Golden Tarot (Dean)
Overview
Gold and Golden play a lot of parts in Tarot mythology, from mysterious ancient decks lavishly covered in gold leaf - we’ll see some of those shortly - to decks that are "Golden” by virtue of their portrayal of classic tales and eras. The Golden Tarot by Liz Dean, illustrated by Melissa Launay, is one of the latter types. In Liz’s own words, "the Golden Tarot…is named after the two golden eras of tarot-reading, and possibly the most famous decks in its 600-year history: the gold-embossed fifteenth century Visconti-Sforza tarot…and the Rider Waite…”
We will be hearing - or reading - a lot more about Liz Dean as we progress through this website, as she has produced many Tarot decks and books about Tarot, making her one of the leading Tarot influencers of the modern age. Anyhoo…
The imagery in this deck is very medieval/Renaissance based, getting close to the kind of imagery seen in illustrated manuscripts, and showing scenes of knights and maidens, surfs and royalty, in activities of the time, with a touch of the art deco in the framing. Overall, the artwork is simple but effective, not overly ornate or distracting.
While this deck is another that is based on the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it draws heavily on the Visconti-Sforza imagery, again, apropos of the Renaissance setting. Liz has stated that a number of image portrayals were specifically included to tie the Visconti-Sforza deck (TdM) and the RWS deck traditions together. These include blending imagery from both decks in both the Sun and Moon cards, and elsewhere throughout the deck. This makes it a feast for Tarot traditionalists and collectors, as we will hunt through the cards to figure which piece of symbology belongs where! However, it is yet another deck that has undecorated pip cards, using just representations of each suit - and, it must be said, almost always against the same background per suit - to indicate the number of the card. Again, while this makes it easier to learn basic Tarot with, especially from the Major Arcana point of view, and is picturesque enough to be a good springboard into decks with deeper symbology and artwork, it lacks that overall completeness that fully illustrated decks bring.
While the majority of the Major Arcana faithfully portray images that speak to either of the two source decks, either individually or as a blend of traditions, I must remark that the Death card, shown above, is truly unique in Tarot artistry. No rampant Apocalyptic horseman trampling the fated underfoot, nor yet a grim Reaper, levelling all with his scythe. Instead, we have a woman apparently in mourning, holding a bloom and a flower bud - symbolising Endings and Beginnings, watching a blood red sunset. A highly emotive scene.
The LWB that comes with the deck is actually a nicely sized (5.5 by 6.25 inches) book, with full colour illustrations of each card, with a description and the Upright and Reversed card meanings. The cards come in a magnificent, sturdy golden box, which far exceeds the quality of the cards, I have to say, as these could have been printed in thicker card stock, as they are quite flimsy. However, given the price range for the deck is pretty reasonable, all-in-all this deck is definitely good value for the money, and an excellent introduction to Liz Dean’s writings on Tarot.
Details of the Deck:
Tradition: RWS-TdM
Major Arcana: 22 cards
Minor Arcana: 56 cards
Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen, King
Fire Suit: Wands
Air Suit: Swords
Water Suit: Cups
Earth Suit: Pentacles
Designer(s): Liz Dean
Artist(s): Melissa Launay
Publisher: Cico Books, 2008
Major Arcana:
0 - The Fool
1 - The Magician
2 - The High Priestess
3 - The Empress
4 - The Emperor
5 - The Hierophant
6 - The Lovers
7 - The Chariot
8 - Justice
9 - The Hermit
10 - Wheel of Fortune
11 - Strength
12 - The Hanged Man
13 - Death
14 - Temperance
15 - The Devil
16 - The Tower
17 - The Star
18 - The Moon
19 - The Sun
20 - Judgement
21 - The World
Where to buy your copy…
W.I.P.