Customer Reviews

The Minchiate Tarot: The 97-Card Tarot of the Renaissance, Complete with the 12 Astrological Signs and the 4 Elements

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The inspiration for this deck comes from the Minchiate of Florence, an expanded variant of the Tarot that dates from the early 16th century. The traditional tarot subjects are here (although many are represented differently than in the familiar French/British tarot decks), but 20 additional major arcana cards are also included: all the signs of the zodiac, the four elements, and the four virtues (Prudence, Faith, Hope, and Charity) that are missing from other tarots.

The cards are not overloaded with esoteric symbols. Instead, each has an open, elegant feeling, which I find helps relax my mind and bring me into connection with the images. There is a serene, meditative quality that pervades the whole deck, even the pip cards. The pips are mostly without scenic illustrations, although some have intriguing animal vignettes, the meanings of which Williams has researched and included in the book.

The book describes each of the major arcana cards in detail, relating them to the art and literature of the Renaissance. (There are hundreds of line drawings of medieval and Renaissance art.) It is a great help in getting into the spirit of this deck, which presents the symbols of the tarot as archetypes alive in the fabric of culture and history, rather than as secret magical emblems.

This deck is certainly a beautiful work of art, but it also gives fascinating readings! The additional major arcana open whole new dimensions for interpretation. There is a lot of psychological subtlety in the faces and body language of the figures on the cards, making this deck feel more "human" and emotionally open than many. In addition to divinatory use, I think this deck has a lot to offer as a meditation tool and for personal and interpersonal healing.

Many will no doubt prefer a tarot deck based on the familiar 78-card Tarot de Marseille and its descendents, such as the Waite-Smith deck. But for those who are intrigued by the expanded tarot universe of the ancient Minchiate system, this deck is unique, indispensible, and a delight to work with.

I love the book by Brian Williams, which is scholarly, informational, clearly written, and very useful (not to mention being the only book about Minchiate cards I know).

The deck is well worth the price for the book alone, if nothing else.

As for the cards - I dont like the art. It looks like it was drawn with pastel-coloured pencils, and it doesnt speak to me.

I've eventually ordered a reproduction of the Minchiate Fiorentine - it's one of 2000 reproductions and I use it with reverance (for fear of ruining it).

I must differ in the reviews mentioned here that say they like the book but not the cards. I think that while the minchiate is a lost art, and that this book expands the notions of what each card means, it does so in a very sketchy manner. The pictures are sketchy, the cards are sketchy, and the very descriptions of the cards are merely outlines.

For one to get truly into the Minchiate, one must be a right-brained person. That is what this author has failed to recognise. At least provide color images, that is what we want, and cards that are artistically adept.

Sorry to be so critical, but it's just a beef that I have with this book and deck. At this price, there *should* be color pictures, but there are none, so I feel left out in the cold in terms of artistic expression. Also, I didn't see any reversed meanings listed, which means one must make those up for one's self.

I love the Ancient Minchiate of Etruria deck by Lo Scarabeo, but unfortunately it's out of print, and any copies available are very expensive. I decided to settle for this deck, and unfortunately, I'm pretty disappointed in it. The artwork reminds me of pastel line drawings and I suppose art is subjective, but I don't care for it.

The accompanying book is large and extensive with lots of research and history about the cards, while the actual divinatory meanings are usually left to one or two sentences. As if those few sentences weren't flimsy enough, the reverse meanings have also been completely left out. The author notes that he's leaving the reverse meanings up to you to figure out.

If you're buying this tarot set because you're interested in the history of the minchiate, well, you wont be disappointed. But if you're buying it because you want to actually use the deck, there's much to be desired.

He worked hard, he did the research - and I don't care for it. The deck looks like it was done with Bic Bananas, and he's completely changed the Fool from the true fool he is on the old Minchiate decks, to what Barney would look like if he didn't wear a dinosaur suit. I already had the Lo Scarabeo Minchiate deck, and wanted to learn more. This book offers very little in the way of fresh, usable knowledge. The card interpretations have a fluffy, self-help-paperback tone to them. This is the Tarot equivalent of Ralph Blum's Book of Runes - which a lot of people liked, but many of us find to be too Christianised, too fluffy, just not very "occult". I gave him two stars only because he obviously made a huge effort. But a miss is as good as a mile.

It is a great Tarot set, and I use it occasionally, but- my bad- it is not for an unexperienced person.

If you know tarot well, you will absolutely love it. If you are like me, and this is your first tarot set, maybe you should try something else.

I must say I'm a little confused with this deck and the book. The book is informative but of what, I'm not sure. The cards are ok, nothing special.

However; I decided to just jump in and "did it my way" so to speak. I was pleasantly surprised to have received a very informative and accurate reading.

They say the first year is the hardest. I think we will grow on eachother.

I purchased this set after learning about the Minchiate tarot, which had additional cards including all the regular tarot cards. At first, I thought it was the actual minchiate, and felt a little disappointed that the drawings were all new. However; after comparing the readings I got from this deck to some of the other decks I purchased at the same time, I must admit that the readings are all very nice and the additional cards add more meaning to the readings. The standard card spreads done with other decks work just fine with this deck, and there is a very nice paperback book which explains where the artist got inspiration for the new drawings, the history of the deck and meanings of the cards. The drawings are all very nice and light, without negative connotations or "cool gothic" images.

The cards are a little larger than most decks, and take a different shuffling technique for those of us with smaller hands. After I got used to shuffling them, I was fine with the new style.

This is a very nice deck to add to an existing tarot collection, and it offers a little more than the regular tarot. I recommend it for someone who is already used to tarot and wants to try something different with a lighter touch, that gives very nice, uplifting readings.

The book and cards are a must have for mystical psychic readers who have respect for ancient art. However, the interpretations provided in the book are vague and described like an index.

I just received The Minchiate Tarot. It's a very beautiful deck, with lovely pastel artwork, and I was intrigued by the concept: a 97-card Renaissance Tarot, which includes the 12 astrological signs and cards for the four elements. But I have to admit to a huge disappointment. The deck, to me, has been "deflowered" in a way, missing The High Priestess and The Empress cards from the traditional Major Arcana, and replaced instead with The Grand Duke and The Western Emperor cards. Obviously, I'll need to work with them a bit to get a true feel, but the feminist in me really riles against the substitutions... it just feels wrong, and it feels like the deck has been purposely manipulated to exclude a feminine balance.

But it is a beautiful deck...