Mirror Tarot begins from Italo Calvino’s conception of the tarot as ‘a machine for constructing stories’. An opening essay traces the Major Arcana through centuries of allegory, mysticism and play, contextualising the cards’ evolution within artistic, literary and intellectual history. From the Neoplatonist Renaissance to modern occultism and contemporary popular culture, the tarot has long offered a generative mirror for the unconscious and the imaginative life. Mirror Tarot presents each card as a small world: a symbolic frame within which countless stories might unfold. Alongside the essay is a beautifully illustrated artist’s deck of the Major Arcana. Each card is accompanied by a microstory that serves as its reading, followed by a creative writing prompt. Together, these story-prompts invite readers to step inside the landscapes of the cards and continue the narrative. From the Fool’s first step to the World’s completion, Mirror Tarot turns the tarot into a literary companion: a playful structure for reflection, imaginative exploration and the discovery of new stories within familiar archetypes.
