Reviews: Zombie Tarot

The Zombie Tarot Deck

The zombie apocalypse is upon us and you, unlike those zombie-action movie heroes, have no idea what the right course of action to take is. Your friends and family can't help - they're all zombies - so the fate of the human race lies with you! Unfortunately though, your indecisiveness allows the shambling hordes time to find you. What's more, the remaining humans are fighting for survival and you really don't want to get in their way...

The Seven of Swords

Don't worry though, the Zombie Tarot is here to help! Simply shuffle the deck, deal the formation that suits you best ('The Beginner', 'The Broken Heart', 'The Gravestone', 'The Eyeball', or 'The Severed Head') and concentrate on whatever question of world-changing importance you might have. The instruction booklet provided will guide you through every step and clear, concise explanations on interpreting each card are included as well.

'The Severed Head' layout

Okay, so the zombie apocalypse isn't really happening, but Quirk Books were kind enough to send us one of these amazing decks to try out...just in case. This gorgeous "high-caliber divination" tool was made via a collaboration between author / tarot reader Stacey Graham and Headcase Design and has the honour of being the only zombie-themed tarot deck in existence! (I guess if you shuffled these together with Quirk's 'Housewives Tarot' deck, you might end up with something like 'Zombie Housewives of the Apocalypse', though.)

'Zombie Tarot' without its lid

Anyway, when I say it's gorgeous, I mean it! From the outer box, to the instruction booklet, to the cards themselves, it's a visual feast (...for the zombies, hurhur). The photographs I took don't really do justice to the amazing, kitschy artwork and the great quality of the equally aesthetically pleasing packaging, but they give an idea at least.

The High Priestess, front and back

Using the 78-card deck is fairly straightforward if you follow the instructions provided, whether you're experienced with tarot cards or not. It is pretty much the same format as the Rider-Waite deck, with the exception of the Minor Arcana suit 'Pentacles' being replaced by 'Hazards', which are represented by a bio-hazard symbol. As for the rest of the Minor Arcana, 'Cups' are shown as a skull with a brain in, 'Wands' are bones, and 'Swords', in true horror style, are denoted by a machetes. 

'The Queen of Hazards' and 'The King of Hazards'

Another bonus about this deck is its humour! The tone of the booklet is macabrely tongue-in-cheek throughout and the illustrations are peppered with gory comic relief, without becoming overly silly. At the back of the booklet there is also a page featuring adverts for fictitious products that can help you to either stave off the zombie attacks or, should the worst happen, disguise your infected bite wounds to avoid detection. I have to say though, my personal favourite was the "Bite-proof under armor! For him and her". Haha!

Maybe it's something 'The Lovers' could use?

Overall, this is a unique, beautiful, and strangely amusing tarot deck that any zombie fan would love. Even I, who has grown somewhat tired of the constant bombardment with undead rotters of late, think it's an excellent find and it's managed to restore some of my enthusiasm for the sub-genre again. Hurray!

More photos after the cut below↓