What does the “Illumination” card mean in Tarot?

Alina

I just bought my first Tarot deck and keep pulling a card called "Illumination," but I can’t find any info on it anywhere.

It’s a Rider–Waite style deck, and I drew it while asking how one person sees another.

Does anyone know what that card means or how people usually read it? Any thoughts would be really appreciated 🙂

Grace

Sounds like the Prisma Visions Tarot. Each edition has its own extra card, and "Illumination" was added in the third edition — it even has a little question mark at the top.

If your deck didn't come with a proper guidebook, that might mean it's not an official copy.

I'd check the Prisma Visions website and compare the card quality and what should be included with what you received, just to see if everything lines up.

Alina

Grace Thanks!

Serelith

There’s no “Illumination” card in the Rider–Waite–Smith or in any standard 78-card deck, as far as I know. In the traditional Major/Minor Arcana that name doesn’t appear, so if you’re seeing it it’s probably from a non-standard deck, an expanded/modern oracle-style addition, or a misprint/alternate edition depending on the publisher. Worth double-checking the deck name and edition — a lot of newer decks add extra or rename cards that aren’t part of the classic system.

MCollins

If the art looks Van Gogh-ish, it's probably the Prisma Visions Tarot. That deck includes extra bonus cards in some editions, and "Illumination" is one of those additions, not part of the Rider-Waite-Smith or standard tarot. So nothing's missing from traditional tarot. It's just an extra card the artist added.