The World of Playing Cards Logo

The Aquarian Tarot Deck

Published November 11, 2023 Updated November 22, 2023

The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini, published by Morgan Press, Inc., 1970.

1970 USA Morgan Press David Palladini Art Deco Art Nouveau & Jugendstil Tarot

The Aquarian Tarot Deck is the second tarot project by artist and illustrator David Palladini (April 1, 1946 – March 13, 2019), and is a full 78 card deck published by Morgan Press, Inc., in 1970. It became extremely popular, riding on the wave of interest in all things esoteric that came with the dawning of the new Age of Aquarius, and has remained in print ever since. The cards are a lush mix of Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, and follow the Golden Dawn order for the trumps, i.e. Strength is at VIII and Justice at XI, while the minor cards echo Pamela Colman Smith's illustrations from the ubiquitous Rider Waite Smith deck.

The cards have been produced with four different backs that I am aware of; plain dark blue as in this example, blue with a white filigree pattern (the most common, and still in use today), and two backs with an ouroboros in the form of a lemniscate, one red and one black, both extremely rare.

The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini and published by Morgan Press, Inc., in 1970 The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini and published by Morgan Press, Inc., in 1970 The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini and published by Morgan Press, Inc., in 1970 The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini and published by Morgan Press, Inc., in 1970

Above: the deck is presented in a two part lidded box, complete with instruction booklet. Cards measure 119 x 75mm.

• See the box

The name of the company changed from Morgan Press Inc., for the Aquarian Tarot Deck, to Morgan & Morgan Inc., for the Morgan-Greer deck. Both have the address of Dobbs Ferry, New York 10522, which is on the back of both boxes. These are the only two tarots they ever produced that I am aware of.

avatar
16 Articles

By Adam West-Watson

Member since September 01, 2014

I have been fascinated by playing cards ever since I can remember, and still have several of the card games I had as a child. And although I had accumulated quite a number of packs of various sorts over the years, it wasn't until I was in my 50s that I began collecting in earnest. My tastes are quite varied, and my collection of 800 or so decks includes:- children's games, standard and non-standard playing cards, adult games, fortune telling and oracle cards, tarot cards, and even cigarette cards.

Related Articles

1972 The UCR Deck

The UCR Deck

Giant-size cards designed by Thomas Sanders to advertise courses and facilities at UCR.

1984 Tarot Actuel 1984

Tarot Actuel 1984

Major arcana to cut out, issued with the French magazine Actuel, using photographic images.

2015 Fredericks & Mae playing cards

Fredericks & Mae playing cards

A rainbow pack from the design team of Fredericks & Mae and Benjamin English.

2004 Red Hat Society playing cards

Red Hat Society playing cards

Society that encourages women in their quest to get the most out of life.

1975 Mountain Dream Tarot

Mountain Dream Tarot

Groundbreaking Tarot created by Bea Nettles, using photographs and photo montage.

1988 Il Tarocco Mitologico

Il Tarocco Mitologico

Fully pictorial Tarot designed by Amerigo Folchi with figures mainly from Greek mythology.

2021 Junior Playing Cards

Junior Playing Cards

Child-friendly versions of standard English pattern cards designed by Louie Mantia, Jr.

2021 Last Call Cats playing cards

Last Call Cats playing cards

Bar-crawling cats, designed by artists Arna Miller and Ravi Zupa.

1984 The Millenium Tarot: Tarot of the Four Worlds

The Millenium Tarot: Tarot of the Four Worlds

First Australian Tarot, designed by Mary Susan Chamberlain, with artwork by Ziba Vilmanis-Westenberg...

1850 Historical Characters

Historical Characters

Double-ended deck with historical characters and jacks as jesters by Daveluy, c.1850.

2006 Covered bridges playing cards

Covered bridges playing cards

Historical covered bridges with photography by Bill Miller, 2006.

1981 Motherpeace Round Tarot

Motherpeace Round Tarot

An original and imaginative feminist tarot based on Goddess energy.

1986 Victorian playing cards

Victorian playing cards

54 different card designs including people, animals, flowers, costumes and ornaments popular during ...

1980 Crown Hill playing cards

Crown Hill playing cards

Crown Hill playing cards with illustrations by Corrine Guiney, USA,

1974 O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game with Yiddish words and phrases.

1965 Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

Colourful version of a standard French (‘Bourgeois’) Tarot.