The Osho Zen Tarot is a Rider-Waite-Smith based deck that looks at Tarot through the lens of Zen Buddhism. Although this is a Tarot deck, it’s much like a Tarot and Oracle deck fusion. Yes, you read that correctly!
Like traditional Tarot decks, this deck has a Major Arcana and Minor Arcana with four Suits. Also, like Tarot decks the cards reflect both positive and negative situations.
However, like Oracle decks this deck has a word or phrase emblazoned on each card that hints to its meaning. Also, like Oracle decks each card’s image stands alone with no relationship to other cards’ images.
Additionally, this deck differs from other Tarot decks in its Zen-ness. Whereas, Tarot traditionally looks at the past, present, and future, Zen is only concerned with understanding the here and now. Zen teaches that outer events of our lives reflect our inner landscape of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. For it’s our current thoughts that create our future and of course the past no longer exists.
Osho and Zen
The late Osho was an Indian sage and spiritual scholar with many international resident followers in his sizable ashram. Interestingly, he started out as a Tantra Yogi Swami (Indian Guru) and later converted to a Zen Master.
Notably, Osho was a prolific teacher giving spiritual talks to disciples for over three decades. In fact, there are a plethora of published books of his teachings on various topics.
Since Zen is concerned with the individual’s enlightenment, it has remained relevant throughout time. Thus, Osho believed Zen is the one spiritual tradition that will continue to be relevant in future times.
Osho Zen Tarot Boxed Set
The Osho Zen Tarot deck is published by Osho International and is available at this affiliate link, https://a.co/d/1cq0Uo0.
This deck comes in a good-sized box with its cards nestled in an interior compartment. Additionally, it includes a 192-page companion book.
There are 79 cards, the traditional 78 plus one extra card, the “Master,” an image of Osho himself. Personally, I use this Master card as the significator card to represent the Querent (one requesting the reading).
Unfortunately, the card stock is a bit thin. Still, the cards are pretty durable, as mine have held up for 20 years now. However, over time the black coloring on the borders has worn off slightly around the edges.
Personally, I don’t care for card borders. However, these cards are a little wider than most with ample surface for images. Thus, I don’t mind them.
Finally, in spite of its wider size, this deck shuffles easily.
Osho Zen Tarot Companion Book
The 192-page companion book is authored by Osho, edited by Sarito Carol Neiman, and illustrated by Deva Padma.
The book starts out explaining Osho’s Zen teachings, and how the Tarot works.
Then, the book gives card meanings and several reading spreads, both discussed in their own section below.
Unique to this companion book, it includes a Glossary of Symbols found in the card images.
Finally, there are about sections for Osho, and the deck’s illustrator, Deva Padma.
Notably, the last two pages list 79 of Osho’s books the card meanings are borrowed from.
Major Arcana Alternate Card Titles
This deck’s Major Arcana cards are numbered with the customary RWS Roman Numerals. But their traditional card titles have been replaced with message words emblazoned on them.
Minor Arcana Alternate Suit Names
First of all, this deck has retitled the traditional four Suits of Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. And unique to this deck, each card displays its card number inside a colored diamond representing its Suit.
- Cups are Water – Emotions – Blue Diamond
- Wands are Fire – Action – Red Diamond
- Swords are Clouds – Mind – Grey Diamond
- Pentacles are Rainbows – Physical – Rainbow Diamond
Secondly, rather than a diamond, the Court cards have a colored triangle representing their Suit color. And their triangle points in a specific direction to denote their title.
- Pages’ Diamonds point right
- Knights’ Diamonds point left
- Queens’ Diamonds point down
- Kings’ Diamonds point up
Consequently, due to the above deck alterations, this deck is not easily detectable as a RWS based deck. No worries though, it can be read intuitively like an Oracle deck.
Companion Book Card Meanings
There are two pages for each card’s meaning. First, on the left hand page, there is a Commentary on symbols in the card’s image and an expanded meaning.
Then, on the right hand page there’s a Zen lesson based on Osho’s lectures on the card’s topic. Interestingly, editor Sarito Carol Neiman has taken the quoted lessons from a whopping 79 of Osho’s books!
Companion Book Images
Moreover, there’s a black and white reprint of each card on the same page and adjacent to its Commentary. I always say not publishing full-color companion book images is a missed opportunity. Especially, for beautifully colorful decks, like this one.
Companion Book Spreads
Furthermore, the Osho Zen Tarot deck includes seven reading spreads:
- The Diamond
- The Flying Bird
- The Key
- The Mirror
- The Celtic Cross
- Relating
- The Paradox
This is an unusually high number of spreads for a companion book and a real plus for readers. For many want to see imaginative spreads included in companion books. Consequently, decks that don’t include them often get dinged in their reviews.
Osho Zen Tarot Artwork
Illustrator Deva Padma’s artwork is stunning. For her images have a dreamy spiritual vibe to them. And she uses an expanded jewel tone color palette in her art.
Reading the Osho Zen Tarot Intuitively
For this deck, I advise my Tarot students not to go by the companion book’s card meanings. Because this deck is so intuitive, almost anyone can read it 100% intuitively.
For the unique images on the cards and the words emblazoned on them give “intuitive hits’ to the Reader. Consequently, I’ve been teaching this deck for two decades and haven’t come across anyone who couldn’t read it purely intuitively.
Final Words for the Osho Zen Tarot Deck
The Osho Zen Tarot deck is a spiritual and intuitive deck. And I’ve found it super accurate over the two decades I’ve been reading with it.
Moreover, the spiritual energy of the Osho Zen deck makes it especially suited for spiritual path and life’s purpose readings. Yet, the deck can still be successfully used for any topic.
Furthermore, this deck has been affectionately coined, “The Transcendental Game of Zen” by its creators. This is because it helps us transcend states of mind that hold us back from our enlightenment.
I hope you will give this beautiful deck a try. For I know you will love working with its decidedly spiritual and intuitive energy as much as I do.
Note: To book a professional Tarot reading with Jeannette see our Book a Reading page.
