Hyperallergic has released its latest tarotscope for the fall equinox, and it is a reading with a twist: the cards were drawn from a 15th-century deck, but the deck is incomplete. So the writer, AX Mina, supplemented the missing cards with a printed version and a large language model.
The result is a reading that mixes ancient art with modern machine learning, a combination that feels almost deliberately absurd. It is also a reading with a focus on artists and creative practice, tied to the changing of the seasons.
The Deck Behind the Reading
Mina drew the cards using the Visconti-Sforza tarot deck, likely hand-painted by Bonifacio Bembo’s studio for the Milanese aristocratic family. The deck is incomplete, with just 35 cards remaining.
To complete the reading, Mina used a printed version of the full 78-card tarot and a large language model to generate the missing cards. The result is a reading that spans both history and technology.
How the Spread Works
The tarotscope uses a simple “Past Present Future” spread. The first card represents the recent past, the second the current moment, and the third an indeterminate amount of time ahead.
Additional cards were drawn for each astrological sign to add more detail to the forecast. The spread was drawn at the beginning of the fall equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Reading’s Focus
The reading is tied to the Morgan Library’s tarot show, which offers 500 years of perspective on a deck system that still feels relevant today. Mina describes the long nights of fall bringing major waves of change on the political front, with many of today’s conflicts playing out on the world stage by December.
The reading asks what artists must embrace as the autumn leaves change color and the nights get darker. It is a question about how creative people hold onto their work amid uncertainty.
What We Make of It
The reading is a curious blend of tradition and technology. Using a 15th-century deck is a nod to the history of tarot, while relying on a language model to fill gaps is a nod to the present day.
It is a reading that takes itself seriously even as it relies on tools that would have been impossible for the original creators of the Visconti-Sforza deck. That tension is part of what makes it interesting.
The reading is also a reminder that tarot readings are not predictions in the usual sense. They are reflections on where we have been, where we are, and what might come next.
The Takeaway
The Hyperallergic tarotscope for the fall equinox is a strange and fascinating reading. It uses a 15th-century deck, a printed deck, and a language model to create a reading for artists and creatives.
The reading is available now, and it offers a unique perspective on the season ahead. Whether you believe in tarot or not, the blend of history and technology is a memorable approach.
| Deck | Cards Used |
|---|---|
| Visconti-Sforza | 35 (incomplete) |
| Printed version | 78 |
| Language model | Generated missing cards |
The reading is a small but delightful example of how art and technology can come together in unexpected ways. It is a reminder that the tools we use to understand ourselves keep changing, but the questions we ask remain the same.
The spread’s structure is simple:
- First card: recent past
- Second card: current moment
- Third card: indeterminate future
The additional cards for each sign add color to those three positions.
The reading is a reminder that the questions we ask of tarot — what must we embrace? — are the same questions artists have asked themselves across centuries.
Source material: “Hyperallergic's Art Tarotscope for the Fall Equinox,” Hyperallergic.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.