Patrizio Evangelisti, Ludy Lescot Tarot. Lo Scarabeo, 2011. (link to Aeclectic; distributed by Llewellyn in the U.S.).
This was the deck I used for the July Deck Bond challenge I posted on Twitter. Doing that gave me a chance to get to know this deck better.
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| The Hermit-IX |
The deck is the creation of young Tarot reader and esoteric student Ludy Lescot, with art by Patrizio Evangelisti based on her sketches. The LWB provides a very brief story of Ludy Lescot first learning Tarot from her grandmother, creating a deck, and spending time in New Orleans' French Quarter reading cards for those fortunate enough to find her. The LWB also provides some brief instructions on how to read Tarot. Then we get simple notes on card meanings for the Major and Minor Arcanas, which Ludy describes as "matches in the night. Don't burn your fingers" (6). For an LWB, it packs a bit of story. To be honest, I think this deck could have been enhanced with a full companion book to expand on the story the LWB only hints at. Still, you get just enough story to make you curious. The card meanings are about 2 to 3 lines of text. These are not standard Rider Waite Smith (RWS) meanings. The text does have some poetic elements with a bit of darkness theme. As Ludy Lescot tells us, "I created this deck to help people see in darkness" (5), and the LWB reinforces that. Meanings can be a bit cryptic, but that is part of the process to get you to think and reflect. While you can read the cards intuitively, I would recommend reading the LWB at least once. It does offer a good amount of information to enhance the study of the cards.
Speaking of the cards, let me say this right away: this is not a light nor a "lite" deck. This is a deck
steeped in darkness, to see in the darkness. Some images can be very shocking or disturbing, such as the Three of Swords. First time I saw the card, it was shocking, and the image has stayed with me. But a card like that is also a reminder that life can be dark, harsh, even cruel. You can't/shouldn't try to sugarcoat all things. Darkness and pain are part of life as well, and they need to be confronted and dealt with. I am good with that, but I figure people ought to know if they consider using this deck.
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| Eight of Swords |
Evangelisti's art work is excellent. It has a Gothic element that can be dark, somber, and brooding. Figures on the cards are expressive, and you can easily see their emotions and feelings. With one or two exceptions, colors can be cold, lot of gray for instance, a bit muted. This is not a bright deck.
Having said that, this is a very good deck. I found that I can read well with it. The images offer some depth and invite you to look into them, think, and reflect. The images are somewhat within RWS but not quite. I mean, if you read RWS, you can read these cards, but you can still read them using another system or just intuitively. The images offer plenty of detail to work from. In addition, this is a good deck for shadow work. For me, this may be a deck to use when I want something a lot darker than usual, and a deck I to use in moments I want some silence and reflection. In terms of seasons, this would be a fall and winter deck I'd say. On more more note, I'd be very selective with using this deck with other people. Use it preferably with people you know have similar appreciations.The cards are 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches. The Major Arcana are identified by Roman numeral. Minor Arcana are identified by suit symbol (chalices, pentacles, wands and swords) and Arabic numeral. Court cards are identified by suit symbol and court symbol (Knave, Knight, Queen, and King). In this deck, Strength is VIII and Justice is XI.
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| Six of Cups |
4 out of 5 stars.
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