The World of Playing Cards Logo

Nine Lives Tarot

Published July 30, 2016 Updated August 23, 2023

Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins represents the artist’s creative and spiritual perspective on life.

2013 Australia Annette Abolins Cartomancy Psychology Tarot Rider-Waite Tarot

The “Nine Lives Tarot”, skillfully illustrated by Australian artist/designer Annette Abolins, represents the artist’s creative and spiritual perspective on life. The illustrations are figurative, portraying experiences in life as a visual story. Whilst admittedly a free interpretation of the Rider-Waite-Smith system, additional inspiration has been drawn from imagination, mythology and from people close to the artist, whilst finding a deeper symbolic meaning to the ups-and-downs, opportunities and mysteries encountered on the path.

The artwork began as ink drawings on paper, which were then digitised and coloured using illustration software, retaining the sense of freedom and expressiveness of the original drawings. The whole deck took more than 3 years to complete and was finally launched in November 2013.  See: www.ninelivestarot.com.au

Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013

The Major Arcana

Above: Nine Lives Tarot major arcana designed by Annette Abolins, 2013.

The Court Cards

The four court cards in each of the suits of pentacles, rods, cups and swords represent personal influences in the realms of the home & hearth, spirit & creativity, the heart and the mind. Each suit is coded according to its association with star signs as well as the elements of earth, fire, water and air respectively. The colourful and life-affirming illustrations include visual connections between the cards to suggest different aspects and phases of Self.

Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013 Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013 Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013 Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013

Above: the 16 court cards, Nine Lives Tarot, designs by Annette Abolins, 2013.

The Kings, Queens and Knights from the Nine Lives tarot were subsequently redrawn and converted into a 52-card deck of illustrated playing cards, published in 2016. See here

The Minor Arcana

The minor arcana cards represent everyday situations, depicted in terms of prosperity, creativity, love and the mysteries of the mind. Thus, current influences from within the different suits provide clues to help better understand challenges, seize opportunities or confront life-changing events depicted in the archetypal, major arcana cards, thereby revealing the ‘bigger’ picture.

Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013

Above: the minor arcana numeral cards from Nine Lives Tarot, designs by Annette Abolins, 2013.

Above: The “Nine Lives Tarot”, illustrated by Annette Abolins, contains a total of 78 cards plus an explanatory booklet in a box inside a blue drawstring bag. The booklet includes descriptions and symbolical interpretations for all the cards, which are inspired by the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, but the artist suggests that the characters should introduce themselves. There are no reverse meanings in this deck except that a reversed card may indicate a delay of the meaning.

The title of “Nine Lives Tarot” was chosen because of the way the tarot depicts the cyclic movement through life. At no point does one card speak of finality and physical death; instead the cards work together to weave a picture with an open road to interpretation...

The Kings, Queens and Knights from the Nine Lives tarot were subsequently redrawn into a 52-card deck of playing cards, published in 2016. See here

See: www.ninelivestarot.com.au

Nine Lives Tarot by Annette Abolins, 2013
avatar
1,461 Articles

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.


Leave a Reply

Default Avatar
Your Name
Just now

Create account to comment Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.


Related Articles

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...

1873 Mademoiselle Lenormand

Mademoiselle Lenormand

XIX century ‘Mlle Lenormand’ cartomancy deck by Daveluy, Bruges.

1981 Motherpeace Round Tarot

Motherpeace Round Tarot

An original and imaginative feminist tarot based on Goddess energy.

1965 Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

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

2024 Paris 2024 Olympics 2

Paris 2024 Olympics 2

A standard French Tarot game pack with passing references to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

2024 Tarot – Images du Pays Basque

Tarot – Images du Pays Basque

Seventy-eight photographic images of the French Basque Country on a pack for playing the game of Tar...

2023 A Million Dollar Tarot: The Alleyman’s Tarot

A Million Dollar Tarot: The Alleyman’s Tarot

The Alleyman’s Tarot successfully raised $1,404,172 on Kickstarter. This unique 133-card deck includ...

2022 Quên Tarot

Quên Tarot

A mystical voyage of love and self-discovery created by Duy Khánh Võ.

2021 Le Monde Primitif Tarot

Le Monde Primitif Tarot

Facsimile edition produced by Morena Poltronieri & Ernesto Fazioli of Museo Internazionale dei Taroc...

1996 I Tarocchi del Buongustaio

I Tarocchi del Buongustaio

A less-than-serious set of major arcana on a gourmet theme, with designs by Cosimo Musio.

2022 Tarot for Baby

Tarot for Baby

This board book simplifies tarot archetypes into accessible affirmations for young children.

Animal Tarot by Johann Jobst Forster

Animal Tarot by Johann Jobst Forster

French-suited 78-card animal tarot deck of the Bavarian type.

Managing cards without corner indices

Managing cards without corner indices

For many hundreds of years cards had no corner indices, were square cut and mostly made from card wi...

2002 Scenic Views of Australia

Scenic Views of Australia

54 different scenic views of Australia in full colour.

1989 Il Vostro Destino

Il Vostro Destino

Italian fortune-telling pack produced by Viassone and later by Masenghini.

1985 I Gatti Originali di Evelyne Nicod

I Gatti Originali di Evelyne Nicod

Etchings of cats on a set of major arcana created by Evelyne Nicod.