The Golden Tarot: The Visconti-Sforza Deck

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The Tarot is much more than mere pictures on cards, the pictures are physical symbols for spiritual concepts. The images are symbolic representation of archetypal forces and/or beings which have always existed and have been identified and passed on to us by ancient initiates and which provide a focus for us to use in self-initiation, spiritual development, and the perception of hidden wisdom.

I gingerly brought out my camera and popped the buttons so that the flash would not discharge. Out of nowhere a young man with a very hip beard materialised: ‘NO CAMERAS!!!” he said, sternly. A religious woman, and possible Bohemian princess, named Guglielma arrived in Milan and lived alone except for her followers. She was known to be pious, was generous with her charity, and spoke about a feminized church. I was hoping to learn a little more about her, but haven’t been able to locate more detail about what that charity might have been or what she had to say about a feminized church. Presumably because the Dominican’s burned the writings of both Guglielma and her disciples. The Academia had been closed for refurb for eight long years and had only opened at the beginning of that week. We hopped off the coach and joined the end of the very long queue. Giordano Berti & Tiberio Gonard. Visconti Tarot, Llewellyn - Lo Scarabeo, Minneapolis - Torino, 2002.West Palm Beach Tarot Grandmaster Christiana Gaudet Makes Predictions for 2012: No, It’s Not the End of the World The tarot is much more than mere pictures on cards—the pictures are physical symbols for spiritual concepts. The images are symbolic representations of archetypal forces and/or beings which have always existed and have been identified and passed on to us by ancient initiates and which provide a focus for us to use in self-initiation, spiritual development, and the perception of hidden wisdom . The World card is quite different to the standard Marseille and Waite Smith and shows the New Jerusalem rather than the traditional World Dancer surrounded by the four evangelists. However, both themes are entirely Christocentric… which brings me to my main point of criticism about this set… the companion book. Reader, I would like to tell you that I spent a relaxed and happy couple of hours in the exhibition, but I strode straight through the exhibit halls – the portraits, the madonnas, the landscapes, the precious artefacts, the jewellery and went STRAIGHT to the dimly lit case that held the Visconti Sforza cards.

Another tour member arrived and she too brought out her camera. Moustache Man sprung out and waggled his finger “NO CAMERAS” She too rested her head against the glass and whined in frustration. Just to the right of the Cathedral, in the former palace that is the Palazzo Reale, an exhibition detailing the life and times of the Lombardy Viscontis and Sforzas was running – and deep within the bowels of this exhibition were the Visconti Sforza cards!

The surviving cards are of particular historical interest because of the beauty and detail of the design, which was often executed in precious materials and often reproduce members of the Visconti and Sforza families in period garments and settings. Consequently, the cards also offer a glimpse of nobiliary life in Renaissance Milan, which the Visconti called home since the 13th century.

King of Batons– Confident; mature; successful; combines paternal instincts with an optimistic, generous nature. Not even with the flash off?” I wheedled, giving my best ‘FOR GOD’S SAKES, I’M ONLY A TOURIST’ expression.The Golden Tarot is a mix of the imagery of Visconti-Sforza, the Rider-Waite and some additions of its own. It has a very Renaissance feel in costume and decoration, and smooths the edges of the traditional symbolism to make a gentle, attractive tarot. I admitted defeat and simply stood with my nose pressed against the glass, desperately trying to burn the images and their glory onto my retinas. This is a good reproduction of the Lovers with a lot of detail added where it is lost from the original Inside the Box Yes, but no flash.” smiled the guide. Oh I could have kissed that lady! Hollywood red-carpet goddesses could not have been snapped any harder than we papped those cards!