UPDATE (January 2016): Scroll down for new Twin Peaks tarot card designs!
Earlier this year, illustrator and comic maker Benjamin Mackey told Welcome to Twin Peaks he was toying with the idea of designing a Twin Peaks tarot deck inspired by the influential Rider-Waite-Smith deck (Amazon) originally published in 1910.
It all began as a Secret Santa gift last Christmas…
“I had created some fake Twin Peaks beer bottle labels and some people at the party said it reminded them of tarot cards,” the Arizona-based artist tells WTTP. “A couple months later, while watching the show, I started to make a little checklist, assigning characters to cards. Some of the matches were downright uncanny… and the card to character assignment quickly spiraled out of control.”
The results of Ben’s creative process can now be revealed with the completion of the Twin Peaks-themed Major Arcana, a suit of twenty-two cards also known as trumps.
Ben’s favorite card to draw?
The Death card. “What’s not to love about Ray Wise riding a white horse?”
Which one is your favorite card of this Twin Peaks tarot adaptation?
Twin Peaks Tarot Deck: Major Arcana by Ben Mackey
Andy Brennan as The Fool
Dale Cooper as The Magician
The Log Lady as The High Priestess
Catherine Martell as The Empress
Benjamin Horne as The Emperor
Major Briggs as The Hierophant
Shelly Johnson and Bobby Briggs as The Lovers
James Hurley, Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson as The Chariot
Nadine Hurley as Strength
Harold Smith as The Hermit
Phillip Jeffries above the convenience store as Wheel of Fortune
Sheriff Harry S. Truman as Justice
Dr. Lawrence Jacoby as The Hanged Man
Leland Palmer (with Sarah Palmer and Laura wrapped in plastic) as Death
Norma Jennings as Temperance
Killer BOB (with Ronette Pulaski and Teresa Banks) as The Devil
The Packard Mill as The Tower
Lucy Moran as The Star
Evil Dale Cooper as The Moon
The Giant and the Man from Another Place as The SUn
Windom Earle as Judgement
Laura Palmer as The World
Minor Arcana: Cups & Pentacles
Blackie as King of Pentacles
Double R Diner mug as Ace of Cups
One-Eyed Jack’s poker chip as Ace of Pentacles
Pete Martell as Page of Cups
Jerry Horne as Page of Pentacles
Dick Tremayne as Knight of Cups
Jean Renault as Knight of Pentacles
Donna Hayward as Queen of Cups
Audrey Horne as Queen of Pentacles
Doc Hayward as King of Cups
Watch this space for the rest of the Minor Arcana, expected later in 2016.
Fire walk with 
Great pictures.
This is amazing and needs to be released as a full deck. I’d buy it in a heartbeat!
So would I, Melissa! Especially if it was a full 78 card deck. Heck, I’d even buy it if it was just the Major Arcana, but what fun it would be to have a complete Twin Peaks tarot deck…
Yeah, the prints are great and all, but a glaringly obvious trick is being missed here. I want an actual card deck!
msg me when this is a deck
This are freakin’ amazing!! And they make so much sense symbolically. I’d buy the deck!
The Hanged Man is awesome. Also love the Sun and the Star.
Deck, deck, deck!
Thanks for all the love! So honored to be on this site!
For those of you curious about a deck, I am hoping to make a deck upon completion of the minor arcana!
Yes! I’m definitely interested
YES!!! TAKE MY MONEY!
PLEASE. THIS IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO HUMANITY I CAN FEEL IT
Just saw this, OMG! I LOOOOOOOVE Twin Peaks AND Tarot and those two fit together so well! I’ll buy it ~
Please update us when you release a deck! It’s hard to pick a favorite, they’re all amazing
Like almost everyone else apparently, I would love to see this as a deck, but I expect that id MUCH more complex to have produced…
Fantastic. Not only is this brilliant on the TP level but it also shows an excellent awareness of the meanings in the Rider Waite. Good work!
This is amazing!! I’m joining the group of people begging for a full deck
The minor suits would lend themselves well. Pentacles could be poker chips, cups = coffee cups, wands = logs. (Swords I’m not sure about. Might have to stay swords.)
How about narrow slices of pie? 🙂
Where can i get the tarot cards? Not the posters, the actual cards
These are cool! Where’s Josie though?
I think Josie must be a queen in either of the two suits left. I´d love to own this tarot deck too.
It would be great if Josie was the High Priestess…
I think the king of pentacles should be Jean Renault. I don’t like the switch of the gender role there. Also despite Cooper being thought of as the Magician in the most common interpretations of the lore it’s a bit unfitting to me, he’s much more of a prophet and it feels wrong. Snr Droolcup’s wand should’ve been a broom… that’s a sad missed opportunity.
Other than those minor complaints I really love this. Very very good. Most of them fit very well.
These are beyond brilliant! Did you ever release these as a deck? The Rider Waite tarot deck and Twin Peaks are two of my favorite things in life so I can’t believe you thought to put them together — amazing and your details are spot on!!! I think the Moon card is my favorite. Stunning. Please let me know if/where I can buy the full deck!
This deck looks amazing! Where can I buy it from?
How am I only just finding this now! Please tell me this is available to buy somewhere.