TWH – In March of 2023, a new interactive online tarot platform, Moonlight, premiered. In April of 2024, TechCrunch published an interview with Danielle Baskin, the visionary who dreamed up Moonlight and then collaborated with game designer and former UX (user experience) engineer at Google, Caroline Hermans, to create it. TWH spoke with Baskin last month about the tarot platform and her vision for the future of the site.
Moonlight tarot room – Image credit: Moonlight/Baskin
Danielle Baskin is an artist and entrepreneur who has created some fascinating and even quirky products and events.
In her interview with TechCrunch, she characterized Moonlight as “SaaS for Witches” (SaaS meaning software as a service). Though Baskin said she does not personally identify as a witch or pagan, she certainly has an affinity for tarot and is definitely pagan-/witch-friendly.
One project that she undertook about 15 years ago was painting individual tarot cards on bicycle helmets. She told TWH that at the time of that project, she didn’t really know that much about tarot, but painting an entire card on each helmet helped her gain a deeper understanding of each card. She also journaled about the cards as she painted them.
The Fool helmet created by Baskin for Inkwell Helmets – Courtesy
While there is certainly no shortage of places online where you can get a tarot reading, the Moonlight platform is different. The site offers a way to explore the tarot either on an individual level or to interact with others by creating your own room. You can also book a paid online session for a reading with one of the many professional readers available on the site.
The design of the site is clean, and the interface is seamless. Over the course of our hour-long online chat in one of the tarot rooms, there was never an issue with buffering or any electronic delays.
Another aspect of the site is that it does not employ any type of generative AI. If you schedule a session with one of the many tarot readers on the platform, it is done live and with an actual person. Baskin also said she has no plans to incorporate any form of AI. She mentioned that the only possibilities she could think of for an AI application might be adding text descriptions for those with vision impairments or asking questions that would help in tutorial practices, but both of these ideas were more musings.
Access to the site is free, with users having a choice of two digital decks—the Rider-Waite-Smith deck and the Tarot de Marseille. Currently, there are additional decks that can be purchased for a one-time fee of $12. The offerings consist of four tarot decks: Gothmancy by Stephanie Alia & Daniela Efe, Eldritch Overload by Brenda Ho & Thom Denick, The Black Deck by Rich Black, and Mushroom Tarot by Chris Adams, and one oracle deck: Viator Somniorum by Stephanie Alia & Daniela Efe.
Some of the decks available on Moonlight – Image credit: Moonlight/Baskin
Baskin said that they are still in the process of ‘slowly building out’ the site and intend to offer more decks for purchase in the future.
She emphasized that the site is designed with everyone in mind who might be interested in using tarot. Whether someone has just begun learning the cards, is a seasoned pro, or is just a casual user, Moonlight offers a platform that anyone can use.
Baskin told TWH that she frequently uses the platform herself—whether just pulling a card when it comes to a design question or sometimes even just to help her decide where to put a new button on the site.
One thing that was evident during the discussion with Baskin is the emphasis on her desire to create unique but accessible social interactions. Her take on the tarot as a vehicle is that there is ‘so much magic in tarot being a shared magic.’
Indeed, one of the most interesting functions of the Moonlight platform is its community and social aspect. The platform not only allows for the creation of a tarot room but also the ability to invite up to five other associates or friends to join in, all at no cost.
Being able to learn tarot with several friends, do a series of group readings for a shared cause, or just have a virtual tarot salon for an afternoon of fun are all possible on Moonlight.
Baskin said, ‘I think like I’m always very interested in talking to and meeting people from the tarot community. Moonlight is evolving along with the people who are using it, and Moonlight is interested in engaging with the community.’
‘Different tarot people/professionals have met via the platform and recognize the importance of community and having a conversation.’ She continued, ‘My hope is that folks who are using the platform use the social aspects of the site to learn and engage with each other.’
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