About 78 Tarot

The Idea That Started Everything

In 2014, artist and tarot enthusiast Kayti Welsh had an idea: what if instead of one artist illustrating an entire tarot deck, you invited 78 different artists — one per card — to bring their individual perspective to each archetype?

The idea was audacious in its simplicity. The tarot has 78 cards, each a distinct archetype with its own energy, imagery, and meaning. Why not honor that distinctiveness by giving each card its own artist?

The first 78 Tarot Kickstarter launched in July 2014. It funded. The First Edition deck was born — and the 78 Tarot project has been going ever since.

Our Mission

78 Tarot's mission is to create beautiful, meaningful tarot decks while celebrating the full diversity of global artistic talent. We work with some of the best artists in the fantasy, illustration, and fine art communities — and we actively seek out diverse voices from across cultures, traditions, and artistic backgrounds.

We believe tarot should reflect the full breadth of human experience. Our decks strive not to show cultural appropriation, and we work to ensure that artists from all backgrounds feel genuinely welcome and honored in our collaborations.

The Process

Every 78 Tarot deck follows the same fundamental structure: a theme is chosen, a global call for artists is announced, applications are reviewed, 78 artists are selected, and each is assigned one card to illustrate within the shared theme.

Artists receive the card assignment, the theme guidelines, and color direction — and then the interpretation is entirely their own. The Fool might be rendered as an astronaut, a circus clown, a deep-sea creature, or a child at the ocean's edge. The constraint is the card; the freedom is everything else.

All card meanings for 78 Tarot decks are written by our co-author Trish Sullivan, whose deep knowledge of tarot tradition and gift for accessible, resonant writing gives every deck its interpretive voice.

Limited Editions

Every 78 Tarot deck is a limited edition. We fund each deck through Kickstarter, print what the campaign supports, and when those copies are gone — they are gone. We do not reprint. This is not a gimmick; it is a genuine commitment to the collectible, precious nature of each collaboration.

Nine decks have been published since 2014. Each one is a world unto itself — a complete artistic collaboration that cannot be recreated.

The Team

78 Tarot was founded by Kayti Welsh, who serves as project director and designed the card backs for the First Edition deck. The project is produced with co-author Trish Sullivan, who writes all card meanings.

The broader "Dream Team" includes dedicated volunteers, advisors, and collaborators who help make each Kickstarter campaign and deck production possible.