A Modern African Tarot

Tarot has always been more than cards—it’s a mirror, a guide, a way to tell our stories. For centuries, the decks most people know—like the Rider Waite Smith—have been built on European imagery and symbolism. Castles, knights, biblical archetypes… powerful in their context, but distant for those of us whose roots and rhythms are African. These images speak to a worldview shaped by medieval Europe, but they often feel foreign when held in African hands.

That’s why I began this journey: to create a tarot deck that speaks directly to African identity and everyday life. A deck where anyone in Africa—or anyone of African heritage—can look at the cards and say, “Yes, that’s me. That’s my world.” Tarot should not be borrowed; it should be lived, reflecting landscapes, traditions, and voices we know intimately.

Instead of medieval castles, my deck draws from marketplaces bustling with trade, ancestral wisdom, village gatherings, and African fashion. These aren’t just design choices—they are reflections of lived reality. They remind us spirituality isn’t locked away in myths or distant lands; it’s alive in the drumbeat, the wisdom of elders, and the resilience of our communities. Each card becomes a window into African life, affirming that everyday experiences carry sacred meaning.

This project is also about reclaiming narrative authority. Too often, African spirituality has been filtered through outside lenses—anthropologists, missionaries, or foreign mystics who interpreted traditions without living them. With this deck, I want to affirm our archetypes are powerful in their own right. Imagine The Fool not as a jester tumbling through medieval streets, but as a traveller stepping into the savannah, guided by ancestral spirits and the horizon of possibility. Picture The Empress not as a European queen, but as the nurturing strength of African motherhood, surrounded by symbols of fertility and abundance from our traditions—yam harvests, water vessels, and the protective embrace of community. These reinterpretations honour universal archetypes while speaking authentically to African experiences.

And Africa today is not only tradition—it is modernity, innovation, and global connection. That’s why this deck blends ancestral motifs with modern themes: technology, migration, urban culture, and the realities of contemporary African life. A card might show a young person navigating city streets with headphones, yet still carrying the wisdom of ancestors in their heart. Another might depict the balance between rural roots and global aspirations. This fusion ensures the deck resonates with seekers of all ages, including younger generations who want spiritual tools reflecting their realities.

The African Tarot is not just art—it is an act of cultural affirmation. It says: our lives, our symbols, our stories matter. It challenges the idea tarot must always look European, reminding us archetypes are universal, but their expressions must be rooted in cultures that live them. By grounding the cards in African themes, I hope to offer a tool that empowers people to see themselves clearly, connect with heritage, and navigate today’s challenges with wisdom drawn from both past and present.

Ultimately, this deck is a mirror held up to African identity. It is a reminder spirituality is not foreign, not distant, but woven into the rhythms of our lives. Tarot, at its best, is a language of symbols. And when those symbols speak in our own voice, they become more than cards. They become a guide, a celebration, and a reclamation of who we are.

This tarot project was created through a blend of personal research, cultural reflection, and creative assistance from AI tools. Refined symbolic language, explored naming conventions, and prototyped visual concepts, while thematic choices and interpretations are rooted in African lived experience and spiritual traditions.