Tarot of Oppositions Deck
The Sun and the Moon, the roots of a tree and its crown, the dark depths of the ocean and the endless expanses of space – this world is dual and multifaceted. If there is a minus, then there must be a plus. In the Tarot of Oppositions, all the qualities of the Universe are taken into account. But working with this deck also implies accepting your own shadow sides. And this can be a real obstacle for novice soothsayers.
History of creation of the Oppositions Tarot Deck
The author of the Oppositions Tarot deck is the Italian Pierluca Zizzi. This man is a rather extraordinary person with an unusual vision. He has already managed to create cards of Infinity, Ascension, and the new deck has become another rebus for fortune-tellers. The Tarot of Oppositions was released by Lo Scarabeo in 2021. Even the box for the Arcana itself already hints at the originality of the author – the lid here seems to be swapped with the base itself. Inside, there are also images of the cards themselves. The author seems to be flirting with the questioner and is already setting it in a certain way.
Michele D’Aloisio became the artist. The kit comes with a small multilingual book with a description of all 78 cards, as well as diagrams of specific spreads. In order to work fruitfully with the Tarot of Oppositions, the fortuneteller is advised to carefully read the accompanying literature. After all, this deck is very different from the classics, although it is an echo of it. The author immerses the viewer into a new world. And behind the magical looking glass is very dangerous, because the usual laws do not work here.
Key features of the Tarot of Oppositions
The Oppositions Tarot deck continues the tradition of Waite. At first glance, everything is standard here – the same suits, court Arcana. But the devil, as they say, is in the details. The key feature of the cards under consideration is the combination of two opposites. The author decided to show at once the shadow and light sides of all archetypes. So, the direct position is responsible for positive energies, and the reversed position is responsible for negative ones. If Arthur Waite had conditionally bad cards, then here even such Arcana have their advantages.
You can start the analysis with the major group. The Major Arcana of the Opposition Tarot deck are presented in a very familiar way. For example, on the Hermit, the hero is a wise old man, wandering in the darkness. He holds a lantern in his hands so that he can see his way. But right there below is the opposite of the character. All the same old man is now gloomy and not cheerful. The light went out a long time ago, and, probably, the man simply got lost. Thus, the choice of the wrong path is shown, the erroneous withdrawal into oneself in order to hide from problems.
The Minor Arcana of the Tarot of Oppositions have also undergone significant changes when compared with Waite. The Five of Pentacles upright does not show poverty. Rather, it is spiritual purity, lack of greed and attachment to the material world. Such thoughts are suggested by a kind tramp, over whom white doves are circling. But the hero of the reversed position is already dressed in black cloth, gloomy and distrustful. Here you can apply the classical standard interpretation.
Separately, it is worth noting the court Arcana of the Tarot deck of Oppositions. Here, through contrast, the various characters of people are perfectly shown. So, the heroine of the Queen of Pentacles can be a hospitable hostess or, on the contrary, a fallen woman who focuses only on money. The character on the Page of Cups is a nice guy, kind and accommodating. In the Looking Glass, he turns into a capricious narcissist. All Aces can be read as a kind of chance, but also as a loss of opportunity if the card fell out in an reversed position. The same benefits pass to a competitor, an opponent – two hands are shown on the Arcana at once.
Style and symbolism of the deck
In the Tarot of Oppositions, the world is shown from opposite sides. For the positive part, the artist chose bright saturated colors, all the characters are open and smiling. And for the dark side, muted dirty shades were used. The heroes here are never satisfied. They are evil, envious and unreliable. Such a crooked mirror reflects all facets of reality. The querent does not need to cram the meanings of the cards, because the truth lies on the surface.
The Arcana of the Oppositions Tarot deck have small frames on both sides. They have a name and a number written on them. This approach doesn’t get you confused. The fact is that on each card the symbols of the suits are “scattered” evenly throughout the image. For example, on the Two of Wands, both heroes are "issued" only one staff each. Beginners can get confused when reading information from the Arcana.
If we talk about the style itself, then we can attribute it to computer graphics. The drawing here is very fabulous, unreal. The suits of the Tarot of Oppositions differ in color palette, the emotions of the characters, as well as in characteristic objects and symbols. So, on the group of Swords you can see blades and blocks of ice, and on the Pentacles – richly decorated houses, gold coins, an abundance of food. Cups are "distinguished" by flowers and water bodies, and Wands – by an abundance of greenery and trees.
Interpretation of the Oppositions Tarot cards
The interpretation of the Tarot of Oppositions does not require special training. The prediction should be based on the scene in question. After all, even though the deck refers to Waite, it is still very capricious. To avoid mistakes, you should focus on the picture. You can also check out the manual. There are brief meanings. In addition, the author recommends looking at the spreads from a slightly different angle. For example, if the position implies a search for a problem, then the drawn card must be read from its negative side. In the case when the task is to find a solution, one should take into account the positive aspect.
Therefore, the spreads of the Tarot of Oppositions require a special approach. Classical ideas can be confusing, confusing. But for beginners who are just gaining the meanings of reversed positions, the deck will definitely become a kind of training field. The author already offers specific meanings, ideas that do not require additional conclusions. The principle of opposition here implies: quickness-slowness, acceptance-denial, honesty-deceit. Divination itself on such a deck will allow you to discover new facets in any situation, help you find a double bottom, if any.
What questions is the deck suitable for?
In general, the Tarot of Oppositions is a universal deck. All characters perfectly reflect modern mores, and classic plots also appear in real life. You just need to try to see your beloved in the beautiful knight, and your father or boss in the king. Even the health sector is also well shown here. Strong bodies, prominent muscles or the presence of wounds, a sickly complexion – all these details are useful in viewing physical ailments.
Definitely, the Tarot deck of Oppositions will perfectly prove itself in the field of magic. One has only to turn the cards over in advance in order to operate only on the “shadow” side. The Arcana will show the presence or absence of a curse, how the spell was cast. You can also recognize an enemy, a hidden envious person. The deck itself will suggest a solution to the problem. If the querent practices light magic, then you just need to return the Tarot to its previous position. In general, this mantic tool allows you to remove the veil of secrecy from any situation. Everything, as usual, depends on the skills of the querent.
Who are the Oppositions Tarot cards for?
Fortune-telling on the Tarot of Oppositions will primarily appeal to beginners in the world of predictions. Working with this deck will allow you to see in practice the shadow sides of all energies. After all, even the Devil has his positive qualities, oddly enough. For example – the ability to achieve fame, cause delight in the opposite sex, and so on. The Tower will not always be destruction. On the contrary, in some cases it will show the strength of the spirit, the ability to keep the boundaries.
In general, the Tarot of Oppositions is suitable for all people who look at the world in an extraordinary way. Ordinary decks to such an audience may seem boring and monotonous. The same mantic tool allows you to show resourcefulness, originality in interpretation. Separately, you can mention the style of the deck. This Tarot will appeal to all lovers of fantasy cards. This is the audience for which realism is a minus rather than a plus. But the style of Michele D’Aloisio, on the contrary, will not distract, knock down the table.