Deck Review by Lalia Wilson
The Groovy Waite deck is a 2019 deck created by Christine Aguiar and James Battersby and available at https://www.tarotcollectibles.com/ . This deck follows in a tradition of this team’s earlier 2019 Trippin’ Waite, and 2020’s Black Light Tarot, in representing a Summer of Love (1967) vibe. Other than the overwhelming allusions to the 60's Revolution in Art and Drug Culture, this deck follows the Rider-Waite-Smith format, with illustrations on all 78 cards. The Groovy Waite has 80 cards with two extra cards, Smokey the Bear as The Emperor and an alternate Four of Cups. The card meanings follow the Rider-Waite-Smith system of tarot interpretation. There is no little white book, but you are directed to free explanatory materials at the Tarot Collectibles website.
This deck is more ethnically inclusive than most decks with numerous African-American figures, though no figures that appeared Latino or Asian to me.
The cards are 2 ¾ X 4 ¾ inches, just the right weight and size and slickness to riffle-shuffle perfectly.
Six cards from this deck are shown on the Scopes page, here are three more:
Judgement: here the image is both more benign and scarier than the traditional depiction of Judgement. The central figure is an angel with purplish robes in trendy 60s fashion. A white dove of peace is in front of the angel. The planets and stars circle around as if they are a slot machine and where they stop nobody knows. There are no figures other than the angel, so you see none of the traditional figures/spirits rising from the grave.
The Two of Cups shows our lovers in 60's garb in front of a wheel and heart and slogan, "Make Love Not War." Remember that the Summer of Love followed the availability of the birth control pill (1964) which allowed women greater freedom to have active sex lives.
The Three of Cups has the three young women circling, dancing, and toasting, as usual. Here they are against a backdrop of a night sky and rainbow. The card feels even more joyful than usual for a Three of Cups. This card has captured the spiritual joy of the ‘60s.
If you have any nostalgia or interest in the Hippie Generation, you will love this deck.