Austin Osman Spare Tarot

Created by English artist and occultist Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956), this unique deck represents a fascinating fusion of traditional tarot imagery and personal magical symbolism. Drawing inspiration from the Oswald Wirth deck (1889) and the Tarot de Marseille, Spare crafted a distinctive interpretation using his characteristic artistic style.

The deck maintains traditional playing card suits (clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds) rather than typical tarot suits. Its Major Arcana largely follows Wirth's symbolism but in a stripped-down, minimalist style, with some cards featuring entirely original imagery drawn from Spare's own artistic vocabulary. The court cards display simplified head portraits, often with reversed images at the bottom, while the aces showcase nude figures against detailed backgrounds.

A notable feature is Spare's handwritten card meanings along the borders, including reversal interpretations. The deck was likely his personal training tool, evidenced by interconnecting designs between certain cards and hand-painted card backs in black, pink, green, and purple. Though card number 11 (Strength) was lost, it has been reconstructed from an existing black and white photograph to complete this remarkable piece of occult history.