This is a powerfully drawn deck, by Sergio Toppi, that derives its inspiration from the dawn of human history, a time lost in the shadows of our past that still “lives in our recollection of a pure, free instinct.” Through the medium of tarot, Toppi seeks to draw us deep into that ancient part of our collective unconscious which still survives beneath humankind's modern, industrialized facade. The images are evocative and compelling, and lack the anachronisms and New Age clichés that always abound whenever tarot artists attempt to portray tribal cultures.
The artwork is exquisite. The originals were drawn in ecoline, which as far as I know is a type of water-based colored ink. The overall effect resembles a blend of water color and pen & ink. Consequently, the hues tend to be subdued rather than bright. The dominant colors are brown, aqua blue, light green, and light red. There is extensive use of fine line work for shading and detailing that works to great advantage in the expressive, weatherworn faces. These cards are so beautiful that I can't bear to read with them for fear of damaging them ever so slightly. As a friend of mine said, when I mentioned my misgivings: “Read with them? I think I'm going to frame them!”
The trump personages are rendered realistically and appear to be portraits drawn from life. Usually this bothers me, as it detracts from the universality and symbolic character of the images, but in this deck it works well. The individuals portrayed are intended to represent Cro-Magnon people in general, although their features often bear a strong resemblance to indigenous Melanesians, Africans, or Americans. Tarots of the Origins takes us on a journey through imagery suggestive of the Upper Paleolithic, which (to me) is the most interesting period of the Old Stone Age, a time of great changes, artistic expression, and the birth of modern (Homo sapiens sapiens) humankind. We end with an image that alludes to the Neolithic period, which brings the deck, as well as the Stone Age, to its conclusion.
This is a majors-only deck at present, but it will follow the precedent set by other Lo Scarabeo art decks and will be reissued as a full seventy-eight card pack. The card sequence begins with The Fool, which is numbered zero. Justice (“Abundance”) is eight, and Strength (“The Creative Force”) is eleven. Many card titles have been changed in accordance with the theme of the deck: The High Priestess is called “The Great Mother” and the Hierophant, “The Shaman.” The Empress is “The Woman” and the Emperor is “The Man.” Strangely, the title of the Chariot remains unchanged, yet the Lovers has been renamed “Union.” The Hanged Man is titled “The Sacrifice” and Judgment, “The Prey.” The Wheel of Fortune has been renamed “Time,” and Temperance, “The Fountain.” Finally, the Tower is “The Menhir” and the Devil is “The Demon.” Since the cards are all numbered, it is not too difficult to remember which is which, although Abundance and The Creative Force seem a bit enigmatic at first.
Unfortunately, there is no book to accompany this deck, and the enclosed LWB (a two-part pamphlet) contains only brief interpretations, two spreads, and a short synopsis of tarot history. So it is up to us to draw our own conclusions about what is pictured in the cards, and why the artist chose the images he did.
I think that the most beautiful and evocative card in the deck is The Fountain. At first glance, I thought this was the Star. Standing at the summit of a lush, mossy mountain ridge, a female figure contemplates the rivulets of spring water that gush down the mountainside from beneath her feet. Although life-sized, she is drawn as a Gravettian “Venus” figurine, a small female effigy typically carved from mammoth ivory, bone, or soft stone. Everything, including the sky, is painted in shades of green-- a color that surely would have signified life to people who endured the long and rigorous winters of the last Ice Age, and relied upon the availability of grazing herbivores such as the steppe bison, reindeer, and musk ox. The general configuration of the mountain ridge is suggestive of a reclining female body, She from whom all life flows. This depiction is not surprising when we see that the card's interpretation emphasizes such meanings as healing, harmony, serenity, and rest. I can't help but be reminded of Frank Lind's take on the Temperance card, as summarized by Bill Butler: “Purification of the soul. The past, flowing through the present and into the future.”
In contrast, The Star is dynamic-- a card of action rather than contemplation. Two aqua-hued hands emerge from above, striking a flint core with a hammer stone. There is a flash of light as a spark shoots out, illuminating the darkness like a tiny star. We can see how energy transforms stone, producing either chipped tools or the very element of fire itself-- both instrumental in sustaining life. (I admit, I'm reminded of Temperance). In addition to the usual attributes of hope, faith, and grace, this card has the additional meanings “bright ideas” and “favorable results,” which are applicable here. What I see in this card is best expressed in the interpretations (again, from Bill Butler) of Mayananda: “The supernal power as divine fire or life,” and Papus: “Immortality, hope, the Force which dispenses the essence of Life.”
There are so many fabulous images in this deck that it is hard to single any one of them out for special mention. Suffice to say that Toppi has envisioned two of the most unusual Death and Hermit cards that I have ever seen. And his exquisite Empress (The Woman) is my favorite of all Empresses.
This deck is not readily available in the U.S., although I have seen it for sale at two of the Psychic Eye shops. You might be able to obtain a copy from a European vendor such as Alida. (If you want the English language version, be sure to specify your preference prior to purchase). When the full deck version comes out, you will be able to order it through a group order with Wicce.
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2000 by Rotations Tarot
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