Book: Legacy Of The Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti
This is the third tarot deck that Ciro has created, and it's his best yet! I have his other two decks, The Gilded Tarot and Tarot of Dreams, and this is the most detailed if that's possible.It seems that his decks have mirrored his mastery of the subject of Tarot in general. The Gilded is a good base foundation, with the Tarot of Dreams being more in depth. It also gave him and us a new way to experience Tarot, with the interactive DVD. This deck however has really gone even deeper. There is soon to be a website for this deck and each card with be animated! He has even created an entire world for his deck and it's characters to exist in.
There is a story of that world in the 300+ page book that accompanies the deck. The book is a wonderful resource, even if you don't normally like to read the "book meanings" there is wonderful insight as Ciro explains why he chose certain images or themes. I'm so thankful for the explanation he provides as to why the Knights are represented by their helmets, versus an actual knights. Brilliant! The book includes comments/interpretations by 3 other tarot experts. I really like the format used and would like something similar with other decks.
The card stock is the usual Llewellyn size and thickness which is always just fine. The deck has borders, but it's a "fade to black" effect which I quite like. It also come with the usual black bag. This deck is deserving of much more ornate storage however.
The companion book to the Legacy of the divine Tarot also includes several spreads and three correspondence charts: numerological, planetary and zodiacal. There is also a 14-page article on How to Read Tarot by Leisa ReFalo at the end of the book.
In terms of card imagery, most of the pictures remain the same as the self-published edition. The mass-market edition of the Legacy of the Divine Tarot isn't super-glossy like the Gilded Tarot (Ciro's first deck), but it's not as matte as the self-published edition. It's a nice medium, actually.
The card backings are the same, but the fonts are different. I'm not too big on the mass-market edition fonts for the card titles; the letters appear too scrunched together and reminds me of the "wild west" rather than a futuristic society. Ciro's original, clean font is far superior.
The box set of the Legacy of the Divine Tarot also includes a black organdy bag for storing your deck, as well as a plain white paper box.
As with the self-published version, this deck is a gorgeous and accessible deck. In my opinion, it's Ciro's finest. The Legacy of the Divine box set is certainly one of the best Tarot decks of 2009, and the companion book commentaries sparkle with great observations, personal experience, esoteric depth and heart. You'll even find some "inside scoops" on the genesis of card imagery (I loved Ciro's story about his inspiration for the 6 of Cups!).
Ciro Marchetti possesses a magnificent vision and the artistic talent to render it exquisitely. His Gilded Tarot and Tarot of Dreams are the stuff of legend - beautifully coloured and textured work packed with endlessly fascinating detail and a deliciously retro-futuristic worldview. His latest effort, The Legacy of the Divine Tarot, which has dazzled and stunned in limited release, is now made widely available in an edition by Llewellyn.
Marchetti's art pulses with action, seductively presaging the animations of the cards that he is preparing for his new website. The cards are produced in a style to show the art to advantage, the art fading in a gradient to the black borders. The words on the cards are minimal, which further focuses the eye on the art. The imagery itself is arresting - machines of superb aesthetic beauty manufacturing wonder in environments of striking intensity, elegant human forms in graceful attitudes, vivid scenes that startle and stir the senses, rich jewels, glowing metals, mysterious luminosity revealing situations fraught with meaning. Vision, vibration and archetype take the Tarot in new directions - inward, outward and beyond.
The Legacy of the Divine Tarot is stunning on so many levels--a truly remarkable deck for readings, contemplation, journaling, and sheer artistic admiration. If you even remotely like Ciro's other decks this one is a MUST HAVE. Highly recommended!
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