For this month’s Art Works, tarot creator Kerry Ward shares her Light in the Dark tarot deck, which was inspired by her family’s mining history.
This deck is titled The Light in the Dark Tarot & Oracle. It feels like the culmination of ten years of writing, reading and creating within tarot. It’s the most personal project I’ve made.
The idea originates from a story my dad once told me about working down the mines. He said he processed the grief of losing his brother during the long underground walk from the shaft to the coal face. That image – carrying light into darkness – struck a chord. Tarot, for me, has always been exactly that: not fantasy or escapism, but a way of finding comfort and clarity inside difficult spaces. Many things have to be faced alone, in private, before they can be said out loud and brought to light, and tarot is a great ally in those times.
The process of creating a deck is long and layered. This one took nearly three years from concept to final print. It begins with notebooks – themes, metaphors, questions I want the cards to hold. I conceived the visual idea for this deck on holiday in Krakow, where I watched people in beautiful churches seek and receive solace and comfort. This sparked the idea of making the cards look like prayer cards (which I have long collected).
After that, I worked closely with illustrator Misha (@visionsin.blue.art on Instagram), now on our third project together. We discussed symbolism, mood, texture and colour palettes. There’s a constant back-and-forth between meaning and image. She breathes life into my words and it’s a beautiful relationship. We have never met – she lives in India – but our collaboration is four years strong and still going places.
The idea originates from a story my dad once told me about working down the mines. He said he processed the grief of losing his brother during the long underground walk from the shaft to the coal face. That image – carrying light into darkness – struck a chord.
I live in Nottingham and feel rooted here. My craft developed through writing and years of reading tarot for people from all walks of life. I’ve been reading, teaching and working with tarot for over thirty years, plus writing professionally for over a decade. My earliest pieces were about demystifying tarot – making it accessible and grounded. I’ve always wanted it to feel practical, not obscure.
Inspiration comes from many places: folklore, family history, classical art, symbolism, and literature. I am a magpie, always collecting stimulus – it all goes into the mix. I’m also inspired by the everyday: conversations, resilience, and people navigating life’s troubles.
I am very much a ‘mainstream mystic’. I write about tarot and astrology in mainstream publications like The Sun, Metro and Cosmopolitan. I don’t gatekeep or put up barriers – everything I do is to make tarot, oracle, astrology accessible. I have now created five decks, and three books, with both another deck and book coming later in 2026.
Ultimately, this deck is an ally in dark times and can remind people that even in the shadows, there is insight to be found. Sometimes the act of looking closely – at a card, a story, or ourselves – is its own kind of light.
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