TAROT DECORATIF

TAROT
DECORATIF

A Tarot deck is a magical illustrated book like no other.
Every time you open its cover it offers you a different and

unique story.

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In 2013 I attended a Readers Studio Tarot conference in New York
and announced I would be "retiring" from producing tarot decks, al-
though I still planned to continue working on oracle, Lenormand and
more recently a Kipper deck. The difference being that in the case of
tarot, with its structure and symbolic content, it was a category I felt I
had personally exhausted. There was little motivation or desire to simply
produce more decks for the sake and sale of. Without that motivation, the
effort that a new deck represents had little appeal. That remained my po-
sition until last October when I attended a TarotCon event in my local
area of West Palm Beach in Florida. At this event a presentation was
given by Russell Sturgess who offered an entertaining and compelling
perspective on the history of the Tarot de Marseilles, the core rational of
which was that its symbolic content was a "hidden in plain site" reproduc-
tion of the religious beliefs and doctrine of the Cathars, expressed albeit
ambiguously through the images of the major arcana. This theory pro-
poses that the ambiguity inherent in the imagery was in part a pragmatic
precaution by the Cathars to avoid further scrutiny and persecution at
the hands of Christianity's religious/political authority in Rome. The true
meaning and symbolism of the imagery was disguised through its more
innocent and acceptable “pretense” of a game, rather than as a blatant
printed reflection of their faith.

I found the presentation and his book Metanoia, on which it was
based, to be comprehensibly researched and supported with historical ref-
erence. Far more so in fact that many other books and documentation
that I encountered while researching this project. Nevertheless, it is a hy-
pothesis that is far from unanimously agreed with by other scholars and
historians. I also do not buy into the Cathars connection in its entirety,
and I don’t feel qualified to pass judgement either way, but the point is
that overall it was still compelling enough of a presentation to rekindle
my interest and motivation to start work on another tarot deck and this
time a Marseilles inspired one.

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So with that said,
Question. How should one best approach it when considering the
creation of a new tarot deck that is in some form related to the Mar-
seilles?
Answer. Very carefully and then step away.
(I didn't take my own advice.)

Attempting such a project has proved to being akin to making ones
way through a minefield, or treading over thin ice. It took less than five
minutes following the posting of my first draft image on Facebook to be
informed that it was wrong. An ominous but not unexpected response,
similar ones were provided to me with all my previous decks also. The
Marseilles as a group is principally recognized as the decks from the
early 15th century and as the name suggests, initially produced in the re-
gion of Marseilles. It’s one of the main pillars of the tarot world, sharing
the stage, if not in equal parts, with the other principal categories of tarot,
the Waite/Smith and its various clones, the Thoth and last but not least
the “others”. By "others" I mean all manner of cartomancy. From the sub-
lime to the ridiculous., There seems to be no limit to the imaginative vis-
ual and thematic variations of Fools, Hierophants, cups coins, swords,
etc. With the advent of more printing and fund raising options, the tarot
market is no longer monopolized by the major publishers and the gates
have opened to a veritable flood of individual contributions. An eclectic
collection of subjectively good, bad and questionable all floating their
way to market, and among them, mine.

But the Marseilles is justifiably an entity apart, a category much be-
loved and fiercely defended, and for many is considered to be the “true
tarot”, although there is a compelling argument that in terms of the origi-
nal or earliest decks, the area of Avignon may have an even more legiti-
mate claim, both from a religious stand point, as it was the seat of the pa-
pal Christianity at the time but also for the paper making industry of the

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region. Nevertheless the Marseilles is the commonly accepted precedent
and its heritage pre-dating that of the Waite Smith collaboration by sev-
eral hundred years. It speaks volumes of history, mythology and symbol-
ism. Or does it? For there is no definitive documentation that is directly
associated to any first deck and therefore no categorical explanation for
these intriguing images. Indeed it's worth emphasizing the very term
“category”, for there are numerous decks that fall under this generic Mar-
seilles terminology, including numerous contemporary faithful re-
workings accurately reproducing the older forms with cleaner line work.

This lack of specifics provides a perfect and fertile basis for any
number of imaginative theories and explanations and of course counter
argument to fill the void. All the information we have and understand-
ings we conclude about these decks are based on what has been written
about them by scholars over the centuries that followed. For sure, the
genre has been well researched and analyzed, referencing corresponding
and influential historical events, literature and art of the period. Scholars
over the years have proposed a selection of both rational and fantastical
insights for the imagery of these cards. Their conclusions based on any
number of factors taking into consideration the prevalent political, relig-
ious and social circumstances of the period that influenced both the con-
tent of the imagery and how that imagery would have been understood
by the mainly illiterate people of those times. But despite all this, the Mar-
seilles ultimately still remains a relative enigma, the words we hear it
speak are not in its own voice, but vocalized by others. Part of the charm
and mystery (and in some cases, conflicts) is that those voices do not al-
ways speak in harmony.

So once again I ask how does one approach a project of this nature.
How does one do justice to, or remain faithful to, an entity that is not
clearly defined. When there is disagreement or contradiction in both the
imagery itself and what has been written about it, which option should
one choose as the principal reference on which to base one's own adap-
tions. One thing is to make personal choices as an individual reader, to

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interpret the images in a manner that works for you and then in turn in-
corporate them into your readings, but when the purpose is to produce
an item that will be used by others, then there is a need to at least pro-
vide more rational and explanation of what and why.

Throughout the production of this project I reached out to a select
group of people who are considered to be knowledgeable and experi-
enced voices in the world of Marseilles, among them readers, publishers,
authors and artists of their own Marseilles decks. However, as I men-
tioned earlier there is considerable diversity in their interpretations and
their conclusions. For example, many aficionados of tarot, all far more
knowledgeable than myself claim there is a symbolic rational to every
color used and offer an explanation for them. I can accept that this may
be so in part, but not in all. In my opinion the sheer volume of variation
of which in the diagram below is but a small sample, suggests to me an
undeniable reality of the commercial context of these early decks.

Pick a card any card. Pick a color any color.
A foolish selection

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To my mind, unlike decorative religious manuscripts, produced by
devoted monks with less pressure of time or budget, the production of
these early woodcut decks would have been heavily tempered by com-
mercial considerations. Even if these various printers may have shared a
guild like commonality and monopoly granted to them by royal decree,
they were probable still in competition with each other. There was a de-
mand for the product they produced, whether for divinatory purpose or
more likely at the onset, for less noble pursuits such as card play and
gambling. In which case “high” art would not have been “high” on the
requirements list of an average customer. As such their production
would have been subjected to similar commercial pressure as those of to-
day (and I’ve dealt with the print industry for many decades), namely
the speed of production and the control of costs.

The quality of the craftsman employed and the printing environ-
ment itself were more likely those of a factory. It has been documented
that the workers would probably have endured between a 12 to 14 hour
day during which up to 2500 sheets per day would have been printed,
colored and trimmed into decks. The range of inks in their inventory and
how many colors could be justified for any given project, would also
have been an economic driven decision. A blog from the

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metmuseum.org mentions the following. “medieval legal documents,
which stipulate that artists should be paid for the amount of precious pig-
ment used rather than for a work’s size or for the amount of time it took
to make”. This valuation may or may not have applied to tarot deck pro-
duction but it does provide an insight into the mindset and values of the
times, which were considerations in other works of art also. The use of
blue in many religious paintings, often when depicting royalty and spe-
cifically the Virgin Mary, was not so much for any inherent mystical or
spiritual association with the color itself but a reflection of the extra costs
to produce that pigment, and hence it was reserved and used sparingly
for special applications.

I am not rejecting the entire correlation of color with symbolic mean-
ing, clearly there often is one. But if there is a corresponding one in the
case of these early tarot decks , it would surely have been known by all
the printers of that localized region and if it was deemed as being sym-
bolically important enough, I think there would have been a concerted ef-
fort to faithfully adhere to it. Whereas it seems that variety and flexibility
were acceptable. A similar lack of consistency applies to many other fea-
tures and to my cynical nature speaks more of production pragmatism in
the “business” reality of producing tarot decks.

By cross referencing, and comparing imagery from various decks,
along with interpretations and views from various sources, I then cherry
picked and made my own selective choices of what made more sense,
what to copy, what to eliminate, what to change and why.

The results are destined to be considered at best a happy medium,
possibly one that will not satisfy any of the hard core Marseilles purists.
Nevertheless I have chosen to produce a more decorative set of images,
but ones that I consider can still be read in the Marseilles manner. One
that might also be more of an appealing visual style for newcomers or
those who may have had little affinity for the style of the older decks or
found the lesser illustrated minor arcanas confusing.

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The Tarot DECORATIF simply put is a reflection of personal style
and aesthetic choices. I do like the classic Marseilles, so much so that I
had some framed and mounted in my home long before I even got in-
volved with tarot, but ultimately I found the older imagery to be visually
ambiguous. Facial expressions on the various figures carved in the old
woodcut medium are perceived through the admiring eyes of TdeM afi-
cionados as being imbued with nuanced expressions, portraying charac-
ter, age, even emotions. Whereas I found them unclear. Indeed if I were
to isolate these faces from the rest of the imagery that provides them with
context, in some cases it wouldn't even be clear which gender they are let
alone their emotional states. On too many occasions I simply could not
see what others were claiming to see. In many cases details on the im-
ages were given a rational and meaning that I could not agree with. Ex-
planations and descriptions were being provided for the most subtle line,
shape and negative space. Readers were seeing purpose and meaning in
every pointing finger, facial expression and element in the imagery. This
is of course perfectly fine, and what readers do… But I simply can’t buy
into the presumption that these details were all intentional and therefore
had to be respectfully followed in order for my own production to qual-
ify as being “correct”. Such purpose and intent on these earlier decks, if
indeed deliberate would have required a technical craftsmanship, artistry
and dedication of time which quite frankly is not present. The wood cut
images of these early decks, despite their historic charm and beauty, sim-
ply do not demonstrate the mastery of line work and printing reproduc-
tion to seriously be used as an accurate and intentional depiction of all
the meanings that they have posthumously been credited with. Even the
decorative content of the lesser illustrated minor cards are given an in-
credible in depth dissection, with each petal, leaf and curve perceived as
a nuanced subtlety. So far so good, but deliberately carved with its incon-
sistency as well, surely not? Misalignments, inaccurate perspectives are
too much for me to accept as having been deliberate and deserving of the
credit they are given. Such things are to my eye, reflection of the limita-

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The illustrations in this and the following page are examples of woodcuts
from the same approximate period in history. The sublime line work is
clearly superior in technique to that of the Marseilles decks. This is not in-
tended as a critique of either, or to suggest that one has more artistic merit,
but merely to support why in my opinion (I emphasize, only my opinion)
many of the details in the Marseilles should not all be credited with deliberate

intent and nuanced meaning.

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tions of whoever the artist or craftsman were. At the risk of offending
Marseilles aficionados even more, I personally consider the earlier Mar-
seilles decks to be far from the best example of the woodcutter art form.
Compared to leading artists of the era and medium such as Durer, shown
in the earlier page, the difference in technical ability is clear. This further
supports my assumptions, that commercial printers of tarot decks may
not have hired the best artists of the day, those who I suspect might have
found more lucrative commissions from the Church or private patrons.
No matter how rose coloured an aficionados glasses are, these considera-
tions cannot be objectively overlooked and dismissed when interpreting
the imagery.

One thing is to embrace this charm and historical vagueness as an
opportunity and invitation to come up with one’s own reading interpreta-
tions, another is to conclude those interpretation as being the de facto
meanings that have to be matched by artists that followed.

To be fair I feel a similar observation can be said of the work of Pam-
ela Coleman Smith, where in my opinion there are numerous illustrative
details and compositions that are 'questionable' to say the least. And once
again there is a comparison to her technique and work and that of her bet-
ter known peers of that period. There is much discussion to how little she
was paid and how she ended her days in poverty. There is some evidence
to contradict that, but either way one has to consider context. Hers was
an era, often described as the golden age of illustration. Increased paper
production and the printing industry were releasing many graphic publi-
cations and there was a corresponding demand for illustrations. It was a
relatively good time for the best in the field. With that said, the signifi-
cance of her work to the world of Tarot cannot be questioned, but I be-
lieve many details within those images can...

However if I have learned anything for this project it’s to realize
that any objective illustrative weakness, in the eyes of many readers, is
ironically its strength. The lack of clarity in these early works minimizes
any specific predefined message and in its place allows more room for

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personal interpretation. The importance of that approach cannot be under-
estimated, so this project was an exercise of achieving balance. One of re-
specting tradition in order to be faithful to these early decks, but not
blindly rubber stamping it. I personally couldn't allow that nod to tradi-
tion to override what to my eye at least, are flaws in those earlier works.
Had I done so I believe some of those flaws, which look charming and ac-
ceptable in the context of their historical woodcut lines, would simply
have looked comical in the more realistic form I was using.

Another consideration that leads me to conclude that the commer-
cial aspect of card production may have over ridden various theories that
have been proposed, is the actual proportions of the cards themselves.
The vertical portrait proportions are rather condensed, by that I mean tall
and thin. This is restrictive in some cases, and discussed later in the case
regarding the Chariot. It would be far easier to depict a chariot from the
side, with round wheels and horse profiles. But the tall proportion tend
to oblige you to show the scene head on. So why were these proportions
used. Many theories propose the incorporation of sacred codes in the com-
positions. By “sacred codes” they are often referring to golden ratios
based on the mathematics of Fibonacci sequences. Personally I don’t rec-
ognize the connections that are offered as evidence of this correlation. But
I’m quite open to admit, that may be a limitation on my part. Another ex-

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ample of me just not getting it... But nevertheless, something seems odd.
If indeed these proportions are there, connecting the dots as it were, then
it seems strange that those artists would not have applied the same “sa-
credness” to the overall image itself, or the size of the trimmed card.
Once again I think it quite was probable that the card size and propor-
tions were determined in terms of how many cards would fit on the pa-
per sheets and press size to keep costs and production time down. This
might also account for variations in size and proportion over the years,
as different paper and press sizes varied over time and region. Ironically,
in terms of the golden ratio, you might notice that it was however ap-
plied in this deck.

To summarize, in general terms I consider that the way I have de-
picted the major arcana is reasonably close to the Marseilles, but in the
case of the minor arcana, that is where I have gone off script by including
small vignettes of the WCS themes into the otherwise simpler patterned
characteristics of the Marseilles. Throughout I have cherry picked details,
poses, and concepts from various sources and decks in both a subjective
and objective manner, choosing directions, not always because I agreed
with them necessarily, but because they at least made more sense than al-
ternative options. There is also a common use of the primary colors
namely red and blue that are so prominent in the early Marseilles. In
other cases, shallow though it may sound, some choices were made sim-
ply because they offered more interesting visual opportunities. These
various approaches combine to create a questionable potpourri of con-
tent, but I don’t think to any greater degree than a myriad of variations
that preceded it over the centuries.

I have paid homage to the Marseilles in a number of ways, among
the most obviously of which is the use of French for the titles, Le Mat is
without number, La Mort untitled, the WCS High Priestess reverts to the
the Papesse, as does the numbering and position of Strength and Justice.

Nevertheless, according to the art-film director Alejandro Jodor-
owsky, whose own deck is much loved by the TdM purist, “all deviations

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from the Tarot de Marseille are nothing but inglorious bastards”. A view
that is shared by many it must be said... Personally I find such comments
both condescendingly dismissive and flawed. They ignore the only real
criteria that actually counts for any tarot deck, and one that supersedes
any style, or system, comparison to some nebulous historical accuracy, or
reputation of the artist who produced it. Ultimately it boils down to how
each and every reader responds to the final product, how they in their in-
dividual way interacts with a deck. And last but not least the accuracy of
the reading produced with it. That’s where the true magic is......the rest is
often just a new version of what is being worn by the character in card
IV.

So here we are, the Decoratif is what it is... certainly a deviation, a
hybrid, but hopefully not an inglorious bastard. As its title suggests, a
“decorative” variation of the classic older decks, presented in a more de-
tailed illustrative style. For an audience that may find it appealing or
who may have previously considered the Marseilles style less so.

! ! I hope you enjoy it. Ciro Marchetti 2016

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THE CARDS

I'm assuming that anyone reading this and using this deck is al-
ready familiar with tarot, so there is no need for the usual LWB, and this
document is not intended to serve that role. For the most part the cards
should be familiar to any reader. So my purpose here is not to teach the
meaning of each and every card, but to provide an explanation for those
cards where I took more liberty.

The background stained glass windows serve as a common visual
theme that binds the deck together, they are my own adaptions based on
the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright and Renee Mackintosh, both princi-
pal artists of the Art Deco movement

They vary slightly in tone from card to card while having an overall
commonality within each suit. However the actual patterns are repeated
in such a way as to connect corresponding cards, so for example cards II
XII and the twos of each suite will share the same designs, as would V,
XV, and the fives.

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As stated earlier the pips are a made up of the repeat pattern ap-
proach of the “less illustrated” style of the Marseilles where the emphasis
is on the elements themselves and the patterns their interlocking overlap-
ping creates. But I have avoided the floral background patterns and in-
stead incorporated vignetted scenic depictions from the WCS traditon.
These vignetted forms are taken and modified for the most part from my
own earlier decks. The purpose of this is to provide an easier and famil-
iar reference point for those readers coming from that WCS background.

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MAJOR ARCANA

LE MAT
Holy man, innocent man, vagabond?
The WCS fool innocently leaping off the cliff, naively unaware of
the inherent "foolishness" of such an act, serves as appropriate analogy
for the start of the Fools journey through the major arcana and a meta-
phor for our own lives. Presumably gaining experience and understand-
ing from the characters and scenarios the Fool (and we) will meet and in-
teract with along the way. The companion dog connects the WCS to its
Marseilles predecessors, yet clearly Pamela’s friendly little pooch, will-
ingly following us in our "leap of faith" is not from the same litter or

shares similar intentions as his ancestor
from the Marseilles, whose aggression
strongly suggests the presence of the
Fool to be an unwelcome one. His tear-
ing of the Fools legging, is aimed at ei-
ther preventing the Fools arrival, or en-
couraging his departure.

The Fool is an enigmatic figure that is ref-
erenced in many cultures and periods in
history. A figure of both ridicule and be-
grudging respect, epitomized in Shake-
speare's King Lear, the Fool enjoyed a
physical access to and influence on the
King. Arguably he also enjoyed the
probably unique and envied privilege in
court of being allowed to question or
contradict a kings actions.

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It has also been suggested that in medieval times wandering cos-
tumed fools may have been respected and honored, albeit cautiously, by
the populace and considered holy men in the manner of those who pi-
ously and voluntarily rejected their material goods in exchange for a spiri-
tual life. That sounds plausible enough in a general historical sense and
thus in the Marseilles also, were it not for the aforementioned symbolism
of the unfriendly dog. No matter who or what he was, the Fool would
have been considered different and strange. He would have been misun-
derstood, qualifications that even today often trigger fear and rejection. I
have added a small village scene and pathway in the background to em-
phasize both a physical distance and this social separation.

LE BATELEUR
Most of what has been written
about this card suggest that the items
on the table are representations of the
suites. Cups, Swords, Coins, and Wand
(held in his hand), and therefore more
than just a random selection of per-
formance props. But I question that
conclusion for two reasons. Had the
connection to the suites truly been the
symbolic rational for the inclusion of
these objects, I think they would and
could have been more emphasized and
clearly defined for what they are. At
the very least they could have been
larger, the small knife could just as eas-
ily have been more "sword" like. If in-
deed the item in his hand was a baton
from the fourth suite, why not also
show it more as a small baton in the

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Marseilles style, rather than a round ended juggling stick. And why in-
clude other props on the table, ones that even if you can figure what they
are meant to be, do not allude to any additional suites. I think this is one
of many occasions in the Marseilless where things have been seen and
connections made that are not actually intended. Nevertheless I have in-
dulged the theory because intentional or not they do add some relevance
to the Magician’s role, so in fact I have given those items on the table
even more clarity. Additionally, based on an interesting suggestion from
Russell’s book, I also emphasized the inclusion of three dice. Three dice
offer 56 combinations of rolls, the same number as the total cards of the
minor arcanas. At a time when playing cards were being frowned upon
as diversions of the devil, the role of the dice (pun intended) and this nu-
merical "coincidence" was worth including in the image. Once again
based on Russell’s presentation, he suggests the magician’s hat to be
really a means of portraying the lemnescate symbol of infinity which he
proposes is a diagramatic shaped direction and position that underlines
all the cards major arcana. I’m not going to argue the merits of that the-
ory one way or another. But I have emphasized it visually nevertheless,
(as indeed I did with the headdress of the figure in the Strength card) be-
cause, ultimately this infinity shape rational he proposes may have some
merit. I researched, but couldn't find anything close to the shape of these
wide brimmed hats for that period in history, so there has to be some sig-
nificance to them beyond a fashion statement or artistic flourish. (Or is
there?)

LA PAPESSE

The Papesse will become the High Priestess in the WCS deck centu-
ries into the future. But here she is closely associated with the Church by
title and crown. So I’ve used a book she is holding as visual connecting
feature to that of her male counterpart. But both systems refer to her mys-
tery which is symbolized by her being semi hidden veiled presence.

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There are some imaginative suggestions
that the Papesse was actually Joan and
who came to her position by disguising
herself as a man. Her gender only being re-
vealed after becoming pregnant and giv-
ing birth during a public procession no
less. Colorful though it may sound, let’s
consider a more plausible scenario,
namely that she may have been Sister Man-
freda of the Gugliemite sect. who man-
aged to achieve such a position of power
through family connections with the Vis-
contis, commissioners of the earliest Tarot
deck. Either way it’s interesting to note
that her crown is merely two tiered, com-
pared to
the three tiered one of Le Pape, thus still
maintaining the churches gender based
pecking order.

L’ IMPERATRICE & L’ EMPEREUR

I’ve kept a reasonably close color
scheme and posture to that of the earlier
cards. In terms of the shields, I always as-
sumed they were simply eagles so often
used as symbols in regal crests. Although
some historians claim it’s actually a ger-
falcon, emblem of Avignon prior to the
sale of that city by Queen Jeanne to Pope

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Clement VI in 1348. Both sound plausible but
don’t explain why the crest would vary from
one card to the other of these matching rulers.
Another Marseilles inconsistency or deliberate,
and if so what would that mean? In Russell’s
book it suggest the bird is actually a Phoenix,
which doesn’t sound as likely as the previous
proposals, but it does provide a possible expla-
nation for the variations in the birds shape. In
brief it suggests that in the Imperatrice its de-
picted in its fledging infant state, and alterna-
tively as a mature developed creature on the
Empereur card. In the absence of a better alter-
native explanation, this worked for me, be-
cause in the case of L’Imperatrice this line of
thinking reinforces the maternal mother aspect.
Indeed I have added a glowing winged shape glow over her womb and
positioned the staff and orb she holds as if it points to or emanates from
that point of “conception”. Alternatively L’Empereur is shown holding
the staff and orb almost as a phallic extension, not my interpretation I
must add, but I have followed along anyway. I have also maintained the
rather strange and I would imagine uncomfortable cross legged pose.
Russell suggests this overlap of the legs is a figure 4 shape, and is in fact
another “disguised” Cathars connection, as it resembles the graphic logo
used by that group as their “brand” watermark used in their paper mak-
ing. As a graphic designer that seems plausible to me. To be honest I
have no clue or have read no clear rational for what is depicted on the
emperors head in the Marseilles. Is it a helmet, a crown? So just created
something elaborate, admittedly still strange, but at least looking like
something more akin to headgear...

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LE PAPE

This papal figure who would become reti-
tled Heirophant in the WCS, represents (to me)
official church doctrine and power. and I have in-

cluded an image of an open
book (as with the Papesse)
to reinforce that concept.
There are two priests de-
picted in travel garb sug-
gesting they have come
from afar to pay homage to
(and acknowledge the
authority of) the earthy leader of the Church.
These two figures are shown from the rear in most
TdMs, and would be almost unrecognizable as
such were it not for the cir-
cular depiction of their shaved heads. While it
works, it’s a rather simplistic rendering and
would have looked more like holy doughnuts
had I applied it in the more realistic style I have
used. So I modified the imagery and showed
the two figures based on a tarot card painted
for Charles the VI of France. In my rendition
it’s worth noting that the crown he wears is a
three tiered one. The modified crown was intro-
duced by Pope Boniface to represent his self
proclaimed role as “emperor over emperor”and
was intended to symbolize his ultimate rule.
Not the most modest of pontiffs, Boniface ap-
parently also described himself as Caesar. Now

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I’m not proposing that the figure in this card is Boniface, indeed the three
tiered crown continued to be used up until 1975, but I felt it was worth
including if only as a comparison to the that of the Papesse.

L’ AMOUREUX
One of the more intriguing cards, depicted over the years with mul-
tiple variations. Specifically Cupid who seems somewhat undecided in

who his target is from deck to deck and of course the principal difference
of three figures in the TdM versus just the two in the WCS. So in terms of
the Marseilles this brings up some interesting possibilities to explain the
relationships between the three figures.

Clearly the presence of cupid indicates some romantic element, so
unless we are being presented in the earlier decks with some medieval
“ménage a trois”, there must be some other explanation. For me it makes
sense if seen as a transition. The central male figure is depicted (in most
decks) as looking at one of the two females and to me that suggests he
has made a choice between the two. But not a choice between two lovers,
but from two variations of love itself. He has reached a point in his life,
he is moving on and literally turning away from a mothers love to that of

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a partner and by assumption his new life
going forward. To better communicate
this narrative, I have portrayed the female
on the right as a more mature figure (the
mother). In many decks she is shown with
an outstretched hand touching him. This
might suggest her gently and encourag-
ingly letting go, or alternatively attempt-
ing to hold on. Nevertheless he looks to-
wards the younger. It would appear his
decision has been made, encouraged this
time by a more accurate aim from cupids
bow directed between the two.

LE CHARIOT
In the WCS the chariot is depicted almost
as an immovable object, a block placed on two rectangular slabs, There
may be some deep subtle rational for this but is so then it’s way beyond
my intellect. Or alternatively it’s just an over simplistic rendition, with
little or no attempt at depicting the perspectives of circular wheels,
whereas in the Marseilles decks there is. The creatures pulling the char-
iot, be they sphinxes or horses vary from
deck to deck and indeed to each other in
form, direction and color. I have chosen to
depict the horses facing in opposite direc-
tions, both for aesthetics (horses a far more
recognizable from a profile than from head
on) but also to symbolize the conflict and
challenge of opposing forces that the
charioteer has to overcome and control in
order to proceed in his intended direction

24

! In many of the Marseilles decks there
is a crest with initials. In some it’s S.M in oth-
ers it’s V.T, I have no idea what these are and I
haven’t read of anyone who does. Some ideas
are that they are the initials of some ruling fig-
ure of the time or even that of the artist work-
ing on the deck. The latter makes more sense
to me because if it had been a reference to a
ruler, someone would have made a corre-
sponding historical connection. But even so it
would not be particularly relevant or neces-
sary to reproduce in this project. Instead I
have substituted it with a different crest,
namely that of the city of Milan. It’s an indul-
gent connection on my part, as the early decks
are closely connected to the ruling families of

the province of Lomabardy, who were of-
ten in conflict with the Church authorities
in Rome and who provided the Cathars
with refuge from that same common en-
emy. If my connecting of the dots does not
work for you, then just treat it as a decora-
tive extra.

LA JUSTICE
The WCS version of Justice shows her as
blindfolded, presumably as a means of de-
picting impartiality. But I prefer the Mar-
seilles where Justice is fully aware of the
varying argument of any given case. With-
out the blindfold I could also depict a sol-
emn downward glance towards the scales.

25

Balancing with impartial consideration op-
posing factors and the letter of the law prior
to reaching a conclusion. And then via the
sword, symbolically having the authority
and power to impose the corresponding deci-
sion and legal consequences.

L’ HERMITE
As with the Fool card, I introduced a vil-
lage scene in the distance. which I use to em-
phasis both the literal and social separation
between the two protagonists and their re-
spective societies. In the case of the Fool he is
being rejected, whereas in the case of the Her-
mit, it’s his choice. The shape of pathway in
the Fool card leads from him to the village, his progress is hindered by

the unwelcoming dog. On the other hand
the pathway in the Hermit card is shown
going in a different direction to his. Sym-
bolically he has voluntarily chosen a differ-
ent path.

LA ROUE DE FORTUNE
The wheel was intended to demonstrate
the capricious nature of our fate. Power and
material worth in a constant state of change
beyond our control and decided instead by
the fickle nature of the gods. The monkey
and hare possibly symbolizing the tragic
comedy and ultimate futility of our at-
tempts. Four states of fate are hinted at, the

26

Lion at the top, is the current one, “I reign”. Enjoy it while you can I as-
sume, because you will eventually fall, as the monkey who declares “I
reigned” and your position will be replaced by another, the hare, declar-
ing “I shall reign” The fourth figure is traditionally not shown and
merely inferred to by its corresponding statement “I have no reign”. My
only symbolic deviation on this card is the depiction of mechanical cogs
and levers. A feature I’ve included on my previous decks also. It’s a per-
sonal take on the concept to ask us to consider that ultimately the wheel
is also man made. And therefore suggests that rather than our lives being
solely defined by the random spin of the wheel , that we do, via our own
choices and responsibility for our actions, have some influence over the
outcome. As I said though, this is a personal twist , feel free to pass.

LA FORCE
I recall Rachel Pollack explaining to me when I was first working

with Tarot, that this card was symbolic of
spiritual strength not physical. (So much for
all those classic decks depicting the poor Leo
being beaten by a club wielding Hercules).
But I agree with her clarification and in my
previous decks I have always shown a fe-
male figure, not just because of the common
association and historical depiction of the ‘vir-
tues’ as females in the older decks, but be-
cause a female emphasizes the overall mis-
match and underscores her control over the
savage beast by forces other than physical
strength. This is further inferred by her de-
meanor, an expression of calm confidence
rather than fear. There is an interesting back
story to this interpretation. Once again I have
also emphasized the lemnescante shaped

27

form of her head dress. In my earlier decks, I
used my assistant/secretary at the time as the
model. We often joked that this scene also
worked to symbolize her husband willingly or
otherwise being “obliged” to accompany her
shopping, so we named the lion Ricardo...

LE PENDU
I didn’t even know where to be begin
with this one, the theories and explanations
are all over the place, but as there is a reason-
able uniformity between both TdM and WCS
depictions, I also stayed comfortably close to
both, certainly far closer than in my previous
decks. For me it seems to be clearly a means of
punishment. Not a death sentence hanging, but more a “dangling” pub-
lic humiliation. Some theories connect it with Norse mythology where
Odin chief of gods, hung himself from Yggdrasil. (the tree of life). He
spent nine days and nine nights hanging in the tree seeking knowledge.
A self imposed period of endurance, from which he wished to learn the
female held secrets of written language (runes). I have alluded to that
number in a “buttoned” down way.
In the WCS it has often been explained as a pause in the Fools jour-
ney, his physical position a kind of meditative state of reflection, an op-
portunity for assessment and change in perspective. As such his facial ex-
pression is passive and with no indication of discomfort. An absurd as-
sumption if indeed it is a punishment. So it’s a questionable choice on
my part , but there you have it. In this deck the trees, from which he is
hanging are simply decorative art nouveau like forms, although I have
maintained in them some Marseilles symbolism in the form of the red
tipped evidence of pruning. Note that figure four, cross legged position
again.

28

LA MORT
Yet another dilemma. Facing in different direction in different
decks, is Tarot’s grim reaper coming or going? The jury it seems is out.
Some have proposed that the reversal of direction is the result initially of
an early printing error (I can relate to that, I’m a specialist in printing er-

rors that have crept into almost every one of my decks) but I don’t quite
accept that to be the case with Mr Mort. If the first occasion of a change
of direction was indeed an error, and it was considered important
enough, subsequent publications would surely have rectified this and it
would have been a one off anomaly. Yet the change in direction contin-
ued and was arbitrarily selected in various other editions. So one can con-

29

clude that whatever the direction, it was deliber-
ate and considered an optional choice. So what
therefore should I choose, left or right, forward
or back, just flip a coin or apply some rational?
Because of its underlying concept of the skele-
tal figure literally cutting through what was, or
what existed, suggests to me that it deals with
the past. Whereas the inclusion of a green foli-
age that is somehow surviving this gardner’s
deathly weeding, suggest “life” in the future.
So for me it makes more sense to show the fig-
ure looking to the left, to what had been, to the
past, to the cards that had preceded? His cut-
ting scythe clearing the way for what is to come
after, the future (cards to the right?). But then
again I could be dead wrong. By showing coffins rather than body parts, I

have avoided the rather gory horror B movie
approach. I also didn’t feel it was necessary
to ram home the obvious by including the
rather anatomically incorrect Marseilles
skeletons. So I limited it to a skull and flow-
ing cloud like veil to represent the concept of
death rather than an actual halloween like
figure.

TEMPERANCE
This is a reasonably close rendition to many
Marseilles depictions of this card, Once
again the strong blue/red coloring of her
gown. I have also maintained the “flower of
Venus” the name given to the red five pet-

30

alled rose which often appears on the the angels forehead. Increasing its
size and incorporating it as part of the background window. Of the vari-
ous theories provided for her pouring of liquid from one vessel to an-
other, the one that made most sense to me was that of mixing wine with
water. Therefore this might be viewed as an act of diluting or “temper-
ing” the strength and negative effects of the wine, and a visual analogy
for finding balance and equilibrium in all aspects of ones life. Alterna-
tively one might consider that if the flow is reversed it would have a
stronger religious association with Christ’s miracle. Either way the
water/wine connection was a compelling one for me and so I colored the
two vessels accordingly.

LE DIABLE
Most stories need a villain, even Disney
movies, where they tend to have British ac-
cents, and Tarot of course has the grand
daddy of them all, the Devil. The quintes-
sential bad guy. With standard horns, bran-
dishing a flaming sword of unbridled pas-
sion and badly in need of a manicure. If
you need a villain in your deck, here is
your man. And if you need more evidence
of just how bad, there are the two figure
who we can assume are paying the price
for their earthly sins and a warning to us
all. Their nakedness presumably being per-
ceived in those historical times as the ulti-
mate expression of baseness and fall from
God’s grace. Their chains affirming their
eternal captivity. Let’s move on, shall we.

31

!
LA MAISON DIEU
The tower plays a little more significance in this deck if only be-
cause I have featured elements from it in the promotional videos, reading
clothes, signature cards etc. For the most part and in most decks the
scene is a variation of the edifice being destroyed by a lightening bolt, the
and figures shown falling. A visual depiction of God’s wrath. But as with
so many aspects of Tarot there are always some contrasting views or
more imaginative proposals. As in so many occasions Alejandro Jadowor-
sky suggests his personal conspiracy theory, namely that it’s not a scene
of destruction, on the contrary, its one of celebration. The curled cloud

like form that most people interpret as a violent storm and the source of
the destructive lightening, is instead perceived merely as the spirit of
God, entering the structure. The tower’s roof not blown off but merely
lifted to one side, like a lid from a container, and providing access for
God’s spirit to enter. The absence of falling bricks is offered as further evi-
dence that this is not a scene of destruction. The falling figures it’s pro-
posed are actually celebrating, “dancing” no less, to this celestial phenom-
ena. I must admit when I first read of this line of thought, I did take a

32

pause to reconsider, and I could in fact
see how it might be, but ultimately I
concluded that such an imaginative
twist just didn’t work for me. While
there is some degree of possibility to
this line of thinking, ultimately if this
card really is about a festive celebration
of God’s presence then this topless
tower and flaying figures seems a most
misleading way to depict it. No matter
how often I turned the cards, to view
the figures from different angles they
still did not suggest to me anything
other than falling, let alone dancing, al-
though I must say that there is an uncle
in my family who has been seen at-
tempting similar slick moves at family
wedding receptions, but only after sev-
eral drinks and not the diluted ones
served by Temperance. But I digress. On a less humorous note, I have em-
phasized the two figures, they are certainly casualties of destruction, they
fall from whatever positions they held, symbolizing that whatever cir-
cumstance preceded it, it was untenable and the symbolic destruction
has finally put and end to it. But in doing so it has also opened up new
horizons, a chance to start afresh and find a new role or purpose.

L’ ETOILE
This is pretty much the standard depiction and even includes the
hardly noticeable small bird in the background as a token gesture to the
Marseilles. However this card also serves as a perfect example of my di-
lemma when considering how faithfully to follow traditional imagery.
The number of stars included on most of the early decks represent the

33

number of planets that were known of at
the time. So should one stay faithful and
keep to that number (which I did) or in a
new deck should one increase the number
of stars to graphically reflect current astro-
nomical knowledge. Doing so would be a
break from numerical number shown in the
older images, but the underlying concept
(to represent the number of planets that we
are aware of) would be maintained.

LA LUNE
With the exception of the Madonna and-
Child, this image maintains most of the stan-
dard elements of the corresponding Mar-
seilles imagery.
The two dogs,
water, the crustacean. There are countless ex-
planations for each. Most agree that the crus-
tacean is for the astrological connection of
Cancer and its symbolic crab, But then why
a lobster or crayfish shaped creature rather
than an actual crab? Yet another tradition
that became established over time and by
repetition of what was initially inaccurately
drawn, or a deliberate variation. Some have
suggested that unlike a crab, the crustacean
normally dwells in the depths and can only
move forward not sideways. So possibly
there is some significance in that, although I
wouldn’t have thought not enough to have
justified overriding the more direct astrologi-

34

cal connection. Nevertheless I went along with the crustacean. In the
Marseilles, the pool of water is not horizontal, there is a slight decline
from left to right. Several theories are proposed to provide a significance
to this. But I found non to be convincing enough, and chose to keep
things level..

In Russells book, he references the role of the moon as the Great
Mother figure, one that’s shared in many cultures. He also points out that
it was common for medieval artists to connect the love of a mother with
the love of God to symbolize charity. In turn, the concept of charity was
often symbolically represented in art of the period via an image of breast-
feeding.

LE SOLEIL
Among the various descriptions for
the sun card the one that I found per-
sonally more appealing was that the
two figures represent Romulus and
Remus the
mythologi-
cal twins
suckled by
a she wolf
and credited as having been the founders of
Rome. I have matched the poses of the fa-
mous sculpture Lupa Capitolina, and en-
hanced the plot further by depicting the wall
that is included in most TdM versions of this
card, with a typically Roman mosaic texture
and the monogramed letters of the city. In the
TdM, these two infants are shown wearing a
collar. I haven’t found a clear explanation of
this. But unlike many other details, these col-

35

lars were obvious deliberately included and
must have meaning. I think there may be a
connection with the collars that also appear
on the two figures on the Devil card. Possi-
bly a candid forewarning of the human con-
dition, that despite the innocent freedom of
these infants, their destiny (and ours) is pre-
ordained, we will be tempted and will suc-
cumb to negative forces and be entrapped by
them.

LE JUGEMENT
My Decoratif winged logo finally reveals her-
self for who she is, a biblical angel, her trum-
pet call summoning the dead, from their
graves, resurrecting them in preparation for
their final judgement. I chose to show the
WCS flag rather than the usual Marseilles coloring The red cross on
white background being the more recognizable
Christian association and the emblem of St.
George.

LE MONDE
The world, or to be more precise, the ma-
terial world represented by the four corner fig-
ures, the biblical evangelists, plus the central
female figure symbolizing the Anima Mundi
(Soul of the World) is placed over a mandorla
shaped frame. Together they are referred to as
the quincunx and the triumphant conclusion
to the Fool’s journey.

36

MINOR ARCANAS

I really don’t have much to add here. As was explained earlier, the
treatment of the minors is to simulate the Marseilles approach of empha-
sizing the emblems of each suit and their number on each card. Their rela-
tive positions to each other and placement overlaid onto the stained glass
backgrounds offer immediate identification. I have embedded within
each card a vignetted image based on the scenic themes of the WCS illus-
trated minors. These will provide readers of that system a familiar or at
least quickly learned reference point. However, these vignettes are re-
duced visual summaries of their corresponding WCS cards and are taken
from my various previous decks. However my aim was that by limiting
their size and emphasis, they don’t dominate the overall card or dictate
its meaning. They leave sufficient room for readers to look beyond or
past them and create their own significance and meaning. Part of that
process could be by focusing on the background patterned imagery
much as Marseilles readers currently do. For this reason I won’t provide
descriptions of each vignette or even a list of keywords (although most
should be immediately recognizable), because doing so would negate the
objective of this project and the independence of interpretation provided
by the Marseilles pips.

37

In terms of the Royals, I have veered even further, there is clearly no
association with the Marseilles. Instead I chose to emphasize each card
via its color, both of the background patterns and the costumes. Even
without a title, each card is clearly and immediately identifiable. As I did
with my Divine Legacy deck, I have depicted the knights in a symbolic
manner. Showing them mounted on horses is somewhat redundant. In-
stead I concentrated on armor shape, design and color as a means of pro-
viding each with its own character and correspondence to its suit.

I would emphasize that the inclusion of my name and year on the
two of Deniers, follows a Marseilles tradition where the publisher and
year of publication are referenced on that card.

Another indulgence, a more personal one, is that of the inclusion of
the word BELLO on the 7 of Deniers. This is a homage to my mother and
the Italian game of Scopa or Scopone, that we played together when I
was a child. A card game played using the minors. The word scopa
means broom, and references the act of sweeping the table clean of cards,
by winning the round. The rules were quite simple you had to follow the
suit of the opening player, the highest card would win, if you couldn’t fol-
low, you would automatically lose. However you could still tactically
win, as the suite of Deniers or soldi (money) would trump all other suites
i.e. a lowly 2 of Deniers would beat a King of wands. However the seven
of deniers was special and trumped every other card. This card is re-
ferred to as the “settebello” or beautiful seven and a term that is part of
Italian culture. Numerous restaurants, even an express train were named
after it.

A depiction of nine playing cards, with a more contemporary
seven-of-diamonds card shown larger than all of the others, was painted
on the side of the train next to its name.

38

If your curiosity and interest of the Marseilles has been piqued and you would like
to learn more, and from a more official perspective. I recommend the following books

Tarot-The Open Reading by Yoav Ben-Dov.
Metanoia Renovating the house of your spirit. By Russell Sturgess