The Demon-Possessed Tarot
The Demon-Possessed Tarot is a deck of Tarot cards created by occultist Travis McHenry.
Development
In 2017, after spending four years practicing with Tarot cards and learning the fundamentals of cartomancy, Travis McHenry began attempting to create his own Tarot deck. He first attempted to make a deck using artwork created by painter Hieronymus Bosch, but was unable to manipulate the paintings in a manner that was visually pleasing. Travis set aside this project, which would later be published as the Hieronymus Bosch Tarot in 2020.
While conducting more research into the origins of the Tarot, Travis came upon the Lesser Key of Solomon, and began reading about the Goetic demons. He was not new to demonology, having studied demons while writing his 2006 book, Into the Abyss: The Memoirs of a Paranormal Adventurer, which contained an entire chapter devoted to demon possession. He decided to make a Tarot deck that combined demons with Tarot cards.
In April 2017, Travis began work on creating his deck, and within a few months, he had successfully completed all 78 cards and began experimenting with a printed copy of the deck, using it for divination and ritual magic.
Content
The Demon-Possessed Tarot uses the 72 Goetic demons and six additional Grand Princes of Hell, matching these 78 spirits with 78 Tarot cards. The correspondence of the deck combines the ability of each demon with the traditional meaning of each Tarot card, forming a syncretic bond between card and demon.
Each card contains the summoning sigil of the demon, its seal, and other pertinent symbols or invocations that may be required to summon or protect against the demon while working with them (as instructed by the Lesser Key of Solomon and other grimoires).
The meaning of each card is printed on the card, so even a beginner would be able to work with the deck.
Publication history
The original version of The Demon-Possessed Tarot was first published in October 2018. This edition featured gilded metallic edges. Less than 1,000 of these decks were printed, and they did not include a booklet or instructions of any kind. Travis later stated this was an intentional decision to prevent "those who do not know" from using the deck. A second edition was printed in early 2019 to coincide with the release of The Angel-Evoking Tarot that included a tiny six-page instruction booklet.
In April 2020, a mass market edition of this deck was released by Rockpool Publishing, with new branding as the Occult Tarot.