Promises, Part 2
Outsiders + an AI update . . .
For today’s promise kept—”more about Bobby Abate.”
I came across his work just recently, after reading this post on Rachel Pollock’s Facebook page:
It seemed to condense a lot of ideas and feelings into a very few words—so of course I was curious about the author. And here’s what I found out right away . . .
Bobby’s introduction to the Tarot was through the Tarot of the Cat People at the age of seventeen. Ever since, he sought to create a deck that paid homage to all the beautiful misfits who live by their own rules.
More than enough to engage my interest—so I went on to have a look at the Outsider Tarot.
The art doesn’t fall into any of the categories that appeal to me, but I was intrigued by its base of ideas. And I was impressed by the process that went into creating the deck.
Abate spent years developing the deck, which became a hugely successful Kickstarter project. There’s a detailed guidebook (print or digital), and there was (sold out now) a “reading cloth” I like a lot.
So that’s the “product perspective.”
The “ideas perspective” falls into four aspects, I think.
A completely different set of suits in the Minor Arcana
Rethinking of the court cards
Substitutions in the Major Arcana
Key words/phrases that expand traditional meanings
Here’s a snapshot of the Minor Arcana changes:
I’m neither here nor there on the “new” suits, which are explained this way:
But I’m charmed by the shift from court cards to “Elementals”—especially the choice of names.
That brings us to the Major Arcana, which features several inventive substitutions. Abate explains:
You’ll notice that there are quite a few new names in the Outsider Tarot’s Major Arcana: the WITCH replaces the High Priestess, the PROVIDER replaces the Empress, the BOSS replaces the Emperor, the CLERIC replaces the Hierophant, the GHOST CAR replaces the Chariot, ADJUSTMENT replaces Justice, and ASSESSMENT replaces Judgment. Many of these changes were made to cast aside the idea of patriarchy, monarchy, established religion and privilege in favor of modern, non-gendered archetypes.
Perhaps the most notable of these changes is the RUNAWAYS which replaces the Lovers. I believe the Runaways is one of the most pivotal scenes from the Major Arcana, one familiar to every Outsider. Each person who comes to the scene of the Runaways in their life is torn between the powerful gravity of a familiar past and a future that holds endless possibilities and question marks.
I like the general approach of these changes, though on first acquaintance, I can’t quite catch on to the “Ghost Car” or the “Runaways.”
Which leaves the fourth aspect I listed: key words/phrases. But by now this post has gotten quite long! So I’ve decided to save that topic for a longer, more general discussion. In the meantime, you can have a look at Abate’s Quick Reference Guide and download a copy if you wish.
A quick FYI: It appears the Outsider store was moved, but the link wasn’t changed on the main site. So if you want to see the product offerings, go here instead.
Now for that “AI update.” I don’t think it will surprise anyone that some Etsy providers are offering Tarot decks made entirely with AI. But I hadn’t thought much about it until I came across these comments:
Obviously—a case study in “eye of the beholder.”
And beyond that, a stunning contrast to the creative thought and personal effort that went into the Outsider Tarot.
It’s probably time for a deeper look at the AI/Tarot phenomenon. I’ll try to think about that . . . .
Meanwhile! The next post will finish off my promises list, and share some exceptional decks, created by real humans.
As always, thanks for reading. C