Currently on Kickstarter: The Camena Tarot

Since writing this post I’ve received my copy of the deck, and you can find my full review here.

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I realise I’ve been a bit quiet on the Kickstarter front (tbh I’ve been feeling a but burnt by my experience with the Sinagtala Tarot, which I’m now convinced I’m never gonna get! [edit: I got it :-)] And was very disappointed by Wizards of the Coast being their standard cockwomble selves and blocking the successfully funded Balders Gate 3 Tarot which looked A-MAZING, and they were gonna donate all profits to MSF!)

However, I have been continuing to back some little gems behind the scenes – and the vast majority of my KS experiences have been hugely positive! – so I figured it was time to share some of the decks I’m currently backing in case y’all are interested.

First up is this absolutely stunning looking Majors Only (bit sad about this element, obvs!) deck from Lou Benesch and Laetitia Barbier – The Camena Tarot. Barbier is a French-born Tarot historian and author (Tarot and Divination Cards: A Visual Archive), while Benesch is a French-American illustrator known for her dreamy, folkloric watercolours. The deck consists of 26 cards (the OG 22 Majors, plus 4 additional original cards) and follows the Marseille tradition (so also will be very familiar to those who use the RWS). It also comes with a fancy-looking 70-page guidebook.

“Rooted in history yet fluid and surreal, The Camena Tarot is both tool and talisman – a vessel for those bold enough to drift into its waters.”

Benesch’s art seems like a natural match for a deck – her watercolours are filled with plants, beasts, bones, and myth, and she writes that “images come to her almost as visions… [through an] instinctual process” – which echoes the intuitive ‘magic’ of Tarot reading itself. Each image was hand-painted by Benesch and it looks like real care has gone into a pretty luxe final production. As the KS page explains, “we’ve embraced slowness, because that’s how the magic shows up”. Amen to that!

Even though I’m not the biggest fan of Majors Only decks (because I never end up using them!) I just couldn’t resist the gorgeous art and lush symbolism here. I love the eyes-that-look-like-pomegranates lining the High Priestess’s robes, and the septuple-breasted Empress crowned in fruit, holding her beautiful corn sceptre. The image sings with fecundity – but the stork pecking her own breast to feed her chicks with her blood adds a deeper layer, reminding us of the sacrifice and pain of motherhood, both literal and metaphorical. I also love that for the Hierophant, it’s his words, flowing in streams from his mouth, that offer us the keys to knowledge.

The Hermit wears a stunning owl headdress, his Janus-lantern casting light both forwards and back. Janus is the Roman god of thresholds and transitions, who looks in both directions, towards what has passed and what lies ahead. So too does the Hermit: pausing on the path, illuminating not just the road forward but the landscape of memory and inner reflection.

The Lion in the Strength card reminds me of the infamous Body Worlds exhibition – the way you can almost see a cross-section through its face. I love this for a card that asks us to reconcile our inner ‘beast’ with the calm, composed self we show the world.

And the conjoined twin Lovers? Absolutely beautiful.

Options start from $75 (about £56) for the deck and guidebook, so this is NOT a cheap deck, but given it’s the creation of such a talented pair I def think it’ll be worth having in your collection if you’re a deep diver like me! You can back the deck here.

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