Tarot de Mars by Celine Guichard

Yet another new and interesting deck arrived today, perhaps not one to anyone taste (but then as the French say: "les goûts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas".

Speaking from France: this is where this deck came from namely from the art collective "le dernier cri" (what can be translated to both "the last scream" or "the latets fashion"). Le dernier cri has printed (among other works) these last few years some creative re-imaginings of the Tarot de Marseille - some very far some closer, yet always with a sting and even the potential to shock some.

The shocking potential in this one is limited to some "alive" members on some cards but not in an in-your-face way - the biggest discussion may be if this is a TdM or not, it adheres to the structure, yes, but at some places the images is very different....

I for myself resolve the categorization "problem" by filing them under the handle Neo-Marseilles (a yes but-no but sulution that yet recognizes it's ancestors.

As with all it's prints this too is in a limited edition run (500 for this one) offset printed.

You can obtain the deck here 

Mon Tarot De Marseille by Tarotland (Emmanuelle Patrigeon)

I LOVE the tarot de Marseille pattern, in all it's facets from the reproduction (cleaned up or facsimile of the state they are now) to the most modern interpretations of it, and although I'm always hunting for new decks (my name is Stefan and I'm a tarot-holic) I must admit finding one that is part of the Marseilles family procures me some extra pleasure, perhaps because perhaps 1/5 decks (or even less) that come out are Marseilles.



Not as much a radical reinterpretation but more of a up to date view of the age old imagery, this deck has potential to open the TdM to new audiences it's not an earth shocking or complicated or even threatening deck but one that has commercial potential.

The thing that may bring new curious persons to the Marseilles is the one thing that makes it different from it's 'ancestors'  fresh vibrant colors, for the minors backgrounds that are not white or beige and above all the cards have something dynamic, opposed to the 'classic' TdM that for many look static that seems to keep many at a distance.

Off course this deck has it's weaknesses also (at least to me, but then who am I? What I may find a negative, others might be raving enthusiastic about...) and the biggest thing that bugs me is the use of a computer program style poser or alike to create the persons in the deck, such programs have grown a lot these last years, I can clearly see that when I order decks created by this precede in chronological order, yet still the lack something that makes the cards 'come' alive or pull me in the same way the original naive yet charmingly imperfect century old decks can.

From what I gather from her site the artist she was both inspired by the tradition with she followed and brought into the 21st century and  added her views upon it,  represented by the journey of the fool (the classic part) and she augmented it with the 12 works of Hercules representing to her the journey of the soul towards growth.

You can get the deck at the artists site here

Triomphes MMXII by Bertrand Saint-Guillain

Bertrand Saint-Guillain who back in 2001 created the Triomphes De Paris a back to the roots version of the Tarot de Marseille inspired by Jacques Viéville has also created this deck on the complete opposite of the spectrum where the first one was traditional, this deck looks modern and sharp.
This deck I'd categorize as Neo-Marseilles is one nice addition to my collection

Both decks are forming a nice contrast to each other and at the same time a good couple (opposites attract they say...) and dispite their differences there are many aspect that bind them together also, better fitted than many human 'relations' I dare to say!

This is a deck with a personality and with living personalities in it, some personal friends of the artist, among who one may easily recognize Enrique Enriquez, as the Magician; Mary Greer as the High Priestess - even the creator of the deck himself is represented as card number 16.

This majors only tarot was published as a limited edition of 200 deck and is still available at the artists website here.

Triomphes De Paris - Fac-Simile edition

Sadly for collectors and all other kind of lovers of 'old styled' tarots the original hand-made edition is now OOP (one can not start to wonder how long it will take before these will pop-up on eBay and other similar sites at at least double the price they originally went for...).

But O rejoice all how procrastinated to long, heard to late about it, didn't have the necessary money at the moment or all those who want a double .....Bertrand has decided to make it available in a modernly printed edition

This 'industrial edition' is more resistant and can be handled without taking special care and are up for a good shuffling. The cards are a bit smaller than the hand-made edition (at 6cm x 4cm), yet the images themselves are approximately the same size because the resizing is mainly a result from cropping the formerly impressive white borders (that fitted the original, hand-crafted very well, giving them the look of 22 individual works of art).

You can get it directly from the artists on-line shop. 

Le Tarot Des Archétypes by Bernard Chaumeil

The last few years and even decade the  tarot has left the traditional places where he was to be found and entered a more mainstream phase of its existence, one of these are the Jungian (based) therapies.

The creator of this deck who approaches the person as a whole taking into account the psyche and  body but also the social dimension of the person has created this deck as a way to help us identify problems and linked to them strengths and so proposing a solution to mend those.

All 22 cards in this colourful and semi (or in some cards almost entirely abstract) deck have been renamed and received 2 'titles', representing polarised archetypal dynamics, 22 human resources linked to 22 problems, called archetypes. These 22 archetypes correspond relatively well to the classic tarot archetypes or some of their aspects.

Tarot de Marseille Millenium Edition

I'm back with a new TdM (I do tend to post a lot of those don't I?)

This time it's not a historical reprint or a modern interpretation but rather a 'reconstruction'. Wilfried Houdouin worked more than 10 years upon this deck, and took as base for it the TdM type II and  the sacred geometry of the Metatron's cube this in an effort to create what in his opinion would be a the  true TdM as imagined by the original master cardmakes.
The cards first appeared in his book "Le code sacré du Tarot" (in French) and where later the same year published as a deck.

You can find more information (in French of English - to change languages go to the bottom of the page) on his website.

Les 22 Portes by Nadine et Michel Auzas-Mille

Some tarot pearls are not published as decks but appear as illustrations inside a book,  as are these 22 wonderful cards do. They appeared in the French book with the looooong title and subtitle: 'Les 22 Portes - essai pour une approche spirituelle, au seuil du 3ème millénaire, à partir de la symbolique des arcanes de Tarot' (The Doors 22 - an essay for a spiritual approach, at the threshold of the third millennium, to the symbolism and the mysteries of Tarot) published in 2007 by Editions Cosmogone.

These big one page sized images follow the TdM tradition (in this case the artist took it's inspiration from the Grimaud deck) but interpreted and redrawn into 22 detailed works of art.

Triomphes De Paris by Bertrand Saint-Guillain

This deck is the result of a grand love affair, passion even the artist, Bertrand Saint-Guillain, has for the craftsmanship and art of the 17th & 18th century French cardmakers. Published this year, in a first edition run of only 6 (I have  number 5 and I adore it, it feels like a paper made treasure, an ancient manuscript in card form) if you wouldn't know what date it was published it could have come from any era (well 20th century that is, otherwise there would have been deterioration)

The artist told there could be 50 decks made if the molds can take the printings and if there is enough demand.

Inspired by the Jacques Viéville tarot as a lead, a source without following it slavishly.The black & white trumps are small sized, printed on heavy unlaminated stock, red backs are glued onto them. Worth of the great artisans this decks execution has been entirely traditional, excepted only for the substitution of linoleum for printing, in stead of woodblocks, and also for use of modern papers and a light powered heat source.

You can see them all and even contact through his website
Sadly the original hand-made edition is now OOP
Update: a new edition of the deck is available 

Tarot Taré by Olivier Texier

I have a lot of decks in all kinds and genres but this one is among the bizarre ones I’ve got (and that’s not an understatement!) For those wondering what the title means Tare is a slang word meaning mad insane ‘out-of-their mind’ a title well chosen when you look at these 22 cards.

It was published last may by “Le Dernier Cri” (where it is still available) who specialize in strange creations and in recently also published a tarot by Marcel Reujters, and that is now sadly Out Of print – it has in common with that deck that they are both published in a limited edition (this one has only 200 decks) both are hand screened, have similar sizes and have a similar flap-thingy that contains them. Thus far what the similarities go.

The “people” that populate this deck are strange weird, freaks, monsters and mutants but in whom the artist tried to pass some human essence through a look a hand movent or some other detail - it's definitely NOT for the faint or weak at heart 

Well worth the effort of to look into it I’d say 

Le Tarot de Charles VI by Hipeau, Gilles

Here is my second deck by Mr Gilles Hipeau (his other decks are in cooperation with Anne Hipeau but here I found no mention of her).This deck from 1982 is the recreation of the well known so called "Tarot de Charles VI", now housed at the "Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris", of that one only 16 majors and the page  of Swords survived.

The cards where redrawn and the missing ones recreated by the artist and published in 2 editions, one limited edition of 500 hand-painted decks and some unnumbered decks where left black and white, both editions came in the same navy blue lidded blue card board boxes decorated with 3 fleur-de-lys emblems and the title in gold ink.

Le Tarot des Grands Peintres by Jacques Breyer

This deck is also known as "l'Arbre du Thot" and under the English title of ""Fine Art Tarot"" was published in 1979 by the artist in 2 different formats the large one being 8.75 in x 4.5 in, (22 cm x  11cm), this is the one I posses,  and 4.25 in x 2.25 in (11 cm x 5,5 cm) and sold in a nice wooden box, and to make the whole even more special the edges where gilded, there was also a version of this deck distributed by US Games Inc. in 1981 for the USA.

The creator started his work linking the 22 majors to great works of art in the spring of 1979, (and a great season that is to let things grow organically isn't it?), using sections of these pieces of classical art, well known paintings by famous artists (for ex. Botticelli , Bosh, Rubens and many more), illuminations from manuscripts and colored engravings he created a nicely balanced yet eclectic deck that portrays the creative genius from past era's linked to the tarot archetypes. He also gave every card a motto fitting each card's personality and actions..

Le Tarot Traditionnel by Jean Chaboseau

Yet another treasure from another era- created & printing during or just after WWII, this deck does show a certain agelessness, it could have been printed recently or over 100 years ago. It is a well balanced mix of age-old artistry and a style non limited or limited to fading fashions.

The majors are different than the WCS and Marseille decks and show an elegant yet powerful view of the archetypes, due to it's bi-tonal coloring namely deep reds on a yellow (originally white?) background. The minors seem to follow the design from Eudes Picard executed in a flowing & elegant design showing the craftsmanship of the artist..

 

Below you can find a picture of the original box it came in - a bit damaged but knowing its age still a pretty good  condition

 

Minotarot by Eric Provoost.

This is yet another piece I’ve obtained from the Hans Wesseling-Collection (see A.E. Thierens Tarot , Tarot de Marseille by Gilles and Anne Hipeau, Gli Arcani di Elisabetta (color) & Annabella Magie Noire Tarot). 

Self published in 1982 this remarkable deck using only a minimal pallet of black, white and a something between deep red and brown. One of the peculiarities is that it has 2 numberings showing 2 possible sequences, there is the normal one (in roman numerals through all the majors and minors in Arabic all in traditional order – but with the suits being spades, hearts, clubs & diamonds), and then there is the numbering devised by the artist so you can lay out the cards in a panorama telling the story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

The Minotarot was published in a limited edition of 2000 and has achieved to gain a status as being very collectible and sought after so if you happen to stumble upon one (at a good price) snatch it up immediately because if you don’t there are lots who will!

Les Tarots Du Non Être Suprême - le livre qui parle

Highly esoteric decks that are very balanced in their structure convey the system they are based upon and are artistically very nice to look at they exist - proof of it is right here.
In stunning black and white images with an oriental feeling, lots of Buddha's and Buddha like figures represent the supreme un-namable being as seen through the various archetypes he presents himself to those on the lower planes of existence.

This French deck was published in 1979 as 22 oversized (37 x 17 cm) prints with a few pages of information and poetic descriptions of some cards, who have all been renamed to fit the system behind it .

3 faces of Tarot - Variations on a Marseilles

Some 10 years after the first silkscreened and 4 years after the second printed edition of his 'Tarot de la Félicité' came out Pierrick Pinot has now released 2 new decks the 'Le Tarot des Renart' and the 'Le Tarot De Minuit', these last 2 are variations of the first, but what nice variations they are!

With his 'Tarot de la Félicité' Mr Pinot tried to go back to the style and feeling of the old Tarot de Marseilles decks like the Jacques Vieville and Nicolas Conver making a synthesis of these but then with a fine art feeling nicely printed on very thick card stock making it a true gem of craftsmanship.

Last month saw the release of 2 new decks that are born out of the Félicité, the first is the 'Le Tarot des Renart' a stripped down and lightened up version, that feels more close to the older Marseilles, with the second Pierrick wanted to create a deck 'as they arise in the imagination of the person who designs, just before they are embodied' the result is a quite psychedelic deck.

All 3 versions are limited edition major only decks and are availlable at the artists eBay shop here

The artists home page is here but for the moment only the 2 last decks are not yet mentioned in the English version only in the French.

Le Tarot de l'Etoile

Big, very dense and yes also weird could be a way to describe this true find - and one i'm very proud of having in my collection a new treasure to add to my ever growing collection.

This majors only deck was printed in 1979 in Paris in a limited edition of 303 decks by the Mouvement Nouvelle Civilisation a French esoteric organization and comes in a nice wooden wooden hinged box with a bronzed Egyptian symbol nailed onto it as it's title on a paper sticker - the cards have the look and feeling of meditation or study cards with has the effect of not always giving the most esoteric result but intriguing it sure is!
The deck is populated by Amazon-figures, who populate almost each card, and filled with Hebrew letters and other esoteric symbols.The Tarot de l'Etoile has a very unique look that sets it apart from all others often if not always departing radically from set images.

Billard Tarot

Sometimes I do have luck in finding decks that have been on my want-that-deck-list for ages (and this last year it seems I'm very lucky). While searching on-line for another rare deck I just bought I stumbled upon the Billard tarot - I hesitated 1 sec. even not that much, even the price they asked was sweet (ok the box was missing, but then it was the cards I wanted, the box is only of secondary or even third importance).
The minors in this deck are boring - just a suit-symbol and a number or court-symbol BUT the majors ah those majors, minimal but elegant and even with a 'high-fashion' sense and look to them. The deck was self published by the artist back in the 80ies (probably) and still has that feeling of a bygone era where technology and artisans worked in perfect harmony to result in a great product of art.