Right off the bat I will say that this deck is not for everyone.  Erotic art is definitely a niche market.  In so creating this deck, Manara has targeted a specific audience.  That said, this is an impressive deck in quality, with a strong sense of style and evocative imagery that will leave its mark on the viewer.  A note in the little white booklet says it all, really: "the fascination of play and seduction."  This is the key to understanding and interpreting these cards.  I would add my own note that the viewer should take into consideration that the artist is European and that in America we are quite sheltered from daily eroticism compared to other cultures and other countries.

The cards are rendered rather graphically in places, although I feel they are tastefully done most if not all of the time.  Certain scenes may be a bit strong for some and I would definitely recommend that the reader be an adult.  For this reason the cards which I have chosen to scan have been carefully selected.

In this deck, several of the Major Arcana have been retitled.  They do follow the general tradition in terms of order and meaning.  Each card's image is rectangular and is centered on the card, bordered in yellow, and then placed against a black background, with the number of the card presented in large bold Arabic numerals in yellow in the top left corner and the title appears in English, German, French and Spanish in the upper right.  Under the image the title appears in Italian, accompanied by the astrological symbol for the card.  Manara has used astrological correspondences heavily in creating these cards, and they are referred to for meaning.  Title changes include card ten which is The Mirror instead of the Wheel of Fortune, and card twelve which is The Punishment instead of the Hanged Man.  Ordering is traditional Marseilles-style, with Justice as 8 and Strength 11.

The Minor Arcana have renamed suits, with the Elements in charge here.  Instead of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles, the suits are simply Fire, Water, Air and Earth.  It seems that this deck uses a Wands-Fire, Swords-Air correspondence but it is not easy to tell with the untraditional subject matter.  Court titles are King, Queen, Knight and Knave.  Full scenes are used to show the meaning more thoroughly of each card.  The images are again shown against a black border but this time the narrow border around the image is color-coordinated to go with the element used for each suit.  In addition, the number of the card is actually displayed inside the symbol for the element.  Titles are again given in five languages, although for the numbered cards the only titling is the name of the suit element on each card.

The cards themselves are slightly smaller than standard sized, printed on a nice flexible cardstock, with a semi-gloss coating for protection.  The edges have a smooth polish to them and the corners are rounded nicely.  This deck shuffles and handles quite comfortably.  The back design is reversible, a double-ended image of a woman on a park bench between two men who look like twins.

The little white booklet is actually very interesting.  Several things are here that I haven't seen often in other booklets which make you think twice about the card's meaning.  Here is an excerpt:  "IV - The Emperor - security, authority, order, dignity, fecundity.  Astrological meaning - Aries - I am, authority."  I think it is helpful to know which sign corresponds to it, and giving a first person expression for the meaning makes the interpretation more intimate and personal.  A nice amount of detail is used to describe each suit's energy as a group before breaking down into the individual cards.  Two new spreads are given for use.

I recommend this deck mainly for those who like erotic art.  If you don't like it, don't buy the deck.  Sexuality is a heavy part of these tarots and it is not for everyone.  Similarly the deck is not for those under the age of 18, at least not in America.  However, it is an interesting and exciting collectible for those who do like this type of artwork.  It is tempting to compare this deck to other erotic decks such as the Dark Sirens Tarot or the Black Tarot; these, however, are sci-fi fantasy oriented and this Erotic Tarot by Milo Manara has a distinctive European look and feel to it.  Manara has also done many books of his artwork which are every bit as interesting as this deck.  For more information on purchasing this deck, or any of Manara's erotic art books, please email Wicce.

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LoScarabeo

Review Copyright 2000 by Gina M. Pace

The Erotic Tarot by Milo Manara, 2000
published by LoScarabeo, Torino, Italy.