About this item
- The Tarocchi Celtici is an Italian tarot deck based on Celtic mythology. Each card features a Celt god or goddess
- surrounded by an elaborate knotwork border.
Specifications
Name
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Tarocchi Celtici
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Creators
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Laura Tuan
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Publisher
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De Vecchi Italia
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Deck Type
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Tarot Deck
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Cards
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78
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Reviews
other characteristics add to this very effect.
The pictures are framed with a celtic pattern, which, is not
altogether disturbing - this is probably due to the hugeness of the cards,
that allows big pictures all the same. The card backs are plain, coloured
greenish and beige as the cards, and this makes them look like leaves, a
very positive impression! The very pictures are masterpieces, refined and
detailed scenes depicting a God or Goddess in Majors, and Trees in Minors;
the celtic-like feeling of the wood, of the forest, of the wild and
powerful spirits of Nature pervades the entire deck, with its height in such
cards as Brigit/Empress, Nemetona/Lovers, Arduinna/Justice and
Epona/Judgement - all Goddesses, for chance!
In brief, the cards are very
inspiring, delightful and rich in details, though easy on the eye; and,
despite the use of natural elements like trees and stones, pretty
traditional or usual in the representation. They include keywords for
divination, for both upright and
reversed, but in Italian (eventually,
being Italian was useful for once in my life.) Of course I'm not enthusiastic
about them: I'd rather have done without, gaining clear space for the
picture; but luckily one manages to ignore the writings after a while (also
because they're tiny).
The numbering of the cards is peculiar: Mage to World
is 1 to 21, the Fool is 22, Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. Personally I
have always p the Marseilleuse 8 for Justice and 11 for Strength,
but having the Fool as 22 - and it IS specified - is somewhat offputting, as
if all the arguing and speculating on Fool's Journeys and the like was like
water off a duck's back. In addition, astrological alignments are also
GIVEN, some of which arose my skepticism:
- (Magician) Lug - Mercury
- (High Priestess) Morrigan - Moon
- (Empress) Brigantia/Brigit - Virgo
- (Emperor) Amatheon - Leo
- (Hierophant) Esus - Jupiter
- (Lovers) Nemetona
- Gemini
- (Chariot) Teutates - Mars
- (Justice) Arduinna - Libra
- (Hermit) Ogmios - Saturn
- (Wheel of Fortune) Dagda - Neptune
- (Strength) Smertrios - Aries
- (Hanged Man) Gwydion - Pisces
- (Death) Sucellos - Capricorn
- (Temperance) Diancecht - Acquarius
- (The Devil) Cerumno - Scorpio
- (The Tower) Taranis - Uranus
- (The Star) Sirona - Venus
- (The Moon) Borvo/Manannan - Cancer
- (The Sun) Belonos - Sun
- (Judgement) Epona - Sagittarius
- (The World) Artio - Taurus
- (The Fool) Cuchulainn - Pluto
In my opinion, something might have been worked out better: certain
astrological alignment are just common (for example 1, 2, 8 & 12), others
are new and very appropriate (for example, 21 - I surely prefer Taurus to
Satu
rn)... but most are just obscure! Why have Virgo instead of Venus for
the Empress? And Venus for the Star? Or Neptune with Dagda/Wheel (Dagda
corresponds to Zeus/Jupiter)? Of course, I'll keep using my own system (I'm
actually thinking of re-writing the glyphs myself on the cards).
Minors are unusual: instead of suits, Laura introduced seasons. So we
have Green/Spring/Air, Yellow/Summer/Fire, Red/Autumn/Earth,
Blue/Winter/Water. To each season, instead of pips and courts, there's a
system of one Tree/Ace, different for each season, and thirteen trees/pips
in common for every season. While the former relate to the most important
celebrations of the Celtic year opening the seasons (Samhain/Ohn,
Imbolc/Ura, Beltaine/Eadha, Lammas/Ailm), the latter correspond to the 13
trees of the Celtic year and astrological system. There still are numbers
(even though from 23 to 78, without differentiations - almost useless) and
the letters of the Gaelic alphabet corresponding to each of the 13 trees
displace
those questionable Astrological associations. The keywords, still
present, are somewhat repetitive, dull, fairly vestigial. The pictures,
instead, are beautiful and touching, including flowers, fairies, animals and
all.
Lastly, the "booklet": 200 page-lings of Celtic myths, stories, astrology
and celebrations. It offers valuable knowledge for the celtic general part, and for the Arcana, it is a pool of Knowledge. It is really deep in the explanation of the origins, the names and the
peculiarities of each God or Goddess appearing in the cards, while draws
some interesting lines between the Trees and the usual meanings of Minors.
But it is not very specific about divinatory meanings of the cards - it just
repeats tons of keywords, worse than R-W or Marseille tradition - and this
was quite upsetting: the cards are so unconventional, anyone would have
expected something special for the meaning.
In conclusion, I know I will never use this deck, nor can I suggest it for
readings, as t
he only way would be looking up at the keywords in the book,
and choose one by chance - there are really hundrends! - or the use of
traditional meanings, solution that might work with Majors, but not with
Minors - they look all alike, and are so messy! What is more, I get
constantly carried away by the pictures and absent-minded, instead of
managing to build up a story or interpretation.
On the other hand, this deck is a MUST for any collector or celtic
enthusiast: the beauty of the pictures, Minors included, are just worth the
expense. After all, someone may decide to go through the translation (if you
want one, call me up!) and the learning of the keywords, and, with the help
of experience and patience, attempt a serious, conscious use of the cards
for divination as well as contemplation!
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