I picked the Melanated Classic Tarot by Julia Gollsby & Oburia Tronshaw last December as my first Indie deck after having gone on a US Games Inc buying spree. It took almost a month from purchase to reach me but I'd been warned of that and Oubria emailed me the tracking information the day it went out.
Representation matters. This is a lovely RSW-style deck depicting only people of color, and doing so with diversity, love, and respect. The colors are both vivid but soft in a style that reminds me more of the Universal Waite vs. the Radiant.
The card stock is a little thin and the box top started to tear as I was carefully trying to get the deck out. BUT this is my very first indie-made deck purchase and I don't know what is "normal". I do know that Oubria wasn't happy working with that particular printer and I believe they are looking for another for the future.
I find Julia Gollsby's art to be beautiful. This edition has no border- the black border around them is merely the way I'd opted to scan them in. My scan does not do the deck justice either so I'm including a different version which also has a black/white border the actual deck doesn't have.
- MCT Sun.jpg (22.75 KiB) Viewed 736 times
I'm not the biggest fan of the particular font they used for the titles on the cards or the way it contrasts with the art on many cards. But it doesn't hinder me in reading with this deck. I actually find the pictures themselves speaking to me immediately. Long experience with RWS-type decks makes them incredibly accessible for both divination and other projects.
The deck is available at Oubria.com and purchase includes access to a free 8 module tarot class that I haven't taken yet so can't comment on. It also has for $11 more a 142-page companion pdf companion book that I've skimmed. I consider the purchase worth it to support the artist/author and from what I skimmed? It is written in a very engaging style and really helps me see the cards from the creators' perspective which is important to me.
There is a 3rd edition that is larger and contains bible verses I will be picking up for study purposes. I was going to use the BOTA deck to teach Christian tarot with later this year but opted to use the Melanated instead because it better meets my 2020+ sensibilities and I love the idea of supporting living female black tarot artist/authors vs. dead male white tarot artist/authors no matter how much I adore Paul Foster Case and his contribution to tarot
