Thistledown Tarot Deck Preview
Created by Stephanie Burrows
Illustrated by Adam Oehlers
Three Trees Tarot, Volume V (first printing)
A little mouse.
A big world.
So much to explore.
Travel the path with our tiny friend as they seek the wonders of the unseen. What lies ahead and what will unfold is part of the story to be told.
Preorders launch on Friday, May 3rd, 2024 at 7pm (UK time)
There's quite a bit to cover, so we've tried to be as thorough as possible. 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 of the photos/images shown are prototype copies. The finished designs may vary.
Deck specs...
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DECK SIZE: HEARTWOOD will consist of 78 tarot cards + one mystery art card in keeping with the theme of the deck (the mystery art card will be exclusive to the first printing of this deck only) + two double-sided companion reference sheets with keywords. Two blank cards protect the deck.
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CARD SIZE: The cards will measure 70mm x 120mm (roughly 2.75 x 4.73 inches). The cards will be borderless with rounded corners.
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CARD BACKS: While the backs won't be 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.
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CARD STOCK: The cards will be printed on eco-friendly, 400gsm, FSC accredited/carbon balanced paper with veggie inks. They will be protected by a matte, anti-scuff laminate.
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BOX: The cards will be housed in a beautifully embossed 350gsm tuck flap box (with an easy-to-open lid and a glued base).
Each copy of HEARTWOOD will include a uniquely numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
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 these cards are distinguished by their dark, mystical skies, emphasising the importance of the Major Arcana.
If you'd like to view THISTLEDOWN in full, please click on the video that can be found beneath the card images below.
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.
The card backs...
A peaceful fox sleeps amongst the thistles, not a care in the world. We had so many ideas for the finished card backs, and we're so happy to have landed on this design. It could not have turned out more perfect (yes, we're definitely biased). But seriously...look at them!
Donned in browns, oranges, and blues (and tying the cards together beautifully), we think this little guy is the perfect complement to the finished deck. And we love how the image pops on the white background. Gorgeous!!!
The guide cards...
Since we want to keep HEARTWOOD as eco-friendly as possible, no physical guidebook will accompany this tarot deck, and there are no plans for one.
Instead, we will include two double-sided companion reference sheets featuring keywords that thoughtfully depict the nature of each card, allowing the deck to be read intuitively.
An accompanying PDF guidebook will be emailed automatically upon purchase.
How we number our decks...
Since the beginning, we’ve been giving every deck we create a new volume number...for example, our first deck, Oak, Ash and Thorn, is Volume I, our second deck, Smoke, Ash & Embers, is Volume II, our third deck, the MINI Oak, Ash & Thorn, is Volume III, Thistledown (our fourth deck) is Volume IV…
So Heartwood, our fifth deck, will be Volume V.
If we ever do a reprint with changes to a deck, we will add a number onto the volume number of that deck. For example, the very first printing of Oak, Ash & Thorn (funded via Kickstarter) was Volume I. Eventually, we did a second printing which included some changes to the deck, so that became Oak, Ash & Thorn, Volume I.I (Volume one, first reprint). If we ever print Oak, Ash & Thorn again with additional changes, that will become Volume I.II (Volume one, second reprint).
Shop wide sale, May 3rd - June 3rd...
From May 3rd (7pm, UK time) - June 3rd, HEARTWOOD will be on sale for £xx.xx + shipping, and in celebration of our deck launch, everything else in the shop will be on sale at 10% off. This discount will automatically appear at checkout (no promo or coupon code will be necessary).
Important: If your order includes HEARTWOOD, we will ship everything together in the same package. If an item is currently available and you wish to receive it sooner, please place a separate order for that item.
Our printer...
We absolutely love our printer, Generation Press, so it only makes sense that we'd continue using them for future projects. Here are just a few reasons they're our printer of choice:
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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 previously EMAS certified since 2013-2018 (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 became a B Corp Certified Company in January 2022 with a whopping score of 119! B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.
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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.
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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).
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They're a certified Living Wage Employer (achieved October 2020).
Frequently asked questions...
WHAT IS A PREORDER?
Preordering means that you won't receive your order right away. Instead, you're securing your order for a later date. Preorders help our little business thrive so we can correctly estimate how many decks to have printed.
HOW MUCH IS HEARTWOOD?
From May 3rd - June 3rd, each copy of HEARTWOOD will be on sale for £xx.xx + shipping. After June 3rd, each copy of HEARTWOOD will increase to £xx.xx + shipping.
WHAT ELSE IS INCLUDED?
From May 3rd - June 3rd, each copy of HEARTWOOD will include a little package of goodies that we believe everyone will love.
WHEN DO I PAY FOR MY PREORDER?
Preorders are charged at the time of ordering.
WHAT IF I ORDER ADDITIONAL ITEMS WITH HEARTWOOD?
If you order additional items with HEARTWOOD, we will ship everything together in the same package. If an item is currently available and you wish to receive it sooner, please place a separate order for that item.
TIMELINE & DELIVERY
Certain factors may affect delivery date, including order volume, end destination, possible industrial action with Royal Mail, and the COVID-19 situation the world finds itself in. These decks will ship from the UK, so delivery times may vary. The current timeline for production and shipping is as follows...
May 3rd - June 3rd 2024: Preorder time
June - August 2024: Production time
September - October 2024: Estimated shipping time
HOW WILL MY ORDER BE SHIPPED?
We will send most international orders using Royal Mail's tracked service, and we will send most UK orders using Royal Mail's 1st Class, Signed For service.
HOW MUCH IS SHIPPING?
To give you an idea of what you might expect to pay for shipping, please see the chart below. This chart applies to HEARTWOOD decks only. Because we ship by weight, if you add additional items to your order, the shipping price could increase.
The good news is that shipping rates rom the UK have recently come down to many places, including the USA!
To view a list of countries in each zone, please click here.
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 their 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 that the UK has now left the EU. Orders shipping to addresses within the EU may be subject to additional handling and disbursement charges upon delivery, which are set solely by the EU country the order is being shipped to. Please be aware of your country's fees before placing your order.
WILL YOU SEND ME A TRACKING NUMBER?
You'll receive an email with a tracking number soon after we post your order (estimated shipping in September or October of 2024).
WHAT IF MY MAILING ADDRESS CHANGES?
You can contact us anytime before we dispatch preorders with your name and new address, and we'll be happy to update your information. We'll also send out a few email reminders asking you to update your mailing address before we dispatch preorders.
WHEN WILL I FINALLY RECEIVE MY PREORDER?
We aim to ship HEARTWOOD in September or October of 2024.
Please remember that shipping times are estimates and are not guaranteed. While experience has shown us that the vast majority of packages are delivered in a timely manner, some can take 35+ days to be delivered (although that doesn't happen too often).
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).
RIGHT! HOW DO I ORDER?
Thanks for your support! We really appreciate it! Preorders for HEARTWOOD will go live on our website on Friday, May 3rd at 7pm (UK time).
For additional information regarding our Terms and Conditions (Shipping, VAT & Customs, and Return Policy), please click here.
Actual colours may vary. This is because every computer monitor, laptop, tablet and phone screen has a different capability to display colours, and everyone sees these colours differently. We 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.