by
~*~Velvet
Angel ~*~
by
~*~Velvet
Angel ~*~
 |
 Legacy
of the Divine Tarot
Deck by Ciro Marchetti
|
This
deck is suitable for any question you wish to ask of the Tarot.
Deck by Ciro Marchetti
© 2009
The "Legacy of the Divine Tarot" is Ciro Marchetti's third Tarot deck creation -- and just like his other works through the Gilded Tarot and the Tarot of Dreams . . . the "Legacy of the Divine Tarot" does not disappoint!! I think this is Marchetti's best work yet! The scanned images above did not turn out well, so you can be certain that the cards with the actual images in your hands are even more beautiful than the samples shown here. The images of each card fade into the black borders in a natural way. And again, the scanned sample images above do not portray that well, but if you visit the author's website, you can see clear, lovely images of these cards as well as his other two Tarot decks -- just visit www.ciromarchetti.com.
The set comes packaged in a box that opens like a book cover from the top front, and includes the 78 cards, a black organdy bag to hold the cards, a plain white cardboard box that can also be used to store the cards, and a 295-page companion book entitled "Gateway to the Divine Tarot." The cover of the box features the Queen of Wands image, and the companion book presents the High Priestess on its cover.
From the back of the boxed set:
"Step into a lot world from long ago . . .From the back of the companion book:A world veiled in darkness after a cataclysmic collision that stilled the earth. Millennia have passed and only humankind has survived -- through the divine gift of dreams.
Exquisitely rich and magical, this new Rider-Waite-Smith based tarot deck by digital artist Ciro Marchetti takes you into the heart of fantasy. You can use this legacy from ages past to discover what you need for your own life as it guides you toward hope, wisdom, and inspiration.
The companion guidebook, Gateway to the Divine Tarot, presents the author's interpretations of each card's significance, along with additional perspectives from experts in the tarot community, including Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef, and Leisa ReFalo."
"Venture through the gatewayThe first quarter of the companion book details how the Legacy of the Divine Tarot came into being -- which is an interesting story in itself. It all started with a dream that was so realistic to Ciro Marchetti that even physical manifestations of the dream became apparent in his waking environment. Marchetti was contacted about the unusual images and art he had used in his previous decks. This contact was Gianluca Colombo who sent Ciro Marchetti a number of technical drawings that looked like blueprints -- and these drawings bore similarity to Marchetti's art style, yet the artist, Marchetti, had never seen these drawings before. They had been seen only by Gianluca Colombo. And thus, the author's dream seemed to have taken him back in time. Marchetti met in person with Gianluca Colombo in Italy to further discuss this work . . . with encouragement from Colombo to pursue yet another Tarot deck -- something that Colombo somehow knew or suspected that Marchetti would be doing. In fact, Ciro Marchetti already had ideas in mind, seemingly a calling to create his third Tarot deck. This is the story in short, but further information and details are elaborated in the companion book -- a very fascinating journey at a particular point in time that was considered to be a "gateway.". . . and enter a fantastical world of knowledge lost, a living holographic museum of wisdom waiting to be rediscovered. Unlike other museums, this magical repository of knowledge doesn't just contain information of the past; it holds vital guidance for our future. And it all began with a dream . . .
Inside the Gateway to the Divine Tarot, a variety of tarot experts -- Ciro Marchetti, Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef, and Leisa ReFalo -- offer compelling interpretations for each card in this powerful, transcendent deck."
In the companion book, Ciro presents his own thoughts for each card, along with the thoughts of tarot contributors Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef, and Leisa ReFalo. For each card, Leisa ReFalo provides upright and reversed keywords, meanings and interpretation, elemental and planetary attribution, gifts, and advice. She provides the main bulk of the text for each card. At the end of each card's presentation, Ciro Marchetti has also included a fitting quote for the card being discussed. Leisa wrote a nice chapter at the end of the book on how to read the cards,
The cards, measuring approximately 2-3/4" by 4-1/2 on quality cardstock, shuffle nicely. I prefer the smaller size of this deck to that of the Tarot of Dreams which is a larger deck by this artist, and thus, harder to handle and shuffle due to the oversized cards. The "Legacy of the Divine Tarot" cards, however, feel quite comfortable in the hands. They have a smooth finish which also allows for a smoother flow in the shuffling process. The color, fine detail, and tone of the cards are amazing!
The Minor Arcana pip cards feature the name of the suit at the top of the card, and the card's arabic number at the bottom. Court cards display the name of the card at the top, and the Major Arcana feature the card name at the top with the card's number in roman numerals at the bottom of the card.
I definitely have some favorite cards in this deck, and it was hard to decide which images to present as sample card images for my review. One of my very favorites in this deck is the warm and cozy scene of the Ten of Cups (pictured above at the top of the page). This Ten of Cups truly gives me that warm and cozy sensation with the cat and dog napping comfortably in front of the warm fire. At the time of this writing, it's just a month before Christmas, and I can imagine how Christmassey this card would be with stockings hung up at the fireplace. I also like how the Pages of the court are done. Each card features a child bearing a message in relation to the suit of that card. Pages can represent children or the child-like elements and innocence within us. So I thought it was a nice choice to present children for those cards.
As with Ciro Marchetti's well-known and loved work, the cards have a fantasy feel on some of them. And with the Legacy of the Divine Tarot -- Marchetti's third Tarot deck -- I feel like he did such a nice job in adding even more depth to include things like that homey and comfortable feeling in the Ten of Cups. In some of the cards, you can actually "feel" the emotion he has displayed -- such as in the Five of Cups, for example (not pictured above). In the Five of Cups, a woman who so obviously feels sad and alone, sits holding on to two glass cups while three in front of her have been shattered. I can "feel" from that card how her life has, in some way, been "shattered" like the glass in front of her. I could go on and on about various cards . . . but then this review would turn into a book! However, I think this third deck creation by Ciro Marchetti is my favorite of all his work. This one seems to speak to me on an even deeper level than his other two equally beautifully Tarot decks. This one has a nice mix in it that I can relate to -- a mix that really touches upon the senses in the way Tarot is meant to do.
As with any deck that strays from tradition, I wouldn't recommend this deck to a Tarot newbie -- unless that individual was also working with a traditional deck alongside this one. I think it's so important for one to have a good foundation in Tarot tradition, as that foundation helps them pick up a deck like the Legacy of the Divine Tarot or other non-traditional Tarots and enhance their understanding. This is not a hard deck to follow though, and even a new student to the Tarot may easily relate to some of the cards just from the images alone. Even the author has indicated that when he began his journey in the world of Tarot cards, he didn't know a lot about them. He followed his dreams, though, and from that . . . we have some magnificent creations by Marchetti! Collectors will also be interested in the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. Anyone who enjoys a mix of fantasy in the cards will likely find appeal in this work. And of course, anyone who has either of Marchetti's other two Tarot decks -- the Gilded Tarot and the Tarot of Dreams -- will probably feel compelled to check out this deck as well! The Legacy of the Divine Tarot will appeal to a lot of readers at varying levels of experience.
This deck is one that ranks on my list of favorites -- as do Ciro Marchetti's other two Tarot decks! I can't honestly say that I have any particular deck as being "the one" favorite, but I do have a list of favorites that I enjoy working with. This is certainly one of them!
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Angel
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Number of Cards in Deck: 78
Size of Cards: 2-3/4" by 4-1/2
Included with deck: A companion book of 295 pages, a white cardboard box, and a black organdy bag for storing the cards.
Major Arcana:
Fool, Magician, High
Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Faith, Lovers,
Chariot, Strength, Hermit,
Wheel, Justice, Hanging Man,
Death, Temperance, Devil,
Tower, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement, World
Suit Names: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles
Court Cards: King, Queen, Knight, Page
Back Design of Cards:
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See this deck and other
works of Ciro Marchetti at the author's official website:
www.ciromarchetti.com
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