Branded Tarot Decks and Modern Mystic Lifestyle

Advertising to younger generations is now practically inescapable, according to the US Association of National Advertisers (ANA), due to their continual presence around screens, which "shifts their relationships with brands". ^[1]

The ANA adds that marketers should “not create experiences that feel like corporate advertising" and instead "develop experiences that feel authentic to younger generations through digital media".

Global brands such as Disney, Marvel, Nike and Apple are an integral component of the identity formation process for young generations, their content properties are ubiquitously part of the younger generations' sense of self and personal identity.

Younger generations feel they have a personal connection to the characters and storylines included in these multimedia franchises through their consumption of content like TV series, movies, video games, books, social media and the purchase of tie-in merchandise like toys and apparel.

Major media productions, such as Harry Potter, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Lord of the Rings frequently release a significant number of tie-in consumer products aimed at the lifestyles of the younger audience. The larger the franchise, the more lifestyle tie-ins enter the market, going beyond the standard action figures, toys and clothing.

We have already seen a rise in luxury playing cards being tied-in to media releases for films such as The Avengers among others. Branded tarot decks are now becoming a popular part of movie tie-in merchandising.

Why are branded tarot decks appealing?

Young people are raised in a way where the media’s content is closely associated with who they are. When exploring their own personal mysticism and spirituality, purchasing a branded tarot deck becomes a more appealing choice when compared to the historical artwork of traditional decks.

The Disney Villains Tarot^[10], published by Insight Editions, depicts Captain Hook as the Four of Cups, Maleficent as the High Priestess, Alladin’s Jaffar as the King of Wands and the King of Swords as Scar from The Lion King with an on-brand interpretation of the cards included in the booklet: “Scar prides himself on getting the lion’s share of the brains in the family. Likewise, the King of Swords is a methodical, calculating leader who never lets personal feelings get in the way of his goals. This tarot card advises you to rein in your emotion and let logic guide you.”

There are also a couple of example spreads which have Disney characters woven into the instructions. “Jaffar needs Aladdin to enter the Cave of Wonders because Aladdin is the diamond in the rough, unpolished but with a good heart. This tarot spread is designed to reveal what area of your life you need to work on in order to reach your full potential”, instructing the reader to pull three cards, the Rough, the Polish and the Diamond.

Licensed decks are popular among young people because they can more easily relate with the themes that these brands express; a tarot reading featuring characters or familiar scenes is intuitively easier to grasp and interpret.

Yvonne Jackson, owner of the Game of Thrones Tarot^[11] says, “I can connect more to the understanding of these cards. They give a whole new layer of meanings and my younger clients enjoy the readings more with these cards”. As we can see, people are developing personal attachments to this content.

For example, Frodo is the Fool in The Lord of the Rings Tarot deck ^[9], with the interpretation ““Home is behind, the world is ahead”, and so Frodo begins his journey. The Fool ventures into the unknown. He may not know where he is going, but he also knows that one cannot prepare for every circumstance. Sometimes you just have to go as the path leads you.” This interpretation integrates the themes from the beginning of Frodo’s adventure leaving the Shire into the concept that the Fool is the card of beginnings.

The booklet also includes on-brand instructions for conducting tarot readings. The Lord of the Rings deck’s booklet suggests tarot readers “pour some mead, light a candle, and nestle into your favourite Hobbit-hole”.

By including favourite and most relatable characters in one’s personal spiritual journey helps young people define what spirituality means to them, and simultaneously strengthens the brand’s position within the market for younger audiences. It’s implied that by buying these products young people deepen their own sense of self-identity and discover the modern mystic lifestyle.

The Origins of Branded Tarot Decks

Branded tarot decks are not a new trend. There have been licensed merchandise tarot decks going back as far as the 1970s such as the 1973 James Bond Tarot, which was produced in conjunction with the release of the James Bond film "Live and Let Die" in which the character Solitaire uses the cards. Some time later the rights to the name "James Bond Tarot" must have expired; however, Kaplan must have bought (or retained) the rights to the card designs. He then reissued the pack as the "Tarot of the Witches", removing the 007 pattern from the back design in the process.

Later a 1997 Lord of the Rings tarot, as well as a 2012 Hobbit tarot deck, all published by US Games Systems with booklets written by Stuart Kaplan.

Stuart Kaplan and US Games Systems popularised the Rider-Waite tarot when he purchased the licence rights to the artwork from Arthur Waite’s daughter in 1971.

In Kaplan’s introduction letter to the card-and-book set in September 1971 he wrote “currently in America there is a phenomenal interest in tarot fortune-telling cards. Tarot decks are currently sought by college students and teenagers, housewives, businessmen, professional people, collectors—indeed, persons from all walks of life.” Accordingly, Kaplan proceeded to publish a wide range of tarot decks appealing to all tastes and lifestyles.

As a result Kaplan is credited with popularising mass-produced tarot decks in North America, paving the way for future publishers, such as Insight Editions, to develop the market for entertainment and "spiritualised materialism" as well as the branded tarot decks that we find today.

The Mystic Lifestyle of Younger Generations

The modern mystic lifestyle is more than just a collection of spiritual, or unusual practices which are outside of the mainstream, such as meditating, yoga, candles, astrology, tarot readings, crystals, among others.

According to the branded tarot sets the modern mystical way of life involves developing a stronger connection with one's sense of personal identity. The stories you cherish become your own branded spiritual journey, a part of your personal mythology and worldbuilding; customising the personalised lifestyle of “Me Culture”.