Preview: Lo Scarabeo Tarot

I'm really blessed to be working on the Lo Scarabeo Tarot -- the flagship deck for one of the world's most prolific Tarot deck publishers. The concept -- developed by the Lo Scarabeo team -- was to create a deck by fusing elements from the three most influential decks in history: the Waite-Smith, the Thoth, and the Tarot de Marseille.

On each card of the Lo Scarabeo Tarot, you'll spy visual "tributes" to the other decks ... plus new elements we've introduced to keep the deck fresh and surprising. This is the most "mystical" or esoteric deck I've worked on to date, and I think the Tarot community at large will really love the light, detailed watercolor images that illustrate each card.

I scripted the deck, coming up with the image and symbols that should appear on every card. These, in turn, are being developed into stunning full-color illustrations by Italian artist Anna Lazzarini. Below, you'll find the script entry for two sample cards, along with Anna's spectacular interpretation of them. It's a "sneak peek" at this beautiful deck -- and it's exclusively for readers of TarotTools.com! (Click the images to see a larger picture of the card.)

Trump 0 - The Fool

Elements/Colors

Billowing clouds and shafts of sunlight. Pale, sunny yellow and spring green.

Description

The Fool is a slender, beardless young man, about eighteen years old. He mirrors the expression and pose of the RWS Fool exactly.

Atop his long blonde hair, The Fool wears a simple cap with one red feather stuck in the brim. In his right hand is a rod as long as The Fool is tall. The wand, propped on his right shoulder, is tipped with a gold caduceus. From the end of the wand is suspended a leather pouch.

The Fool wears a simple robe made of spring green cloth embroidered with dark green spiral designs. Tiny golden bells are attached to the sleeves.

In his left hand, The Fool carries a golden chalice; within it, we see tongues of yellow flame.

Instead of strolling along a path, The Fool's yellow boots are planted firmly in an expanse of cloud. He walks along, oblivious to the lack of ground beneath his feet, accompanied by a friendly, prancing dog.

Behind him, planted in the clouds, is a stone archway. Its shape -- a vesica piscis, with the crest of the archway pointed like the head of a fish -- suggests it may once have framed the entrance to a Gothic cathedral. Vines, heavy with grapes, cling to the stone pillars on either side. At the point of the arch is a medallion, stamped with a carving of a butterfly. Through the archway, we can see nothing but an inky, swirling blackness.

The implication is that The Fool has just stepped through the portal and into this expanse of sunlit clouds.

Trump 3 - The Empress

Elements/Colors

Blue skies, green grass, gray stone. Lush greens, yellows, ripe reds.

Description
Beneath a blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds, The Empress sits in the midst of the Garden of Eden. The environment around her overflows with life: lotus blossoms, baskets of ripe fruit, vines bearing grapes, and sheaves of wheat. Bees buzz from flower to flower; a sparrow may fly overhead. In the distance, we might even see the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life (the two trees seen more clearly on the RWS Lovers trump).

The Empress wears a crown studded with twelve stars. Her hair is long and flowing. Her robes are red and green, and may be dotted with astrological glyphs. On the bodice of her gown, we see a white eagle motif. She sits in a rounded throne padded with fat velvet cushions.

In one hand, she holds a scepter topped with an orb and cross. With her other hand, she protectively cradles her pregnant belly.

The Empress is the first of the Major Arcana characters to look directly at us. She gives us a warm, welcoming smile, full of a delighted mother's approval.

Comments

[truthfiend]

they are beautiful. when will this deck be released?

[Mark]

Hi, Truthfiend,

The Lo Scarabeo deck is due out in June of 2007. Thanks for the comment!

[Steve]

Great idea - nice looking samples so far. Any chance of keeping text off the finished cards as per the new tarot of the elves?

[Steve]

Great idea - nice looking samples so far. Any chance of keeping text off the finished cards as per the new tarot of the elves?

[A Big Fan]

Will a book be published to accompany the deck?

[Mitzi]

I own this deck, but can not read the small type on the book to learn what each card means. Is there any way that you can give me the meaning of each card? Blessed Be. Happy Samhain