One Ephemere deck:

• 80 cards on thick, 16pt nonreflective matte stock

• Magnetic book-style box

• Guide booklet

• Standard tarot size, 2.75”x4.75”

• Printed and packaged locally!

Ephemere follows in the footsteps of literary classics, historic mythology, and ancient anthropological discoveries to inspire a new odyssey. Through it, we experience a journey from humble origins to inspiring moments, heartbreaking defeat to lifelong lessons, and triumphant victories that build an enduring legacy.

The major arcana cards have been reimagined as a "Hero's Journey" in place of the classic "Fool's Journey". Just as the Epic of Gilgamesh centers around a hero's struggle to conquer death and his own ephemerality, Ephemere follows a timeless story of our willpower, struggles, failures, and how we pick up the pieces to continue onwards. The majority of these major arcana cards retain strong parallels to traditional Rider Waite-Smith counterparts, though some will seem completely new. These reimagined majors are:

• Origin, Dream, Summon

• Fighter, Alchemist, Keeper

• Voyager, Dulcess, Nemesis

• Obscurio, Burn, Healer

• Seeker, Counterpoint (m/f), (m/m), (f/f)

• Defiance, Crescendo

• Victor, Sacrifice, Ovation

• Death, Legacy, Continuum

The booklet, co-written by Mat Auryn and Arthur Wang, will detail the similarities and differences between these new cards and the traditional RWS majors, as well as diving into the expanded storyline of the Hero’s Journey. The Minor Arcana cards still follow traditional Rider Waite-Smith symbolism and the classic 4 suits.

WATER RESISTANCE:

TrueBlack's water resistance is a unique property of both the cardstock and its coating. Water will not penetrate the front and back, though the edges are more vulnerable in a spill or complete submersion. In these cases, be sure to pat dry the edges first and let dry before use.

Though ultimately composed of paper stock and still susceptible to damage through extended submersion, TrueBlack cards may be submerged for several times longer than average cards before permanent water damage. Good news if you're prone to accidents!

CURLED CARDS:

TrueBlack's cardstock was uniquely chosen for its density, thickness, and water resistance, but can be susceptible to curling over time through heat and humidity.

To counteract this curl, simply curl the cards in the opposite direction around a cylinder (ideally about 1.75 inches in diameter, though a can of Red Bull works). Use a few cards at a time, making sure to wrap the entire card, from edge to edge, around the cylinder for just a couple of seconds. The cards may seem "over-corrected" at first, but will even out over the course of the day. Presto!

CLEANING YOUR CARDS:

The non-reflective, matte finish of the cards enhances the artwork and the glossy foil designs, but can also display oils from fingerprints easily. To prevent this, you can wash hands with soap prior to use. Otherwise, to clean your cards, just wipe with a clean, slightly damp towel. Voila!

MAINTAINING PAINTED EDGES:

TrueBlack cards come with hand-painted black edges, though the edges are a card’s most vulnerable area! It is normal that this paint will abrade and fade with use. The easiest way to keep the edges intact is to shuffle using methods that limit edge-to-edge contact, as the sharp edges can cut into each other and damage the cards. Methods such as the “overhand” and “Hindu” shuffle are the safest, while the “messy pile” can lead to scuffed edges quite quickly.

To retouch a scuffed edge, just use a permanent black marker. That’s it!