The Slow Tarot by Lacey Bryant

The Slow Tarot is a 78-card deck that emerged from a six-year personal art project by San Francisco Bay-area artist Lacey Bryant. Each card features a full-color reproduction of an original oil painting, reflecting Bryant's thoughtful interpretation of traditional tarot archetypes and symbols. The deck's name, "The Slow Tarot," encourages readers to take their time with the cards, mirroring the artist's methodical and intentional creative process.

This first-edition deck was a limited run, initially available through Kickstarter, and includes a dedicated guidebook written by the artist. The cards are printed on 310gsm linen paper, providing a tactile and durable feel that also makes them easy to shuffle. The packaging is a full-color two-piece rigid box, featuring an alternate version of 'The World' card on its design. The project aimed to create a high-quality, collectible tarot deck suitable for a wide range of users, from beginners to advanced readers, and also appealing to art enthusiasts.

A key design feature is the color-coded suits, with each suit's border color corresponding to its elemental association: Wands for Fire, Cups for Water, Swords for Air, and Coins (Pentacles) for Earth. This visual cue helps differentiate the suits while reinforcing their elemental connections. The deck also includes two bonus cards: an alternate version of 'The World' and a Major Arcana XXII card titled 'Atonement,' expanding on the traditional 78-card structure.

This deck is ideal for tarot enthusiasts and art collectors who appreciate original oil paintings and a more traditional, yet personally interpreted, approach to tarot. Its suitability for beginners, enthusiasts, and advanced readers makes it versatile. Readers who value a deck with a strong artistic vision and a tangible connection to the creator's journey will find this deck particularly appealing.

Lacey Bryant, a San Francisco Bay-area artist represented by Modern Eden Gallery, embarked on The Slow Tarot as a personal art project in 2012, shortly after her first solo exhibition. Her love for tarot, which began at a young age, fueled the six-year endeavor, during which she created an original oil painting for each card. This extensive process, interspersed with numerous gallery exhibitions and residencies, culminated in the decision to crowdfund the deck, allowing her to share her deeply intentional work with a wider audience.