Customer Reviews

Major Tom's Tarot of Marseilles

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There are some, who disagree with the non-anatomically perfect persons contained in this deck.

If you've ever spent time with Tarot de Marseilles Tarots, regardless of pedigree (Dodal to Marteau), none of the original TdM's have anatomically correct persons. They are all cartoony, owing their flavor from carving human figures into wood blocks. That's the history of Tarot.

This deck takes the Tarot de Marseilles out of the Sixteenth Century (thank gawd).

It has been a trend to recreate the `original' and `true' Tarot de Marseilles. These recreations or reconstructions often have `documentation' detailing the `justifications' used to create such reconstructions the `Tarot de Marseille'. Some have their colors enhanced, some have added or subtracted or rearranged minutiae.

I don't live in the mid-sixteenth or eighteenth century, and apparently neither does Major Tom Schick, creator of the Major Tom's Tarot of Marseilles.

Major Tom used the historical Tarot de Marseille as a starting point, studying the historical decks, and then created a modern version. He also incorporated his extensive knowledge of modern tarot in general to incorporate into his creation.

There is a strong sense of color awareness displayed throughout. Each of the suits has its own hues, the backgrounds of the pips variegated in intensity creating brilliant eye-candy.

As a reader, I find the updating of the clothing is nothing short of brilliant. The Courts become familiar and approachable.

Major Tom has taken a bold step in his treatment of the presentation of the Majors. The Magician is brightly colored, his multi colored costume and hat, standing before his table - he could easily be a huckster at a fair or carnival, pitching his nifty wares, "It slices, it dices, isn't that amazing - but wait - that's not all..." And then Major Tom gives us The Papess; caped, in her bikini top and skirt and the ubiquitous tome on her lap... she could be a trapeze artist, a hoochie-coochie girl, a Vegas showgirl, or a priestess...ready to get up and perform. It helps create a unity yet separateness between these first two cards and the next two (or three), which I find important.

I think it's a brilliant deck - and exceptionally readable. Like I said, I don't live in the mid-eighteenth century... Major Tom's Tarot of Marseilles is the Tarot de Marseilles of and for the twenty-first century.

One thing I particularly like about this deck is that it is so very NOW. Many people seem to feel we must only use Marseille decks from the dark ages; this one maintains the traditions while bringing the imagery up to date. I regret a couple of cards - and I very much regret that it is not as attractive as the original (I own both) but it is well worth having - and incidentally, the BOX is excellent - useful to know if you carry your decks around a lot !

It also makes people laugh - which is a good way to get around initial fear of older tradition decks.

If you aren't worried about owning a copy of every deck ever made, you can rest easy if you save this one for your wish list. Or, after making a deck of your own, you can share it with the world too.

(EDITED REVIEW)

There is nothing anatomically correct about the figures in Major Tom's Tarot of Marseilles, from the four-fingered Hermit to the six-toed lady of Strength, the awkwardly shaped "hand" holding the Empress' shield to goofy visages among the courts.

I do realize that many TdM Marseilles' human renderings are unsual--even exagerrated--but, in my opinion, Major Tom's version goes even beyond those in terms of silly-putty faces and skewed illustration.

The Minors are attractive in a funky, gradient, psychedelic sort of way--quite neon-colorful.

According to the LWB, which is attractive, full-color and glossy--very nice in terms of presentation, as far as LWB's go--this deck was voted number 8 in the Top Ten Decks published in 2005 by those who frequent Aeclectic Tarot Forums. I found this very surprising, although I suspect emotional loyalty for one of their own was the true motivator for bestowing this dubious honor.

Let me discuss a card or two to show how off-kilter the images are, especially in terms of conveying the intended meaning.

The Tower, titled the older House of God designation, shows two individuals "falling" from what would appear a brick "tower" less than DOUBLE the size of the humans (which I realize mirrors early TdM imagery). Both appear to be closely examining the green foliage on the ground. As my husband said, it looks as if they bungeed jumped gracefully, and are stopping to admire the plants before being pulled back up.

In line with traditional meanings, the brief description (which mostly includes a play-by-play of what the gents are wearing on the way down) says "This card represents the collapse of a long-term view of the self in a blinding flash of light."

And the top of the tower is a baseball cap...

In my opinion, nothing about this card communicates upheaval, danger or even illumination. Rather, it appears more like a comical Punch and Judy show where two puppets fall from a "tower" that is less than double their size, and these mindless puppets are unable to realize their supposed "peril" because they're too wrapped up examining the pretty plants on the ground...

If you want a classy, authentic Tarot of Marseilles deck (sorry, but putting a ball cap atop the Tower or the Kings does not a modern deck make), go buy the Jean Noblet Tarot produced by Jean Claude Flornoy, instead.

For those who are still reading and still interested, here are some stats on the Major Tom Tarot of Marseilles:

*Attractive, minimalist reversible backings
*Comes in a nice, well-constructed, magnetic-lidded box with a red ribbon
*Card stock is quite sturdy with matte finishing
*Cards measure approximately 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches
*Justice is 8, Strength is 11
*Court Cards are Valet, Cavalier, Queen and King
*2 of Cups card bears the signature of the publisher, Schiffer Publishing
*As in most TdM style decks, the 2 of Coins bears the name of the creator (Major Tom Schick 1650-2007)
*Two extra cards: one describing the meaning of eight colors, the other describing numbers 1-10 in Tarot numerology

(To see 13 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book