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Reviews: Tarot & Cartomancy
Tarot & Cartomancy Reviews
by Bonnie Cehovet
Tarot Master
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The Gilded Tarot
review by Bonnie Cehovet, TM
author: Barbara Moore
illustrator: Ciro Marchetti
Llewellyn Worldwide
2004
ISBN #0-7387-0520-9
suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles
court cards: King, Queen, Knight, Page
Major Arcana: Traditional (with the Hanged Man becoming the Hanging Man)
The Gilded Tarot is a Rider-Waite based deck, with updated imagery that students of today can easily connect with. It is a wonderful representation of the work done by graphic designer Ciro Marchetti - bright with color, and a wonderful use of the imagination. Some of the imagery and symbolism is traditional, some of it has a mythical, faery tale quality to it. It is one of those decks that each time you use it, you see something new and different. One of the things that Marchetti talks about in his artist notes is the use of animals: be aware that they are not always there in their mythical form - sometimes they are there simply to observe the action within the card, and to draw your attention to said action. If you don't realize this, you could read more than was intended into some of these cards.
For instance, the Owl in the Nine of Swords is there to make you ask questions, as well as (according to Marchetti) reinforce the idea that the scene is a night scene. The deer in the Two of Wands are there to point out that a decision is being made - in the Ten of Wands they appear to be observers. Death shows a Unicorn featured on a shield; the Ten of Cups features a cat; the Lovers shows leaping Dolphins; the Four of Wands shows rabbits; the Eight of Wands features sheep; the Four of Cups shows a squirrel and a mouse; the Six of Cups shows a cat peeking from the grasses; the Seven of Cups shows a Dove; the Eight of Cups shows a sleeping mole (to indicate blindness); a frog watches in the Six of Swords; in the Seven of Swords a cats watches curiously; in the Nine of Swords an Owl peeks in the window; in the Ten of Swords a deer looks on; in the Ace of Pentacles we have a weasel looking on;in the Seven of Pentacles we see sheep in the field; a mouse looks on, while a spider spins its web in the Eight of Pentacles; in the Ten of Pentacles a ferret peers into the wooden chest; in the Knight of Pentacles a rabbit peers through the greenery; a Peacock graces the Queen of Pentacles.
There is a Special Edition of this deck on Marchetti's site, at a hefty price, but the regular edition deck, through Llewellyn Worldwide, is at a much more affordable price, making this deck available on a much larger scale.
The presentation of the deck is along the lines of other recently published Llewellyn decks: the deck and book come in a box that opens from the top, with the deck and book inside, along with a white box in which to store the cards, and a black mesh bag (I know it is a cost consideration, but I truly wish that nice velvet bags were included with all decks). I did note something this time that I have not seen before - although it may have been there all along - and that is a set of instructions that go with the Little White Box (Little White Box - Little White Book: do we see a trend here!). Entitled "Caring for Your Cards", it includes such suggestions as embellishing the white box with protective or empowering symbols; wrapping the cards in a protective cloth or placing them in a bag; smudging the cards to clear their energy; and storing the cards with crystals or other stones. All very good suggestions - although some in the Tarot world may feel a bit uneasy about embellishing the white box with any kind of symbols.
Marchetti did a great deal of research before starting this deck, with one of the main reasons being that he did not want his work to be regarded in the "novelty" category. He has succeeded in creating a masterful deck along very traditional lines - a deck that could certainly serve as a beginners deck if a student so choose.
The artwork itself comes from the digital art venue - and is absolutely stunning! There is great attention to detail, and a very "otherworldly" feel to many of the cards. Marchetti notes that one of the recurring themes in his personal work is that of mechanical devices, devices that act as a bridge between the worlds of science and magic. We see this in cards such as the Wheel of Fortune, which has a mechanical base moving the Wheel; and in the Star, where we see a mechanical base upholding a globe of the world.
The cards are approximately 2 3/4" by 4 1/2", which make for an excellent size for small hands to work with. They are of good quality, glossy cardstock. The backs have a black background, with an inner 1/4" gold frame surrounding a jewel-toned inner setting, with the four corners marked off and a middle "flame" on a blue background. It would not be possible to tell whether the cards had been dealt upright or reversed.
The faces have a black background, with the same gold border acting as a frame (approximately 1/4" in from the edge of the card). (I believe that I get to say here that I prefer the decks that take the picture to the edge - I feel more like a participant than an observer.) Centered at the top of the deck the is a gold framed oval. With the Major Arcana, this oval is black, bearing the Roman Numeral for the card. With the Minor Arcana, the oval is colored, to represent each individual suit: Red for Wands, Orange for Cups, Blue for Swords, and Green for Pentacles. The Blue for Swords I can see - the color of communications, but I am at a loss for Orange for Cups! In the middle of the gold frame on each side of the card we see a blue-toned circle. At the bottom we have a gold plaque, with the card Title in black (for the Major Arcana), the number and suit in black (for the Minor Arcana), and the title and suit in black (for the court cards).
All of the cards in this deck are outstanding, but I have chosen a few to examine more closely that really drew me to them. The first card would be the literal "first" card of the deck - The Fool. Marchetti has depicted the Fool as a court jester, rather in what we might consider the "Carnivale" mode. This is also the first card in which we see one of the dominant themes in this deck - Astrology. The Fool is juggling the twelve signs of the zodiac, with the moon behind him. He dances with one foot in a gold hoop, and appears to have just stepped over a gold wand with colored ribbons on one end. I am definitely uneasy with this card - too much of the Trickster aspect here for me. From the book:
0 -The Fool
The Fool is at the beginning of his journey. All possibilities and seeming contradictions exist in this moment. The signs of the zodiac that he so carefully juggles indicate both the science of the heavens and the vastness of human imagination. These symbols represent all types of personality traits. Which one will he end up with? Will he make this important choice or will the choice be made for him by chance? Is he playing when he should be serious, or is his play filled with wisdom? Speaking of playing, is that gold hoop at his feet something he should be paying attention to, or is it a possible distraction? The Fool does not know, nor doe he much care. He lives in the moment, filled with wonder and curiosity, not worried about where the journey will end.
The Fool's message is one of unconventional choices. Take a leap of faith. Adopt a playful attitude in a serious situation. You are at a crossroads, and you have no way of knowing where each road will end. Pick one that strikes your fancy and set out with courage and a light heart. Prepare to meet all challenges with confidence.
Be aware of carelessness and folly. There is a difference between taking a risk and plowing headfirst into danger. reckless behavior can lead to a long path of unhappiness.
The High Priestess is shown between two pillars, with a quarter moon in the background. The pillars stand in water, and the female figure is shown wearing a transparent gown, arched back over the waters of the unconscious with nine glowing orbs (representing the nine planets) hovering around her head.
The Hanging Man (Hanged Man) is shown suspended by chains from what appears to be the Wheel of Fortune. To me, he appears to be flailing, as his hands are free and out at his sides - one arm hanging down, the other bent up at the elbow.
Death has to be one of the most stunning cards in this deck. In the middle of the card we see a blue/gray mask. A banner featuring a white pentacle (with a white flower superimposed on it) flies to the right hand side of the card, while under the mask is a shield with a Unicorn on it.
The Ace of Cups shows a large gold Cup, with a blue eye centered over it, pouring down light. Arranged in an arc over the Cup are the six phases of the moon.
The Ten of Cups shows the typical family scene - but only the mother and daughter, and family cat, are shown sitting in front of the family home. Instead of a rainbow, ten cups are arched over the house. Marchetti mentions that this would be the view of the head of the household coming home to his wife and child. I find this approach a bit disconcerting - as if part of the family has been left out.
The Queen of Swords is my favorite Queen in this deck - and I generally do not like Swords in any deck! Her costume is medieval in nature, as are all of the court card costumes. This Queen stands, in her blue and purple gown, with her sword upraised - not in intimidation, but in readiness should she need to defend herself. Light glints off both the sword and her crown, to show the relationship between truth (the light of the Sun), her thoughts (the crown) and her actions (the sword).
The book that accompanies the deck is well written, with an introduction to the suits, the meaning of the numbers, the sequence of the Major Arcana, how to pose a question, how to choose a significator and such. My feeling here is that the information was very basic - perhaps too basic, and I did not see the need for imbedded references to other Llewellyn published books as references. This could have well been presented, if needed, at the end of the book.
Very basic (read incomplete) black and white scans accompany the presentation for the Major Arcana, and there are no scans for the Minor Arcana or the court cards. The text that is presented for each card to me is lacking in depth, and the description of the card itself very minimal. In a deck that is pushing the boundaries for imagery, a more in depth approach, such as the one that Rachel Pollack used for the Haindl Tarot, would have been more appropriate.
There are several useful spreads presented at the end of the book, including various versions of the Three Card spread (Past/Present/Future, Body/Mind?spirit, and Choices); the Celtic Cross spread and a spread by Katie Vyvyan entitled the daily spread, which I found intriguing. (The positions in this spread are defined as Works (whatever you are accomplishing throughout the day, either at work or at home), Home (the people and activities surrounding the home), Unexpected (literally, the unexpected things that happen during the day), Your Role (your moods, actions and reactions), and Outcome (the outcome of the day, and the spiritual lesson(s) learned).
There are two extra cards with this deck: one shows the layout and position definitions for the Celtic Cross spread, the other shows the layout and position definitions for the daily spread. Nice inclusion - I like this!
The Gilded Tarot is a wonderful example of traditional structure with non-traditional imagery. It is a deck that anyone and everyone can use for any purpose that they wish. There is some nudity in this deck, so it may or may not be appropriate for use with children. IMHO, the "fact" of t he nudity is overcome by the mythical/nagical setting in which it is presented. All levels of Tarot students/readers will find joy in working with the Gilded Tarot.
© October 2004
Bonnie Cehovet
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Bonnie Cehovet ,
Tarot Master, and Reiki Master/Teacher.
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Bonnie Cehovet is a Tarot Master, professional Tarot reader and Reiki Master/Teacher.
Bonnie has been reading the Tarot professionally for over ten years. She has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, including Secretary and Web Assistant For Links. She is currently Certification Director and Secretary for the American Board For Tarot Certification. Bonnie is also a founding member of the World Tarot Network.
Bonnie has had her work published in the ATA newsletter, in Geraldine Amaral's "Celebrating The Tarot" print newsletter, on the World Tarot Network and other internet sites. She is editor for her own monthly newsletter "Gateway To Tarot" (Yahoo Groups).
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