The Dracxiodos Tarot Deck

The Dracxiodos Tarot is an 80-card deck created by Greg Traw, born from two and a half years of intense artistic practice and personal initiation into the world of tarot. This deck is presented not only as a functional tarot tool but also as an autobiographical account of the creator's journey, reflecting how the process of its making intertwined with significant personal transformation. The deck is rooted in the Golden Dawn/Thoth lineage, offering a unique interpretation of traditional scholarship through its distinctive visual language.

Each card in the Dracxiodos Tarot is a meticulously hand-cut collage, scanned from original artworks. The deck features alchemically scaled and color-coded Major Arcana, Pips, and Court cards, with each card designated only by a Roman numeral and corresponding symbols, except for two titled cards: ATU V "The Artist" (replacing The Hierophant) and ATU 00 "Dracxiodos." The Pips are designed so that each numeral in a suit forms part of a larger composite image, adding an extra layer of visual depth and interconnectedness.

Innovations extend to the Court cards, which are ordered according to their masculine and feminine elemental correspondences, such as Princess-Knight-King-Queen for the feminine suit of Cups. In a nod to historical decks like the Visconti, the Knights are depicted as both male and female. The physical deck consists of large 8" x 4" cards printed on 350 gsm white core stock, featuring silver holo-edging and housed in a custom two-part box. An in-depth artist statement of intention accompanies the deck, providing insight into its creation and underlying philosophy.

This deck is ideal for experienced tarot readers and collectors who appreciate unique, art-driven decks with a strong personal vision. Those familiar with the Golden Dawn/Thoth tradition will find its correspondences intriguing, while the collage art style appeals to individuals drawn to surrealism, mixed media, and unconventional aesthetics. It is also suited for readers who enjoy a deck that encourages deep, intuitive engagement with its imagery, rather than strictly literal interpretations.

Greg Traw embarked on the creation of The Dracxiodos Tarot with little prior knowledge of tarot, describing the two-and-a-half-year process as a "passion, an obsession, and the bulk of my art practice." His journey was one of intense trial-by-fire interactions with the tarot, leading to significant personal transformation. He views the deck as an autobiography of his initiation into tarot, where the energies of creation amplified and synched with his personal life. Traw dedicated himself to creating a deck that is both visually unique and contributes to traditional tarot scholarship, undergoing three drafts to refine its color palette, image juxtaposition, montage, composition, and form.