Deck time: The Tarot Nova miniature edition

 

The Tarot Nova: Miniature Edition 

Could this be the tiniest tarot deck ever produced?

The original Tarot Nova set is by Dennis Fairchild is best known as Tarot: The Complete Kit, a compact, beginner-friendly tarot system that became quite popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

This tiny set is part of a series of miniature decks released by Running Press from 1999. The tarot are less than an inch tall and the book is only around 3 or so!  The deck this is based upon is by the aforementioned Fairchild with some lovely , simple instructions by Julie Paschkis.

What this  Tarot actually is

Rather than a single “art deck” like some modern tarot systems, Fairchild’s work is a complete starter kit designed to teach tarot from scratch. The full size ( but still comparatively small) typically includes:

• A full 78-card tarot deck (often called the Tarot Nova deck)
• A guidebook (around 88 pages) explaining meanings and spreads
• A reading mat for laying out cards  

This tiny edition consists of a smaller but lovely illustrated mini book and a set of thin cards that are less than an inch long! There are of cheap card stock however and in the original pack I had you had to very gently separate each card from the printed set . Not the most ideal but I’m sure a very cost effective means of production.  This fragile and of course tiny nature of the set probably explains why there aren’t many surviving complete sets!

The cards themselves are based loosely on the traditional Rider–Waite tarot structure, so you still have:

• Major Arcana (The Fool, Death, The Tower, etc.)
• Minor Arcana (Cups, Wands, Swords, Pentacles)

…but the imagery is simplified and slightly stylised to make it more approachable…

This deck has a distinctive feel:

• Minimalist, compact artwork rather than highly detailed scenes
• Use of colour cues and simple symbols to hint at meanings
• Occasional departures from traditional imagery, making it a bit more interpretive

Some readers find it charming and intuitive, while others feel it requires the guidebook more than highly symbolic decks.

Purpose and philosophy

Fairchild’s aim wasn’t to create a deeply esoteric or ceremonial tarot—it was to make something:

• Accessible to beginners
• Easy to use for casual readings or learning
• Practical, with clear instructions rather than dense occult theory

He comes from a background in astrology and popular divination, and his approach reflects that: intuitive, friendly, and non-dogmatic.  

Related decks and works

Fairchild also worked on other tarot/oracle projects, such as:

• The Kitchen Tarot – a more modern, themed deck focusing on everyday life symbolism
• Various fortune-telling and palmistry guides, often aimed at beginners

How it’s viewed today

Among tarot readers, the Fairchild kit is often remembered as:

• A “first deck” for many people
• Portable and beginner-friendly
• Less symbolically dense than decks like the Rider–Waite or Thoth

Some experienced readers outgrow it, but many keep it for nostalgia or quick, simple readings.

About Dennis Fairchild 

Dennis Fairchild is an American author, astrologer, and popular divination writer best known for creating accessible, beginner-oriented tarot and fortune-telling materials.

Background and career

Fairchild emerged in the late 20th century as part of a wave of writers who helped bring tarot, astrology, and other esoteric practices into the mainstream. Unlike more academically or occult-focused figures, his work is rooted in practical, everyday use rather than ceremonial magic or dense symbolism.

He has written and produced a range of materials including:

• Tarot kits and guidebooks
• Astrology guides
• Palmistry and general fortune-telling manuals

His work is often published in boxed sets designed to be sold in bookstores rather than specialist occult shops, which helped introduce divination to a wider audience.

Approach to tarot and divination

Fairchild’s philosophy is notably:

• Accessible – aimed at beginners with little or no prior knowledge
• Practical – focused on how to do readings rather than theory
• Non-dogmatic – encourages intuition over strict symbolic systems

This contrasts with more esoteric traditions linked to groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, whose tarot interpretations are deeply layered with Kabbalah, alchemy, and ritual magic.

Notable work

His most widely known creation is:

• Tarot: The Complete Kit – a self-contained tarot system with cards, guidebook, and reading cloth

He has also been associated with themed or simplified decks, such as:

• The Kitchen Tarot – focusing on domestic symbolism and everyday life

Style and influence

Fairchild’s style is often described as:

• Clear and instructional
• Light on historical or occult depth
• Designed for immediate usability

Because of this, his influence lies less in shaping tarot theory and more in popularising tarot as an approachable practice for modern readers.

About the illustrator

Julie Paschkis is an American painter, illustrator, and author known for her richly patterned, folk-art–inspired style and her work in both children’s books and decorative arts.

Paschkis also illustrated The Kitchen Tarot, written by Dennis Fairchild. In that deck:

• Everyday kitchen objects become symbolic tools
• Her decorative style transforms ordinary scenes into something almost magical
• The cards feel warm, domestic, and intuitive rather than overtly occult

Her art suits this concept well—it turns the familiar into something symbolic and slightly enchanted.

You may be able to obtain a second hand copy of this miniature set from Etsy etc.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/dennis_fairchild

Link to the original edition:

https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/dennis-fairchild/tarot/9780762413829/

https://dennis-fairchild.com/

Poles Apart: the significance of poles in folklore

 

The significance of sacred and ritual poles outside of Europe 

While the Maypole is strongly associated with European spring rites, the idea behind it—a central upright object representing life, renewal, connection between realms, or communal identity—appears in many cultures around the world. What differs is the symbolism and ritual context rather than the basic form.

Sacred Poles & World Trees

Many traditions share the concept of a cosmic axis—a pillar linking earth, sky, and sometimes the underworld. This is often called the Axis Mundi.

• In Norse cosmology, the great tree Yggdrasil connects all realms of existence.
• In parts of Central Asia and Siberia, ritual poles or trees are erected in shamanic ceremonies to symbolically climb between worlds.

Like the Maypole, these are not just objects—they are living symbols of connection and life force.

Native American Totem Poles

Among Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, such as the Haida and Tlingit, totem poles serve as carved vertical monuments.

• They record ancestry, myth, and identity
• They mark territory or commemorate events
• They are raised in communal ceremonies

While not fertility symbols like the Maypole, they share the idea of a central upright structure embodying cultural meaning and collective identity.

South Asian Ritual Poles

In parts of India, ritual poles are used in festivals and temple rites.

• The Indra Dhvaja (banner pole) was historically raised in honour of the god Indra
• Temple flagpoles (dhvaja stambha) mark sacred space and act as a link between human and divine realms

These poles, like the Maypole, create a vertical bridge between earth and sky, though their symbolism is more explicitly religious than seasonal.

Southeast Asian & Austronesian Traditions

In cultures across Indonesia and the Pacific:

• Ceremonial poles are erected during harvest or initiation rituals
• Some are decorated with offerings, leaves, or symbolic items
• They may represent ancestors, spirits, or fertility

For example, in parts of Indonesia, tall decorated poles are raised during festivals to display abundance—echoing the Maypole’s link to prosperity and growth.

East Asian Parallels

In Japan, while there’s no direct Maypole equivalent, there are related vertical symbols:

• Sacred trees or poles wrapped with shimenawa ropes mark spaces inhabited by spirits (kami)
• Festival structures sometimes involve tall decorated poles or banners

These emphasise sacred presence and purification rather than fertility dancing, but the vertical symbolism is similar.

African Ritual Poles

Across various African traditions:

• Poles or posts may be erected in agricultural or initiation ceremonies
• They can symbolise ancestors, fertility, or territorial markers
• Some are used in dances or communal rites

Again, the shared thread is a central object anchoring ritual space and meaning.

What Connects Them All?

While the European Maypole—especially tied to Beltane—has its own distinct flavour (ribbons, dance, spring fertility), similar structures worldwide tend to share a few core ideas:

• Vertical connection (earth -sky -spirit)
• Life force or fertility symbolism
• Community gathering point
• Ritual focus for celebration or transformation

There isn’t a perfect one-to-one equivalent of the Maypole outside Europe—but the concept it embodies is nearly universal. Humans across cultures have long been drawn to raising something upright, decorating it, and gathering around it to mark cycles of life.

In that sense, the Maypole is just one expression of a much older, global instinct: to make the invisible forces of life visible, tangible, and shared.