When Waite and Smith created their deck which has become a de facto standard, they were both members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. That group considered the Tarot part of their magical system, the magic of the light.
In the modern mythic world of the vampire, many of the traditions of the light—which is shunned by vampires—are reversed. Thus, the Sun card in this deck, usually considered a sign of good fortune, shows a vampire on a hill just before sunrise, perhaps drawing a will or epitaph into the ground. The Judgment card that follows shows the sun rising and the vampire bursting into flames. The LWB (Little White Booklet) that comes with this deck describes the two cards as indicating the truth and clarity followed by “the final encounter” or self-acceptance.
As you can see, this deck is deep and thoughtful, perhaps eerily so. It presents two aspects, called “Within the Metaphor” (the vampire mythos) and “Beyond the Metaphor” (the real world). If you take this strictly from a Beyond the Metaphor paradigm, you’ll see a deck with art that is passionate and sensual, but at times gory and bloody. Drawn primarily in nighttime blues and purples, the harsh reality of blood red slaps your conscious thought like a paper cut, bringing out totally new interpretations and approaches that will have you consulting the LWB for fresh insights. (llewellyn.com)
