Friday, December 28, 2012

Tarot Decks: Tarocchi Massonici (Masonic Tarot)

Tarocchi Massonici (Masonic Tarot) was conceptualized and created by the two founders of Museo dei Tarocchi, Morena Poltronieri and Ernesto Fazioli, back in 2007. There are 22 cards (all Major Arcana) in this deck, and each artist was responsible for 11 cards. Though the styles of the two artists are different, they blend well and offer a beautiful and unique approach to Masonic symbolism.

Each card has narrow, almost invisible, light borders and blank backs. They are printed on textured, quality paper and are approximately 4x6 inches. The cards of this Tarot deck are titled in Italian, but they're also numbered according to traditional Tarot symbolism. This makes it relatively easy to figure out which card is which. The leaflet is also in Italian, but for those who can't read this language, just go with the traditional Tarot interpretations.

Packed in a pretty book-style cover, Tarocchi Massonici is very limited in number. Only 100 decks were created. As this is not a complete Tarot deck, it is really designed for Tarot collectors and enthusiasts, though it is certainly possible to integrate this deck with your own.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Tarot Decks: Tarocchi Gastronomici (Gastronomic Tarot)

The Tarocchi Gastronomici (Gastronomic Tarot), while only containing the 22 cards of the Major Arcana (plus a single title card), is an homage to the tradition of food and cooking in Italy. It is focused on the preparation and consumption of pasta as well as the tools used during this process. The deck itself has an old-world feel and a book-style cover. The images are consistent and have the feel of a collection of fine art. The entire deck is done in watercolor and ink, lending a sophisticated feel to the Tarot cards.

Cards are titled in Italian, which could be a problem for some people. Thankfully, they're also numbered (using Roman Numerals), making it a little easier to put the cards in order. These cards can be integrated into a traditional Tarot deck if you like, but they're really designed for the collector or Tarot enthusiast. The Tarocchi Gastronomici deck was issued in a limited number of 100 decks and there is no accompanying leaflet, so this is definately a collector's Tarot deck.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Tarot Decks: Tarocchi Alchemici (Alchemical Tarot)

Published in 2007 by Museo dei Tarocchi (Hermatena), Tarocchi Alchemici (Alchemical Tarot) is a deck of the 22 Major Arcana Tarot cards designed by 22 separate artists. This Tarot deck offers a creative, not to mention alchemical, interpretation of the Tarot. The term alchemical here is not really intended to refer to the mystical science of alchemy. Instead, it refers to the spirit in which the cards were created. The artwork on each card of the Tarocchi Alchemici is made up primarily of paintings. These paintings come together in a diverse and non-traditional way, giving rise to some unique interpretations when the cards are used in a Tarot spread.

Most of the cards can be recognized by anyone familiar with the Tarot as part of the standand deck (based on the Rider-Waite Tarot). Some of them, however, are more abstract and difficult to not only recognize by to interpret. Only some of the cards are numbered and titled, and the titles are all in Italian anyway, making it more difficult to understand this deck. The deck does come with a leaflet to help with interpretations, but really this deck is more designed for Tarot collectors and enthusiasts.

Artists who worked on Tarocchi Alchemici include:
  • L. Bergamini
  • G. Boldrini
  • A. Borlenghi
  • A. Carlini
  • C. (Catalani) & C. (Strozzieri)
  • M. P. Daidone
  • E. Le Donne
  • U. Esposti
  • M. C. Fioretti
  • A. Fomez
  • G. Lacatena
  • G. A. Leone
  • C. Lezzi
  • F. Lista
  • Nabil
  • R. Nardi
  • M. Pennazzi
  • A. Perinelli
  • M. Pompeo
  • C. Rezzuti
  • G. Rossi
  • B. Succi

Friday, November 30, 2012

Tarot Decks: Tarocchi eVoluti (Tarot Evolution)

If you're looking for a truly unique tarot deck, Tarocchi eVoluti (Tarot Evolution) may be what you're looking for. The 22 cards of the Major Arcana were created by 22 different artists. Each card has a style that is all its own and reflects the particular artist who created it. The cards are a strange mix of photography, sculptures, paintings, and collages. The cards are long and slender and is designed to inspire artists and collectors in their search for meaning in the Major Arcana. Please note that this deck only include the 22 cards of the Major Arcana, not the 4 suits of the Minor Arcana.

The included booklet has black and white drawings of each of the 22 cards and includes descriptions, card interpretations, and even a brief history of the Tarot. Of course, the booklet is in Italian, so if you can't read Italian, you'll have to use traditional interpretations when incorporating Tarocchi eVoluti into your Tarot reading. You can get the deck without the booklet, but this was released in a limited number (200 decks), so you may not be able to get this deck without the booklet.

The images on the cards don't always follow the traditional images on most Tarot decks. However, since most cards are either titled or numbered, so you won't be confused as to which card is which. Tarocchi eVoluti is primarily designed for collectors and Tarot enthusiasts, but it can also be incorporated into your traditional Tarot deck if you like.

The artists who contributed to this deck are as follows:
  • Marcantonio Bibbiani
  • Giuseppe Billoni
  • Marina Falco
  • Ernesto Fazioli
  • Claudio Scaranari
  • Claudio Parentela
  • Matteo Arfanotti
  • Tiziana Bertacci
  • Ornella Lamberti
  • Jari Casagrande
  • Paolo G. Conti
  • Jessica Angiulli
  • Renato Meneghetti
  • Annamaria Gelmi
  • Sara Rotta Loria
  • Flavio Bertozzi
  • Morena Poltronieri
  • Chiara D’Agostino
  • Octavia Monaco
  • Annamaria Gioia Giorio
  • Barbieri Calori martino
  • Elisabeth Frolet
  • Testi di Francesco Faraoni

Friday, November 23, 2012

Museo dei Tarocchi (Tarot Museum)

Northern Italy is home to the amazing Museo dei Tarocchi, a Tarot museum founded by Morena Poltronieri and Ernesto Fazioli. These two people met in Bologna, Italy in 1992 and became fast friends. Fazioli, who had been reading Tarot cards since 1989, was an expert tour guide and fluent in several key languages. Poltronieri was an avid collector of the Tarot and had been doing Tarot readings for others for decades. Together, they continued their study of the esoteric into the 21st century, moving their families to Riola, Italy in 1999.

When the Hermatena publishing house was founded in 2001, Poltronieri and Fazioli began some of the most imaginative and intriguing Tarot decks in the world. It was almost 4 years later before they began conversion of an old general store into what would become the world's foremost Tarot musuem. The process of converting a 400-year-old building into the Museo dei Tarocchi was labor-intensive but eventually paid off. Today, this enchanting building is as close as you can get to a Tarot paradise. Tarot enthusiasts from all over the world visit this place to view the largest single collection of Tarot decks of all kinds in the world.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Tarot Decks: The Parfait Amour Tarot

Created by Will Parfitt, the Parfait Amour Tarot is an intimate look at the beautiful side of life. Translated as Perfect Love, the title of this deck is appropriate to the images displayed. Cards use deep earth tones and the hues of nature and a closer looks at the individual 22 cards of the Major Arcana could lead the observer to delve into the meaning of life or pursue a powerful vision quest. The enclosed leaflet is written in English and gives brief meanings of each card. These meanings are similar to the Rider-Waite deck, so they can be integrated into your own deck if you so choose.

Only the 22 cards of the Major Arcana of the Tarot are included here. Because of this, the Parfait Amour Tarot is usually recommended for collectors and Tarot enthusiasts. Those who use them in readings are typically individuals who like to meditate on the beauty of each individual card. They can also be used if you have a specific spiritual issue.

Whether you use them as Tarot cards or not, these cards are a beauty to behold and a value to anyone interested in the natural world.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Tarot Decks: Italian Magic Tarot

Created by Terry Lo in 2006, the Italian Magic Tarot consists of only the 22 Major Arcana cards. Each card depicts a well-known Italian location, many of them famous landmarks. The locations on each card are not random and tend to coincide with the traditional meanings given to the modern Tarot deck. For example, you see the Vatican for the "Pope" card and the Roman Coliseum for the "Strength" card. Both of these images relate much the same message as the corresponding cards in the Rider-Waite deck. Because of this, you can, if you choose, integrate these cards into your own Tarot deck. The Minor Arcana is not included with this deck, so you'll have to add the Minor Arcana from another deck.

The enclosed leaflet is written in Italian, but since the meanings are similar to the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, this shouldn't present a problem. Both the concept behind the deck and the deck itself have a beauty sometimes lacking in modern decks, and the deck has a vividly historical feel to it. But my favorite thing about this deck? The cards come in a book-style cover and is tied with twine and stamped with a hot wax seal. Very pretty and a nice touch. There were only 100 signed and numbered decks produced, so this deck tends to be recommended for collectors and Tarot enthusiasts.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Tarot Decks: InContro Tarocchi (Tarot Encounter)

InContro Tarocchi, which was created by 46 international artists, includes 46 cards. Each of these cards was designed and illustrated by a different artist, hence the variation in the appearance of the individual cards. Some look very like the Tarot cards we're used to. Other are abstract or otherwise unique. The Tarot Encounter includes 22 Major Arcana cards, 16 court cards, and 4 elemental cards, making it an alternative Tarot deck instead of a standard one. When it was first created in 2006, there were only 500 decks produced, each numbered.

Because it is an alternative deck, traditional interpretations are difficult to apply. Though you can use standard interpretations for the Major Arcana, the other cards should be read in accordance with the enclosed leaflet (written in Italian). If you're not fluent in Italian, you can look at each card individually and try to find a corresponding card in the traditional tarot, but InContro Tarocchi is really meant for either a collector or someone interested in a slightly alternative take on the Tarot.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Tarot Decks: Il Sentiero dei Tarocchi

Il Sentiero dei Tarocchi (The Tarots Paths) is a poetic photo Tarot deck conceptualized by Giovanni Pelosini and Santini Del Prete. This deck, consisting of only the 22 Major Arcana cards, depicts two men traveling through Tuscany as railway men. They share key experiences of the human condition with human and insight. Both men are present on all cards except for The Fool, which is also the only card to really imitate traditional Tarot symbolism. This is an Italian deck, so all descriptions on all cards are written in Italian.

There were only 500 decks produced, all of them numbered and signed by both artists. Il Sentiero dei Tarocchi was created in 2006 and was published by Museo dei Tarocchi (Hermatena). It's a whimsical Tarot deck that is aimed at collectors and enthusiasts. It can, however, be integrated into your own standard deck if you so desire.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Tarot Decks: Il Gioco dei Tarocchi: Gli Arcani Maggiori

Il Gioco dei Tarocchi: Gli Arcani Maggiori Tarot deck, featuring the 22 cards of the Major Arcana, is a whimsical collection of images that are both playful and sometimes a little disturbing. The cards are generally sepia-toned, but there are splashes of blue, pink, and even a little green thrown in for color. Only 100 copies of this deck were made available, all of them signed by the artist.

You can tell by the artwork that the artist approached the deck with a slightly irrevent attitude. The cards themselves are printed on a slightly-textured matte cardstock, and the backs are blank. They're really more for Tarot deck collectors than for actual reading, but they could be incorported into your own deck if you wanted to remove the Major Arcana and replace them with these. Both the words on the images and the accompanying leaflet are written in Italian, just so you know.

Il Gioco dei Tarocchi: Gli Arcani Maggiori is a cute little Tarot deck that is designed for collecting and for any Tarot art enthusiasts out there.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Tarot Decks: I Tarocco Balocco (The Toy Tarot)

Unlike many modern decks, I Tarocco Balocco was not created by drawing traditional Tarot cards. Instead, the artist, Morena Poltronieri, took pictures of darling little toys, most of them old fashioned, invoking a feeling of nostalgia. You should be aware that the 22 cards of the Major Arcana are numbered and titled, but in Italian. Also, only the major Arcana is included here.

Published in 2006, this deck had an original run of 500 decks, each numbered and signed by the artist. The Toy Tarot is a cheerful deck featuring adorable pictures of wind-up toys, tin sand pails, roller stakes, porcelain dolls, and many other items from days gone by. Despite their unique appearance, these Tarot cards are interpreted using the symbolism associated with the Rider-Waite deck. I Tarocco Balocco (The Toy Tarot) is available, but you usually have to order it online.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Tarot Deciphered: Understanding and Using the Tarot

Have you been looking for a book that explains the Tarot in depth, but with a simple and direct approach? Released in 2011, Tarot Deciphered: Understanding and Using the Tarot does just that. This book includes individual descriptions for each card complete with guided interpretations. Ten different spreads are explored, each accompanied by a diagram so there is no confusion regarding layout. The symbolism of this book is based on the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, but it can be easily adapted for use with any traditional Tarot deck.

From the back of the book:

Reading the Tarot is a complex and mysterious art. The seventy-eight cards that comprise the traditional Tarot deck are full of archetypal symbolism that can help anyone to connect to the universal subconscious.

That Tarot can be used to reveal information hidden deep within your own subconscious. This book discusses each of the seventy-eight cards in depth, addressing their possible interpretations based upon the symbolism of the standard Rider-Waite deck. These interpretations can be applied to most other traditional decks as well.

In addition to card descriptions, "Tarot Deciphered" provides ten different spreads that can be used with most Tarot decks. These spreads range from the common Celtic Cross Spread to the complex Astrological Spread. Also include is the Healing Spread, a tool which can be used to aid psychological healing.

This book is perfect for both the novice and experienced reader. It contains all the information you need to further your exploration of the Tarot.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Tarot Decks: I Tarocchi dell’Iride (Tarot of the Rainbow)

There are hundreds of tarot decks out there, some still in print, others no longer available unless you can find a use deck for sale. But despite the sheer number of tarot card decks for sale, new decks are always being produced. In 2008, for example, I Tarocchi dell’Iride was published. Perhaps better known as the Tarot of the Rainbow, this deck is full of unique artwork and majestic symbolism.

Designed by Claudio Parentela, the 22 Major Arcana cards of this deck feature brightly painted scenes in a whimsical style. Traditional interpretations are applied to this tarot deck, so even if you can't read the enclosed leaflet (written entirely in Italian), you can still use this deck. My favorite thing about this deck is that it comes tied with twine and stamped with a wax seal. My least favorite thing? Well, I Tarocchi dell’Iride is really very limited in terms of supply. To my knowledge, only 100 numbered and signed decks were produced. Unsigned decks may be available.

The artwork on the cards is lovely, reminding me strongly of the 1960s. The colors are psychedelic and each card seem to pulse and vibrate with a life of its own. The artwork on this tarot deck might be in the traditional vein, but its still refreshing and captivating. And it certainly isn't lacking in color. The picture here doesn't do the deck justice. You really have to see the deck in person to fully appreciate the brilliant colors.

If you enjoy whimsical artwork, the Tarot of the Rainbow might be for you.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Weekly Tarot Reading: September 15th to September 21st, 2012

The Tarot reading for September 15th, 2012 through September 21st, 2012 encourages you to choose wisely. You must learn to trust if the situation is to resolve itself to your satisfaction. Be prepared for a new circle of life to begin.

Card 1: The Lovers— You need to choose wisely between two equally attractive things or people. But you will only be able to choose wisely if you feel satisfied with who and what you are right now. Get in touch with what is truly attractive to you before making your decision, because once the decision is made, there is no going back.

Card 2: Two of Wands — Excessive planning will get in the way. Taking too much time to think or having too many plans to pursue is counterproductive. Get your plans in order and focus on one thing at a time.

Card 3: The World — Pay attention to the realities of your life as it is and bring your expectations in line with what is real and true. The world and your situation is evolving, and you can also evolve if you open your eyes. Plans can come full circle, but only if you can see the entire picture.

Card 4: Five of Pentacles — Crucial to success is your ability to cope with stress and anxiety. Worries can paralyze you, so face despair and worry head on. Get busy. Sitting back and doing nothing won't get you anywhere.

Card 5: Eight of Pentacles — In the past you saw the gain resulting from the best use of talent and attending to details. But too much perfectionism wasts times. Perfection may have been the goal, but you're moving forward now, so let perfection go.

Card 6: Four of Swords — You will soon evaluate the necessity of seclusion, detachment, and retreat. These may be methods for accomplishing your goals, so be prepared to spend some quality time with yourself. In this way you might be able to avoid unnecessary pair and stress.

Card 7: The Hermit — You are surrounded by sources of good advice, but you must be willing to seek them out and ask for help. Get out of your routine and use introspection for self-mastery. Being a little eccentric may help you now, but don't take it too extremes.

Card 8: The High Priestess — Others may see you as intuitive and deeply spiritual. Some think you are mysterious and powerful because you seem connected to forces outside the normal range of perception. Chaos does not seem to affect you like it does other people.

Card 9: The Magician — You hope you are clever and skillful enough to transform your situation in a way that benefits you, but you fear you might not be able to. You may fear your own power or the more esoteric aspects of life.

Card 10: The Fool — Knowing how to trust and inspire trust in others is a valuable quality. A new cycle or adventure will begin. Look at each part of the situation as if you're seeing it for the first time. Enjoy this and learn what you can. Try to go with the flow.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Weekly Tarot Reading: September 8th to September 14th 2012

The Tarot reading for September 8th, 2012 through September 14th, 2012 encourages a pragmatic approach to the situation at hand. Ambition can either win the day or cause you to overreach, so be calm while you navigate the twists and turns presented to you.

Card 1: King of Pentacles — You need to display your pragmatic side and play the political game to get ahead. Interact comfortably with everyone no matter who they are or how you might personally feel about them. Doing things yourself may benefit you.

Card 2: Nine of Cups — A lack fulfillment blocks progress. Present goals may not be in your own best interets. A wish fulfilled may not truly satisfy you. Look deeper if you're hoping for true satisfaction. Expecting things to happen in a certain way can keep you from seeing something important.

Card 3: Five of Wands — Competition is good, but is should be with a healthy respect for your opponent. Try to see things through your opponent's eyes and things will go smoother for both of you.

Card 4: The Magician — You must be able to identify and use the resources at your disposal to make thing happen the way you want them to happen. Tap the infinitive energy of your own subconscious to weave your way though the trials ahead.

Card 5: Three of Swords — Past sorrow and pain is still affecting your present situation. It's important that you understand how. Repressing your sorrow only leads to hostility and anger. Deal with your loss so you can move forward and reap the rewards you so desperately seek.

Card 6: King of Wands — The time to be dynamic and take action will soon be at hand. You must be ready to assume the dominant position and take decisive action. Quick but studious thinking will be required.

Card 7: Ten of Wands — You are surrounded by forces of oppression. Fighting these forces takes more than you can give. Though stressed and overcommitted, you must go on and keep these committments. Conserve your energy and pace yourself until you get through this arduous task.

Card 8: Knight of Swords — Others may see you as ingenious, clever, and outspoken. They believe that you are not afraid to respond directly or to fight for an idea. Most see that you can turn ideas into reality with skill and foresight. Now is the time to take advantage of this, even if some people thing you are frustrated and a little too aggressive.

Card 9: The Sun — You hope that everything will be sunny and bright, but fear this may be too much to expect. Ideals and goals are tenuous and can escape if you hold them too tightly. But the process of attaining these goals can satisfy as much as getting what you want.

Card 10: Knight of Wands — Ambition will rule the day for good or ill. Think before you act or your goals will slip away from you. Too much movement may incite quarrels. Stay calm and harness your passion and you will go far.