Desert Illuminations Tarot
A Visionary Tarot Rooted in Desert Myth & Mysticism
Desert Illuminations Tarot is the first published deck by artist Lindsay D. Williams. A bold, neon desert tarot that merges Southwestern landscapes with mystical symbolism.
Created over several years in the desert of New Mexico, this deck is a celebration of heat, spirit, mirage, stargazing, survival, and the mythic vastness if the American West.
Each card is illustrated as a standalone portal, blending retro color palettes, desert folklore, and modern visionary art. The Desert Illuminations Tarot honors the traditional Rider-Waite tarot structure while reimagining its archetypes through a vibrant, surreal desert lens.
The Origin Story
A deck conceived in isolation, clarity, and the need for legacy.
Desert Illuminations was first conceived in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A moment of global stillness, uncertainty, and existential questioning. As the world shifted, Lindsay finally had the rare uninterrupted space to create the deck she had dreamed of her entire artistic life.
The project became both a refuge and a mission:
a meditation on legacy, unity, cultural connection, and the spiritual landscape of the American Southwest. Amid political upheaval and collective anxiety, the deck emerged as a message of peace and a love letter to the desert, to its beauty, and to the deep spiritual resonance Lindsay feels with the Southwest.
Desert Illuminations passed through three major iterations:
• First Edition (2020):
Independently published without crowdfunding or backing. It was built purely from vision, grit, and the urgency to create. This edition quickly reached readers across the world.
• Second Edition (2021–2022):
Refined artwork, a redesigned box, and improvements born from the deck’s early success and growing audience.
• Third Edition (2024):
The official mass-market release with U.S. Games Systems, Inc. bringing Desert Illuminations into stores worldwide while preserving the spirit of the original indie creation.
What began as a solitary act of creation during the pandemic has become an internationally distributed tarot deck, beloved across cultures and continents. Desert Illuminations stands as both a personal milestone and the foundation of Lindsay’s greater oracular work.
Deck Specifications
78-card tarot deck
Full-color illustrations
Independently published (2020–2023)
Mass-market edition: U.S. Games Systems, Inc. (2024)