Tarot of the Everlasting Day - AI Generated Tarot
Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated tarot deck produced by Marcus Katz. Is this science fiction or the future of tarot?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated tarot decks are a recent phenomenon in the tarot industry, as advancements in AI technology have made it possible for commercial applications. It has been suggested that AI technology has progressed to the point of being able to pass the Turing test, which is a test designed to determine whether a machine's intelligence is distinguishable from that of a human. Is this science fiction or the future of tarot?
The process of using AI to generate artwork is known as "prompt-craft", where the creator provides prompts in a chat-like fashion to the AI to generate the desired result. This method of creating artwork has led some to speculate that it could replace certain roles within a traditional workplace, such as graphic designers or copywriters, with those who are skilled in "prompt-craft" and can find the optimal prompts to give to the AI.
Marcus Katz used the AI application Midjourney to create the Tarot of the Everlasting Day deck. By using the “prompt-craft” technique to give the AI concepts for the design of each card, the AI would then generate a result.
Katz explains "the process of using Midjourney to generate tarot card artwork is not a one-way street, it has been a surprisingly two-way conversation. [...] Sometimes, despite re-inputting modified prompts for a card over a hundred times, I have had the feeling 'we' are after something else, and then, re-input a totally new prompt based on that intuition, and the A.I. has delivered something very different, almost with a sigh of 'yes, that’s what we were trying to do'."
"Some cards took much longer than others to generate," Katz noted. "The Chariot out of the Majors was one which took several days, with constant pruning of prompts and returning to basics before finalising the image.”
The process of generating tarot cards using AI can be time-consuming and require constant adjustments to the prompts. Katz likely spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with different prompts to find the optimal ones for each card, resulting in over 130 pieces of artwork with consistent styles and themes.
A Demonstration
I signed up for Midjourney to try it for myself. Initially I prompted the AI with this: “colourful Rider-Waite tarot deck. The fool tarot card.”
A few moments later Midjourney returned these results:
From here the AI gives me options of which version I like the most to develop further.
I chose the first option and Midjourney produced four further variants:
The prompts can be as long, elaborate and descriptive as you like. Here’s another example of a more complex prompt: “Colourful tarot card. The High Priestess Tarot Card. Exotic woman. Exotic headdress. Mediaeval. Illuminated. On both sides of the High Priestess are two big pillars. They mark the entry to this mystical place. One pillar is black and has the alphabet B the other is white and engraved with the letter J.”
The Tarot of the Everlasting Day is based on the Rider-Waite cards, which is considered the "tarot template" for most modern decks. According to Katz, this structure is said to give readers "readily recognised scenes" that are suitable for beginners. The deck includes a total of 80 Minor Arcana cards (two sets of 40 cards), which includes a “scenic set” of pictorial illustrations as well as a "pip set" similar to traditional suit pips. Additionally, the deck includes the 22 Major Arcana cards, an alternative Empress card, and nine unique cards that fit into Katz's own tarot system called "Tarosophy". The deck also contains a Kabbalah Tree of Life card (See the card ) and a Kickstarter certificate of authenticity.
The Tarot of the Everlasting Day was funded through a Kickstarter campaign, where Katz raised £110,942 from over 1,200 people to bring the deck to life. The use of AI technology in this deck is a unique and innovative approach to tarot card creation, and it will be interesting to see how it is received by the tarot community.
The new unique cards are:
Card | Keywords & Notes |
---|---|
The Artificial Intelligence | Interference, algorithm, pattern, prediction |
The Great Work | By Our Work We Are Changed |
Initiation | The Worker is Hidden in the Workshop |
The Gate | Enter The Order of Everlasting Day |
The Rose Key | In Arkartia, We Are |
The Angel of Earth | Pentacles, North, Body |
The Angel of Air | Swords, East, Mind |
The Angel of Fire | Wands, South, Spirit |
The Angel of Water | Cups, West, Emotions |
The nine new cards fit into Katz’s own tarot system, "Tarosophy", which he has developed over the course of his career as a tarot reader and author. In the booklet, it’s explained that "Tarosophy" is “the living wisdom of the tarot” of which we “use tarot to engage life, not escape it”.
I couldn’t find any interpretation of the nine new cards in the booklet or the PDF supplement, which I found to be a disappointment, leaving a tarot reader to create their own interpretations for these new cards, or dive into Katz’s own tarot mythology and Kabbalism.
The Kickstarter Certificate of Authenticity features an image prompted by asking the AI “how it imagined itself as an artist” which Katz says is a “rare and unusual self-image in which we perhaps see how the machine intelligence sees itself”.
The use of Midjourney enabled Katz to create the tarot deck without the need for collaboration with an artist or illustrator, and the resulting deck is a novel combination of AI-generated artwork and Katz's own tarot system. This innovative approach resulted in a tarot deck that is both unique and visually striking.
Where is Tarot heading in the future?
Of course, it's difficult to predict exactly where tarot will head in the future, as it's now become a dynamic and ever-evolving tool. However, based on current trends and the growing interest in self-help and personal development, it's likely that the use of tarot as a tool for self-discovery and developing your own mystic lifestyle will continue grow.
As we can see here with Tarot of the Everlasting Day the integration of AI technology to generate personalised tarot decks and readings is starting to emerge. AI can provide an individualised approach to tarot and can adapt to the needs and preferences of the individual. It could also provide a more convenient and efficient way of generating tarot readings and interpreting the results, making it more accessible to a wider audience.
The tarot of tomorrow may embrace a more personalised approach, utilising AI personal assistants from tech giants such as Microsoft and Facebook, that already possess a digital representation of the user's life, such as your searches, online shopping preferences and travel history. These AI assistants could generate a customised tarot experience, reflective of the individual's unique beliefs and lifestyle, and deliver on-demand interpretations.
The Major Arcana
The Courts
The Angels
References
By Adam Wintle
Member since March 15, 1997
Adam has been involved in developing the site as well as reviewing new decks and conducting research. He is particularly interested in innovation, Kickstarter and East Asian cards. He is a member of the IPCS and webmaster of the EPCS.
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