TheTarotdeMarseilles

ThefirstmodernTarotdeMarseilles(TdM)thatweknowofwasprintedbyPierreMadenieof
Dijonin1709.Thisdeckwasnearlyidenticaltoitsprecursors,theNobletandDodal.In
1736,ChossonofMarseilleprintedwhatwastobecometheprototypeformostlaterdecks.By
themid1700s,decksnearlyidenticaltoChossonswerebeingproducedinFrance,Belgium
andSwitzerland.ChossonsdeckbecamethemotherofallcontemporaryTdMsin1760when
NicolasConverofMarseillecopiedaChossondeckdirectlyontohiswoodblocks.The
ConverTdMbecamethestandarddeckinFrance,andisthemodelformostofthepopular
TdMsusedtoday.

TarotdeMarseillesVariants
AlthoughthePopeandPapessecardswererespectfulallegoriesoftheChurch,18thcentury
Churchofficialsconsideredthemblasphemousandforcedcardmakersinsomeareasto
replacethesecardswithotherimages.Inthemid1700s,cardmakerVandenborreof
BrusselsprintedatypicalFlemishstyledeck(describedonthepreviouspage)butwiththe
SpanishCaptain(orCaptainFracasse),acockycharacteroutofCommediadelArte,
replacingthePapesse.BacchusstraddlingawinebarreltooktheplaceofthePope.
BesancondecksprintedinSwitzerlandusedJupiterandJunoasreplacementcards.The
distinctiveBolognesedeckreplacestheEmpressandEmperoraswellasthePopeand
PapessewiththefourMoorishKings.TheChurchevidentlydidntseetheironyofhavingreligiousfiguresreplaced
bypagancharacters.
TarotdeMarseillesinItaly
Inthe1700s,theTdMreturnedtoTarotsbirthplaceinnorthernItaly
whereitevolvedintotheLombardyandPiemontesestyles.Thefirst
ItaliandeckswereidenticaltotheTdM,completewithmisspelledFrench
titles.OvertimetheyacquiredItaliantitles,becamedoubleheadedand
tookonsomeuniquedesignfeatures.
CarloDellaRoccaofMilandesignedanexquisitelyengraveddeckin
1835knownastheSoprafino,whichhasbecomethequintessential
Milanesedeck.SomeofitsuniqueimageryincludestheDevilsittinginflamesandsurroundedbywrithinggreen
monstersaredlobsteronasilverplatterontheMooncardandayoungcoupledancingontheSuncard.Thestiff
courtcardsoftheTdMacquiredelaboratecostumes,livelyfacialexpressionsandindividualpersonalities.Thepip
cardsaredecoratedwithgracefulleaves,flowersandribbons.
Tarock

Bythelate1700s,cardplayershadswitchedtotheTarockdeckeverywherebutItaly.Invented
inGermany,TarockspreadquicklythroughcentralEuropeandScandinavia,andbythe20th
centuryreplacedtheTdMwhereverthegameoftarotwasstillplayed.TarockdecksuseFrench
suits(hearts,clubs,spadesanddiamonds).Thetrumpsaredoubleheadedandhave
decorativeimagessuchasanimals,ruralscenes,orballerinasthatbearnorelationto
traditionalTarottrumps.WhiletheTarotdeMarseillesremainedstatic,Tarockdecks,
liberatedfromtraditionaltarotimagery,becameavehicleforcreativeexpression.
Afterthe1780s,decksforgameplayinganddecksfordivinationandesotericstudieswenttheirseparateways.The
traditionalTdMwithitsmedievaltrumpsandItaliansuitsofswords,batons,cupsandcoins,graduallybecamean
oldfashionedremnantclingingtolifeinafewregionswheregameplayershungontotheirtraditionaldecks.
EasternFrancewasoneofthelastplacestoconverttothenewTarockdecks.Thisgave18thcenturyFrench
occultistsanopportunitytoadopttheTdMastheirown,preservingthetraditionalTdMdeckfromhistorical
oblivion.
OnthenextpagewellseehowFrenchoccultistsradicallyreimaginedTarotwhileretainingtheoriginalstructure
andimagery.
ClickheretoreadabouthowtheTarotdeMarseilledevelopedinthePiedmontregionofItaly.