Smoke, Ash & Embers
Wander Into a Magical World Where Dragons Do Exist
Created by Stephanie Burrows, Illustrated by Adam Oehlers
Three Trees Tarot, Volume II (first printing)
HELLO! And to our previous supporters and customers, welcome back! We're so excited to introduce you to the beautifully illustrated Smoke, Ash & Embers; an eco-friendly, Rider-Waite-Smith inspired Tarot deck featuring whimsical woodland dragons (printed right here in the UK).
Whether this is your first Tarot deck, one of many, or you simply love the artwork, we invite you to wander into a magical world where dragons do exist. You might find a dragon curled up, peacefully sleeping under a mossy rock, splashing in a puddle, or hiding in the hollow of a tree.
There’s quite a bit to cover (we've tried to be as thorough as possible), so please read all the information below before you decide to commit to purchase.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Please note that all photos shown are prototype copies. The finished designs may vary.
DECK SPECS
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DECK SIZE: 78 Tarot cards (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana), two double-sided companion reference sheets, an extra (alternative) Ten of Swords and one mystery art card in keeping with the theme of the deck (the mystery art card is exclusive to the first printing of this deck only). The deck is be protected by two blank cards.
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CARD SIZE: Standard Tarot size (70mm x 120mm - 2.75" x 4.75") with white borders and rounded corners
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CARD STOCK: Eco-friendly, 400gsm, FSC accredited/carbon balanced paper with veggie inks (protected by matte, anti-scuff laminate)
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BOX: Housed in a newly designed, light green, 350gsm tuck box (with an easy to open lid and a glued base)
Since we want to keep Smoke, Ash & Embers as eco-friendly as possible, there is no physical guidebook that accompanies this Tarot deck, and there are no plans for one. Instead, we're including two double-sided companion reference sheets featuring keywords that thoughtfully depict the nature of each card, allowing the deck to be read intuitively. There is an accompanying PDF guidebook (login instructions can be requested upon purchase).
BACKSTORY
We successfully crowdfunded our first Tarot deck, Oak, Ash & Thorn, back in May 2020. From start to finish, creating it was such a joyful experience, and we couldn't have done it without all of our lovely backers and the continued support from our customers. The beautiful English countryside that surrounds us was the inspiration for this deck. It's truly magical!
Once we fulfilled all orders, work immediately began on deck number two; Smoke, Ash & Embers. In Oak, Ash & Thorn, we introduced you to the forest creatures living in its world; foxes, hares, squirrels, ravens and all the others. But theoretically, if we were to wander through that forest and take a closer look, we might have discovered a dragon perching high up on a tree branch (keeping a watchful eye) or another comfortably resting in a bed of moss (out of view, of course). The idea behind Smoke, Ash & Embers is that the dragons have finally come out of hiding (and we're so glad they did).
THE MAJOR ARCANA
These cards showcase imagery that parallels the 22 individual universal archetypes represented in the Major Arcana of a classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Many of the Majors are distinguished by their dark, mystical skies, which really emphasise the Major Arcana's importance.
THE MINOR ARCANA
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THE CUPS are water-based and quite playful. They represent feelings, emotions and relationships. The dragons in this suit have little webbed feet, gills and a frog-like appearance.
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THE PENTACLES are earthy and grounded. They represent the material world. Many of the dragons in this suit have leafy scales and a strong connection to the forest.
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THE SWORDS are airy and a bit serious. They represent intellect, thoughts and state of mind. This suit is illustrated with dark colours and black, winged dragons.
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THE WANDS are fiery and curious. They represent creativity, inspiration and passion. Here, you’ll find lots of reds, smoke, fire and fog.
CARD BACKS
It looks like a dragon has found itself a comfortable place to settle among the flowery vines, so who are we to disturb him? The card backs turned out stunning and really tie the deck together. While the back of the cards aren't reversible, it doesn't mean that you can't read using reversals. We encourage you to use this deck in whatever way suits you best, and we hope you love them as much as we do.
THIS DECK IS...
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INTUITIVE: We feel that as you work with this deck, you will begin to develop personal associations with the cards. Since it's based on the Rider-Waite-Smith system, the cards are easy to understand.
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ECO-FRIENDLY: Smoke, Ash & Embers is printed right here in the UK with FSC accredited/carbon balanced paper and veggie inks (please see the ‘PRINTER’ section below for further information).
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BEAUTIFUL: It's a whimsical collectors deck that we hope you’ll enjoy for years to come.
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PLUS! It features a whole lotta dragons! Need we say more?!
SPOILER ALERT
The lovely Simon over at The Hermit's Cave recorded a 'Smoke, Ash & Embers - First Look' video. Thank you so much Simon! Click here if you dare 👻❤️
The wonderful Jonathan Dailey did an unboxing too. Thanks Jonathan! If you'd like to have a look, click here 🙂
ALL ABOUT OUR PRINTER...
After the fantastic experience we had with Generation Press (who printed our first Tarot deck), we’re be using them, once again, to print Smoke, Ash & Embers in the eco-friendly manner that is so important to us. There are so many reasons we love them:
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They’re local to us (based in Brighton, England), which reduces our carbon footprint.
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They have been EMAS certified since 2014 (that’s the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, which allows all types of organisations to improve their environmental performance and achieve recognition for doing so).
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They use their own generated solar power and are topped up with renewable energy supplied by Ecotricity, they’re carbon-neutral, they offer sustainable paper, and they use vegetable-based inks. We also love that they’ve funded the planting of 6001 trees in the UK. Ecotricity invests more in creating renewable energy than all other UK suppliers put together.
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They offer the Carbon Balanced Paper programme, enabling their customers to offset their emissions through The World Land Trust (an international conservation charity that protects the world’s most biologically significant and threatened habitats acre by acre).
ORDERING INFO FAQ's
HOW WILL MY ORDER BE SHIPPED?
Most orders weighing 2kg and under will be sent tracked via Royal Mail. A tracking number will be available upon request via e-mail (at least 24 hours after you receive a dispatch notification).
Please remember that shipping times are estimates and are not guaranteed. Experience has shown us that some packages can take up to 35+ days to be delivered; however, the vast majority are delivered in a timely manner. While we aim to dispatch orders promptly, unfortunately, we cannot promise on-time delivery, and we cannot provide more information than what the tracking shows (if applicable).
A NOTE ABOUT CUSTOMS
It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to be current on any customs fees or VAT taxes that may be applicable to your purchase order. We are not liable for customs fees or VAT taxes that your country charges you, the importer, nor are we responsible for any delays in delivery on account of customs. Customs policies vary widely from country to country, so we recommend you check your local government's customs rules for more information.
EU customers, kindly note: As of July 1st, a new VAT (value-added tax) trade rule was set by the EU. The tax, customs duties, and any other fees will be charged upon delivery in countries located in the EU. Please be aware of your country's fees before placing your order.
For customs and tax purposes, we must declare the full value of the package. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.
IMPORTANT: IF YOU WANT TO ORDER MORE THAN 5 DECKS (meaning your order will contain 6+ decks), PLEASE CONTACT US BEFOREHAND SO WE CAN FIND THE BEST SHIPPING RATE FOR YOU.
RIGHT! HOW DO I ORDER?
First of all...thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! To order, please visit ThreeTreesTarot.co.uk/shop.
For additional information regarding our Terms and Conditions (Shipping, VAT & Customs, and Return Policy), please click here.
We truly appreciate your support, and we cannot wait to get this deck into print!
Three Trees Tarot
xoxo
* Actual colours may vary. This is due to the fact that every computer monitor, laptop, tablet and phone screen has a different capability to display colours and that everyone sees these colours differently. We try to edit our photos to show all of our products as life-like as possible, but please understand the actual colour may vary slightly from your monitor.
Adam Oehlers
Adam Oehlers is the illustrator of this deck. He currently works out of Norwich, England and has exhibited worldwide from Australia to the UK, Europe and the States. He has worked alongside writers and publishers from around the world and has worked as a concept artist, character designer and writer for animations and computer games.
Adam has always found a great deal of inspiration from the classic illustrations of Arthur Rackham, Edward Gorey and any intricate classic pen illustrations and print work. He has a great love of old stories and fairy tales and aims to tell a story through every illustration, striving to create a sense of nostalgia to take the viewer back to a forgotten memory, to remind them of the soft magic that surrounds us.
Stephanie Burrows
Stephanie Burrows is the creator of this deck. The West Yorkshire countryside that she calls home is the source of her inspiration. Some of Stephanie's earliest memories of Tarot include her mother reading Tarot for friends and family. Now, she enjoys starting the day with Tarot for inspiration and guidance.
The journey to where she is today has been incredibly wonderful, and she is thankful to everyone that has supported her along the way. Your e-mails and messages are so lovely, and it reminds her, every day, how lucky she is to be able to now create Tarot decks for a living.