List of The Darkest Tarot Decks

If you enjoy the darker side of things then these tarot decks might be for you. I personally prefer decks which are mysterious looking. There are lots of cute tarot and oracle decks and I’ll probably make a post about them some time, but for now here is a list of my favourite scary dark tarot decks.

The Dark Mansion Tarot

This whimsically dark deck is wonderful to look at with lots of little details. The symbolism is based on the Rider Waite deck but it has a completely different feel to it. The artwork reminds me of the ‘Deviant Moon’ deck and also makes me think of Tim Burton movies.

Gothic Tarot

These beautiful cards by Anne Stokes are filled with darkness. They have a more contemporary feel about them even though they depict classic mythical Creatures such as vampires, bats, unicorns and dragons.

Prisma/Light Visions

• 

• 

Prisma (left) Light Visions (right)

Both the Prisma and Light Visions deck were created by LA artist James R Eads. These imaginative decks have captured the attention of many tarot readers and non tarot readers alike and is now considered a cult classic. They look incredibly dark and mysterious and feel as though they can impart magical wisdom with every reading. Both decks look very similar and have almost the same illustrations however the light visions is monochrome and the prisma visions is in colour.

Occult Tarot

It’s one thing to look dark and scary, but some decks are more than that. The Occult Tarot deck by author and Occultist, Travis McHenry is the first tarot deck to faithfully adhere to the Solomonic principles of demon conjuration, the Occult Tarot allows practitioners to discover the power of ancient Demons and learn to tame the beasts that wander between the physical and spiritual worlds.

The Demon-Possessed Tarot

Another deck by Travis McHenry is the Demon-Possessed Tarot. I’m not sure if this deck has been released yet however there is a kickstarter page for it. According to its description, this deck captures the essence of every demon of the Goetia and traps them in the cards.  The cards look like they’re authentic copies from a deck created in the 1600s by a conjurer and then hidden away in the wall of a castle for four hundred years. This deck feels ancient and mystical. Each card is said to be truly unique with a life all of its own.

Thoth Tarot

Famous occultist Aleister Crowley was once considered the most wicked man in the world. It is no wonder that many people including some tarot readers fear Crowley’s Thoth deck. Apart from it being considered a difficult deck to get into, and also terrifyingly evil, the artwork by Lady Frieda Harris is actually very pretty with its geometric shapes and bright block colours. What makes it dark and mysterious is that Aleister Crowley combined the motives of the tarot with the worlds of magic, alchemy, astrology and Kabbala, and with the myths of ancient cultures, especially Egyptian. When you play with these cards, you tap into another world.

Special Mention ⬇️

Gummy Bear Tarot

I had to include this unusual deck somewhere. Why is it dark? Well, seeing a poor little gummy bear hanging upside down is pretty dark to me, plus anything this happy must surely have a darker side.

Advertisement