The Emperor’s Tarot is a deck of psychic cards used across the Imperium to glimpse the future. It’s rare, dangerous, and believed to be tied to the Emperor himself, making it one of the most fascinating relics in Warhammer 40k lore.
What is the Emperor’s Tarot?
It’s a set of 78 psychoactive liquid-crystal wafers, often called the Imperial Tarot. Each card is linked to the Emperor’s thoughts or prophetic visions, and the deck is used for divination throughout the Imperium.
Most believe the Emperor designed it himself. The cards aren’t just paper; they’re psychic tools that can reveal hidden truths about the universe. A new deck starts as blank black wafers, sometimes with a soft white glow.
How a reading works
Casting the tarot is risky. Failures are more common than successes, and a misread can leave you more confused than before. At worst, it draws attention from the warp, risking daemonic possession.
Trained psykers from the Scholastia Psykana usually work in pairs or threes to avoid the perils of the warp. Only the desperate go solo. The cards themselves can change images, shifting their meanings, and each deck is unique.
- Decks are kept in psionically shielded dark boxes to prevent contamination.
- Some cards are made from lorelei, a psychic substance also used in force weapons and psychic hoods.
- Lorelei wafers give stronger readings but come with greater risk.
The cards and suits
A classic deck has major arcana trumps and four suits of lesser arcanoi: Discordia, Adeptio, Creatio, and Mandatio. Discordia is the suit of strife but can also signify authority, and it often depicts enemies of the Imperium.
The images are sometimes crafted by blinded artisans. In the Macharian Sector, many decks are said to show fleeting afterimages of Lord Solar that fade before recognition.
| Suit | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Discordia | Strife and authority, enemies of the Imperium |
| Adeptio | Attainment and mastery |
| Creatio | Creation and beginnings |
| Mandatio | Command and duty |
Notable decks and uses
Malcador the Sigilite used crystal wafer tarots to scry fate during the Great Crusade, even when the practice was officially dismissed as superstition. Horus had his own deck, and Chaos versions exist too.
In 2017, Games Workshop released a physical set of 21 major arcana cards with John Blanche artwork for a Throne of Skulls event. More recently, the Arks of Omen series featured tarot cards as lore teasers, with cards like The Galaxy, The Despoiler, and The Hulk.
Key facts
- The Emperor’s Tarot is a 78-card psychic divination deck used across the Imperium.
- It’s believed the Emperor created it, and the cards are linked to his visions.
- Readings are perilous and often require multiple psykers to avoid warp dangers.
- The deck has major arcana and four suits: Discordia, Adeptio, Creatio, and Mandatio.
- Decks are rare, unique, and kept in psionically shielded boxes.
FAQ
Is the Emperor’s Tarot the same as a regular tarot deck?
No. It’s a psychic tool made of liquid-crystal wafers, not paper cards. The images can change, and readings involve real psychic risk.
Who can use the Emperor’s Tarot?
Only powerful psykers with enough influence can obtain and safely use a deck. Even then, it’s dangerous and usually done in groups.
What happens if a reading goes wrong?
The best case is confusion from misread cards. The worst case is drawing warp entities, which can lead to daemonic possession.