Haunted: An Appalachian Tarot Deck

Inspired by Appalachian folklore and urban legends from Southwestern PA, West Virginia, and Eastern Ohio, HAUNTED is a blend of history and horror in one 78-card tarot deck.

Origin Story

This region is a confluence of so many different cultures over thousands of years. Before and during colonialism, multiple tribes including the Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Osage, and Shawnee people lived and moved through here. As this land was overtaken the same a pathways of travel and trade were used by colonists and enslaved people in the expanse westward. The impact of these people and their descendants still remain. Today this region is still a place where people and things gather and disperse—including stories traveling by word of mouth and rumor. The land here is soaked in dark stories and lore.

This is the energy that I'm bringing into my next tarot deck, HAUNTED. Tarot cards are a medium to tell stories and filled with an exhaustive history as well. I want to meld this with the layered past of Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. This deck will be the standard 78-card tarot deck following the Rider-Waite format, like all my previous decks.

Working with Sora the Intuitive, a local tarot reader, we have and continue to research a variety of local history, legends, and rumors (old and new). While there are card illustrations inspired by real events and people this is a wholly creative work that aims not for accuracy (it isn't a textbook) but celebrate our ghosts and what they mean about us. 

Kickstarter

In January of 2023 we ran our first Kickstarter to fund the printing of 2,500 decks and while we raised over $25,000 and had almost 300 backers—we didn't hit our high goal. The printer I have used in the past is a bit pricy and we needed to order a lot of decks to get a lower unit cost.

A Ray of Hope

However, by doing that first Kickstarter, we were able to connect with a new printer that can produce the same product at a more resonable cost! We are re-launching a new Kickstarter to publish 500 tarot decks in late 2023, shipping out decks in early 2024.

Crypids, folktales, and ghosts!

Here are some of the stories we are including

  • The Lost Children of the Alleghenies (pictured to the left)
  • The Mothman
  • The Squonk
  • The Burning Bride of Conneaut
  • 13 Bends Road
  • The Pig Lady of Cannelton
  • Raymond Robinson aka The Green Man
  • Madame Bartell the Millvale psychic
  • The ghosts of the different Carnegie libraries
  • The spirits from the Homewood massacre
  • The urban legend of killer clowns

Ghost stories provide a unique lens into history, often reflecting things we don’t want to discuss in the daylight. Shedding light on this history opens up connections with our own humanity.

Reward Structure

None of the prices include the cost of shipping which will be charged AFTER the project funds via BackerKit. VAT/duty NOT included and is the responsibility of the pledger.One Deck (Early Bird): If you chose this reward you will receive,

  • One tarot deck with silver gilded edges in a magnetic closure box at a discounted rate. Limited to 50 decks.
  • One guidebook that fits into the tarot box and includes stories from the cards and meanings of each card

One Deck: If you chose this reward you will receive,

  • One tarot deck with silver gilded edges in a magnetic closure box.
  • One guidebook that fits into the tarot box and includes stories from the cards and meanings of each card

One Deck + Be in the deck!: If you select this option you will receive,

  • One tarot deck with silver gilded edges in a magnetic closure box 
  • One guidebook that fits into the tarot box and includes stories from the cards and meanings of each card
  • You will model for a card in this deck. This is a unique portrait opportunity and you will be immortalized in the deck forever!
  • The deck will be signed by the artist
  • You will receive an archival quality art print (8.5 x 5in) of your card (shipping separately from the deck)

**READ CAREFULLY**

  • AFTER YOU SUBMIT YOUR PLEDGE email hello@killerpancakeillustration.com with your card request and Genevieve will hold it for you. First come, first served.
  • You do not need to be from this region but the card you are modeling for. The story will be from the area 
  • You do not need to have a story for your card, but knowing WHAT CARD you want to be is helpful

Two Decks: If you chose this reward you will receive,

  • Two tarot decks with silver gilded edges in a magnetic closure box 
  • Two guidebooks that fits into each tarot box and includes stories from the cards and meanings of each card

Ten Decks: If you chose this reward you will receive,

  • Ten tarot decks with silver gilded edges in a magnetic closure box 
  • Ten guidebooks that fit into the tarot box and includes stories from the cards and meanings of each card
  • A thank you in the guidebook

This item is great for occult shops!

Add-on Structure

Add-ons are prompted after you select a pledge. Signed deck: Genevieve will sign and number the first 100 deck in this first printing of HAUNTED.

Shipping

Shipping will be charged AFTER the campaign ends via BackerKit. We will be shipping decks out using PirateShip. For international orders we will be using their Simple Export Rate which includes the cost of shipping and insurance but DOES NOT cover VAT/duty. The pledger will have to cover those costs as well and we cannot estimate what they will be.

Who HAUNTED is for?

HAUNTED is for beginner and tarot fanatic alike. Whether it is your first deck or your 50th, you will appreciate the artistry, discover fascinating stories, and enjoy interpreting this creepy tarot. This deck includes an easy to read guide with information about the story in each card and what it means. We are using the fascinating and dark history of this region to inspire this creepy deck. Fans of ghost tales and cryptids will love it! If you are familiar with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck format, this will be similar.


The cards are a communication tool to pull out what you have going on inside—much like journaling or other creative processes. This can lead to endless interpretations of these cards. We worked to include a diversity of perspectives and voices within this deck. Even though history isn't great about recording diverse stories, ghosts and legends have preserved some that we want to highlight.

Meet the Team

Genevieve and Sarah have collaborated together for a couple years after meeting through the figure drawing scene here in Pittsburgh. We discovered our mutual love of tarot—Genevieve as an artist and Sarah as a reader.  We created a tarot planner together and when Genevieve had the idea for HAUNTED she wanted Sarah to help with research and writing the guide.Genevieve has created four other tarot decks since 2016 including Bridge Witches, a modern Pittsburgh deck; CULT a feminist, queer, goth tarot deck; INFERNO which uses Dante’s divine comedy as inspiration; and Lost River, a deck for divination and play. Check out her website here!Sarah has been reading all of her life. Taught by her mother and her mother's mother, she was very little when she began using her family’s traditions. Growing up, she read for friends, family, and herself. The past life readings that she specializes in today were initially created for a friend and has now grown into her main focus as a reader. By helping others she has learned how tarot helps her organize her thoughts and feelings in a healthy way. View her site here.