Xultun Tarot

The Xultun Tarot is based on the art and culture of the ancient Mayans of Central America. Artist Peter Balin has drawn on the symbols and myths of this civilation to bring a fresh perspective to the traditional tarot. The cards of the major arcana show simply an image. There are no borders or text, although a card's number is shown at the bottom using dots and lines. Each card stands alone, but the majors can also be joined in puzzle fashion to form a tableau. The minor arcana suits are the staffs, cups, swords and jades. Each has a different background color. The suit cards are identified in a black band at the bottom, with the name given in five languages. Above that band is another showing the astrological correspondences for the card and the appropriate number of suit symbols. At the top, is a scene that reflects the meaning of the card - usually similar to the same scene in the Rider-Waite deck. The court cards are the lord, lady, warrior and servant. There is a separate companion book for this deck called The Flight of the Feathered Serpent. Balin describes features of Mayan myth and religion to show how this sophisticated cosmology blends with the tarot and other esoteric sciences.

Deck

Number of
Cards Card
Size Copyright Card Back Design

78
22 major
56 minor
3"
x
4 5/8" 1976 [back design]

Deck
Number of Cards	Card Size	Copyright	Card Back Design
78 22 major 56 minor	3" x 4 5/8"	1976

Companion Book

Title Author Size Number of
Pages Copyright Cover

The Flight
of the
Feathered
Serpent Peter
Balin 10 3/4"
x
8 1/8" 183 1978 [cover]

Companion Book
Title	Author	Size	Number of Pages	Copyright	Cover
The Flight of the Feathered Serpent	Peter Balin	10 3/4" x 8 1/8"	183	1978

Language of Card Titles: English, French, Italian, Spanish, German (no titles on major arcana)

Style of Suit Cards (2-10): Mayan scenes with suit tokens

Also Included: instruction booklet (16 pages), title cards (2)

Major Arcana:
Fool, Sorcerer, Priestess, Consort, Ruler, Priest, Lovers
Warrior, Cactus, Sage, Wheel, Balance, Hanged Man,
Dead Man, Temperate Man, Bound Man, Divided Man, Star, Moon, Sun,
Planet Venus, Planet Earth

Suit Names: Staffs (Wands), Cups, Swords, Jades (Pentacles)

Court Cards: Lord (King), Lady (Queen), Warrior (Knight), Servant (Page)

SAMPLE CARD IMAGES:

[Warrior of Swords] [9 of Jades] [Ruler]