Tarot Review

PIERPONT MORGAN
VISCONTI SFORZA TARROCCHI DECK

US GAMES SYSTEMS, INC.
179 Ludlow Street
Stamford, CT 06902 USA
copyright 1975
reproduced from mid-fifteenth century cards Milan, Italy
printed by A.G. Muller, Switzerland
instructions written by Stuart R. Kaplan
purchased at Watkins Bookstore, London, England, August 2001 - 34.95 pounds

GENERAL: It was love at first sight when I saw these beautiful cards which are reproduced from of one of the earliest known Italian decks, the rare Visconti Sforza Tarrocchi. The Renaissance colorings and tones of mid fifteenth century Milan were instantly inspiring!

Although the original Visconti Sforza is missing four cards, (the Devil, the Tower, the Three of Swords and Knight of Pentacles) those cards have been artfully if not perfectly recreated from other medieval sources to produce a complete deck for this 1975 edition. FYI the word tarot is a French derivative of the older Italian word tarrocchi, which refers to a deck of 78 cards.

The Visconti Sforza cards are much longer (3 5/8 x 7 inches) than the average in the US today. Their extended length makes them more imposing but much harder to shuffle. Another practical consideration is that both the Major and the Minor Arcana appear without numbers or titles. This absence can cause some confusion between the Trumps and the Court Cards until you familiarize yourself with them (see more under COURT CARDS) while the unnumbered pips simply require that they be counted. Those Readers who are also students of numerology will have more work cut out for the little gray cells on the left side of the brain!

MAJOR ARCANA: The compelling brightness and unusual beauty of the hand-painted icons are reminiscent of medieval manuscripts. The vibrant yellows, reds, blues and greens of the clothing and objects in the Major Arcana personifications burst out from the same golden background in every Trump.

Although the Major cards appear as Renaissance figures they are in fairly classical postures. It is important to keep in mind that this is the Seed Deck not a modern derivation. The Fool, for instance, has no dog in this version and a curious wreath of feathers leading to speculation as to when the dog might have first appeared.

Another Major card worthy of mention for its difference from most 20th century decks is Strength. In this Trump we see a man holding an upraised club with a lion at his feet. Instead of taming the beast, the beast looks almost like his companion guard dog in the fight that is presumed to be occurring momentarily off camera (or card as you will). This opens up a different interpretation of the Strength Trump. Here the beast does not need to be gentled or subdued on the side of the Querent.

The Devil and the Tower (missing from the original) are noticeably different with more vivid and less delicate coloration although their depictions are consistent with what is familiar today.

My special favorite is The Hermit with his fascinating blue robe and double-tiered hat. In his right hand he holds not a lantern but an hourglass. Be aware that I realize that this says more about my life and me at the present time than the Card itself. One of the reasons why we study the Tarot!

MINOR ARCANA: The Minor Suits are also artistically rendered but present some confusion. There are no clues to their meaning because, similar to modern day playing cards, they lack pictorial representations as clues to their meanings.

The Pentacles are easily recognizable as Coins but except for Cards 2, 3,4 and 5 which bear the Visconti Sforza motto a bon droyt (the right path) in a banner format it is very difficult to read whether a pip is in the upright or reversed position.

The Suit of Cups appears as Chalices and is much easier to read with a recognizable stem and cup. For some reason, a bon droyt also appears on the 4 of Cups. The 2 of Cups is the only other Cup to bear a motto, amor myo, which can be translated as my love. A happy card in any deck!

It is easy, at first, to confuse the Wands and the Swords. They both contain long, thin pointed projections and the Ace 2,3,4 and 5 of both Suits bear the a bon droyt banner. To differentiate between the Wands and Swords make a note of their different background motifs. Another hint is to observe that Wands are represented as double pointed staves with bulbous projections at both ends while the Swords have recognizable hilts and are single pointed only at the business end. The banner is a helpful clue with Swords, indicating that the upright position is read when the Sword tip is pointed in a downward direction. You are left on your own with the Wands. The addition of the “missing” Three of Swords is not noticeable as it was crafted by removing two swords from the Five of Swords.

COURT CARDS: At first glance it is easy to confuse the King and Queen in all four Suits with Emperor and Empress Trumps. This is the result of the absence of titles and the fact that although the Royals are wearing gold crowns to distinguish them as rulers, the crowns tend to blend invisibly into the golden backgrounds.

The Knights are very recognizable being that they are on horseback. The Knight of Pentacles (one of the missing four cards) stands out because it is more roughly colored and drawn than the other three originals.

RECOMMENDATION: Because the Visconti Sforza deck lacks pictures on the pips and titles on the Court Cards and Trumps which provide valuable clues to stimulate the imagination and aid the memory in the early days of study, I would not recommend this deck to a beginning student of Tarot.

However if you are a more experienced Practitioner who is sensitive to the beauty of coloration, has an inclination to the abstract and a feeling for the medieval era, the Visconti Sforza Tarocchi should be your next purchase.

THE WONDERLAND TAROT DECK

US GAMES SYSTEMS, INC
copyright 1989 printed in Belgium
instructions written by Christopher John Abbey
drawings by Morgana Abbey
purchased at Le Nombre d’Or, 41 rue d’Espagne 64100 Bayonee,
FR October 2001 80FF (about $10 US)

GENERAL: Any lover of classical fantasy will be instantly intrigued by Sir John Tenniel’s original illustration of Alice on the cover of The Wonderland Tarot Deck. Unfortunately the cards inside do not live up to this promise. Although the imagery is based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass the actual illustrations are done in modern styles and colors. However, Christopher Abbey’s Introduction in the tiny instruction booklet was so delightfully simple and light-filled that I decided it might be worth a go. And I was happily surprised. The deck is moderately small (31/2 by 2), colored in bright, flat tones and drawn with a cartoon flavor. Both the Major and Minor cards are numbered and titled.

MAJOR ARCANA: Abbey’s choices for the Trumps (“the heart and soul of the deck”) are delightful. Of course The Mad Hatter is the Fool and Lewis Carroll is the Magician, Alice is The High Priestess and Death is, who else but, The Queen of Hearts shouting, “Off with their Heads!” The Lovers are hilariously represented as Twiddle-dee and Twiddle-dum, The White Rabbit with his trumpet and scroll makes a wonderful Judgement Card. When I saw my special favorite The Hermit as the Dormouse asleep in a teapot holding a lantern won my heart completely.

MINOR ARCANA: It is here that the four Suits break with classical tradition in favor of the story line which creates a little more work for the Reader. The Wonderland version is as follows: Flamingos = Swords = Spades, Peppermills = Wands = Clubs, Hats = Cups = Hearts, Oysters = Pentacles = Diamonds. Despite these new assignments the Wonderland Minor Arcana is still easy to read with Roman numerals as well as traditional playing card suits and Arabic numbers in the upper left and lower right corners to give you clues. The illustrations on most of the pips take their postures from the Rider-Waite deck, too. If you are conversant with that version you won’t have much of a problem with this Minor Arcana .

COURT CARDS: Silly but relevant is what I have to say here. The cards are titled King of Peppermills and so on, with the Knights on horseback are a very easy read. I am at somewhat of a loss to say why the Knights have a C on them instead of a K but am willing to be openminded to spelling variations!

REVIEW: The Wonderland Deck is light it is playful. Although it can be read on as deep a level as any other deck the illustrations make it perfect to use with children, who may be familiar with the pictures or anyone who does not wish a “heavy” reading. I am not sure this deck is still in print but if it happens to cross your path I would recommend it to anyone who knows and loves Alice and her adventures. Isn’t “real” life a Wonderland? Here is the excerpt I promised earlier from Christopher John Abbey’s Introduction: Whether or not you believe in the cards, they have proven themselves over the years to be a way of finding out about one’s thoughts and feelings. there is magic in that all by itself. Yes, Mr. Abbey!

THE FENG SHUI DECK

FENG SHUI TAROT
by Eileen Connolly
illustrations by her son, Peter Paul Connolly
US Games Systems, Inc.
Stamford, CT 06902 USA copyright 2001
purchased at BEADNIKS in Brattleboro, VT January 2002 ($16)

GENERAL: The painting on the cover of the FENG SHUI TAROT calls to mind one of my favorite Chinese paintings titled, The Wave. If you know and love that style of art or are interested in Feng Shui, you will want to take a closer look at this new deck by Eileen Connolly and her son, Peter Paul (who did a fabulous job on the illustrations). You may already be familiar with Eileen Connolly who is known for her Handbook(s) of Tarot. In the Introduction, she explains that the combination of Tarot and Feng Shui is a natural one since they are both concerned with ‘harmony, discord, blockages and balances or imbalances in your life’. Feng Shui deals with the outer placements and Tarot with the inner. Sounds intriguing, let’s see how well it works.

MAJOR ARCANA: The outstanding artistic renditions of the Majors make the use of Chinese men and women and settings easy to remember and beautiful to behold. Although The Hermit (IX) stands in front of a snowcapped mountain and holds a translucent paper lantern that promises inner knowledge and The Moon Gate is a particularly enchanting landscape. Two of the titles have been changed: Death (XIII) is renamed Transitions and The Devil (XV) is called Materialism. Whether the decision to sugarcoat these two titles is really necessary is left to the Reader, however it is a minor switch that is easily memorized.

MINOR ARCANA: It is in the Minors that the combination of Feng Shui and Tarot seem to break down. Here animals and colors representing the four cardinal points of the compass in Feng Shui replace the more traditional suits.

Wands =Black Tortoise
Cups =Red Phoenix
Swords =White Tiger
Pentacles =Green Dragon

While suit substitution is common in new decks, some of the choice of animals/colors does not seem to work in terms of traditional Tarot associations. Although the white Tiger carries the association of the powerful and crafty Swords and the green Dragon seems a good color choice for material abundance, the fiery and sometimes frenetic Wands as black Tortoises stretches the imagination. And how well do the Cups express their subtle, watery feelings as the red Phoenix? The deeper and more complex meaning of these choices may be valid in terms of Feng Shui but if so, the correlation is not explained.

COURT CARDS: The Chinese Kings and Queens are well done and easy to read. The Knights and Pages often are holding a message in their hands, which is helpful to the Reader.

REVIEW: Although the connection between Feng Shui and Tarot is a little weak except in general terms and even contrived in some cases, every card in the Feng Shui deck has strong colors and is quite beautiful in a realistic way. Keeping in mind that the Minors will take a little more work because they do not, in most cases, provide very useful visual clues to the Reader, the Feng Shui deck is easy on the eyes and a nice variation on the traditional.

© Pam Ciampi

<< return to index of articles