Sparkles
September 2nd, 2009, 02:32 PM
At long last, I have this deck in my hot little hands, and it was worth the wait. Alas, I could not afford the special order deck offered by Marchetti (because Marchetti had created several versions of several cards and included those variations in a random fashion in each special order deck, ordering the special deck almost assured that your deck would be individual, unlike any other), so I had to wait until the end of the Summer to get the standard deck once it was published by Llewellyn.
It is not an inexpensive deck. However it comes with a simple tarot bag and Marchetti’s 295 page soft cover companion book called “Gateway to the Divine Tarot,” which tells the tale of the legend that is the focus and foundation of the deck, and offers Marchetti’s descriptions of the cards (without images), along with the descriptions of other Tarot experts. The book also offers some general and traditional information regarding Tarot and readings and spreads and correspondences, useful for the neophyte and more experienced reader alike.
The cards themselves are exquisite. The digital fantasy artwork is lovely, the colors are rich and vibrant and alive, and the black edging/background adds a sensuous/occult/mysterious feel to the cards. The Major Arcana cards are mind-blowingly beautiful and detailed. This deck uses the Strength 8/Justice 11 setup, and the only Major Arcana card with an untraditional name is the Faith card (The Hierophant); Marchetti explains his reasons for this change in his writeup for this card in the accompanying book. The images of the Pages, Queens and Kings of Court Cards seem to look into the reader’s eyes, inviting him or her to get to know the personalities of their respective suits. Marchetti’s use of a flamboyant helmet, embellished with correspondences of the suits, as representations of the intense, extreme, all-or-nothing energies of the Knights instead of the image of the Knight himself is interesting, and serves to remind us that the Knights are indeed soldiers who are responsible for following their masters’ bidding. The Minor Arcana cards also have detailed images that effectively bring to life the combined energies of suit and number, and the Aces each introduce the symbols of their respective suit with lush images.
The images on the cards are traditional enough to allow the new Tarot student to use the deck and understand the descriptions in the companion book, as well as any other books or courses they may be taking. The more advanced student will find themselves entranced by the details of the images and the story behind the images, both of which serve as an effective vehicle for the delivery of the symbolism of the Tarot. All in all, a very sensual and powerful deck, and I look forward to using it.
It is not an inexpensive deck. However it comes with a simple tarot bag and Marchetti’s 295 page soft cover companion book called “Gateway to the Divine Tarot,” which tells the tale of the legend that is the focus and foundation of the deck, and offers Marchetti’s descriptions of the cards (without images), along with the descriptions of other Tarot experts. The book also offers some general and traditional information regarding Tarot and readings and spreads and correspondences, useful for the neophyte and more experienced reader alike.
The cards themselves are exquisite. The digital fantasy artwork is lovely, the colors are rich and vibrant and alive, and the black edging/background adds a sensuous/occult/mysterious feel to the cards. The Major Arcana cards are mind-blowingly beautiful and detailed. This deck uses the Strength 8/Justice 11 setup, and the only Major Arcana card with an untraditional name is the Faith card (The Hierophant); Marchetti explains his reasons for this change in his writeup for this card in the accompanying book. The images of the Pages, Queens and Kings of Court Cards seem to look into the reader’s eyes, inviting him or her to get to know the personalities of their respective suits. Marchetti’s use of a flamboyant helmet, embellished with correspondences of the suits, as representations of the intense, extreme, all-or-nothing energies of the Knights instead of the image of the Knight himself is interesting, and serves to remind us that the Knights are indeed soldiers who are responsible for following their masters’ bidding. The Minor Arcana cards also have detailed images that effectively bring to life the combined energies of suit and number, and the Aces each introduce the symbols of their respective suit with lush images.
The images on the cards are traditional enough to allow the new Tarot student to use the deck and understand the descriptions in the companion book, as well as any other books or courses they may be taking. The more advanced student will find themselves entranced by the details of the images and the story behind the images, both of which serve as an effective vehicle for the delivery of the symbolism of the Tarot. All in all, a very sensual and powerful deck, and I look forward to using it.