pride; trustworthy authority; protect yourself; serious about laws of nature and society | Father; protection; obstacle to growth ("for your own good"); protects innocence |
| The Hierophant | A calling; transcend the system; acknowledge history; teacher; not alone in the world | Key to knowledge; the physical and immaterial realms work together; sign of things to come; working (learning?) with others |
| The Lovers | Complicated choices; moral dilemmas; being the person one wants to be | Being part of the world around oneself; companionship; growing with others; building something (relationships?) with others; youthful maturity Looks like a counterpart to The Devil. Looking at them together: not everything is as it seems. Don't be naive. Be aware of the greater picture; actions have consequences. |
| The Chariot | Vision of victory; bold; unafraid of speed; use your power | Acknowledging the two sides of a decision; working with both choices; quiet confidence; moving forward; knowing what one wants |
| Strength | Harmonize instinct and knowledge for true strength; look inward for validation | Taming beasts; working past danger (and having the knowledge to do so); maturity; growth |
| The Hermit | Space for oneself; wisdom in solitude; help from a gentle companion | The unconscious; teacher; exploring mysteries of the universe and oneself; working towards a better future on one's own; mystery; solitude |
| Wheel of Fortune | Destiny; lack of control; let the universe take care; "fate is a crowded room" | Riddles; counterparts; two sides to a problem; choices. |
| Justice | Honesty; look at life; balance; take care | Obstacle; crossroads; things greater than oneself; balance between physical and immaterial world; protector of knowledge; are you worthy? |
| The Hanged One | Transformation; feeling stuck | Overwhelmed (trapped? consumed?) by knowledge; losing oneself; struggling; "the only way out is through"; needing to acknowledge internal problems to solve external problems |
| Death | Guidance; dark path ahead; discomfort; losses lead to gains | Drastic change; severance; moving forward; moving forward through the storm |
| Temperance | Balance; no quick fixes; patience; look at contradictions | Balance between instinct and law / nature and society; a path forward; balance after transformation; growth; better days ahead; peace; middle path |
| Devil | Stuck in the material world; gilded cage; understand why you want these things and you will understand yourself | Greed; temptation; dangers of indulgence; warning; trapped in oneself & one's problems; struggling to find balance |
| The Tower | Calamity; all the work you've done comes crashing down; foundation to begin again | Many forces at play; drastic change; necessity of breaking with one's past (or one's past self); "dark night of the soul"; this is where growth has led; "the only way out is through"; breaking down to be rebuilt |
| The Star | Wisdom; guidance; healing; hope; legacy | Rejuvenation; peace; calmly rebuilding; a new beginning from old knowledge; growth; guidance |
| The Moon | Feeling trapped; only intuition can guide you; hint of dawn | Subconscious; needing intuition to move forward; needing quiet companionship; acknowledging the past; balance between two sides of oneself |
| The Sun | Revitalized energy; joy; material world responding to your victories; share success with others | Safety; peace with oneself; passing on knowledge to others; self-actualization |
| Judgement | All connections are made; epiphany; divine intervention; people have helped you get here | People helping each other grow; being part of the world; one journey leads to another person's journey; what was worthwhile, and what wasn't worthwhile? |
| The Universe | "The dream has ended (...) the entire universe is yours to experience." | Harmony; results of one's growth; balance between oneeself and the material world; working with instincts and knowledge; joy; peace; enjoying the results of one's hard work |
Swords
| Card | TL;DR of Author's Description | My Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | Pain, reflection, perseverence. | A journey ahead. Be careful; your vision may be clouded. Time to look at the bigger picture. |
| Two | Trust. "Blind faith." | Be careful to not become blinded by your own problems. You're on guard; cautiously march onward. |
| Three | Loss. | Your vision has grown cloudy. You're hurting yourself and don't realize it. Your defenses are hurting you. |
| Four | Rest. | Tired, contemplative. Problems are on the horizon. You might not be acknowledging them. You've worn yourself out. |
| Five | Two sides to a coin---positives and negatives. | Other people struggle with the same problems as you. Look to them for guidance. Eventually, you can overcome this. |
| Six | Progress. Upheavel. (Description sounds like a less-severe Tower.) | Other people are relying on you. Keep moving forward. |
| Seven | Be cautious. | You're protecting yourself. Be on guard, but don't be blinded by the world around you. Be careful to not lash out at others. |
| Eight | Trapped. Holding oneself back. | Ignorant of the world around. Blinded by problems you created. You have the tools to solve these problems. |
| Nine | Anguish. Stuck in unhappiness. | Self-pity. Feeling isolated by problems. You think your problems are worse than they actually are. Time to get over yourself. |
| Ten | Suffering is almost over. | Rising above problems that should have defeated you. You were hurt, but you're better because of it. |
| Princess | Warrior. "Avenging angel." Need to harness your ferocity. | Vision is clouded. Strong spirit, but struggling to find a way through a mess. Independent and trying to be aware of what's happening. |
| Prince | Aggressive. Paranoid and combative. Emotions are interfering with your ability to understand reality. | Defeating the chaos around you. Having control over a mess. There's a lot going on, but you're able to handle it. He looks sly, clever. |
| Queen | Informed by experiences. "Tough and loving." | Stability. Power. The costs for getting here were worth it. |
| King | Authority. Respect for the law alienates him from others. | He's harnessed his fiery personality. A bold protector. He's a bit guarded, and can be difficult to understand. |
Torches
| Card | TL;DR of Author's Description | My Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | Inspiration. | Journey. Looking for answers. Having what you need to know to move forward. |
| Two | There are two paths. Time to face what's ahead of you. | Decisions. There are two paths ahead. They appear to be identical. Both will challenge you. Don't overthink this. |
| Three | Don't be impulsive! | You're aware of your responsibilities. It's time to fulfill them. Take hold of your life. |
| Four | Enjoy your successes. | Feeling alone. Contemplation. Burdens are coming your way. This freedom will not last. |
| Five | Competition. Focus on your goal. | Struggling. Moving forward despite difficulties. Getting through the dark night; lighting the way on one's owen. |
| Six | Close to success, being successful. | Following the five of torches---reaching one's goal. Not yet enjoying the fruits of one's labor. |
| Seven | Adversity. Your fears are coming true; you're ready to face them. | There's a difficult path forward. You might feel like you're falling. Your vision is clearing up. Stay determined. |
| Eight | Don't overthink this. | She looks like she's falling forward. The light of the torches is in the past. What she's learned will only take her so far. It's up to her to use her knowledge to move forward. |
| Nine | "Defend yourself and your family." | There's still a journey ahead. You're using what you know to get through the last leg of your journey. Difficult times are ahead, but you know what you need to do to move forward. |
| Ten | Responsibility. | One has labored alone and is making steady progress forward. |
| Princess | Tenacious. Independent. Bold. You might be running towards burnout. | Hard work and determination. Support from others will help you weather the storm. Fierce. Looks like a fiery, ambitious person. She's boldly striding ahead---maybe a bit reckless, given the flames around her. |
| Prince | Hot-headed. | Other people are supporting you. Boldly striving forward, perhaps a bit ignorant of what's going on around you. |
| Queen | Authority, power from within. "Be firm, but kind, to those in need." | She looks like a strong, fierce woman who has tamed the lions. She could represent stability. She keeps her calm while the world is burning. I'd hope she's trying to find a solution. |
| King | Acting with honesty. Control the energy being used. | Like the queen, but he's moving forward. He's using the lions (his inner demons?) for his own needs. Instead of letting "being king" be enough, he choses to actively use the powers/abilities that let him become king in the first place. |
Cups
| Card | TL;DR of Author's Description | My Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | New beginning. Internal growth. | A lonely journey is ahead. You feel like you're drowning, but you're ready to move forward. |
| Two | Unity. Beneficial relationships. | Companionship. Working and growing with others. There's potential that will be fulfilled. Equality. |
| Three | Celebrate victories. | Cooperation and community. People are working together and struggling together. They're helping each other with their problems. |
| Four | Weary. Withdrawn from your own joy. | The universe is noisy---how distracting can it get?---and you need to focus. |
| Five | Brooding. Stagnation. | Solitude. Indulgent self-reflection. Ignoring the world around you. Fixating on problems and letting oneself become overwhelmed by one's problems. Not paying attention to the bigger picture. |
| Six | Reflect on the past. Learn from it. Live life to its fullest. | Childlike wonder. Dreams of the future. You understand what you can have, but you must strive to reach it. Starting to understand your goals. |
| Seven | Creative energy. There's potential; use it. | Lost. The journey is overwhelming. Calmly strive forward. You can handle this. Don't lose sight of the end. |
| Eight | There's a new beginning. | You have a hold on your problems. Your troubles are behind you. There's still work to be done, but you know you can do it. |
| Nine | Dreams will come to fruition. | The past informs the future. Your experiences mean that the fruits of your labor are within reach. |
| Ten | Bliss. Lasting peace. Satisfaction. | Understanding what you've gone through and sharing this knowledge with others. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Everything makes sense. |
| Princess | Innocent. Grounded; in touch with nature.. | Nurturing presence. She's set her crown aside to help other people. |
| Prince | Beauty. Need for vulnerability. | Bold, ambitious. He has a firm hold on his plans and will strive forward. |
| Queen | Wise. Disconnected. | Your hard work is supporting you, but you long for more. Ambition. Be careful; enjoy what you have. |
| King | Dude. Chill. Lack of focus. Fair. Laid back. | Prosperity. Generosity; companionship; overcoming one's problems. At peace. In control. Abundance. |
Pentacles
| Card | TL;DR of Author's Description | My Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | There are opportunities. Don't become corrupted by them. | Prosperity is ahead. Seize opportunities for fortune and growth. |
| Two | Financial strain. Juggling too many things. Things will improve. | A bit of bliss. Things are going well. Be content with what you have. Appreciate it. |
| Three | Prepare. Share knowledge with others. | Envy of someone else's fortune. You feel like someone has stolen what is yours. |
| Four | Caution. Greed. | Greed. Tainted by one's riches. You're protective of your fortunes, and are isolating yourself because of this. |
| Five | Oncoming misfortune. Find what's making you struggle. | Myopic fixation on rewards. This is creating problems / is a problem initself. Feeling trapped by fixation. |
| Six | Your life has become balanced. Be charitable. | Share the fruits of your labor. You've benefitted; don't become blindsided by this. Give back to those who have helped you. |
| Seven | "Your hard work is taking you where you need to go." | Fortune is within reach. Enjoying the fruits of one's labor. |
| Eight | Work hard. | You've grown. You aren't blindsided by prosperity. Your caution has been earned. Work to maintain what you have. |
| Nine | Stability, abundance. | Abundance is within reach, if it hasn't already been grasped. Enjoy the fruits of labor. There's peace, for a moment. The card's illustrations are simple---enjoy simple things. |
| Ten | Stability. Enjoy what you have. | You have what you need and more. Be careful; don't get greedy. |
| Princess | Ambitious. Overestimated despite your vast potential. Emotional & social intelligence. | Prosperity. Sharing your wealth with others, and benefitting because of this. Be careful to not give too much away. Don't lose sight of yourself. Balance. |
| Prince | You're unambitious, but you do help others. | He's a bit of a child. Simple wealth. Enjoying the small parts of life; naive. The cow looks like a nurturing presence; she's supporting him. |
| Queen | Realistic. Quiet. You're wealthy, but you don't worship your wealth. | She understands what others have done for her, and she enjoys her life because of this. Gratitude. Companionship. Generosity. |
| King | Practical. Generous. Stability. | A teacher. Wise old man. He understands what has brought him to this point, and he's grateful for it. He's willing to teach others (if they're willing to listen). |
Bonus
| Card | TL;DR of Author's Description | My Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| The Morning | Chance to start over; energy; beginning | Beginning something new; using what one has learned to move forward; looking to greater things; self-development |
| The Night | "Use the night to its fullest." Drawing out time; prepare to face oncoming problems. | Looking inward to move forward & solve personal problems; solitude; growth; self-reflection |