Tarot Cards

Since 2022, I've been gifting Burning Man-themed tarot card decks on the playa. I designed these Rider deck-based cards, and commissioned artists to draw them (except for the back, which I designed).

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The traditional suits have been replaced with Burning Man analogs. Wands, which represents fire, has been replaced with fire sticks that burners spin. Swords, which represent light and air, has been replaced with lasers, replete on the playa. Pentacles, which represents earth and pecuniary/worldy matters, has been replaced with the Burning Man map inside the traditional pentagram. Cups has remained cups, but modified to reflect the cups that burners carry around to receive gifts from strangers.

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Most cards have a mix of burners, art cars, and artworks from the Burn. A few have other related elements--the Fool, for example, has the black skeleton of the Suicide Club, one of the forerunners of Burning Man and John Law, one of the founders of Burning Man. The Emperor, which features Larry Harvey, has a logo of the Cacophany Society, also another precursor to Burning Man. In the Ace of Wands card, there is a symbol on the ground from Desert Siteworks, an event that was artistic forerunner of Burning Man and merged into it.

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The 2022 card back has a stereogram of the Burning Man symbol, as well as several Burning Man logos incorporated into the frame.

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