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 

Bambolanera In Marseille

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy....well what goes for people is also valuable for decks, and for sure this deck isn't dull. This OOAK (One Of A Kind) deck sure is fun, (besides being a great addition to my collection)

The artist behind it and others sells his decks and other creations on Etsy under the name  Layla and Sagittis in his shop HERE.  The decks he sells can be divided into two times kinds, limited editions of 50 or OOAK decks, and also dark versus more "light hearted" decks  although the darker ones also have a touch of humor into them and the more cheerful also have a shadowy element. Not the cheapest decks, but then these are not use-decks but (more) collector items.

This specific set is Layla and Sagittis' take upon the Marseilles deck depicted with the house-model Bambolanera who can be found in different decks by the same artist.The use of this figure gives this handmade deck a cheerful, even cheeky feeling, while respecting the traditional and well known images, it's enough to put a smile upon my face.  

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.

CBD Tarot de Marseille by Yoav Ben-Dov

I'm back and this time with a new Marseilles deck coming to us from Israel, a country which produces very very few deck (this is only my second deck I know of and own from there).Mister Yoav Ben-Dov, has been a tarot reader and teacher for 32 years, so he knows his tarot.

The deck he worked on, aided by 2 professionals, is one of the most popular TdM decks around, to know the Conver deck from 1760, but rather than making a historically correct restoration his version is one for our modern time, for a modern public (with al the advantages and weaknesses that goes with that).The CBD is an artistic remake, bringing the Conver up to date to contemporary printing techniques and visual tastes and sensitivities, what is especially noticeable in the face expressions and the color shades that differ from the original.

It is a high quality production self-published but printed in Belgium by Carta Mundy (still a guarantee for great card stock  and high end printing)

The artists site, with images of the deck is here and here you can order the deck from him.

Tarot De Marseille - Isis Version

It seems to have been a loooong time since my last post here (shame on me) - and believe me it has nothing to do with a lack of material I want to share, because I've got a fair lot of new acquisitions.

So for my new post in over a month I choose this new TdM deck straight from Japan. The creator of this deck professor Tadahiro Onuma made with this Conver revamping (with some Camoin-Jodorowsky thrown in among other influences) a deck that might attract new people to the TdM with its colours that are both bright and lively, it's many natural facial expressions (watch those eyes they do add an extra spiciness to the personages portrayed) it even has a sense of space and dimension in it compared to the 'original' flat TdM cards. It is not what purist would call an 'authentic' deck but rather a Marseilles for the 21st century sensitiveness and tastes.

Professor Onuma isn't what you call a novice in esoteric subjects, he finished a doctoral course of the ancient Greek philosophy at Tokyo University, he also worked with Philippe Camoin in the past and  is also an Archpriest of the Fellowship of Isis (FOI).

Published in 2009 as a majors only this deck was printed in 2011 as a 78 cards deck for all to enjoy by ISIS (Institute of Study on Initiation and Symbolism) (this is the edition I posses) you can see their site here or order directly from professor Onura by mail (he accepts Paypal and is very fast)

Tarot Noir by Robyn Tisch Hollister

I do love many perhaps even all (or perhaps almost all) modern renditions or reincarnations of the good old Tarot de Marseilles pattern, and this one is among my favorite ones i must admit.

Robyn Tisch Hollister who also goes by the handle of Chronata on different forums and has created a few other decks has unleashed her talents upon the TdM.She gifted us here with a sweet and humorous looking deck, yet firmly based and following the TdM format, created in white upon a black background.The border-less cards are small sized and fit perfectly in the hand.
The deck is self published in a limited hand-made edition of only 100 decks packaged in a  little black handmade folder box , sadly for the moment her shop seems for the moment out-of stock.

Here are links to the deck and her web-shop

Heiri Steiner Tarot by Mary Steiner-Geringer & Heiri Steiner

Decks done in a naive art-style aren't a modern thing, there where many published in the previous century yet few have had a lasting appeal with collectors as this one. Published in 1968 by Rene Simmen in Zurich (Switzerland) as a majors only deck accompanied by the book 'Das Tarot: Die Welt als Spiel' (The Tarot: The World as a Game).

Just looking at it you can see why it became wanted by collectors, the simple childlike images are printed upon a black backgrounds in lively strong colours, no question about it this deck has personality. The cards seem to take their inspiration from the TdM model and also a bit upon the Papus deck.

The only thing I'm not enthusiastic about are it's backs that are well true '60ies but in a bad way (if you see what I mean)   

Tarot of the Psychicks & Tarot Tarot by Lynyrd Narciso

The 2 fun mini majors only decks came as freebies with the Tarot Rikit, but they are playful and amusing enough to deserve a separate posting from that one.

The "Psychicks" is an adaptation of the young urban girlie theme, these elongated figures (and thus also cards) are all form so nothing deeply esoteric but they are playful and just make you smile at the artist sense of humour.

 

The other deck simply called Tarot Tarot is a humorous simple black and white TdM deck, far from Lynyrd's previous TdM adaptation the "el Tarot de Marcelino" but cute & innocent (with a twist) and worthy of having in it's own right.  

Millénaire Tarot de Marseilles (Second edition) by Chris Butler

Here's yet another little precious one to add to the neo-Marseille* part of my collection!

This version, as did the previous one, was created from only photoshop custom shapes and clipart to form a modern, and tongue-in cheek Marseilles deck. Stylistically size- and colorwise Chris took inspiration from the Flornoy restoration of the Noblet Tarot but that is where it started but it ended up becomming a very modern vibrant even with a certain pro-active feeling to them, especially in the minors and it's workable deck for readings and a great item for the collector.

For those on FaceBook here is the page for this deck

and you can contact Christ through here

Italtel - Il Tarocco (aka Il tarocco di Tania Gori )

Yet again a small break from posting my Russian aquisitions, this time it's one of those modern TdM variations i adore and loveingly call Neo-Marseille.It's a full 78 cards deck with recognessable images and a true TdM structure executed in an angular almost entirely geometric style.

Althoug modern it is not really a "new one", it was published in 1989 in a big limited edition of 5000 decks as promotion for Italtel (a major telephone provider in Italy) The deck is bigger than most decks at at approx. 3-1/2 x 6 inches and that combined with it's stong colors and silver and gold ink (not gilded!) makes it a deck with a strong personality that stands out wherever you put 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.

Tarot Marselles by Alejandra Coirini

I love doing these little discoveries, decks or artists no one has heard off before, makes me fee like one of these explores from times gone by, there are no new countries to discover yet decks there are always and this Argentinian deck certainly was a real find!

There is something fresh to artist who come from 'outside' the tarot world, but decide to study the tarot as yet another way to express themselves, a hook on witch they can hang their art on. Miss Coirini apparently has been working for quite some years now within the tarot structures, studying it, by herself and through interactions with other tarot students the result of this being a deck that not only look nice to the eye but also has meat on it bones, enough even to be a workable deck.
The deck she used as a starting point is the 'Tarot de Marseille' and knowing my fondness for the neo-Marseilles I just had to have one! The result looks far very far even from the classic TdM, and will surely horrify the Marseilles-purists among us but yet it also feels right in a way, and who am I to contradict the artist when she calls her deck 'Marseilles' anyway (for me it's close enough to be counted). Elegant balanced and through the techniques used by the artist this deck has character in the most positive way of the word.

The deck is handmade and laminated (so you can manipulate it without fear of damaging it), provided with it's own individually decorated box and although they where not really cheap, but then what hand-produced piece of art is..., so in order to spread out the cost i've first got the majors and some time later the minors (Miss Coirini sells her Tarot Marseilles in both a 78-cards version or as majors and minors separately)
The artists website is here where you can admire har tarot and other works

The neo-marseilles!

I hear you think the what????
Don't look it up in a dictionary you wont find it, its a therm i created to define the new, modern and wild Tarot de Marseille decks (TdM) that emerged the previous century and will continue to come out in times to come.
The problem with classifying what a TdM is and what deck's aren't is that the TdM is still a living tradition,and as with all living things it changes, it evolves.The "historical" decks are part of the world they where born in, even if we would try we wouldn't be able to (re)create a true historic TdM only our view of it, as for the "modern" ones they are what the TdM evolved into in our time and world, born out of the classical TdM mother but with a different father, a different world and as our world is more complex and aeclectic than the historical period of the first TdM's so are the modern TdM (with i like to call neo-marseille as in still Marseille yet more and new) very much different form each other and from their historic "grandparents"
A prime example and beautiful deck all-round is the Tarot de la Rea by Alain Bocher that you can see below.

Tarot Rustique

Ok I admit it – easily even – I LOVE the TdM (Tarot de Marseille) pattern the historic reprints as well as the modern versions of it (especially the modern I would even say) and this week I found and received yet another one of those in the mail, I had never heard of it before, not of it’s artist (and very few things are to be found apparently about them online).
The deck I’m speaking of is the “Tarot Rustique” by Francois Joubert in a wonderfully naïve style published back in 1984 in a limited edition of only 600 decks, and for you all here are some cards from it..