Sunatarot or Suna Tarot is a Tarot Dice Game of Intuition created by Suna Moya in Egypt in 2000 and designed by Robert Courtney in London in 2001.

Suna Moya is an artist and designer who lives in Paris, France. In 2000 she came up with the idea of combining her art and the tarot to create what is now known as “Sunatarot” – the brand name for her Sunatarot game. However, rather than creating another tarot card interpretation she came up with a unique combination of the Tarot, Dice and Intuition using a completely unique way of divination.

 

At the age of seven Suna was already accustomed to the Tarot cards. Inspired by the designs on the cards, Suna developed this into her own form of art by painting a box depicting images derived from the Tarot. When people saw this they suggested she put together an exhibition, so collecting antique boxes became a hobby for her. One day in a Cairo market she came across a very old handmade box with cubes inside, originally used as a children’s toy. It looked very magical and inspired the idea that became Sunatarot.

 

Sunatarot comes in three versions; a cube version containing 27 transparent coloured (in Blue and Purple) dice, a box version containing 81 double-sided opaque coloured chips and finally there is a more traditional but still very modern playing card version.

 

The 162 different designs on the faces and the instructions contained in the booklet are the same for all versions.

So, whether you are going to “roll your Dice” or “flip your Chips” or “shuffle your cards”, read on and enjoy The Sunatarot!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TAROT AND DICE

Dice have been played as a game of chance ever since the Roman and Greek times, the Tarot has a history of its own. Although the exact origin is unknown some believe that the word Tarot was a corruption of the name Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of magic. It is said that the cards were created in the initiation temples of the mysterious east. It is also rumoured that the invention of the Tarot was attributed to the order of the Knights Templar in 1188. The earliest surviving Tarot deck comes from fourteenth century Italy. Each card is called ‘Arcanum’, meaning mystery, of which life is so full. Brought together in a new and more immediate way, the Tarot and Dice form Sunatarot.

INTRODUCTION TO SUNATAROT

The concept of Sunatarot came to Suna on New Year’s Eve 2000 when she was reading Tarot cards for some friends. Everybody has the potential to read the Tarot but for most people it takes time to understand the symbols and their meanings. In this present age of fast moving technology we tend to want answers to our questions promptly. Sunatarot enables a person to obtain an answer quickly, in a simplified manner, which can then be analysed more in depth. The principle of the Tarot is to act as a tool for connecting an individual to his or her own deeper psyche. Sunatarot can help one to analyse a situation and therefore diagnose the best way to deal with it. With Sunatarot we are our own medium, by throwing the dice we are opening up our subconscious. Through reading the meaning on the dice we can decide the most suitable action to take. With practice, Sunatarot can become a tool with which to build a strong connection between your inner self and your unconscious mind. Sunatarot combines the two elements of mystery (Tarot) and chance (Dice).

CONCEPT

The major difference between Sunatarot and the many different versions in the traditional playing card format (each the intellectual property of their individual creators) is this – the distillation of the meaning of the individual tarot cards into a single word, this word being displayed on the face of a dice to act as a psychological trigger to prompt the person playing Sunatarot to answer the question they have asked the tarot, easily, in their own mind, without recourse as with the traditional tarot, to a book or booklet.

Indeed the booklet is not needed in order to fully use the Sunatarot.

Suna and Robert thought a booklet should be included in the same way as with a music CD (hence the size and shape of the booklet), to give additional information but not necessary for the full enjoyment of the product.

This ease of use and self-interpretation is what makes Sunatarot unique.

SUNATAROT: THE CONTENTS

The dice game comes in a box containing 26 answer dice and 1 decision dice which are used in obtaining responses to questions posed.

The symbols and words on the 156 faces of the answer dice are derived from the Major and Minor Arcana of the traditional Tarot including the reversed cards meanings.

The decision dice displays the Suna eye symbol (open and closed) representing a straight ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answer and four symbols representing the elements and their associated meanings.

The decision dice is used alongside the answer dice and is read in the same way.

Sunatarot comes with an instruction booklet explaining the meanings of all 162 faces (including the decision dice), a silk bag to contain the dice and a satin mat printed with the traditional layouts for reading the Tarot.

These layouts represent the Past, Present & Future Method (3 dice), the Window Method (10 dice), the Horseshoe Method (7 dice), and finally the Year Forecast or Astrological Method (13 dice).

The dice, playing mat and booklet are printed in French and English.

SUNATAROT: WAYS TO PLAY: 1. A SOCIAL GAME

Sunatarot can be played with friends at any time, perhaps after dinner or over a drink.

Players participating in this way need not to have an in-depth knowledge regarding the rules of the Tarot, so everyone can equally appreciate the benefits of the game.

By putting a question to The Sunatarot and then rolling the dice, a player interprets the symbols and words by calling forth his or her intuition and imagination.

Close friends can join in and give help or advice in reading the dice, moreover, anyone can offer his or her own interpretation.

Whatever the situation may be, the interpretation of the throw of the dice (spread) depends on the way in which the dice fall.

A guide to the many possible interpretations is available in the instruction booklet in both French and English.

SUNATAROT: WAYS TO PLAY: 2. AN INDIVIDUAL DIVINATION

Sunatarot can also be used to ask questions in the same way as you would use the traditional Tarot cards, by yourself or with an interpreter.

A game of chance, the same as life, so roll the dice

Let your intuition guide your reactions

Open your mind to those inhibited dreams

Follow your instincts and your ambitions.

ENJOY YOUR SUNATAROT.

 

Sunatarot Concept © Suna Moya, Egypt 2000, Design Concept ©Robert Courtney, London 2001.