Danse Macabre and Daredevil Flappers: Exploring the Art, Symbolism and Practice of The Carnival of the End of the World Tarot by Kahn + Selesnick.

4 week online course

Wednesdays 7-9 PM Eastern Time ( October 6, 13, 20, 27 )
PLEASE NOTE: All classes will also be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Taught via Zoom by Morbid Anatomy Programing Director Laetitia Barbier

$135 ($110 for $5/a month and above Patreon members)

Please note: Zoom invites are sent five days before the first class meeting. If you do not receive it, please email us at [email protected].

With its apocalyptic pageantry, zoomorphic divinities and tree-like figures, the “Carnival of the End of the World” tarot has, since its publication in 2017, piqued the curiosity and gained the acclaim of both art lovers and divination card enthusiasts. 

Conceived by the artist duo Kahn and Selesnick, the elegant pack of cards emerged as a visual culmination of their long interest in forgotten folklore and absurdist spectacle. But most importantly, the deck also addresses one of the silver linings of their work - an allegorical discourse on climate change and environmental concerns overshadowing the end of our civilisation.  

In its own peculiar way, the “Carnival” deck is a paradox, questioning the very ideas of fortune telling at the age of the Anthropocene. What does this perennial ritual of reading cards mean in today’s dark times? What can these costumed figures, seemingly performing their final dance in a drowning landscape, teach us about the world we created for ourselves? More importantly, how can this strange ballet of archetypal figures inspire us to reclaim our agency when the idea of a “tomorrow” seems threatened? 

In this four week interactive class, we’ll look at Carnival of the End of the World deck through the lenses of both art history and tarot practice. From Velasquez to the “Wicker Man”, we’ll travel together through time and space in an iconographic journey that will lead us to the century old rites of passage and arcane comedic traditions that Kahn and Selesnick have been inspired by. We’ll also meet Madame Lulu, the spirited fortune teller channeled by poetess and artist Sarah Falkner and whose Book Of Fate serves as a guide-line to understand the Carnival Deck. Together, we’ll also see how these images can allow us to sacralise our relationship to nature and celebrate our wilder self. Through assignment, games and free-association exercises to be done at home and in class, each student will be able to develop their own personal relationship with the deck and understand the powerful story-telling possibilities it evokes.

For their final assignment, each student will design either a mask or a costume in which they picture themself participating in this spirited dance macabre. Students will leave the class with a completed artwork, a clear understanding of the Kahn + Selesnick deck and its complex iconography, as well as deeper insights on Tarot as both an art object and cultural phenomenon. Students will also leave with methods and techniques they can use in future readings and tarot investigation.

All tarot levels are welcome. Having the deck isn’t necessary but recommended. You can purchase it here for the US. For Europe, you’ll find the deck here.

French born Laetitia Barbier is an independent scholar, as well as professional tarot reader and teacher. She earned a Bachelor Degree in Art History from La Sorbonne University Paris. Laetitia has worked with Morbid Anatomy since 2010 as a programing director and Head Librarian. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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