Quads IV by Shark

Puzzle explanation

The two Es in column 10 were changed to make their entries into MINOR ARCANA (6ac and 15dn), a term for the 56 suit cards in a Tarot deck. Illustrations of the shapes of the suits were formed by lines drawn through each suit’s name and its associated element, namely PENTACLE & EARTH, CUP & WATER, WAND & FIRE and SWORD & AIR. 31ac was changed to A E WAITE, a mystic who, with illustrator Pamela Colman Smith, created a popular tarot deck, published in 1909 by RIDER (who appeared in the grid at 13ac).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 SALOP SPILT * around A
6 MINER MINSTER − ST
11 NENE (do)NENE(ss)
12 MEN-O’-WAR RAM < around ENOW
13 RIDER (I + RED *) after R(ace)
14 HAMATE HAM + ATE
16 ALTS SALT with letters cycled
17 CORNER COR(o)NER
20 ETHERCAP ETHER + CAP
21 ENCASH (b)ENC(h) + ASH
22 TAMARA TAMAR(i) + A
24 DARGAS ASGARD *
25 ANANAS S after (A + NANA)
26 KNEADERS homophone of NEEDERS
31 ÉCARTÉ E + CARTE
32 DOIT DO + IT
34 LIERNE (ov)ER in LINE
36 WOOER WOOFER − F
37 LUTHIER LUTHER around I
38 ERIE (e)ERIE
39 SPOOF POO in SF
40 DANTE DATE around N
Down
1 SURA (plea)SURA(ble)
2 ANILE A + NILE
3 ONE’S BAG (GAB + SEN + O) <
4 PERCE PER CENT − NT
5 SMOOTHS SMOOTS around H
7 INANE IN(s)ANE
8 NOM MON <
9 RATU RAT + U
10 TRESPASS TRÈS + PASS
15 ARCANE ((gard)EN A CRA(ftsman)) <
18 NED KELLY NELLY around (DK + (tim)E)
19 OCREAE OCEA(n) around R + E
22 TARTARE TARE around ART
23 MANDORA MAN + DORA
27 DANIO DAN + IO
28 SEWED SEED around W
29 SWEET 2 meanings
30 PIUS PUS around I
33 TREE (s)TREE(t)
35 WHO DOCTOR WHO − DOCTOR
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