H.R. Giger Tarot (2000)

H.R. Giger Tarot (2000)

aka: Baphomet: The Tarot of the Underworld

Author: Akron  |  Illustrator: H.R. Giger  |  Page Count: 223

It's the usual type of bundled Tarot package, which means it’s a book giving details of readings and spreads and a deck with which to use.

The individual cards are beautifully presented, large format but totally impractical for use; nor is it a full deck, it’s just the Major Arcana.

Worse, some of them have been changed. The Hanged Man is now The Hanged Woman, to better represent the painting Akron has chosen, and Temperance has become Alchemy.

It doesn't really matter because they weren't painted to commission; like I said, they were simply chosen, the paintings existed before the book was conceived and therefore lack the traditional imagery or symbolism that a serious practitioner of the art might prefer.

I've no doubt that Giger could've produced a fundamentally different Tarot if he set his mind to it, one which included the necessary symbolism and still managed to maintain his sexually fuelled nightmarish imagery. In fact, the book includes a chinagraph pencil sketch for each of the 22 cards, most of which would have been better suited to the purpose had they been fully painted.

After a brief introduction wherein Akron gives his reasons and justifications for using the specific paintings, he gives his interpretation of the meanings of the cards. Some of Akron’s writings are deep and insightful and had the book been written as a mere observational piece it would have been fascinating.

I know there are people that collect decks regardless of their usefulness, so for those people, and especially for fans of Giger, it’s certainly an interesting package. If you want a proper Tarot deck, however, the Rider-Waite deck is better suited.

The collection is available in the German or English language and contains the following items:

A soft cover book by the occultist Akron;

22 fully illustrated Tarot cards;

A spread mat for laying the cards on during readings.