Deck Review: Tarot Grand Luxe

Ciro Marchetti, Tarot Grand Luxe. Stamford, CT: U.S. Games Systems, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-57281-974-0. (Link to publisher)

 

Genre: Tarot deck

Subgenre: collectors, Rider Waite Smith, art, divination

Format: 78-card deck with small companion booklet

Source: I own this one

 

 

Ace of Cups card

This is another great Tarot deck by Ciro Marchetti. This set comes with a small companion booklet and the 78-card deck.

The booklet has 54 pages. Content is pretty basic. The book has a introduction where Marchetti discusses a bit about his motivation to make the deck and how he did it. This deck started out as a self-published deck meant for collectors. Marchetti kept the book pretty basic and minimal. On this, he explains, 

"I made the assumption that anyone reading the accompanying booklet is already reasonably familiar with tarot and specifically with the Rider-Waite-Smith™ deck upon which the images of this project are, for the most part, based. So I felt it would be somewhat redundant to provide yet another companion book or document that explains the historical content and meaning behind each image of every card" (3). 

As Marchetti states, his card images are mostly within Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS), but he adds the booklet offers some insight into his ideas and goals. If reading artist insights and learning their thought processes, you'll probably find the booklet interesting. However, if you want a good book for meanings and learning Tarot, this is not that book. If you need a learning book, find a good Tarot general reference book. Most Tarot reference books are keyed to RWS, so they will work well with this deck. 

The Hermit-IX card

In addition to addition to an introduction, you get card messages for Major and Minor Arcana cards.
Each card gets a small photo of each card in black and white and about a paragraph of text. Text can combine a reflection on a card's meaning with artist insights about the art. 

The cards are just beautiful. The art is ornate and very detailed. It is colorful and bright. Figures in the cards are very expressive in emotions and gestures, which can help readers better see meanings and messages. Marchetti states his medium is digital with photographic origins and sketch references. His process results in gorgeous portraits that combine realism, attention to detail, and fantasy and a little steampunk. I'd say not much steampunk when compared to decks of his like Legacy of the Divine Tarot (link to my review) for example. Additionally, there is some diversity in the deck as we see people of different skin colors, not a lot but some. A favorite of mine as an example is the Black man in the King of Swords. The cards overall are very evocative. 

If you read Tarot intuitively, this deck can work for you given the good evocative and detailed imagery. If you read strictly by RWS, more "by the book," this deck is well within RWS, so you should feel right at home. I read combining a bit of intuition and text knowledge, and these cards work very well for me. These are images I can spend a lot of time looking at and reflecting on, and they read very well for me. This is definitely a deck I would use to read for others. For folks who may worry about issues such as nudity or risque elements, this deck is relatively safe with only one or two cards with artistic nudity. Images can be moving but not jarring, so this is a deck you could use with clients who may appreciate traditional imagery but still want something a bit gentler. 

Six of Coins (Pentacles) card

Cards measure 5 inches by 3 inches give or take. This makes them a bit larger than most traditional decks. I think the larger size allows us to better appreciate the art. These are cards that look great when reading for others or to display for daily reflections, altars, etc. All card numerals are Roman numerals on top of a card with name of a card at the bottom. Cardstock is good, feels thick, and overall this deck has a bit of heft. It can be a bit heavy when shuffling. 

Overall, this is a favorite deck for me. I have the mass produced edition from U.S. Games Systems, and they did a great job with it. If you already enjoy Marchetti's work, this is a must have for your collection. If you are looking for a beautiful deck within RWS, this is definitely a good choice. Whether you are a beginner or a very advanced Tarot user, this deck is a solid selection. This is one I definitely recommend, and I am glad to have it in my collection. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

* * * * * 

Set qualifies for the following 2021 Reading Challenges: