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Da Vinci Tarot (deck and book set) |
I waited to see The Da Vinci Code and a Da Vinci exhibit here in Chicago before writing this review, even though Mark McElroy does an excellent job in his intro material and card descriptions of giving you a crash course in Leonardo Da Vinci and his world. I actually learned more in the compact 64 page book than I did in the massive exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry.
This is an absolutely breathtaking deck. The artist have started with Da Vinci’s artwork and supplemented it with pieces from other Da Vinci works, his sketchbooks or other sources, but, in each case, they have been true to Da Vinci’s delicate shading and texturing. I some cases they have “fleshed in” mere line drawings from the sketch books. It is worth purchasing the deck just to admire the dedication needed to finish this project.
As with any deck based on original artwork, I am always skeptical that the card meanings are going to suffer in order to honor the art. There is not a single image here that does not convey the true meaning of the card. I particularly like The Mona Lisa as the High Priestess (Female Pope) and Leda and the Swan for the World. There is a richness and sensuality to the World that I have always read into the card, but never really seen realized. Greed oozes out of the face on the Four of Pentacles. My only objection to a deck like this is that it is so beautiful; it could be distracting in a reading. I have used it twice for readings, and, in both cases, the clients wanted to look through the deck at the end of the reading.
The accompanying book not only focuses on the Da Vinci deck and its unique path of creation, but also takes time to address the history of Tarot and some basic Tarot techniques for beginners. One of the things I like about Mark McElroy and his other books (see reviews for all of them on this web site) is that he is probably one of the greatest advocates for new readers. He always includes materials which invite the novice reader into the world of Tarot.
The Da Vinci Tarot has a right to be a big part of the Da Vinci craze, either as a reading deck or an art deck. If you would like a crash course on Da Vinci’s art, life and world, the material in the booklet will take you there. This is also a very soothing, muted deck which has served me well for meditation and visualization.
"Da Vinci Tarot ",
Artwork by Iassen Ghiuselev and A. Atanas Atanassov
Accompanying book by Mark McElroy
© Mark McElroy London, UK