About Our Garden...
The Tarot Garden is a site dedicated to helping persons
interested in tarot to learn about and find tarot decks of interest to
them. Whether you're a collector looking for that hard-to-find,
out-of-print limited edition, or a reader looking for the perfect deck
to spark your imagination and intuition, you'll find the information
you want on the hundreds of decks available. Browse our library for a
wide assortment of articles on the subject of tarot study and
collecting. Our on-line, searchable database
contains information on over 1.500 tarots and cartomantic decks, with
more entries being added every month! In our boutique,
you'll find a wide assortment of wonderful decks -- from popular tarots
at great prices to rare collector finds not offered anywhere else! We
also offer a variety of free and fee-based services related to the
world of tarot. If you visit or shop with us often, consider setting up
an online account with us, to take advantage of many other fun and free
features of our website. Come join us in the Tarot Garden and explore
-- and find out for yourself why international interest in tarot has
exploded over the last century.
Our History
The Tarot Garden began in February of 2001, when Lorraine
Sharkey -- an accomplished collector and connoisseur of rare and
unusual cartomantic decks -- joined with collector and long-time tarot
enthusiast Jeannette Roth, whom she had been mentoring, to create a
website that would provide information on and access to a wide variety
of published tarots from the 20th and 21st century. While there were
already a number of websites featuring long lists of tarot decks, Lori
and Jeannette's goal was to document not only the better-known
massmarket titles, but also to showcase the fine art, limited edition,
hard-to-find, out-of-print, and even truly rare decks from all over the
world. With the help of Lori's extensive personal collection and her
expertise in the area of fine art and rare decks, combined with
Jeannette's knowledge of the more popular "mainstream" titles, the team
was able to compile an initial listing of decks in a searchable online
database, complete with publication details and sample scans.
To further distinguish the site and provide a much-needed
service to tarot enthusiasts worldwide, Lori and Jeannette began an
online Boutique, where many of the decks they had documented -- both
well-known and rare -- were available for purchase. A significant
portion of the proceeds from the sales were reinvested in new titles,
allowing them to expand the online database and to continue providing
information on an ever-larger, international array of fascinating
tarots and cartomantic decks. As of this writing, the Tarot Garden
online database contains information on over 1,500 decks from the past
100 years, and is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds!
At the end of 2003, Lori chose to resign as an active
partner in the Tarot Garden business. However, her invaluable
contributions to Tarot Garden remain the hallmark of the website:
providing the most comprehensive, publicly-accessible listing of
tarots, coupled with the desire to help put great tarots and great
tarot lovers together.
In 2004, Dan Pelletier, a 30-year veteran tarot enthusiast,
and accomplished reader and lecturer, joined the Tarot Garden.
Together, Dan and Jeannette continue to document the ever-growing
number of tarots being published worldwide, and to provide a one-stop
shopping source for popular, imported, small press, limited edition,
out-of-print, and rare decks that aspires to be second to none!
Our Philosophy
Tarot is a multi-faceted discipline that extends beyond its
use as a cartomantic tool. It is also worthy of study and appreciation
for its own sake: for the beauty of its artwork, for the variety of its
subject matter, and for its expression of the personal visions of each
deck creator. It is our goal to promote interest in all areas of tarot
and its applications: its traditional employment in divination,
benefits as a tool for personal spiritual growth, historical and
academic importance, artistic and aesthetic value, use for playing
games, and the inherent collectibility. Through Tarot Garden, we hope
to make people aware of how the wide variety of tarots available can
help to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of the fascinating pack
of cards known as "Book T."
Contact Us!
If you have questions or comments about our website or
services, please contact us! General inquiries can be sent to info@tarotgarden.com,
or see our Contact page for detailed
contact information. We'll get back to you as soon as possible!
