Saturday, April 23, 2011

April 16 - 22, 2011 ~ Dante Tarot

Dante Tarot
Giordano Berti, Andrew Serio
Los Scarabeo, 2001

I bought this deck in 2010 from a member at Aeclectic Tarot.  It was reasonably priced at $8.00.  I thought it looked "cool," with its flowing drawings and Dante theme.  I was a bit overwhelmed at first because of the way that this deck is organized, but once I got that squared away, it made more sense.  Trifoni (Majors) represent traditional concepts from the tarot and are "scenes" from Convivio.  The Bricks (Wands) represent people and situations having a profound affect upon Dante the person.  The remaining suits represent main scenes and concepts from Divina Commedia.  Flames (Swords) are from Inferno; Clouds (Disks) are from Purgatorio; Lights (Cups) are from Paradiso.  The Little Blue Pamphlet provides just enough information that one could find the corresponding verses in the Divina Commedia, followed by brief descriptions.

As a reading deck, I was delightfully surprised.  Really, I didn't have much hope in its usefulness as a tarot deck, but I guess the folks at Los Scarabeo knew what they were doing with this one.  The cards draw you in - inviting you to not just view the images but to become a participant in the scenes.  This card has what is probably my most favored Devil card (shown).  It is renamed "Authority."  I found it very powerful.

Overall, this is a deck that shouldn't be overlooked.  The art might feel "odd" with its flowing circular nature, but the art is done by a trained artist who knows their craft.  You find yourself flowing from one image to the next.

Rating: Keeper

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