Annabella Magie Noire Tarot (Dutch version) by Giancarlo Carloni

I was recently lucky enough to be able to buy some decks from a collection being sold off, so my collection got enriched with some new and interesting treasures.

This deck was commissioned by Lancôme (a luxury beauty brand owned by L’Oreal since 1964) to promote its perfume “Magie Noire”. The cards were presented and described in the May 1979 issue of the Italian magazine Annabella. But knowing this is a promotional item, it’s normal, yet not obvious to find always, to see it appear in other languages as here in Dutch.

The artist who created this deck Giancarlo Carloni did a wonderful job combining the archetypes of the tarot with the world of refinement and luxury as represented by Lancôme these cards breathe that atmosphere that would be fitting to any grand mansion or 5 star hotels from the seventies. 

Picture Postcard Tarot by Marcia McCord

For those into tarot tarot comes through other areas of their lives. A prime example is the creator of this deck, reader and all-round tarot lover Marcia McCord created this deck out of her passion for antique picture postcards and dedicated to her mother who ran an antique shop and died in 1983, the last conversations miss McCord had with her mother was about antique picture postcards.

From the LWB we learn that picture postcards were approved by the US Post Office Department in 1898. Same day delivery allowed friends to keep up with the evenings entertainment, as well as personal news. The images used in this deck come from the period 1900 to 1909 to for an eclectic mix ranging from the sweet to the comical and all possible variations, with depictions of persons of all walks of lives and origins to the personal taste of the creator and each time to make a great fit between the image and the meaning of each card.

This 79 cards tarot (78 + happy squirrel card) was published in a limited edition of only 50 decks and is sadly sold out now

Tarot Iniciatico of Alma Ajo

Miss Alma Ajo produced a nice little treasure here, well actually 2 as she sells them in two versions "as they came from the printer" and one version where she hand colored with added glitter and heightened color version (this hand made precede makes each deck of this version slightly different and individual).
I of course got this deck in both versions and am very happy i did - not only are these very limited, of both versions there are only 20 decks, but the differences and feels between both make it well worth getting them.

The style could be described as surreal with a sense of humor and a vibrant sense of life shining through, at only 3,2 x 4,8 inches they are 22 little tarot portraits.
The artists website is here
I posted images from both the "normal" edition here top as the hand colored (bottom) 

Nybor tarot by Nybor (aka James Robin Odbert)

There are many erotic tarot decks, most of them are a 'spiced-up' version of the Waite-Colman-deck not so this one. After his first encounter with the tarot, while creating  a card for the "Fantasy Showcase Tarot" this artist got inspired and researched & worked over thirty years on his own deck, trying it bring up-to-date to our modern world and sensitivities.

The majors are still all there but renamed and put into 5 groups: Beginning & End, the seasons, 6 "realms" cards and 7 family cards, all with updated.Sexuality is  the central theme ranging from soft to over and beyond the legal and ethical, because as Nybor says not everything is good and beautiful, but there is more also  - there are also elements from mythology, psychological insights, pagan & ritual practices and much more.
  
This limited edition of 500 doesn't come cheap but for those looking for erotic deck and for something very special could be interested by it.
For those interested you can see the deck,get information and/or buy it at the artist's  homepage

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

Amy Von Harrington's Homemade Tarot Cards

Fun things can come in little pouches sometimes, like this deck that doesn't take itself too serious, you can almost feel the jolliness that had to be going on while creating it.

The images are collage old stile it seems (being paper, scissor and glue method) to form images ranging from chaotic to playful and comical. Some of the cards are landscape others in upright directions (others i'm not sure what's up- down, or any-other-way) some images are filling the cards entirely some leave some border - the deck as a whole ranges from sweet over playful to a bit chaotic but somehow that adds to it's charm.

For those interested they are sold here and here  is an interview with miss Von Harrington
(o and yes they accept paypal)

Tarot MEM by Mark E. Merrill

Recently I received this very limited edition deck of only 13 decks (the artist always a coven hence this number).

Some tarots are produced in only a few months from conception to printed deck, not so in this case where the first seeds have been planted in 1979 by an 1960's Encyclopedia Britannica article entitled 'Psychic Boom' by Samuel Moffett, the artist was then only thirteen years of age. Many years and also many stages in the decks and also the creators evolution later the decks was ready and in my collection.

The long gestation period gave this deck the possibility to mature and gain a deepening and variation of tarot-understanding that fitted the personal study and insights of its creator, this include also some renaming and switching of cards.  

For those interested in learning more about the artist here is his blog

And here an whole page about the artist by the artist

I Tarocchi Della Cattedrale by Federico Manicardi

There are always new treasures coming out and finding their way into my collection, one of the latest new ones is this deck inspired by the carvings of the Romanesque Cathedral of Modena.

The result is both surreal and at the same time with a playfully ancient feel, some cards show only partial figures, heads, parts of legs or other parts falling outside of the card giving it a very bizarre and playful feeling.

Tarot of the Boroughs by Courtney Weber & George Courtney

Self-described as "a contemporary urban deck set in New York City" this is a deck that brings a modern-day and working view of the world we are living in seen through the eyes of the tarot - and pretty eyes they are. Full colour, glossy and taken with a keen sense of drama and esthetics these 78 pictures of true people, New Yorkers from all walks of life, including well known writers, performing artists (like for example Moby), some less known persons (at least to me) as well as ordinary people.

An interesting element of this deck are the stories told by the minors and that you can see evolve from 1 to 10 with the protagonists coming back as the court-cards.
The website of the deck with all kinds of information and buying possibility is here or at the Tarot Garden

Tarocchio - I Tarocchi Di Pinocchio by Massimiliano Frezzato

There are a few decks inspired by the story of Pinocchio the wooden puppet that came to live and wanted to be a "real boy" made famous internationally thanks to the Disney adaptation. This tarot adaptation is a portfolio (sized 377 x 285mm) by the artist Massimiliano Frezzato a well-known Italian comic book author.

This Pinocchio is fresh and with strong colours, mister Frezzato knows his art, and how to tell a story within a given frame - here that of the tarot and this without changing its structure. The scenes linked to each of e 22 majors are well chosen like for example Geppetto inside the whale as the hermit and as the World Pinocchio after his transformation into a real boy.

I Tarocchi Surrealisti - Emilio Ortu Lieto

This month saw the addition to my collection of Emilio Ortu Lieto's latest tarot, limited to only 30 decks it's not a inexpensive one but to me its worth every cent i paid.

Mr Lieto's has been productive these last five years with 4 decks, published in a limited editions these are  the:Tarocchi Gay Orsi , I Tarocchi Metafisici and the I Tarocchi Sardi.
The artist being a set and costume designer he knows how to create an atmosphere and hold it working and alive over the 'period' of 22 cards, this time the world he created was a surrealist one reworking the images we know all to well into something surprising and fresh.

With some luck you can find one on eBay or here

Revised Edition of The William Blake Tarot by Ed Buryn

This will be a first on my blog - I'm telling about a deck that's not yet out (but you can preorder it at now before October the 1ste a nice special discount). I am always happy to hear about great decks getting a second (or third) youth and the William Blake sure deserves to reach as many persons as it can, and 15 years after its last run a whole new generation of Tarot lovers of any kind will be able to get one!

For the creator of the William Blake tarot this deck has been a long standing passion, first he tried pushing Mary K Greer (to whom he was married at that time) to create one, but then after a (not that gentle push) did it himself. The first was as a majors-only edition in black, white and dusky browns printed upon thick cardboard-like stock. These majors only decks where sold at BATS where someone from HarperCollins saw them, was impressed and thus a new incarnation followed a full deck with a 79th card Eternity.

This new revised edition has had hundreds of changes - such as cleaning up images, reducing the size of the white borders, modifying the borders of the Science and Poetry suits, changing some of the images to make them less cluttered (as in the Ace of Science and 10 of Poetry), brightening some of the images and many other improvements to them.

The price of this new deck will be $32 plus $5 shipping, for a total cost of $37 each. For California orders, add $2.85 sales tax, for a total cost of $39.85 each. Orders to Canada and Mexico are $32 plus $7 shipping, for a total cost of $39 each. Orders to other overseas countries are $32 plus $10 shipping, for a total cost of $42 each.

ADVANCE ORDERS: Orders received before October 1st 2010 will be $26 plus $5 shipping, for a total cost of $31 each. For California advance orders, add $2.35 sales tax, for a total cost of $33.35 each. Advance orders to Canada and Mexico are $26 plus $7 shipping, for a total cost of $33 each. Advance orders to other overseas countries are $26 plus $10 shipping, for a total cost of $36 each.

The Major Arcana by Jak Flash

Supported by BCU's Students' Union and a Grant from Birmingham City Council artistic photographer Jak Flash recently has put on a photographic exhibition and consequently published his tarot inspired work as a book simply called "The Major Arcana".

The result of this project is a very personal and stylish creation, with many many deviations from the classical way the archetypes are portrayed and yet it all fits in.

On his website the artist says about this project: "I developed my own themes based around things like geometric shapes so that I could encode my images with meaning. The images link to each other and can be read to some extent almost as a progressive story, or commentary. Various signifiers are used throughout the images such as cubes, triangles and spheres to help communicate my ideas...." well in my humble opinion the artist has succeded in creating something worthy to be admired and shared - so I'll do just that with you.

Below you can find the images of the Lovers, The Wheel of Fortune and the Moon.
all images van be seen here

I Tarocchi Dell'Archetipo Blu by Claudio Parentela

At the complete opposite, and strangely enough perfectly balancing out the previous deck is this creation by Claudio Parentela, an illustrator,mail artist freelance journalist & cartoonist, very active in the international underground scene. He collaborates with numerous zines, magazines and publishers in Italy and around the world.

Mister Parentela is no stranger to the tarot, previously he collaborated to the Tarocchi eVoluti, "Tarot Christmas Tree Postcard Mail Art Project "and created a black and white deck that was later released in a very boldly colored version as the I Tarocchi Dell’Iride. This very latest of his Tarot endeavorments is true to his style, busy & chaotic yet also playful and original, the result is a art deck fit for the collector who is looking out for something different that leaves a strong impression - good or bad like it or hate it it will not leave you indifferent.
It's published in a limited edition of 100 signed and numbered decks available from the Museo dei Tarocchi (or for those from the USA through the wonderful Arnell Ando)

Daimon Tarot by Jari Casagrande

There are many sorts of collage decks some busy some elegant but they are for the most part figurative this one is the complete opposite of that minimalistic and abstract. The artist crafted these cards with craft papers and a handful of vintage images to form strong yet restfully images that capture the essence of each archetype.
These meditative tableau's invite those looking at it to take a journey into the collective unconscious, there you will meet Daimon.

The deck is published in a limited edition of only 100 decks by the Museo dei Tarocchi (or for those from the USA through the wonderful Arnell Ando) and comes in a big sturdy hinged box that closes thanks to a magnet fastens the overhanging lid nicely to the bottom portion.

Black Tarot by Masahiro Obara

I recently acquired this majors only deck after some considerable efforts by myself and my usual contact for Asian tarots. This stunning black & white deck was created by the (for me) unknown Japanese artist Masahiro Obara . The art is stunning and powerful and has a massive appearance without being crude or heavy the technique used is reminiscent of wood of lino prints but I'm uncertain that that was the technique used here.

The cards are unnumbered and untitled but are easily recognizable yet have definitely a look of their own. A true find and new pearl to my collection

Petrak Tarot by Petra Reiter

There are very few Thoth-based decks around, and most of them are of the darker brooding kind, this deck is the complete opposite of that!
Yes it has darker images, yes there are disturbing looking ones (but then what deck that has a equilibrated structure hasn't?), but that's not all there are light ones luminously looking some even with a happy feel to them.

But above all it's an deck with an highly elegant look, elegant figures and that leave a deep impression when looking at them. The artist has put lots of thought and feeling into the deck, creating at the same time a work of art and a true tarot deck. Based upon & following the structure of the Thoth tarot yet not slavishly following it rather reinterpreting it viewing it through her own eyes this is a nice deck to add to your collection.

The artist website is here
You can try to find it at Roderick Somerville or the German Amazon

8 Bit tarot by Indigo Kelleigh

There are decks for every taste, there are decks for every mood even, and this one is definitely for those who can take life with a smile and who need or want to put that smile into their tarot collection (and or readings even).

It’s a Wait-Coleman remake with may be specially interesting for those among us who remember the arcade games from back in the 80ies and their distinct graphical depiction, bet even those who don’t or had no interest in those may enjoy this deck! The images are rendered in the rounded-pixilated style typical to those videogames mentioned and breathe a fun lighthearted atmosphere.

During the creation process the artist released on a (more-or-less)-regular parts of the deck, 6 packs in all containing between them all 78 cards.

Sadly the deck is on the verge of going OOP so if you want one you get it from the artist here or at Tarot Garden

The Collective Tarot

Some decks stay under my radar and escape me - or at least for some time, the first limited edition of 500 decks published in 2008 escaped me completely the second one of 750 published end 2009 did not!

Despite it's not hugely original name this deck is original and worthy to get into the collection of all who are looking for something different. When you encounter a deck that descibes itself as: "queer-centric, radical-politicked tarot deck re-imaged to fit our times"you can not resist it (well at least i could not). There where over 20 persons involved but despite that the deck has a great consisty and is well worked out in structure and system.

Reworked updated, modernisized and with much renaming into the deck it is different yet remaining true to tarot structures. The suits are found magical objects: Keys (wands), Bottles (Cups), Feathers (Swords) & Bones (Coins) the court cards are fase cards are non hierchical system, stages of growth: seeker, apprentice, artist & mentor.

If you're interested in it you can buy one at Eberhardt Press.

Tarot de Jean Dodal restoration by Pablo Robledo

Tarot forums are a real goldmine for information from and by truly passionate persons, one of those is Pablo Robledo who uses the handle “eltarot78” and has a wonderful longstanding love affair with the Dodal tarot (one of the decks considered as one of the foundations of the Tarot de Marseille family tree). Mister Robledo has spent many hours of hard work restoring the original images we have of the deck to its true glory and one can feel the passion he poured into even at first glance!

I had now my first 48h with my Dodal now and still am very impressed with it.
What I find especially well achieved and deserving lots of praise is the subtle balance achieved in the coloring, the colors are not to soft or mudded or screamingly bold, and have a nice contrast to the background/cardstock shading (something very hard to achieve apparently because most historical restorations are or to white in an effort to be true to the original as they are supposed to have been when first printed or to dark to be true to the cards as they are now)

The material feels great also, not flimsy or thick and with a wonderful silky feel to the touch - a pure joy to handle. Something making this extra special (and even extra-ordinary for the collector) is the very small size of this edition, only 8 decks have been created.
This deck is a true pearl within the Marseilles section of my collection!