By Terri C.
Tarot of Dreams Standard Edition self published by Ciro Marchetti
Text by Lee Bursten
Excitement abounds, another release by the incredibly talented Ciro Marchetti has arrived at my doorstep! With the second edition of the Tarot of Dreams, it is almost as if the artist read my mind.
After removing the protective plastic seal, one will be very delighted with the presentation. My first thought was “OOOOOOOhhhh…. Cool magnetic box!” This box houses the deck and book beautifully. The box itself features the Fool, on a variegated blue background, done in Ciro’s typical styling.
Inside the box you will find an 82-card deck and a 144-page Guidebook. The version of the Guidebook, written by Lee Bursten included with the deck is truncated, a full copy, which includes chapters that explain the astrological symbols and Hebrew letters can be downloaded for free at: www.ciromarchetti.com I did discover at least one small typo in the text of the Guidebook. The Guidebook includes a small introduction to the Tarot along with an interpretation for each card.
The cards themselves have a light laminate finish. They are done with a thin cardstock. My particular copy had slight ark in the deck, and felt a bit of a chalky right out of the package. There was a bit of a chemical smell upon opening the shrink wrap, but that dissipated quickly, once exposed to air. The Fool card had a couple of nicks in the edges. The edges are cut crisp, but the deck itself breaks in well, with lots of shuffling.
For fans of Ciro Marchetti, the artwork does not disappoint, the images convey there messages quite clearly. The art is very realistic and the use of color is breathtaking.
The images are very multi-dimensional and deep, meaning there appears to be many levels to each card, not just what is going on at the surface. For example with the X of Cups, the first thing that draws your eye is the dog, which is actually sitting at the bottom of cup lined steps, surrounded by a lush flower garden. The steps lead upwards to a door, which is opened and a family stands at the threshold with the sun shining from behind and is sending beams out into the garden. There is an inviting and warm feel which makes the reader want to step through the door and discover what makes this family so happy and at ease with one another.
Throughout the deck you will find many of Ciro’s mechanical devices and astrology symbols, as well as mythological creatures and the more traditional animals.
He also takes the Tarot one step forward and adds a Palace card to each suit. Giving us an idea of where each of the courts reside, along with their commoners. The Guidebook explains that the Palace cards can be looked at as a fifth Court Card. The can indicate the energies of the suit or it could be an actual environment, that you might find yourself in or have the potential to create.
The Palace of Coins is a gold and green tall castle with several tall torrents nestled in a lush green forest. There are mountains off in the distance. Flowers, berries and toadstools fill the foreground. There Guidebook says that the other palaces are fun places to visit, but the Palace of Coins, is where we live. It goes on to say that this Palace is where we can experience the four elemental energies; the intellectual, represented by the owl, the impetuous, represented by the deer, the moody, represented by the frog and the mundane, represented by the mouse.
The suits are Wands, Cups, Coins and Swords. Each suit is designated with a particular color, Swords are blue, Wands are red, Cups are brown and Coins are green. You will find these colors used predominantly throughout each suit as well as within the card borders.
Strength is VIII, Justice XI, the Hierophant has been renamed Faith. The Faith card is done is rich earth tones which features a robed figure, who is bald. This individual could be a man or a woman. Their hands are clasped as if in prayer, the Guidebook uses the term “contemplation.” This change is to be inclusive of all faiths, belief systems and cultures. In the foreground of the card there is a glowing circle with nine different symbols, evenly spaced, representing a few different faiths.
The Court cards are named King, Queen, Knight and Page. The Knight of Coins and the Knight of Swords are both riding horses, while the Knight of Wands is riding a dragon and the Knight of Cups is riding a seahorse.
The back has been redesigned with a softer feel and is fully reversible, for those who prefer to use them. The cards themselves measure approx. 4 1/2” tall by 3” wide, which will be appreciated by those who are fans of the ToD, but have smaller hands.
This deck book set can be used easily by those who are brand new to Tarot all the way through the professional reader as the deck does have “curb appeal.” It would also make a wonderful gift for those who are fans of Ciro Marchetti and Lee Bursten.