Kimpton Fitzroy London Tarot
Hello my friend,
I’ve recently had the pleasure of working on a very unexpected project, which I can finally share with you! The Kimpton Fitzroy London hotel commissioned me to create a 22 major arcana only tarot deck, to explore and highlight some of finest features and stories from this 5-star hotel. I’d like to share with you a small selection of stories that revealed themselves during the creation of this tarot deck….
Video of Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel London
When I was first invited to visit the hotel, I was not prepared! Built in 1898 by architect Charles Fitzroy Doll, the building has a presence in Russel Square that can be felt immediately as you approach it. I was quickly engulfed in its exquisite details and terracotta cladding. After a warm welcome, followed by a historic tour, it became clear that Kimpton Fitzroy was rich with inspiration for the tarot archetypes.
I began this project with one of the first features to welcome you as you enter the building. Immediately, beneath your feet is the most beautiful mosaic of the zodiac. Each symbol is weaved together with a helix-style border, circling the centrepiece - a rather cheeky, winking sun.
This became the starting point for me. Not only did it become the design for the card back throughout the deck, but it also became a thread that weaves its way through the cards. 12 of the 22 major arcana cards are traditionally associated with each of the 12 astrological signs, infusing them with their energies. So I took each of these symbols and pulled them into the cards. One such card is the Emperor…
As you approach Bur & Co, to the left corner of the hotel, there’s a blue plaque stating that Emmeline Pankhurst once lived on the site of the hotel with her daughters from 1888 - 1893. For those who don’t know, Pankhurst was only the pioneer of the suffragette movement and dedicated herself to fighting for and defending rights for women. It was immediately clear to me that Pankhurst should be the figure I use for the usually very patriarchal, masculine tarot card, The Emperor. The Emperor takes on the fiery spirit of Mars and Aries, bringing structure and actively fighting and defending those he loves. I have depicted Pankhurst with the astrological sign of Aries, the halo of the planet mars and the ankh in one hand. She is also sporting the purple and green colours of the suffragette movement.
Walking from the plaque, you approach the main entrance of the hotel. Standing guard above the arched doors are four life-sized statues of four queens. Elizabeth I, Mary II, Ann and Victoria. Along with the lion guarding the doorway, these powerful feminine energies felt like a good fit for the strength card. The strength card depicts a woman taming a lion, and I often see it as a quiet or gentle strength having the power to overcome something much larger than itself. While creating this deck, we received the news of the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II. To honour this, I created a 5th column to include her portrait, to celebrate her long lasting reign and quiet strength.
Looking up and beyond the four queens, we can take in the rich details of the exterior architecture, and the striking green tiled turrets. I since discovered, that behind these magnificent turrets, there used to be a grand dome. The exact date of the dome’s destruction is unknown, but it is believed to have been during an air raid in 1941, during the 2nd world war. After some searching, I was unable to find a photograph of the dome, so only illustrations existed for me to reimagine what it may have looked like, using the same green of the turrets. The Tower card is about the sudden destruction of structure we have come to rely upon and trust. This is traditionally depicted as a tower being struck by lightening - so this image fitted nicely! Unfortunately, the dome was never rebuilt. But the Tower card (proceeded by the star card) holds the message that we can always rebuild.
As I waited in the reception area, I found this small portrait of Virginia Woolf. Woolf had lived locally and was part of the pioneering bloomsbury group. Woolf’s first novel ‘A Voyage Out’ is a story about a young naive woman embarking on an adventure to South America. This becomes a mythical journey of self discovery as her eyes are opened to the world beyond that of her upbringing. The High Priestess is usually depicted with the Torah in her hands, so I decided to replace this with Woolf’s first novel, bound in green. Woolf embodied some of the spirit of the High Priestess. She didn’t take the world as it was given to her, but had an open mind to challenge and question, opting for the route of continual learning and discovery.
Taking the gorgeous marble staircase from the lobby, past the stained glass windows (which I feature in the Lovers card) you eventually come to Lucky George. Lucky George is a bronze sculpture perched on the handrail to mark the divide between the guests rooms and the staff quarters. The architect, Charles Fitzroy Doll, commissioned two identical dragons for this purpose. One was placed here in the hotel, while the other was placed on the Titanic, thus creating an eternal bond between the two. Of course, Unlucky George now resides beneath the waves, while lucky George continues to charm the hotels guests here in London. It’s said that by rubbing his head, you’ll take some of his luck with you! The two dragons became the Wheel of Fortune card, showing the spinning wheel of life and the perpetual flow of blessing and curse. Our story is always in a state of being written, so the manuscript featured in this card is being blown by the wind and is yet to be completed. These pages make reference to both the local literary history of Bloomsbury and the books traditionally being read by the four beasts in Pamela Coleman’s illustration for the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
Like the tarot, this hotel holds the human stories of adventure, change, romance and creativity. The hotel itself is a resting place, or home away from home, to reflect and meet others on their own journey. It’s been adventure exploring the hotel and weaving just a few of its features into the artwork artwork.
The bespoke tarot deck has been printed and placed in guests bedrooms as a gift. Alongside the launch, a range of new occult cocktails are on the menu, with the hotel offering free tarot readings for guests throughout October and November 2022. Thank you Kimpton Fitzroy!
Much warmth,
Ari x
