The Steampunk Tarot

The Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell

Sharing A New Deck
Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore (Author), Aly Fell (Author/Artist)

“For anyone who loves sci-fi, from Star Trek to Firefly to Doctor Who and anything in Victorian period clothing, steampunk is a very happy world indeed.” ~ Barbara Moore

Oh yes it is indeed. I quite agree with that! And it’s probably that Victorian period look that attracts me the most. But more about this later.

I’m a creature of habit and routine. I like it that way. While I can easily have moments of spontaneity; what Gemini doesn’t, I do like my regular things that must be done kept in a certain order. And that includes pulling the card of the day.

All of our drawings to this point have used the Mystic Faery Tarot by Linda Ravenscroft. A beautiful deck that I have felt very drawn to and connected with. Nature Faeries are a big part of my life and my day. And this deck is not only amazingly artistic, it’s fantastic for reading and interpreting the messages from spirit. And from the Fae.

I began pulling a daily card to share on December 1, 2009. Five years of using the same deck. I have other decks of course, but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve felt the need to let the faeries rest. A new deck and a new challenge was in the works.

On a cold Saturday night I was scrolling through Pinterest when I found an image of the Major Arcana’s Star that grabbed my attention. Investigating I discovered the card came from a deck called the Steampunk Tarot. Off to Google Images to see more. Oh boy!

There are a number of people who have shared images from the deck and many of them are amazingly intricate, original and unique to each other. Three things you really should be looking for in any Tarot deck. The more detail in the image, the more information you can glean from their appearance in a spread or drawing.

The Steampunk Tarot
A Sampling of The Major Arcana:

The Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell

For Valentines Day 2015 I received the Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell from my wonderful partner, Garrett and immediately felt drawn to them. They’re colorful, beautiful and inspiring. Each card tells a story in its own right and that’s all before you begin reading the message they provide.

The Minor Arcana (the Suits) are as equally exquisite as the Major group.

The Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell	The Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell
The Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell	The Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell

The Steampunk Tarot Manual
The accompanying book written by Barbara Moore, is the typical Tarot Manual. It’s well written, informative and shares Ms. Moore’s interpretation of each card. It also provides a few ideas for various spreads you can try out. The most fascinating part of the book for me is the beginning where we learn about the author and the illustrator. Along with an introduction into Steampunk.

Steampunk is a label that wasn’t used until the 1980s. You can perform an internet search on the word and get a wide range of descriptions and definitions.

Oxford Dictionary defines it as:
A genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology.

Online Etymology says this:
also steam-punk, by 1992, perhaps 1989, from steam (as in Age of Steam) + punk (n.), probably on model of cyberpunk (1986).

Dictionary.com explains the reference as:
1. a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world.
2. a subculture inspired by this literary and film subgenre: the fashions and gadgets of steampunk.

Ms. Moore’s description I think really captures the concept best:
“…the seeds of the movement come from the works of Victorian-era writers such as Jules Verne, Mary Shelley and H.G. Wells, perhaps the originators of science fiction. These writers explored what their world would be like if certain as-yet-to-be-invented technologies existed“.

The Back of the Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell

It is Dr. Who meets the Victorian Age with all his advanced knowledge and futuristic gadgets put to use in a more simpler time. Where we can go back and visit Victorian England to spend an afternoon for tea and cakes with Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax (If you don’t know who they are, you’re missing out on some great stories, but try this: the Paternoster Gang on Wikipedia).

I absolutely LOVE the Victorian age. The cloths, the manners, the pomp and circumstance. The Victorian Era is said to have occurred during the reign of Queen Victoria Between 1831 to 1901. It was also known as the Gilded Age as it was a time of great prosperity. It crossed country lines primarily between the United Kingdom and the United States. And for the most part, it brought people together in a world of commonality.

While the era is often named for the Queen of England, the age gets its name from two authors of the time who joined forces to write a book with humor and satire. “The Gilded Age” was written in 1873 by Mark Twain in collaboration with Charles Dudley Warner. It’s a great book and you can generally find it in any library. Or try the free digital version on Gutenberg.org:The Gilded Age.

The entire era was a time of romance, civility, adventure and abundance. It inspired great promise for many countries as the industrial revolution took hold. Steam engines, train travel, this new fangled gadget called the automobile and many more advances in science and technology offered great promise to the general populace overall. It seemed as if each day there was a new discovery that propelled the world into the future.

But of course behind every Gilded doorway was a Gilded cage of hardship and struggle. The total opposite existed for many people left in drudgery and dangerous work conditions. The average person’s life balanced the scales of prosperity with struggle and want. While the middle and upper class thrived, the lower classes endured hardship, sometimes terrible conditions that many couldn’t endure or survive. Somewhat like the upstairs downstairs of Downton Abbey.

Steampunk on Springwolf Reflections
The first daily drawing with the Steampunk deck occurred on Feb. 17th, 2015. I’m not big on using the book interpretations of the cards for readings. To me this might be helpful to get an idea of how to read the cards for a beginner, but I think in the end it gets in the way. In A Perspective On Tarot I write a little about how I teach and read the cards.

“The details within the message behind a card resides in your first impressions of the images you see. Anyone can lay out the moon and read from a book that says the Moon means “this” or “that”. That’s not reading the tarot. That’s reading a book. The Tarot are cards used for divination. Where in that process did you divine a message?

Divination comes from Old French, a derivative of divinare, which literally meant “to be inspired by a god”. Divination is discerning knowledge and wisdom from the Divine force in your life. Whatever that is to you. It is your connection and communication to decipher energy that has already been created, resides around you (or a client or situation) and how those patterns of energy will manifest if unchanged through free will and choice.

The message from the Tarot comes from within you and your connection to the energy of that card and your connection to the person or purpose you’re reading that card for.”

You can find more on my thoughts on Tarot on all three of my sites Springwolf Reflections, Spring’s Haven and my original site Pagan’s Path.

A Perspective On Tarot – What’s Behind The Card
Meditating With The Tarot – On Spring’s Haven (springshaven.com)
The Spirituality Of The Tarot – An Increase In Interest
Tarot Meditation – The Daily Tarot Insight
The Tarot – A Students Guide On Pagan’s Path (paganspath.com)
Tarot Spreads – A Sampling On Pagan’s Path (paganspath.com)

I’m looking forward to discovering what more the Steampunk Tarot has to share with us in the coming months. I really like them and hope they will inspire you as well.

Personal Readings From Springwolf
If you enjoy our Daily Tarot Meditation Insights, check out the additional Services from Spring’s Haven. We offer both in-house and email/phone/Skype consultations. As a Ministerial organization, all our consultations are private and strictly confidential.

Springwolf Reflections 2015 Motto:
In this moment I am abundant with joy, good health and prosperity in all areas of my life.