Customer Reviews

Tarot Classic Cards

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just received my copy of this deck, and so far I really enjoy it. I've been reading tarot for nearly 12 years now, beginning with the Rider-Waite deck. I've always appreciated the symbolism of "the old standby" deck, and the drawings were nicely done, and it was fine on symbolic levels, but I felt that the deviation from the historical design left something to be desired. I felt like I had "graduated" to an advanced level of understanding when I started using Marseille style decks.
I'm very happy with this rendition of the Marseille deck. The deck's designer, Stewart Caplan, is a recognized authority on the history of the tarot. From what I can tell, he left every bit of the standard symbolism is in place, and the new coloring job is wonderful. Also, greater detail has been added in the folds of the garments and the images now have shading, depth, and subtlety to the palette. This makes reading the cards a more enjoyable experience overall.
From a readability standpoint, it's roughly the same as standard Marseille deck, since all of the symbolism is identical. For experienced readers, you'll feel right at home. Newcomers will pick it up in no time, though I'd advise getting a the paperback book written by Stewart Caplan to teach you the standard meanings until you get on your feet. The accompanying book isn't bad, but is a quick-and-dirty version and hardly exhaustive.
The 5-star review is basing this deck on what it's supposed to be: a rendition of a classic. As such, it serves its purpose admirably.
Overall, a good buy. If you have the Rider-Waite deck and are perfectly satisfied, you pick up this deck in order to get a perspective on tarot decks before symbolism was added in the 1910 by Pamela Coleman Smith. But if you're looking for a good rendition of the classic with a bit more "life" to the cards, whether you're new to tarot or looking to branch out, I haven't seen a better version.

This is actually the first tarot deck I ever owned. I got a copy back in the 1970s when I was first introduced to tarot. That deck is now worn for wear and I recently ordered a new copy. Having looked at several Marseille decks over the years, I still prefer this one. The colors are warm and inviting. The images have an authentic feel since they are based on the Burdel deck from the mid-1700s. The pip cards, of course, do not have scenes like the Waite-Smith images, but they are cleverly done with interesting designs and floral arrangements. There are even some hidden clues to suggest their divinatory meanings. The size of the cards is very comfortable. They are easy to handle and shuffle. I think the product description on amazon.com in mistaken in dating them to 1851, since Burdel (1727-1799) produced the originals in 1751. Burdel was long dead in 1851. In any case, I would highly recommend this deck to readers who want an authentic-looking Marseille deck from the mid-1700s. I still enjoy using it after 30 years.