ScholarBot Tarot | "Lo Scarabeo Lovers:" Romanticizing Colonialism for Mass Consumption in Tarot @ScholarBot | Uploaded May 2022 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
Abstract
Lo Scarabeo has published tarot decks in the mass market for over 30 years. Based in Torino, Italy, Lo Scarabeo artists and authors have tackled many different themes in their decks with varying results. With a closer look at the Dragons Tarot, the Samurai Tarot, and the Tarot of the Pirates, we allow ourselves to be critical at their surface-level attempts of Multiculturalism during their mid-days of 2000s and inadvertent displays of Orientalism and Romanticism. What does this mean for the way we consume and why does it matter?
0:00 Intro
2:27 Dragons Tarot
7:40 Samurai Tarot
12:51 Tarot of the Pirates
15:24 Dante Tarot
16:50 Get This, Not That
Works Cited
“Ancient Egyptian Race Controversy.” Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_race_controversy#Some_modern_views_on_bias_in_Egyptology
Filadoro, M. (2006). Samurai tarot. Lo Scarabeo.
Lewis, S. P. (2022, April 19). Tarot and Oracle decks created for and by black people. SHOPPE BLACK. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from shoppeblack.us/2020/04/black-owned-tarot-and-oracle-decks
Robin (Toadstool Tarot). “Dante Tarots Side by Side.” 2022. youtube.com/watch?v=89d-6EcOHUg
Robin (Toadstool Tarot). “Dante Tarot Walkthrough.” 2022. youtube.com/watch?v=H4n7O_X1snI
Said, E (1978). Orientalism.
Toraldo, M. (2004). Dragons tarot. Lo Scarabeo.
Vigna, B. (2008). Tarot of the pirates /tarot de los Piratas. Lo Scarabeo.
Wills, Matthew. “The Mexica Didn’t Believe the Conquistadors Were Gods.” JSTOR Daily. January 2020. daily.jstor.org/the-mexica-didnt-believe-the-conquistadors-were-gods
Decks/Creators Highlighted
Dust II Onyx Tarot by Courtney Alexander - dust2onyx.com
Smoke, Ash, and Ember Tarot - threetreestarot.co.uk/product-page/smoke-ash-embers
Tarot Yohualli Ehecatl (Mexica Tarot) by Chicome - etsy.com/listing/1066825300/tarot-yohualli-ehecatl-deck-and-book
Tempest Tarot by Maisy - etsy.com/listing/1101183572/tempest-tarot-deck
Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani - https://yoshiyoshitani.store/products/tarot-of-the-divine-deck
SEAMS Tarot - etsy.com/listing/1187364514/seams-tarot
Sasuraibito Tarot by Stasia Burrington - etsy.com/shop/stasiab?section_id=6803879
Benebell Wen, artist of the Spirit Keeper's Tarot - benebellwen.com/blog
K. Ryan (aka Buboplague), artist of the Yokai Yochi - buboplague.carrd.co
All images and quotations in this video essay are presented under fair use. Please excuse any discrepancies with publication date for the tarot decks in question; my copies stated a different date.
Abstract
Lo Scarabeo has published tarot decks in the mass market for over 30 years. Based in Torino, Italy, Lo Scarabeo artists and authors have tackled many different themes in their decks with varying results. With a closer look at the Dragons Tarot, the Samurai Tarot, and the Tarot of the Pirates, we allow ourselves to be critical at their surface-level attempts of Multiculturalism during their mid-days of 2000s and inadvertent displays of Orientalism and Romanticism. What does this mean for the way we consume and why does it matter?
0:00 Intro
2:27 Dragons Tarot
7:40 Samurai Tarot
12:51 Tarot of the Pirates
15:24 Dante Tarot
16:50 Get This, Not That
Works Cited
“Ancient Egyptian Race Controversy.” Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_race_controversy#Some_modern_views_on_bias_in_Egyptology
Filadoro, M. (2006). Samurai tarot. Lo Scarabeo.
Lewis, S. P. (2022, April 19). Tarot and Oracle decks created for and by black people. SHOPPE BLACK. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from shoppeblack.us/2020/04/black-owned-tarot-and-oracle-decks
Robin (Toadstool Tarot). “Dante Tarots Side by Side.” 2022. youtube.com/watch?v=89d-6EcOHUg
Robin (Toadstool Tarot). “Dante Tarot Walkthrough.” 2022. youtube.com/watch?v=H4n7O_X1snI
Said, E (1978). Orientalism.
Toraldo, M. (2004). Dragons tarot. Lo Scarabeo.
Vigna, B. (2008). Tarot of the pirates /tarot de los Piratas. Lo Scarabeo.
Wills, Matthew. “The Mexica Didn’t Believe the Conquistadors Were Gods.” JSTOR Daily. January 2020. daily.jstor.org/the-mexica-didnt-believe-the-conquistadors-were-gods
Decks/Creators Highlighted
Dust II Onyx Tarot by Courtney Alexander - dust2onyx.com
Smoke, Ash, and Ember Tarot - threetreestarot.co.uk/product-page/smoke-ash-embers
Tarot Yohualli Ehecatl (Mexica Tarot) by Chicome - etsy.com/listing/1066825300/tarot-yohualli-ehecatl-deck-and-book
Tempest Tarot by Maisy - etsy.com/listing/1101183572/tempest-tarot-deck
Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani - https://yoshiyoshitani.store/products/tarot-of-the-divine-deck
SEAMS Tarot - etsy.com/listing/1187364514/seams-tarot
Sasuraibito Tarot by Stasia Burrington - etsy.com/shop/stasiab?section_id=6803879
Benebell Wen, artist of the Spirit Keeper's Tarot - benebellwen.com/blog
K. Ryan (aka Buboplague), artist of the Yokai Yochi - buboplague.carrd.co
All images and quotations in this video essay are presented under fair use. Please excuse any discrepancies with publication date for the tarot decks in question; my copies stated a different date.
