Discover the best Tarot de Marseille: A comparative guide for beginners

Pros

The Grand Universal Tarot by Bruno De Nys stands out for its modernization of the appearance of the Tarot de Marseille, offering images more accessible and attractive to a contemporary audience. This initiative is particularly commendable in the context of the competition from modern Rider-Waite-Smith tarots, aiming to democratize the Tarot de Marseille and make it more relevant for today's users.

Cons

However, this tarot significantly deviates from the traditional standard of the Tarot de Marseille, with personalizations that may not please purists. Additionally, the overload of symbols can complicate learning for beginners, making the approach to tarot more intimidating.

The Cards

• LE DIABLE: The expressive faces vary from anguish in the card of The Devil to joy in that of The Sun. While expressiveness can make the characters more human, it tends to break the necessary neutrality in the interpretation of the cards.
• LA PAPESSE: The addition of symbols like the library and the sun's rays illuminating her head enriches the meaning of the card, evoking knowledge and gestation.
• L'IMPERATRICE: The presence of the cat at the foot of the throne is striking. The author seems to evoke the strength and agility of the feline, but its link with The Empress remains open to interpretation.

Divinatory Use

The divergences from the standard of the Tarot de Marseille can pose challenges for traditional divinatory practices. Beginners might find the profusion of symbols a barrier to learning divinatory reading.

Symbolic Richness

Although visually appealing, the deck may not be the ideal choice for beginners due to its symbolic complexity. Beginners might prefer simpler decks or specific learning sets to start in tarot reading.

My Opinion

In conclusion, the Grand Universal Tarot by Bruno De Nys is an audacious attempt to modernize the Tarot de Marseille. Its visual modernization is impressive, but its deviations from the traditional standard and the complexity of its symbols may make it less suitable for beginners and purists of cartomancy.

My Review

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Pros

The Tarot by Paul Marteau, published by Grimaud, stands out for its bold and codified use of colors. With a palette limited to five main colors - red, blue, green, yellow, and pink - each hue carries a specific meaning. Red symbolizes action, blue receptivity, yellow materiality, green spirituality, and pink the human. This approach gives the cards an immediate and profound sense, offering beginners a more accessible and enriching interpretation.

Cons

However, the choice of bright and sometimes dark colors, without subtle nuances, can be perceived as shocking or disturbing. Additionally, the coarseness of the lines, thick and lacking finesse, even for the time, leaves something to be desired in terms of artistic quality. These aspects can diminish the aesthetic and intuitive experience of reading.

The Cards

Focusing on specific cards like TEMPERANCE and L'ETOILE, one observes Marteau's unique approach. The pink wings of TEMPERANCE suggest an earthly, human angel, a messenger that is part of us. The blue hair of L'ETOILE, on the other hand, could symbolize wisdom or spirituality, adding an additional dimension to the card's interpretation.

Divinatory Use

For beginners in divination, Marteau's codified colors can greatly facilitate card interpretation. This feature makes the tarot particularly accessible, although some familiarity with the color system is necessary for a complete interpretation.

Symbolic Richness

Although the colors offer immediate understanding, learning the traditional symbols of tarot remains essential for a complete and profound interpretation. Thus, this tarot requires an investment of time and study to fully master its symbolic richness.

My Opinion

Despite its historical popularity, Paul Marteau's Tarot is far from ideal for regular divination practice. Its success seems more linked to its status as the only Tarot de Marseille available on the market for a long time. The crude quality of the lines and garish colors can be off-putting. While it is an essential item in every tarot reader's library, its daily use is not recommended. This tarot is more a collectible than a practical divinatory tool for daily readings.

My Review

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Pros

The Fournier Tarot, a modernized version of Paul Marteau's "Ancient Tarot de Marseille," stands out for its successful modernization. It offers a visually pleasant experience, making this tarot particularly appealing for beginners. Despite its modern colors and illustrations, it maintains a deep respect for the tradition of the Tarot de Marseille, thus offering a perfect balance between contemporary and classic.

Cons

However, the Fournier Tarot is not without criticism. It presents some canonical inaccuracies compared to the traditional form of the Tarot de Marseille. These approximations, though minor, can be noticed by tarot connoisseurs and purists.

The Cards

• L'EMPEREUR: The Emperor displays a poorly designed coat of arms, reflecting a misunderstanding of historical symbols.
• L'AMOUREUX: The Lovers present an error in the representation of the arms (the authors attributed the man's arm to the right woman), a mistaken interpretation that deviates from historical tarots.
• LA LUNE: The Moon adopts the blue hair from Paul Marteau's tarot, a welcome modernization of the 18th-century canonical form.

Divinatory Use

Despite its inaccuracies, the Fournier Tarot remains an effective tool for divinatory reading. Its current illustrations, while remaining true to the traditional interpretation of the cards, offer a stable and reliable divinatory experience.

Symbolic Richness

This tarot is particularly ideal for beginners. Its modern visual presentation, combined with its respect for tradition, makes it a suitable choice for those starting in the reading of the Tarot de Marseille.

My Opinion

In conclusion, the Fournier Tarot is a modernized and visually attractive version of the Tarot de Marseille. It is particularly suited for beginners, while remaining faithful to tradition. The minor inaccuracies do not hinder its divinatory use, making this tarot a wise choice for those seeking to combine modernity with respect for tradition.

My Review

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Pros

The Tarot of Marseille Millennium Edition by Wilfried Houdouin stands out for its remarkable fidelity to traditional tarot cards, drawing inspiration from the standard Type II deck but also incorporating details from Type I (for example, LE PENDU sticks out his tongue). To my knowledge, this deck is the only one that blends the two canonical forms Type I and Type II. Moreover, the cards sometimes stand out with unusual colors, even more so than the Camoin-Jodorowsky tarot or the CBD tarot, such as LE SOLEIL with a green face.

Cons

I really appreciate the mix between Type I and Type II forms, as I think that details from some Type I decks deserved to be preserved, but unfortunately were abandoned by the card masters of subsequent generations. In this, Wilfried HOUDOUIN has shown more initiative than Yoav Ben-Dov (see following tarot).

The Cards

• L'AMOUREUX: The author has reproduced the same error as in the Fournier tarot, attributing the hand at the lower abdomen of the woman on the right as her left hand; an interpretation that differs from the canonical form of the Tarot of Marseille where it is generally accepted that it is the man's hand pointing towards the woman's groin.
• L'ERMITE: I like the blue beard. It's the color of water, evoking spirituality and introspection, which perfectly matches the archetype of the Hermit, a figure of inner quest.
• LE SOLEIL: I also appreciate the Sun card for its green face (instead of the traditional yellow), a color that symbolizes hope and spirituality. I also find it very fair that he feminized one of the two children, thereby approaching the vision of Jean Noblet, who in 1650, put a man and a woman in his card of the SUN.

Divinatory Use

With its enhanced symbolic richness (see following paragraph), this tarot offers a modern interpretation grid, which largely corresponds to my divinatory practice. For example, the booklet included in the packaging describes a symbolism on numbers that differs significantly from the symbolism generally adopted through the Rider-Waite-Smith (In fact, often the RWS grid is applied to the Marseille cards, and that's a real shame 😥 )

Symbolic Richness

Apart from the error on L'AMOUREUX card, this tarot offers an enriched interpretation within the tradition of the Tarot of Marseille, as it integrates significant details of the Type I form, usually absent from all other Tarot of Marseille on the market.

My Opinion

The Tarot of Marseille Millennium Edition is a good choice for those looking for a modern Tarot of Marseille, even though I personally want to say that the error on L'AMOUREUX card disqualifies it. I still appreciate the true innovation work of the author.

My Review

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Pros

The Jean Dodal Tarot by Flornoy is a celebration of the tradition and heritage of the Tarot de Marseille. It stands out with its unique graphic style, reminiscent of medieval stained glass, giving it a "cathedral tarot" appearance imbued with profound wisdom. This deck offers a renewal of archetypes and a deeper questioning of the meanings of the Major Arcana, making it essential for the study of the Tarot de Marseille.

Cons

Its medieval imagery may require a period of adaptation, especially for those accustomed to more modern decks.

The Cards

• LA PAPESSE: Unique with her beauty mark, she embodies a court woman, an aristocrat, reflecting the engraver's freedom of expression.
• L'AMOUREUX: The blindfolded angel, a classic representation of Cupid, evokes blind love and the changing perceptions of love through the centuries.
• LE PENDU: His nonchalance and the potential wings lend lightness and a celestial nature to the character, underscoring the importance of this card and its message.

Divinatory Use

The deck is ideal for deep divinatory practice, offering a rich and nuanced perspective on soul questions and spiritual journeying.

Symbolic Richness

While the deck may initially be a challenge for beginners, especially those coming from the Rider-Waite-Smith school, the effort of learning is rewarded with a richer and more authentic understanding of the Tarot de Marseille.

My Opinion

The Jean Dodal Tarot by Flornoy is a window to the past, offering an authentic and enriching experience of the Tarot de Marseille. Its fidelity to tradition, combined with a factual approach to the cards, makes it a valuable choice for those seeking to deepen their understanding of tarot. However, the card size, faithful to the original but out of standard, can make handling difficult for easy shuffling.

My Review

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Pros

The Marseille-Waite Tarot by Emmanuelle Iger is a bold and creative fusion of the Tarot de Marseille and Rider-Waite-Smith traditions. This combination offers unique clarity and depth, making the major arcana simple and powerful while integrating the illustrative minor arcana of the Waite-Smith system. The artwork, inspired by ancient illuminations, is visually appealing and sophisticated. Additionally, the bilingual (French and English) manual makes this tarot accessible to an international audience.

Cons

However, this complexity can be challenging for beginners, especially those not familiar with either system. Moreover, the canonical form of the Tarot de Marseille is not fully respected, which can displease purists.

The Cards

• L'AMOUREUX: The gesturing in this card is not respected, modifying its traditional interpretation. The man has his hands crossed as if they were tied, whereas in historical tarots, the man looks at the woman on the left (I am with you in thought) while extending his hand towards the right woman's sexual area (I am yours in desire). With the other hand, he holds his belt to indicate that he wants to be united and bound with the world.
• LA FORCE: Placed in position 8 instead of 11, this card breaks with the traditional sequence, modifying the symbolic journey of the tarot. Between the Chariot at 7, which speaks of conquest, and the Hermit at 9, which speaks of questioning and the path of assessment, Justice at 8 is in its place as it talks about reaping (or not) the fruits of one's labor. Strength at 11 says that the goal of the spiritual cycle (from 11 to 20) is to learn to discover and master oneself.
• LE JUGEMENT: The gesturing of the characters is not in line with tradition, which can alter the deep meaning of the card. The three people should touch elbows, signifying that the three fundamental aspects of the individual's psyche (the man, the woman, the child) unite. The individual becomes united and aligned with himself.

Divinatory Use

The combination of the two systems offers clarity and depth in divinatory reading, allowing for a richer and more varied interpretation. This tarot is particularly suited to readers who appreciate the intuition of the Rider-Waite-Smith and the mystique of the Tarot de Marseille.

Symbolic Richness

This tarot allows learners to become familiar with both major tarot systems, enriching their understanding and practice. However, it is important to note that some crucial details of the canonical form of the Tarot de Marseille are not present.

My Opinion

The Marseille-Waite Tarot by Emmanuelle Iger is a commendable initiative that brings a fresh perspective to the world of tarot. While the content is interesting and the work quality, the name of the tarot can be misleading, as it significantly deviates from the canonical form of the Tarot de Marseille. This deck is rather a pure Rider-Waite-Smith, tinted with considerations for the Tarot de Marseille, but too far removed from its traditional form to be considered as such.