The World of Playing Cards Logo
Published November 11, 2023 Updated November 22, 2023

The Aquarian Tarot Deck

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 Add to Collection

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

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds

A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

1753 Animal Tarot by G. Larmoyer

Animal Tarot by G. Larmoyer

Flemish Animal Tarot deck by G. Larmoyer, Liège, 1753.

1968 Albano-Waite® Tarot

Albano-Waite® Tarot

Recoloured version of the Rider/Waite/Smith tarot produced by Frankie Albano, 1968.

2015 Branle playing cards

Branle playing cards

‘Branle’ playing cards inspired by a 12th-century dance, produced by Noir Arts, USA, 2015.

2019 Umbrella Academy playing cards

Umbrella Academy playing cards

Umbrella Academy playing cards created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, USA, 2019.

2015 Mardi Gras playing cards

Mardi Gras playing cards

Mardi Gras playing cards illustrated by Dave Edgerly, USA, 2015

2016 Romeo and Juliet playing cards

Romeo and Juliet playing cards

Romeo and Juliet playing cards illustrated by Belgian artist Virginie Carquin 2016.

1979 Morgan-Greer Tarot

Morgan-Greer Tarot

Based on the knowledge, wisdom and interpretation of Paul Foster Case and Arthur Edward Waite.

2013 Jane Austen playing cards

Jane Austen playing cards

Jane Austen playing cards published by Prospero Art, USA, 2013.

75: Early American cards

75: Early American cards

An overview of some of the early cards made in the United States.

Fox Lake Playing Cards

Fox Lake Playing Cards

A Magician’s Perspective.

2019 Murphy Varnish pack

Murphy Varnish pack

Reproduction of the 1883 Murphy Varnish transformation pack, USA, 2019

1996 New Palladini Tarot

New Palladini Tarot

“The New Palladini Tarot” by David Palladini published by U.S. Games Inc., in 1996.

1970 The Aquarian Tarot Deck

The Aquarian Tarot Deck

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

2019 Pendleton playing cards

Pendleton playing cards

Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.

2015 Aztec Codex playing cards

Aztec Codex playing cards

Aztec Codex playing cards illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, USA, ©2015.

1967 Linweave Tarot

Linweave Tarot

The Linweave Tarot is actually an elaborate set of paper samples from the Pulp, Paper and Board Divi...

2017 Map of the world in full bloom

Map of the world in full bloom

Map of the world in full bloom, USA, 2017

2017 Know your deplorables

Know your deplorables

Photographs of political and media figures associated with the Presidency of Donald Trump (2017-2021...

2003 Historic Early Aviation

Historic Early Aviation

Reproductions of cigarette cards from 1910 on the subject of the early days of aviation.

1994 The Age of Dinosaurs playing cards

The Age of Dinosaurs playing cards

Dinosaurs from different ages and locations, with artwork by Virginijus Poshkus.

2021 Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot

Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot

Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...

2020 3-D Dino Cards

3-D Dino Cards

Lenticular images of different, unnamed dinosaurs on all-plastic cards.

2019 Tarot of the Unknown

Tarot of the Unknown

Inspired by the Halloween Cartoon “Over the Garden Wall”.

1991 Dino Deck playing cards

Dino Deck playing cards

A different dinosaur for each of the four suits, two printed in red and two in blue.

1995 De Tarot in de herstelde orde

De Tarot in de herstelde orde

“De Tarot in de herstelde orde” (The Tarot in the restored order) a re-ordered Rider-Waite tarot dec...

2020 Eclipse Comic playing cards (reproduction)

Eclipse Comic playing cards (reproduction)

Eclipse Comic playing cards is a reproduction of the first transformation pack printed in the USA in...

2018 Old West Guns

Old West Guns

Old West Guns playing cards containing information about firearms from the Old West, USA.

2007 Marcel Ruijters Tarots

Marcel Ruijters Tarots

Two very remarkable tarots by the award winning Dutch cartoonist Marcel Ruijters.

1993 Centennial Olympic Games playing cards

Centennial Olympic Games playing cards

Centennial Olympic Games playing cards celebrating the centenary of the modern Olympic Games, 1896-1...

1997 Y-ME playing cards

Y-ME playing cards

Works by 54 American artists in aid of a breast cancer charity.

2015 Malam playing cards

Malam playing cards

Malam playing cards created by Michael Muldoon, USA, 2015.

2017 Netter playing cards

Netter playing cards

Anatomical playing cards published by Elsevier, USA, 2017.

2007 Star Wars: a New Hope

Star Wars: a New Hope

‘Star Wars: a New Hope’ playing cards to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film Star Wars, USA, ...

1953 American President Lines

American President Lines

American President Lines shipping souvenir playing cards, early to mid-1950s.

1978 Royal Hawaiian playing cards

Royal Hawaiian playing cards

Royal Hawaiian playing cards published by the Royal Hawaiian Playing Card Company, Honolulu.

1964 Official World’s Fair Souvenir, USA, 1964-6

Official World’s Fair Souvenir, USA, 1964-6

Official souvenir pack showing 52 coloured exhibits from the New York World’s Fair, 1964-6.

2000 Buffalo soldiers

Buffalo soldiers

“Buffalo soldiers” playing cards commemorating African American military men who helped change the f...

1933 Century of Progress

Century of Progress

‘Century of Progress’ Exposition playing cards produced by Western Playing Card Company, USA, 1933. ...

2012 Bicycle Negro League Baseball Museum

Bicycle Negro League Baseball Museum

Bicycle Negro League Baseball Museum souvenir playing cards, USA, 2012.

1995 I Tarocchi del Cinema (di Sesar)

I Tarocchi del Cinema (di Sesar)

A set of Tarot trumps on the subject of the cinema, with designs by Sergio Sarri.