There are four aspects of the eternal spark: the numinous, the esoteric, the supernatural, and the weird. These are the ways that hope manifests. These are the ways we keep ourselves engaged. These are the ways by which we learn how to fight monsters. We stand with cup, shield, sword, and stick. This is the iconography of Arcana. These are the four quarters of the whole. These are the ways we heal, harbor, howl, and hum.

This, then, is the first deck of the Arcana: thirty-eight stories that celebrate these aspects. With contributions from Forrest Aguirre, Michael Barsa, Nathan Batchelor, Breanna Bright, Elou Carroll, Brandon Crilly, Sarah Day, Jetse de Vries, Eric Del Carlo, Louis Evans, Tori Fredrick, H. L. Fullerton, Manfred Gabriel, Vera Hadzic, Catherine Hansen, Christopher Hawkins, David Hewitt, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, A. P. Howell, Selah Janel, Nikoline Kaiser. Jessie Kwak, Jon Lasser, J. A. W. McCarthy, Jon McGoran, Linda McMullen, Tristan Morris, Christi Nogle, Stephen O'Donnell, Jennifer Quail, W. T. Paterson, Lexi Peréz, Jonathan Raab, Josh Rountree, Rebecca Ruvinsky, Lorraine Schein, and Ro Smith.