After Tarot Deck
The After Tarot is a unique deck of its kind. The plots here are like a movie that the querent is invited to watch. The first part of it is the Waite system. But the denouement can only be learned when working with the deck in question. For some practitioners, it will be completely unexpected. But the bulk of the "spectators" will simply satisfy curiosity. No wonder the series are so popular, because the end result, the denouement of events, is always interesting.
History of creation of the After Tarot Deck
The deck was created by the notorious Pietro Alligo and Corinne Kenner relatively recently – in 2016. The authors took the classical system of Arthur Waite as a basis. Therefore, the cards completely repeat the traditional plots. However, the artist Giulia Massaglia finalized the scenes and supplemented them. This resulted in a completely different deck with a new vision. The After Tarot seems to continue the logical chain of Waite’s stories, developing events at its own discretion. The title here is really telling.
However, it is not necessary to consider the After Tarot as a replacement or a clone of the classics. After all, the authors made only an assumption with which many are free to disagree. But do not underestimate the experience of Pietro Alligo. No wonder, he released so many decks under his own name or in collaboration, as in this case. His thinking this time also produced an interesting hypothesis, which only supplemented the world of divination. Experience in different directions only played into the hands of the duo.
Key features of the After Tarot
The most important feature of the After Tarot is its unique plots. The fortuneteller sees all the same actors as Waite. However, the authors decided to brainstorm and guess what would happen to the characters in a few seconds. If we take into account the deck system, then it completely repeats Rider-Waite. All the same 78 Arcana, English school. The suits of the After Tarot are unchanged – Cups, Wands, Swords and Pentacles. Strength and Justice remained at the same numbers as in the "original" – 8 and 11, respectively.
The Major Arcana of the After Tarot are very interestingly worked out. Now they most fully reflect the true essence, leaving no questions for the practitioner. Waite, on the other hand, seemed to be playing with the audience, emphasizing the open ending. Pietro Alligo is adamant in this regard. For example, the character from the Fool card still fell off a cliff. His carelessness almost led to tragedy, but at the last moment the hero caught on the stones. On the Arcana of the Judgement, a negative outcome is also conveyed. Not all people were able to escape – the sinners turned into skeletons and fell back into their coffins. However, there are those who have found eternal life – three figures of different sex and age rise into the sky.
The Minor Arcana of the Tarot of Consequences are also worthy of the querent’s close attention. New characters are already appearing here, as well as symbols. Aces become more understandable thanks to additional details. A red salamander is visible on the One of Wands. Previously, it only appeared on court cards. On the first Arcana of the group of Pentacles, the authors added the Maybug. A falcon appears on the Ace of Swords – a symbol of determination, inner strength. At the same time, the hand is dressed in a leather glove, which indicates protection and thoughtfulness. A scarlet heart appears on the Ace of Cups.
If we look further at the minor cards of the After Tarot, then we can become a witness to a certain story. At the Four of Cups, the bored guy still pours out the bowl extended to him. But on the Ten of the same suit, the family sits on the shore until the evening. People decided to build a fire and spend more time with each other. All this hints that Waite’s motives have found the most logical continuation. Those who were happy remained the same. But the ailments and problems of the characters only got worse.
Style and symbolism of the deck
The artist Giulia Francesco Massaglia perfectly repeated the plots of traditional cards. She managed to copy the tones, technique, drawing small details. That is why the After Tarot is so reminiscent of the traditional Waite deck. Sometimes it will even be difficult for the questioner to find the differences at first glance. However, plots supplemented with symbols can tell a lot of new things. After all, the same bird or a new pose of the hero already creates some kind of logical chain. Basically, it will repeat the traditions of the original. But in some cases, the meaning will change dramatically.
The After Tarot seems to show scenes from a different angle. But if we talk about the design, then everything is quite simple. Each card has a small white border. The Minor Arcana are numbered at the top with Roman numerals. The "court" has a signature at the bottom. But on major cards, both numbers and names are visible. The great resemblance to the traditional deck is sometimes misleading. So much so that some practitioners confuse the instrument in question with the "classics of the genre." But all this confirms the talent of Julia, who deftly copied the style of Pamela Colman Smith.
Interpretation of the After Tarot cards
The interpretation of the After Tarot basically repeats the traditional meaning of the cards for the English school. Therefore, when fortune-telling, you can rely on classical interpretations or your own intuition. But if you want to supplement the spread, you should pay attention to the plots. For example, on the Four of Swords, a new heroine appears, who came to the crypt to the deceased knight. But, one way or another, the card still points to posthumous glory, memories of the past. Butterflies on the girl’s cloak also hint at an intellectual background.
But all these symbols only reinforce the main message, focus on it. The bull on the King of Pentacles denotes stubbornness, purposefulness. This is a kind of “golden calf”, bringing countless treasures to the owner. But on the Four of Pentacles, the viewer sees a completely different picture. For a very wealthy hero came a bony with a scythe. You can interpret such a picture as a stagnation of energy. After all, if the money is a dead weight, they will simply depreciate. Still, the authors thoroughly supplemented the After Tarot deck with additional details. They allow you to get a layer of new information on old motives.
What questions is the deck suitable for?
The After Tarot spreads will answer almost any question. Like the Waite deck, this mantic tool is absolutely universal. It can reflect both the inner world of a person and his actions, as well as external circumstances. The Major Arcana will show important events, often associated with the power of the elements. This Universe contains various manifestations of energy. You should pay attention to the symbols, gestures and facial expressions of the characters. Even a certain color of the characters’ clothes can lead to a correct prediction.
Divination by the After Tarot can show the true motives of a person. On this deck, it is possible to follow the future developments in various aspects. Even the simplest three-card spread will succinctly answer questions related to different areas of life. Money, love, health – all this can be easily seen on the After Tarot. Each Arcana here is so elaborated that it is able to give a hint even without additional positions. The colors of the clothes, the age and gender of the characters, the animals and birds all give hints of a certain answer. Do not ignore the numerical designations.
Who are the After Tarot cards for?
The After Tarot is suitable for those practitioners who have already worked with Waite. For them, the deck will be an additional tool that continues traditional motifs. You can even interact with both of these systems at once. But even beginners will appreciate the deck. Its stories are very simple and intuitive. And this is a definite plus for those who have just begun to study the world of Tarot. The symbolism of the deck will help to “pump” intuition, sharpen it. In this sense, the tool is just perfect for neophytes.
Also, the After Tarot will appeal to those people who tend to receive short but capacious answers. These are adherents of minimalism in the field of divination. Such a "gypsy" approach is sometimes very useful, because it separates the wheat from the chaff. Sometimes the meaning itself is important to the client, and not a beautiful presentation. But here it all depends on the predictor. After all, the After Tarot can provide a whole semantic field of latent meanings. Especially if you include the use of reversed positions in fortune-telling.