Tarot Mucha

More About These Cards

Name: Tarot Mucha
Creators: Lunaea Weatherstone, Massimiliano Filadoro, Giulia F. Massaglia
Publisher: Lo Scarabeo 2014
Deck Type: Tarot Deck
Cards: 78
Major Arcana: 22
Minor Arcana: 56
Court Cards: Knave, Knight, Queen, King
Card Size: 2.80 x 4.72 in. = 7.10cm x 12.00cm
Card Language: None
Card Back: Non-reversible
Back Design: Art nouveau style illustration of a women holding flowers and fruit.
Companion Material: 128-page bound, full-colour companion book in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German and Russian. The English section is written by Lunaea Weatherstone.

Tarot Mucha Review by medusawink

The Belle Epoque (1871 – 1914) was a period of European history typified by social, scientific, and artistic exploration and advances. The artistic movement most commonly associated with this period of history is Art Nouveau, and the works of Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) are some of the most instantly recognisable exemplars is of this fluid, organic art style. Many of Mucha's works were commercial, aimed at selling everything from cigarettes to bicycles, and he was the exclusive creator of theatrical superstar Sarah Bernhardt's production posters.

Mucha produced hundreds of his highly stylised, idiosyncratic works during the course of his career so there is a treasure trove of images for artists Giulia Massaglia and Barbara Nosenzo to use in creating the Tarot Mucha. Rather than simply renaming unmodified copies of Mucha's works, Massaglia and Nosenzo have taken many of his most well-known images and adjusted them to the Rider Waite Smith framework. Mucha's flowing, ornate style has been faithfully adapted to these expanded images, and his tasteful pallette beautifully maintained.

Familiar here are the women from his multitude of collections - Moon and Stars, Seasons, Flowers, and many advertisements. There are also many original tarot images created in the style of Mucha. Fittingly Sarah Berhardt, whose commissions of theatre posters catapulted Mucha into artistic fame, appears as The Magician, and Mucha himself appears as the driver of The Chariot.

The Tarot Mucha is a fully illustrated 78 card deck with 22 Major Arcana, and 56 Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana adheres to the Rider-Waite-Smith standard with no variations, and the Minor Arcana is comprised of the following suits; Cups, Discs, Staves, and Swords. The Court Cards are ordered as Page, Knight, Queen, King.

The cards measure 70 x120mm - which is a fairly standard size for tarot cards. The cards are smooth, glossy, and quite slippery, but shuffle well. The card stock is high quality and well finished. The print is clear, the colours are elegant, restrained, and subtle. Each image has an ornate Art Nouveau frame which varies between Major Arcana and each suit in both elemental colours and seasonal flowers. The Major Arcana has no titles just a number at the top and bottom of each card. The Minor Arcana cards have a number at the top, and the Courts are denoted by symbols; a helmet for a Page, a horse for a Knight, and crowns for Queen and King.

The elaborate image on the back of the cards is not reversible. The cards and guidebook come in a small solid cardboard box with a lift-off lid. The box has a satiny smooth finish and is printed with images from the cards within. This is a compact little set that will slip easily into a shoulder bag or back pack and travel well.

The 128 page guidebook has instructions in six languages; English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, and Polish. Written by Lunaea Weatherstone this guidebook is exceptionally clear and unambiguous. Each card has a thorough description that explains both the symbols, and the emotional and intellectual intent of the people depicted. The divinatory meanings are presented as Key Ideas, and are standard interpretations for upright cards only. Three basic four-card spreads are provided – The Seasons, The Flowers, and the Four Act Reading.

The Tarot Mucha is a beautiful interpretation of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Its sinuous artwork is consistent and its colours are rich and restful. If you are a fan of Alphonse Mucha's art or Art Nouveau in general then you will want to add this deck to your collection. If you are looking for a variation on the Rider-Waite-Smith deck that maintains it's integrity and maturity then the Tarot Mucha certainly fulfils these requirements.

Overall this is a beautiful and highly functional deck that beginners as well as experienced tarot readers can use with ease.

Tarot Mucha Review by Rosewater

An Art Nouveau-inspired deck, Tarot Mucha of the fruit of a collective effort of writers and artists. As with most Lo Scarabeo decks, the accompanying booklet is multilingual, but Lunaea Weatherstone’’s interpretations in English take up at least the first half.

The artwork in this deck is based on the illustrations and posters of Alfons Mucha, a Parisian artist who lived and worked during the creative Belle Époch period in Europe. This venture might easily have gone badly, but to my eyes the artists have done an excellent job. There is clearly much respect for Mucha’s work.

The deck comes packaged in a sturdy and attractive box. The booklet is stitch-bound and has a firm full-color cover, and is also is quite durable. It begins with a few pages about Mucha and his time, them a short explanation of the Tarot structure. Every card, both Major and Minor Arcana, is given a paragraph of interpretation and several keywords. This is followed by three four-card spreads based on the main themes of Mucha’s work, and a sample reading for each.

The cardstock is excellent: strong, but flexible enough for easy shuffling. The cards have a low sheen and tend to slip about a bit, but not enough for me to find this a problem. They are standard Tarot card size, exactly the same as the Universal Waite. The card backs (an Empress-like woman in an ornate floral frame) are non-reversible, and there are no reverse meanings given in the booklet.

The cards have a pale parchment colored background on both sides. The cars borders are not distracting or redundant; they actually enhance the images. The Major Arcana and each of the suits have their own border design, but this is done subtly and doesn’’t break the visual cohesion.

Though this deck for most part follows Rider-Waite imagery, there are both small and significant changes. For instance, in the Major Arcana the Death card shows a black-robed hooded figure watching over the body of a slain knight. A priest sits nearby holding the knight’s sword. Beside and above them are bare trees and a winding river. Only distant towers and sunrise remain of the traditional imagery. The Judgment card shows four human figures and an overarching angel, as is usual, but only one of the people is striving to rise. Two are lying dead, the third clings to the rising man as if trying to pull him back. These new details considerably widen the range of interpretations.

Another characteristic of this deck is the prevalence of female images. For example, the Fool, the Magician, the Hermit and the Devil are all shown as female. This preponderance reflects the mysterious, Muse-like archetype that Mucha was fascinated by and depicted in so much of his work. The Minor Arcana leans more strongly on Rider-Waite imagery, but not to the extent that the deck looks inconsistent. The Mucha touch is particularly evident in the clothing and the drapery. The Court cards are named Knave, Knight, Queen and King. Pentacles are Discs, Wands are Staves, Swords and Cups remain the same.

I’'d like to give special mention to Lunaea Weatherstone’’s contribution; it shows that a guidebook needn’’t be wordy to be profound. For example, her take on the Temperance card (a woman pouring water from a glass jar into a larger earthenware pot): “”Pouring water from a smaller vessel to a larger vessel is symbolic of the single soul being part of the Great Soul. When we are in divine connection with all that is, we are in balance in our individual selves as well. The maiden stands in the waters of life, which flow from a common source to all parts of the universe. You too stand in that living stream. You too pour the offering of your spirit into the greater vessel of humanity.””

This would be a good beginner’s deck but for the fact that there are no titles on the cards, only the numbers of the Major Arcana, and top-and-bottom glyphs to distinguish each Minor and Court card. I enjoy seeing a Tarot card without the clutter of words, but beginners might at first be confused.

To conclude, Tarot Mucha is much more than a decorative version of the Rider-Waite. One could read and study this deck for quite a while and continually draw new insights from it. I recommend it to anyone seeking an Rider-Waite-based deck with a flowing artistic and feminine touch.

Tarot Mucha Review by Rosewater

An Art Nouveau-inspired deck, Tarot Mucha of the fruit of a collective effort of writers and artists. As with most Lo Scarabeo decks, the accompanying booklet is multilingual, but Lunaea Weatherstone’’s interpretations in English take up at least the first half.

The artwork in this deck is based on the illustrations and posters of Alfons Mucha, a Parisian artist who lived and worked during the creative Belle Époch period in Europe. This venture might easily have gone badly, but to my eyes the artists have done an excellent job. There is clearly much respect for Mucha’s work.

The deck comes packaged in a sturdy and attractive box. The booklet is stitch-bound and has a firm full-color cover, and is also is quite durable. It begins with a few pages about Mucha and his time, them a short explanation of the Tarot structure. Every card, both Major and Minor Arcana, is given a paragraph of interpretation and several keywords. This is followed by three four-card spreads based on the main themes of Mucha’s work, and a sample reading for each.

The cardstock is excellent: strong, but flexible enough for easy shuffling. The cards have a low sheen and tend to slip about a bit, but not enough for me to find this a problem. They are standard Tarot card size, exactly the same as the Universal Waite. The card backs (an Empress-like woman in an ornate floral frame) are non-reversible, and there are no reverse meanings given in the booklet.

The cards have a pale parchment colored background on both sides. The cars borders are not distracting or redundant; they actually enhance the images. The Major Arcana and each of the suits have their own border design, but this is done subtly and doesn’’t break the visual cohesion.

Though this deck for most part follows Rider-Waite imagery, there are both small and significant changes. For instance, in the Major Arcana the Death card shows a black-robed hooded figure watching over the body of a slain knight. A priest sits nearby holding the knight’s sword. Beside and above them are bare trees and a winding river. Only distant towers and sunrise remain of the traditional imagery. The Judgment card shows four human figures and an overarching angel, as is usual, but only one of the people is striving to rise. Two are lying dead, the third clings to the rising man as if trying to pull him back. These new details considerably widen the range of interpretations.

Another characteristic of this deck is the prevalence of female images. For example, the Fool, the Magician, the Hermit and the Devil are all shown as female. This preponderance reflects the mysterious, Muse-like archetype that Mucha was fascinated by and depicted in so much of his work. The Minor Arcana leans more strongly on Rider-Waite imagery, but not to the extent that the deck looks inconsistent. The Mucha touch is particularly evident in the clothing and the drapery. The Court cards are named Knave, Knight, Queen and King. Pentacles are Discs, Wands are Staves, Swords and Cups remain the same.

I’'d like to give special mention to Lunaea Weatherstone’’s contribution; it shows that a guidebook needn’’t be wordy to be profound. For example, her take on the Temperance card (a woman pouring water from a glass jar into a larger earthenware pot): “”Pouring water from a smaller vessel to a larger vessel is symbolic of the single soul being part of the Great Soul. When we are in divine connection with all that is, we are in balance in our individual selves as well. The maiden stands in the waters of life, which flow from a common source to all parts of the universe. You too stand in that living stream. You too pour the offering of your spirit into the greater vessel of humanity.””

This would be a good beginner’s deck but for the fact that there are no titles on the cards, only the numbers of the Major Arcana, and top-and-bottom glyphs to distinguish each Minor and Court card. I enjoy seeing a Tarot card without the clutter of words, but beginners might at first be confused.

To conclude, Tarot Mucha is much more than a decorative version of the Rider-Waite. One could read and study this deck for quite a while and continually draw new insights from it. I recommend it to anyone seeking an Rider-Waite-based deck with a flowing artistic and feminine touch.

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