In October of 2012, I was searching for a little bit of magic. One of my art projects needed a gothic theme with a hint of intrigue, but I couldn’t quite pin it down. Then, during a late-night walk, the idea of a tarot conservatory came in a flash of inspiration. I knew very little about tarot at the time—so the research began. A few tarot decks and books later, I was captivated. The cards were cryptic and mysterious: The Magician, The Lovers, The Devil, The Hanged Man. I had stumbled upon a world of enigmatic imagery that had endured for centuries and crossed cultures. My curiosity deepened, and soon I found myself collecting decks to study their rich and varied styles.​
Flash forward to today... I've acquired several hundred decks, dozens of books, and I've become a dedicated reader. Yet I never completed the art project that started it all... or have I?​ To create a positive reading space (and a place to store all those decks), I repurposed my dining room with Victorian and Edwardian touches, some vintage mischief, and a little bit of magic. I guess you never know where life (and tarot) will take you.
What
was once
china
full of
dishes
a
cabinet
became a
​Tarot
Decks.
home
much more
interesting
for
A crackle-glass owl and owlet stand guard over a cabinet of Lenormand decks, which can offer blunt but wise readings. Careful what you ask!
Girl with Fan by Karl Jahnke captures a perfectly pensive mood that embodies the gothic tone of the room. Karl said his daughter provided this pose and that for most of his paintings of her, she appears holding chickens. This due to his studio being located in rural Illinois where most of his patrons are local farmers.
Is this the face of friend or foe?
The courseness of this French pediment makes it an enigma. I have always hoped "friend" as it oversees passage to the kitchen.
In October of 2024, fate dealt the Tower card and this​ room became a chapter of my past. I had to make a big move and most everything went into the less-than-magical world of storage. But where one door has closed, another has openned, and tarot has become an even greater part of my life. New opportunities arrose to read for others and my skills have grown in leaps and bounds. While I am embracing this new bit of destiny, I also hope to reinstate the Tarot Room in a wonderful new rendition sometime soon.​
Let's see what the cards have to say...
The Veiled Maiden by Italian artist Raphael Monti (1870s) feels like something straight out of "The Haunting" (1963). Monti captured the transparency of a delicate veil with the solidity of stone, making his work a great subject of copy for students of sculpture.
Gracing the room is a mini-recreation of The Lady and the Unicorn, a splendid tapestry from the Middle Ages. Art historians don't fully understand the meaning of this piece, except that anytime a unicorn shows up for a shindig it's a good sign.
boring
