Legacy of the Divine Tarot

See card images of the Legacy of the Divine Tarot

By Ciro Marchetti
Tarot Deck - 78 Cards - Self Published 2008Published by Llewellyn 2009

Review by Bonnie Cehovet

Review of the Llewellyn Edition

The Legacy of the Divine Tarot was first published as a Special Edition deck, prior to being mass published by Llewellyn Worldwide. It comes as a set, with the traditional 78 cards, the companion book “Gateway to the Divine Tarot”, and a black organdy bag to hold the cards. The box is a cigar type box that opens lengthwise. The cover shows the imagery from the Queen of Wands (which many of you will recognize from Leisa ReFalo’s “Tarot Connection” site). On the back is printed the following:

Step into a lost world from long ago …

A world veiled in darkness after a cataclysmic collision that stilled the earth. Millennia have passed and only humankind has survived – through the divine gifts of dreams.

Exquisitely rich and magical, this new Rider-Waite-Smith based tarot deck by digital artist Ciro Marchetti takes you into the heart of fantasy. You can use this legacy from ages past to discover what you need for your own life as it guides you toward hope, wisdom, and inspiration.

The 295 page companion book, “Gateway to the Divine Tarot”, is a story onto itself – that also tells the story that is Tarot. The beginning of the story is all about a dream – a dream that it seems must be a reality, as there are physical manifestations of the dream in Ciro’s real environment. From there, we go far back into history, where the third planet from the sun collides with an asteroid. This is catastrophic, but some flora and fauna did survive. One species survived above all others, because it had one distinct advantage over other species – it had the advantage of forewarning.

We learn about the Blind Ones, an elite class with great knowledge. They revealed to humankind, to the hour, the time of their passing. A council was called, and the Kings and their courts of the four elements were summoned. The goal was to determine the directions and actions to be taken in the remaining twelve solar orbits.

The Four Kingdoms flourished, and were in balance with their environment. However, they were not always in balance with each other. One realm shared in their activities, but also ruled over them. They were the people that looked beyond the physical to the mind and the universe. The Blind Ones were part of this group of people. They were blessed from birth, and possessed great powers. (Another group came to my mind when I read this – the Bene Gesserit from the Dune Trilogy.) With their guidance, the civilizations that developed after the cataclysm paid homage to their common memories and heritage.

The story now moves back to the present, and to correspondence Ciro is having with a gentleman by the name of Gianluca Colombo de Savoy. De Savoy comments on the “Limited Edition Tarot” that Ciro did, and then he sends him prints, along with a handwritten note. The imagery in the “Gilded Tarot” – is it possibly not unique to Ciro? Could he have seen it before, and not remembered it? Ciro is invited to Italy – in fact, it is more of a command performance than an invitation.

Once he gets there, he hears a fantastic tale about knowledge shared between de Savoy and a small group of colleagues, and now being shared with Ciro. For various reasons, the time was not right, and this information has been suppressed. Part of this story is about gateways – gateways that are very similar to images in the “Tarot of Dreams”.

Ciro had been “encouraged” to visit Italy at a specific time because one of the gateways would be opening, and de Savoy wanted him to experience the museum that it opened into for himself. This is an absolutely wonderful section, showing a great gift for vision and insight into journey work. From this experience Ciro walked away with formative ideas for his next Tarot deck – “The Legacy of the Divine Tarot”.

The traditional names for the Major Arcana are used, with the following exceptions: The Hierophant becomes Faith, The Wheel of Fortune becomes the Wheel, and the Hanged Man becomes the Hanging Man. Strength is VIII, Justice is XI. The suits are entitled Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles; the Court Cards are entitled King, Queen, Knight and Page.

The presentation of the cards in the companion book is text only. Ciro has presented his own thoughts on the cards, as have contributors Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef, and Leisa ReFalo. Ciro talks about the reasoning behind his choices of imagery for the card, while the Amberstones talk about the basic card energy. James Ricklef provides in depth commentary, while Leisa ReFalo covers each card using the following categories: keywords, reversed keywords, description, meanings, elemental attribution, planetary attribution, gifts and advice. At the end of the presentation on each card Ciro has included an applicable quote.

In a precursor to the Court Cards, Ciro talks about the Court Cards as templates for royal families. In other words, the Court Cards are flexible! In this deck, they all look directly at the reader, making a strong connection. Ciro gives a general description of each card, and the intent behind the card.

Leisa wrote a very comprehensive chapter on how to read the cards. Brief instruction for doing a one to three card daily spread is given, along with a three card Legacy Spread, a seven card Pages (or What is Needed) Spread, a nine card Knights Spread, a five card Queens Spread, and an eight card Kings Spread.

There is an appendix with attributions for elements, numbers, planets, and zodiac signs, along with an in-depth bibliography.

The cards themselves are approximately 2 ¾” by 4 ½”, of good quality card stock. The backs are reversible, with a dark border surrounding a gold and silver mechanical web (the same back as the Special Edition deck). The card faces carry the same dark border, with the Major Arcana showing the card title at the top of the card, and the card number, in Roman numerals, at the bottom of the card. The numbering and lettering is color coded by element.

The Minor Arcana Pips show the suit at the top of the card, and the card number at the bottom of the card. There is a slight difference in style, as the Special Edition used Roman numerals for the pips, while the mass edition does not. The Court Cards carry the card title and suit at the top of the card, with the lettering color coded to the elemental associations.

The artwork is digital, very much in the fantasy tradition. The Pips and Court Cards show the same imagery as the Special Edition deck, while there is some difference in the coloring (but not the imagery) in the mass produced deck. The cards that I noticed significant color changes in were The Magician, The Emperor, Strength, and Justice.

Some of the imagery carries through the Major Arcana – for instance, the same figure appears on The Fool, TheWheel, The Hanging Man, and The World. The hourglass that The Fool balances on, and its colored sand, also appears in The Hanging Man and The World.

We see The Fool balanced in space, with the Major Arcana cards arching around him. The High Priestess has eyes so pale as to almost not be there. The Emperor, standng under the sign of the Ram, evokes a sense of great power. The Chariot is a winged chariot, while the Hermit carries with him a sense of the hidden (as does the High Priestess). I love that The Wheel shows the same figure (that of The Fool) in all four of its phases. The Hanging Man is suspended horizontally over a horizontal hourglass (indicating that time is standing still). Judgment shows a larger than life Archangel, while The World shows the figure of The Fool, standing balanced on the hourglass of time, with the twelve Zodiac signs circling around him.

This is a deck that could be used by any Tarot student that had a basic understanding of the cards. It is a deck for collectors, for those that are interested in the theme of fantasy, as well as for those that want to offer their clients a choice of decks that will open up their experience o the cards.

© August 2009

Bonnie Cehovet is Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.

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Review by Terri Clement

Out of a fantastical cataclysmic collision that darkened the earth, comes the Legacy of the Divine.

“Imagine a civilization long before our own which also called this planet home. Imagine that foreseeing their own demise, they wished to leave us a message. This is who we were, what we achieved, what we loved, feared and believed in. This is our legacy. Remember us.” ~ Quote from extra card in the Special Edition deck.

Ciro Marchetti comes to us as a Professional Graphic Designer with relatively little Tarot experience in his background. His thoughts and design ideas bring forward a fresh perspective of standard images. For example, he has taken the liberty of changing the title of the Hierophant to Faith to encompass a wider religious theme. He also has changed the bird of prey in the 9 of Coins to a Bird of Paradise.

A common theme added to this Rider-Waite-Smith based deck are Victorian brass survey devices, theodolytes and kaleidoscopes, which he collects and has taken some artistic liberty with. Ciro explains his thoughts of the origin behind the devices in the “story.”

This deck is filled with vibrant, richly colored images. The artwork in this deck is truly captivating. Even though much of the RWS symbolism is not included in the images, it will prove to be a brilliant working deck, that is quite capable of packing a punch!

On course with Ciro’s other decks, the Legacy of the Divine carry’s the same tradition of the use of vivid color and plays in light and shadow. The images fade to a black border. Color variations vary between the Standard deck and the Special Edition deck. There are also color variations between the Special Edition decks themselves.

There are three Special Edition Deck packages available. The SE Deck, the SE Deck and Hardback Book Set, and the SE Deck, Book and Canvas set. It is a custom produced collector’s edition. It is in limited quantity. Each deck is signed. With the variations in the cards, each set is unique in it’s particular combination of cards.

The Special Edition deck is larger and thicker than standard, measuring 5 ½“ tall x 3 ¼“ wide x 1 ½“ thick. It also contains a black velvet bag, stamped with “Legacy of the Divine,” in gold foil. The Special Edition also comes with a signed 12” x 8” print of the Legacy themed montage.

The deck edges were a bit “hairy” when the deck arrived, but disappeared quickly with a little handling.

The gorgeous coffee table book, is fully illustrated and contains the Ciro’s own mythology of Tarot. This book would make a fantastic conversation piece. There is also a vinyl spread cloth available, in one of the packages. It measures 24” x 24”, which also could be framed.

The Standard Edition comes with a black organdy tarot bag and a 295 page, paperback collaborative companion book, which also contains the “story.” This book is titled Gateway to the Divine Tarot.

The second part of the book provides a variety of perspectives on the cards’ meanings from Ciro, himself, as well as highly respected tarot experts such as Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef and Leisa ReFalo. Together they take you on a journey through this amazing deck.

The third part of the book is a “How To Read Tarot” section by Leisa ReFalo. She covers everything from the question, the spread, drawing the cards and interpretation to many extras. There are five spreads in the book, from a three card to a nine card spread.

This deck measures 4 ½” tall x 2 ¾” wide x 1” thick.

Both decks use the standard Rider-Waite-Smith suits: Swords, Cups, Wands, Pentacles. Strength is number 8 and Justice is number 11. The title of the Major’s and the suit titles are on the top and the cards are numbered on the bottom. Reversible friendly backs, which display another mechanical device. Both decks have a smooth finish, that fan out beautifully.

This deck will make an excellent addition to any collection. It can be picked and used almost immediately by the novice reader or the professional. It will be appreciated by anyone who owns one or both of Ciro’s other decks.

I anticipate that Legacy of the Divine will surely make it to the Top 10 of the new decks for 2009 and quickly take its place in the Top 10 of All Time.

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Review by Bonnie Cehovet

Review of the Special Edition

Imagine a civilization long before our own which also called this planet home.
Imagine that foreseeing their Own demise, they Wished to leave us a message.
This is who we were, what We achieved, what we loved, Feared and believed in.
This is our legacy.
Remember us.

~ Ciro Marchetti

I have long admired the work of Ciro Marchetti (Gilded Tarot, Tarot of Dreams) – the mystical, fantasy quality that takes us into another world, allowing us to move about that world with the greatest of ease. The Legacy of the Divine Tarot includes elements from his first two decks, but melds them into their own reality. On his site, Ciro makes the point that anyone who is familiar with the RWS system will be in comfortable territory with this deck.

This deck will be coming out in two versions – a Special Edition version that is available now, directly from Ciro’s site, and a mass produced edition that will be available from Llewellyn Worldwide (with a planned release of the fourth quarter of 2009). The Special Edition was so named (as opposed to Limited Edition), for a reason. Ciro has made variations of a number of cards, which are randomly included in the Special Edition decks – essentially making them one of a kind decks! There is also a signature card included with each deck. The cards for this edition are 3.25” by 5.5”, with a thin satin laminate. The cards are a bit large for small hands, but they are easy to handle, and will withstand heavy use. I should mention here that this deck is a digitally produced deck – a colorful, highly creative, artistic deck that simply takes your breath away..

I loved the book that accompanies the Special Edition! It came in its own box, and is a gorgeous black cover with gold text. On the front we see the Fool, on the back there is an image of the icons for the four elements.It is hard cover, 11.5” by 9”, with the inside cover is signed and personalized for each customer. The illustrations are full color throughout, and include a loose glicee print of your personal Tarot birth card. (The print is gorgeous! I had to make a choice of which birth card I wanted a print of, as I adhere to the Amberstone’s version of two birth cards. I chose the Hermit, as I am quite close to the archetype of this card.) This is intended to be an art book, rather than the traditional companion book with card definitions. It is also much more than an art book – it is the story of the ancient people whose legacy is this deck. A guidebook will come with the standard edition, and Ciro is providing a pdf version of this document to his Special Edition customers at no extra charge.

There is an added component to the Special Edition deck: a Reading Canvas incorporating rich images from the Major Arcana. I was more than impressed, more than awed – I was stunned by this canvas! It is presented as a giclee reproduction on a 24” by 24” canvas that gives the appearance of a mystical parchment that can be framed and hung. There is a sample version on Ciro’s site that is absolutely incredible!

The deck follows the traditional RWS format: the Major Arcana bear traditional titles, with the following exceptions: the Hierophant becomes Faith, the Wheel of Fortune becomes The Wheel, and the Hanged Man becomes the Hanging Man. Strength is VIII, Justice is XI. The suites are Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins, with the Court Cards entitled King, Queen, Knight and Page.

The backs of the cards show a dark border, surrounding a gold and silver metallic looking circular centerpiece, surrounded by a web-like structure on either side. The cards are reversible. The card faces show the same dark border, surrounding a central image. The Major Arcana show the card number, in red Roman numerals, at the bottom of the card, with the card title at the top, also in red. The suites show the suite title at the top, and the suite number, in Roman numerals, at the bottom. The suites are color-coded: Wands are red, Cups are yellow, Swords are silver, and Coins are green.

There is a storyline followed by this deck, and that is the demise of a civilization through a planetary catastrophe, and the legacy of their wisdom being sent throughout the galaxy. This is the backdrop for this deck – the legacy of our ancestors coming to us through images and symbols. Within this storyline, and within this deck, I do have my favorite cards – and here they are.

The Fool, depending on your belief system, can be either “0” or “22”. Or perhaps both! I see the Fool as “0”, and Ciro’s Fool is an excellent introduction to this deck. He is suspended in space, looking very magickal, with a ribbon wound lightly around him. His dog floats with him in space, hanging onto the ribbon with his teeth. The Fool’s left foot rests on an hourglass, and his left hand carries a light. He faces the left hand side of the card, which shows a arc of Tarot cards, which he is reaching out to with his right hand.

The High Priestess shows a great gift for melding imagery. In the center of the card is the image of a woman covered with a white hooded cloak. She holds a a scroll in her right hand, and a pomegranate in her left hand. A white owl resides in the upper left hand corner of the card.

The Lovers shows the heads of a male and female figure, facing each other, their wings framing a heart. Between them we see the biblical tree of forbidden fruit, and the serpent of temptation.

The Hermit is a favorite card in almost all decks for me. Here we see the figure of an older male, facing us, covered with a cowl. In his right hand he holds up his lamp of wisdom, a glowing crystal within. Beneath him we see a mountain range, with a winding path, the sky in the background.

The Hanging Man is filled with both mystery and mysticism. Here we see the figure of the Fool, without his mask, suspended in mid air by the ribbons that wound around him as the Fool. His back is arched, his head back, and his left arm held up and out. His right leg forms the traditional triangle. Beneath him we see water, with columns rising from it, and being reflected into it. Under the image of the Hanging Man we see a gold chain, surround an hourglass on its side.

Death in this deck is an awesome, stunning image, rather than a frightening one. In the center of the card we see a dark figure on a raised horse. At the top of the card we see a skull, while at the bottom of the card we see a white rose, representing rebirth. Look closely at the skull – you will see a spider and a scorpion. As with each card in this deck, every time you look at it, more images emerge!

The World shows the figure of the Fool standing upright, arms extended, on an hourglass in which all of the “sands of time” have migrated to the bottom. This is the completion of his journey. Moving in a circle around the figure are symbols of the Zodiac, the Wheel of Life.

The Aces in general impressed me – loads of symbols and imagery, but not overwhelming. The Ace of Wands shows a crystal encrusted wand, coming out of a volcano, escorted by dragons. The Ace of Cups shows a glass chalice in a metal base, totally under water. Two brightly colored koi swim above the cup. The Ace of Swords shows a gold sword soaring into the clouds, surrounded by birds of prey. Light emanates from the metal, lighting the sky. The Ace of Coins shows a large gold coin, nestled amongst green vines. The shape in the center of the coin is that of a pentacle, and there are emerald jewels in the form of pentacles along the outer edge of the coin. Looking closely, we see the nuts and insects that one would expect to see in the forest.

The Knights in this deck show helmets, focusing on the elemental association, but no faces. The Pages appear in traditional youth form, bearing their messages. The Queens are shown as strong women, capable of fulfilling their duties. (Note: They do not appear on thrones.) The Kings appear standing, showing strength of wisdom as well as strength of leadership.

I found this deck to be very easy to read with, and also very comforting – not in a fluffy bunny sense, but in the sense of entering a world that is filled with wisdom, a world that is worth entering. This deck would be of interest to all levels of readers, to those that wish to advance on their spiritual path, and to those that are interested in a very grounded fantasy/mythological deck.

More information can be found on Ciro’s site. There is a short, very well done, must-see trailer for the Legacy of the Divine Tarot on Vimeo. As a gift to the Tarot world, there are several versions of wallpaper based on the “Legacy of the Divine” deck available on Ciro’s site.

© January 2009

Bonnie Cehovet is Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.