About

My name is Paul Anthony Smith — an artist, writer, and musician from East London, forever inspired by the unseen and the extraordinary. Since childhood, I’ve been captivated by the mystical language of tarot — its symbols, stories, and the quiet magic that hums between the cards.

This deck was born almost by accident — or perhaps by destiny. It began with three watercolour paintings created for a baby’s nursery: The Sun, The Moon, and The Star. Their soft, vintage storybook style echoed the illustrated tales that once filled my imagination as a child. My sister, seeing something special in them, encouraged me to go further — to create an entire tarot deck in that same enchanted spirit.

As I painted, I turned often to the classic Rider–Waite deck, studying its timeless imagery and symbolism. It became both compass and muse — a sacred guide helping me to weave my own interpretations while honouring the archetypal energy that has spoken to readers for over a century.

Each card in my deck carries a blend of influences — the familiar wisdom of Rider–Waite, the nostalgia of vintage storybooks, and my own deep fascination with fantasy, esoteric knowledge, and the lost worlds of ancient civilizations. Every illustration was created with a heart full of wonder and reverence for the mysteries that connect us all.

As I painted each card, I immersed myself deeply in the study of tarot — revisiting its traditional meanings, symbolism, and archetypal language. I spent countless hours exploring the wisdom of the classic Rider–Waite system, allowing its foundations to guide my interpretations while envisioning how my own imagery could expand upon them. This process became a dialogue between tradition and imagination, shaping the creation of my original guidebook, written to support the artwork with insight that feels both fresh and true to the timeless principles of tarot.

Living with rheumatoid arthritis has shaped my creative path profoundly. While it limits the movement of my body, it also fuels my need to create — keeping my mind and spirit flexible, alive, and endlessly curious. Art has become both my sanctuary and my spellwork.

This tarot deck is more than imagery on cards — it’s a world of stories, symbols, and emotions brought to life through paint and imagination. My hope is that it fills you with the same sense of magic and discovery that guided me through its creation — and that, as you work with it, you too find your own doorway into wonder.