The Gazing Ball Tarot

The Gazing Ball Tarot is a photographic tarot deck created by Timothy Arliss O'Brien, featuring imagery that appears to be derived from real-world photographs. The deck is accompanied by a guidebook, suggesting it is intended for both reading and interpretive study. Published by The Poet Heroic and The Healers Coven, this project successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2023.

The deck's title and the imagery on the guidebook covers — a stylized gazing ball with stars and a crescent moon — suggest a focus on intuition, divination, and perhaps a mystical or introspective approach to tarot. The overall presentation, with its simple, hand-drawn aesthetic on the covers, implies a personal and accessible creation rather than a mass-produced item. The deck aims to provide a tool for self-reflection and guidance through its unique photographic interpretations of tarot archetypes.

This deck is likely to appeal to tarot readers who appreciate unique, artist-driven projects and a more raw, photographic aesthetic. It could be particularly interesting for collectors of indie decks or those who prefer a less traditional, more contemporary visual language in their tarot practice. Readers interested in exploring new interpretations of tarot archetypes through real-world photography may also find this deck compelling.