Inspired by the Chimera archetype and curated by Nitasia Roland, the author blends tarot with the art of Odilon Redon to create a truly unique Tarot Deck. Drawing from the Symbolism Movement, Redon's work is filled with black and white compositions filled with occult and symbolic imagery that would look comfortable in an episode of The Night Gallery.
The feminine chimera is a powerful archetype that is the central theme of this deck. The chimera welcomes all things shadowy, dreamy and fantastical. Through the artwork the reader can easily access shadow work, dream interpretation and meditation. One could create a curriculum type journal to aid in accessing these disciplines.
Although the artwork was not intended for Tarot, the composition of each piece presented in the deck is in harmony with the meaning of each card. The cards themselves are high-quality linen and edged in gold. They’re supple and easy to shuffle.
These borderless images contain strangely drawn centaurs, plants with eyeballs, floating heads and mythical beasts. Each image reaches directly into the unconscious mind. Most times, this leads to epiphany, but sometimes the interpretation is confusing. In that case, clarifying cards are drawn to make sense of the reading. Here, the oracle cards come into play. For example, today’s reading was a three card draw that had to do with finances. The cards gave a vague answer, so I dropped an oracle card onto the spread. The oracle card was Genius Loci, which advised that I work with the local spirits and request their aid in creating and maintaining sustainable wealth.
One oddity that bothers me(besides the eyeball plant which seriously creeps me out) is the lack of corresponding elements for each suit. For example, the only sword I found in the Sword suit is the ace. The Queen of Swords is a centaur killing a snake with a lance. The imagery takes some getting used to. It works, but its...weird... An experienced Tarotist can navigate through the deck based on the unusual symbology with practice. But a beginner could become overwhelmed quickly.
The 200 page perfect bound book is beautifully illustrated. The font is a bit small, but readable. The introductory pages are required reading in order to make sense of the deck, especially if the Tarotist is unfamiliar with Symbolist art. The instructions for blessing the deck are mundane, with the exception of licking the fingers and rubbing saliva on the deck.
This intriguing and unique deck is useful in spell work, dream work, meditation and shadow work. The images are darkly beautiful, and the book is well written and researched. It's a bit advanced for the novice reader, but with practice and study, it could become the reader's best friend. Indeed, It's a great addition to anyone's Tarot library.
~review by Patricia Snodgrass
Creator: Nitasia Roland
Weiser Books, 2026
p. 200 pp. $29.95
