Light Seers Tarot Deck: A Complete Guide
Light Seers Tarot Deck: A Bright Modern Deck Built on a Classic System
The light seers tarot deck is a 78 card deck by artist Chris-Anne, published by Hay House on December 3, 2019. Bright, contemporary and built on the classic Rider Waite Smith system, it shows diverse people in modern settings, and it treats every card as a balance between a light seer reading and a shadow seer reading. Crowdfunding on Kickstarter in 2018 brought the deck to life before Hay House released the mass market edition in 2019. This guide, part of the How to choose a tarot deck hub, covers the history of the deck, its structure and art, its guidebook and spreads, and who the deck suits, with a worked example at the end.
History: From Kickstarter in 2018 to Hay House in 2019
Chris-Anne is a deck creator, artist and magic maker, and the owner of a branding and graphic design company. Before the Light Seers Tarot, she had already created oracle decks through crowdfunding, and the Light Seers Tarot followed the same path. The deck was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2018, and the early independent edition reached readers through that campaign. Hay House then released the mass market edition on December 3, 2019, as a 78 card deck with a guidebook, and the deck has stayed in print ever since. The publisher describes it as a best selling deck, and it is often recommended for beginners.
The name of the deck points to its central idea. A light seer is a person who looks for the light in a situation, while a shadow seer is a person who looks at the darker side. Each card in the deck carries both sides: a light seer reading and a shadow seer reading. The idea shapes the whole deck, from the guidebook entries to the spreads. The deck is not a light only deck, and it does not avoid difficult themes. It presents each card as a balance between a bright possibility and a harder truth, and it asks the reader to hold both.
Structure: 78 Cards on the Rider Waite Smith System
In the classic count the deck runs to 78 cards, with 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards spread across Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. It follows the system set out in the Rider Waite tarot deck guide, so a reader who knows that system will find familiar card names, familiar suits and the same basic structure. Two details of the structure are worth noting. Strength sits at position eight in the Major Arcana and Justice at position eleven, which matches the Rider Waite Smith order. Second, the card names stay close to the traditional set, with the familiar titles for the Major Arcana and the familiar court cards of Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Meaning follows structure here as well as form, and that closeness is one reason the deck is often recommended for beginners. Someone who learns tarot with this deck can pick up another Rider Waite Smith deck without starting the system again. The differences are in the details, not in the framework. The art is modern, the people are diverse, and the scenes are set in the present day, with city streets, studios, beaches and kitchens instead of medieval courts. The symbolism is updated in the same way: the Lovers shows a couple without the traditional angel and serpent, the Devil shows a compelling figure rather than a horned monster, and Judgement shows a spirit rising without the traditional graves. Unlike the deck described in the Thoth tarot deck guide, which renames several Major Arcana cards, this deck keeps the familiar names. The meanings stay recognizable, and the images feel current.
The Art: Borderless, Bright and Full of Modern Life
The art of the Light Seers Tarot draws a lot of comment. The cards are borderless, which means the image runs to the edge of the card with no frame. Some readers love the effect, because the image feels open and immersive. Others prefer a border, because it gives the eye a resting place. The choice is personal, and it is worth knowing before buying, since a borderless deck looks and feels different in the hand. The cards are printed on 360gsm stock with a matte lamination, according to the publisher listing, which keeps the cards flexible and light for shuffling while maintaining durability. The standard edition arrives in a two part box, and a smaller pocket edition is also available in a tin.
The color palette is bright and warm, with rich color, detailed illustration and a style the creator describes as boho sunshine. The people on the cards are diverse in age, body and background, and the scenes show modern life: a woman painting in a studio, a couple cooking together, a traveler with a backpack, a musician on a rooftop. The deck also includes a small amount of text on some cards, with keywords and a short phrase, which helps a beginner who is still learning. The art is the reason many readers choose this deck first, and it is also the reason some readers who prefer a traditional style choose a different deck. Both responses are fair, and the art is judged well by looking at a few cards before buying.
The Guidebook: Keywords, Meanings and a Mantra for Each Card
The guidebook that arrives with the deck gives each card a set of keywords, a meaning, and a mantra, which is a short sentence for meditation or journaling. Each card entry also carries two keyword sets, one for the light seer side and one for the shadow seer side, which matches the central idea of the deck. The guidebook also includes a brief introduction to tarot for beginners, an exercise for finding a personal light seer card and a shadow seer card, and five spreads for different questions. The spreads include a one card draw, a two card spread, two three card spreads and a four card spread, with one of the three card spreads focused on light and shadow.
The guidebook is written in plain language, and it is one of the reasons the deck works well for beginners. Someone still learning can read the entry for a card, try the mantra, and use the keywords as a starting point. A reader with more practice can lean on the book less and trust the image more. An extended guidebook is also available separately, with ten spreads and a spread for each Major Arcana card, for readers who want more. The guidebook that arrives in the box is enough to start, and the extended book is an optional next step.
Who the Light Seers Tarot Suits, and Who May Prefer Another Deck
The Light Seers Tarot suits a beginner who wants a deck that follows the classic system and feels modern at the same time. It suits a reader who likes bright art, diverse people and contemporary scenes, and who wants a guidebook that explains each card clearly. It suits a reader who is interested in shadow work, which is the practice of looking honestly at the difficult parts of the self, because the deck builds that idea into every card. A reader who wants a deck for daily draws, journaling and personal reflection will find one here, since the mantra on each card gives a clear theme for the day. Readers who prefer animals and ink to bright modern scenes often prefer the Wild Unknown tarot deck guide.
The deck may not suit a reader who prefers a traditional style, a deck with borders, or a deck with no text on the cards. It may not suit a reader who wants a deck that departs from the Rider Waite Smith system, or a reader who wants a deck built for a specific tradition. It may not suit a reader who dislikes bright color or modern settings. None of those are faults. They are questions of taste, and a deck is a personal tool. A reader who is unsure should look at a few cards online or in a shop, shuffle a sample if one is available, and notice whether the images feel welcoming. A deck that feels welcoming is usually the right one to learn with.
An Illustrative Example: A Three Card Draw With the Light Seers Deck
This example is illustrative, not a real person's story.
A short example shows how the deck reads in practice. Picture a woman named June, who is asking about a new job. She draws three cards from the Light Seers Tarot. The first card is the Eight of Pentacles. The guidebook keywords point to skill, practice and steady work, and the image shows a person focused on a craft. The second card is the Sun. The keywords point to joy, clarity and success out in the open, and the image shows a bright scene with a sense of warmth. The third card is the Ten of Cups. The keywords point to emotional fulfillment and shared happiness, and the image shows a family scene. Taken together, the three cards tell a clear story: steady work, visible joy, and a happy home life. June reads the mantras for each card, writes them in her journal, and carries the theme of steady work into her first week. The deck did not predict the job. It gave her three themes to reflect on, and the themes shaped how she entered the week.
Caring for the Light Seers Deck
Getting to know a new deck takes a short period of attention. One way is to look through all 78 cards once, slowly, and to note the images that stand out. Another is to draw one card each morning, read the guidebook entry, and write the mantra in a journal. A third is to try the five spreads in the guidebook, one at a time, over five weeks. For the shuffling itself, the How to shuffle tarot cards guide covers the basic techniques. The cards are printed on a matte stock that handles regular shuffling well, and the box keeps them protected. A reader who wants to keep the deck in good condition should store it in its box, away from damp and direct sun, and shuffle with clean hands.
The Light Seers Tarot is a deck that rewards regular use. The more a reader works with it, the more the images become familiar, and the less the guidebook is needed. After a few months of daily draws, the light seer and shadow seer keywords start to feel natural, and the reader begins to see both sides of each card without looking them up. Familiarity is the real test of a deck. A deck drawn daily becomes a trusted tool. A deck left on the shelf stays a beautiful object. The Light Seers Tarot was made to be used, and it works well in daily practice.
More decks are covered in the How to choose a tarot deck hub. The system behind this deck is the Rider Waite tarot deck guide, a different system is the Thoth tarot deck guide, the How to shuffle tarot cards guide covers shuffling, and the Wild Unknown tarot deck guide covers the animal deck.
To talk through a card from this deck, a real reader is ready here: First 3 minutes FREE — every time, for every reading, with all advisors.
A solid next step is a One-Card Tarot reading and reflect on which card from a bright modern deck would speak to your week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created the light seers tarot deck?
The deck was created by artist Chris-Anne, a deck creator and graphic designer. It was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2018, and the mass market edition was published by Hay House on December 3, 2019. The deck holds 78 cards and follows the Rider Waite Smith system.
How many cards are in the light seers tarot deck?
Counted in the classic way, the deck runs to 78 cards, with 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards spread across Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Strength sits at position eight and Justice at position eleven, matching the Rider Waite Smith order. The guidebook gives keywords, a meaning and a mantra for each card.
Is the light seers tarot deck good for beginners?
It is often recommended for beginners, because it follows the classic Rider Waite Smith system, the guidebook explains each card in plain language, and the art is modern and welcoming. A beginner can start with a daily one card draw and the five spreads in the guidebook, and learn the system card by card.
What are light seer and shadow seer meanings?
Each card in the deck carries two keyword sets, one for the light seer side and one for the shadow seer side. The light seer side points to the bright possibility of the card, and the shadow seer side points to the harder truth or the challenge. The idea is to hold both sides when reading a card, rather than only the pleasant one.
What is the difference between the light seers tarot and the wild unknown tarot?
Pick by art and by court cards. Light Seers shows bright, borderless pictures of modern people and keeps the familiar Page, Knight, Queen and King titles, while Wild Unknown fills its cards with animals and plants and calls its court cards Daughter, Son, Mother and Father. Both follow the same 78 card framework, so the decision turns on which pictures you want to look at every day.
Last updated: November 12, 2026
