The Gilded Tarot (Book and Tarot Deck Set) Cards – September 8, 2004

i've had this deck for a few weeks now. overall, i absolutely love it. i suppose it was the artwork that originally drew me to it.as someone who was "raised" on the rider-waite, the deck is really easy for me to read. the imagery and symbolism exactly follows that template. i believe anyone even remotely familiar with the rider-waite will be able to use this deck immediately.the more i use the deck, the more i love the art. it seems to jump off the surface of each card - the colors are vibrant to the point of intoxication, and i really like the style. some may find it a bit sterile - it clearly is computer generated. but i have always liked the crisp and clear lines of cg art. perhaps because as i age, my eyesight isn't what it used to be, and that softens the edges a bit.on the down side, i found some of the cards to be "muted". the three of swords is one example. i like my three of swords to hurt, i like to see dripping blood from the heart, i like to feel pain when i see this card in a reading. while the guilded version approximates that, i find it falls short in getting the job done. it's just too neat and tidy. a broken heart is messy business, and this card should reflect that.the ten of swords is another example. the swords merely hover over the figure in the card. doesn't quite do it for me.the five of pentacles is yet another example. i love robin wood's version of this card - i can feel the despair and the cold chill in the air when i look at that card. in the gilded, all that emotion lies somewhere behind the image, and i find it difficult to bring it out. perhaps it's only my own interpretation of the five of pentacles that colors my perception of the card in this deck, but again, i think the imagery should be a bit more graphic.on the other hand, the muted imagery would make for a perfect "all purpose" deck for public readings. there's only a few cards that even approach nudity - the high priestess as one example, and it's just her dress that's kind of see-through; she's actually not nude. the lovers show a woman in what appears to be either a bikini or a thong and bra. lots of skin but no nudity. the tower shows a man's rear, but i don't know that most people would see that as "obscene". and finally, the star is really the only card that shows unclad breasts. though the dark blue coloring obscures that from any casual glance.again, the lack of nudity speaks to the "muteness" of the deck's imagery, but the fact that i find the deck to be a little "toned down" doesn't necessarily mean it's somehow "less than" decks that are more graphic. i definately find this level useful.i really like how the black background works so well with the art. i think that helps the art to "pop" off the card. it also helps to counter the muted symbolisms.for anyone who does well with traditional rider-waite decks, the gilded tarot is a perfect alternative. i think this deck would make for a great beginner deck as i find the symbolism easier to read than even the rider-waite itself. and for those who like cg art, there's enough in the cards to satisfy even advanced users.as far as i'm concerned, this deck rates my highest reccomendations.

As a beginner to learning tarot cards it is very important to go on line and review and research some of the various decks out there before purchasing. If I had done this I would have saved myself some money on buying decks that I could not connect with or understand the imagery presented. An example would be the traditional Rider Waite decks. I have no understanding nor am able to grasp traditional tarot symbolism. The ultimate learning beginners deck for me personally was Crystal Visions tarot and it has opened doors and provided me a solid foundation of appreciating and studying other card decks on the market such as The Gilded Tarot. This of course is my personal path of unlocking the mystery of tarot. I hope that you to are able to find such a deck that calls to you and lights your way for better understanding of tarot meanings.The Gilded Tarot card deck is undeniably beautiful. Each card is vibrant with images that tell a story of love, money and creativity lost and found. A journey that not only stimulates the imagination but also pulls your forward to learn more about each card meaning. To help me study this deck I take my Crystal Visions cards and lay them out card for card beside The Gilded Tarot. This comparison really helps me with seeing where one deck may lag while the other may shine. I look at The Gilded Tarot and ask myself what does this card mean just by looking at it without the book. Sometimes the meaning is loud and clear like the 9 of Cups. A man who looks like the owner of a bar has his cup raised with a huge smile on his face. Before him are 8 other cups on beer barrels. Just looking at this man I understood he was satisfied with this lot in life, he was happy and not lacking or wanting. I think he looks like his life is complete. Then I looked at my Crystal Visions card..confirmed I was right and then went on to read The Gilded Tarot book on the card. Looking at the 7 of Cups on The Gilded Tarot I did not immediately understand the images and needed the assistance of my other deck. Then once I read the meaning from the book I understood the scene presented.My favorite suit in this deck is the cups they just really speak to me easily without much aid. My favorite card of the Major Arcana is the devil. This guy is smoking literally and figuratively steaming. Broad shoulders and well built muscles make the devil enticing. But then you see his eyes covered as he is blind and horns crown both sides of his head. Yes I can see entrapment, danger of over indulgence to the point where you can't see past perceived pleasure that is not good for you. My other favorite card is The Lovers card. The soldier has lifted up his female lover accentuating every luscious curve of her body. She looks like a Goddess and he looks like he is taking in this glorious being as she melds into each curve of his body. The 2 dolphins in the background of course represent a choice that needs to be made.I throughly enjoy this deck so that it brings me pain to say that the deck I received has one fatal flaw. On about 12 cards the edges are frayed where there should be a solid black boarder it has white specks and after gently rubbing it to see if it was a printing issue the card edges are weak and crumbly. It could be that I just got a bad deck but none the less I still paid money to not only study but to use it for readings. However, I feel that it won't last with any amount of regular shuffling so as much as I love it it probably will not be my main deck to use.I changed my rating to 3 stars after I learned that author sells much better quality version of this deck on his website although more expensive I would have spent it to get a deck that will last me through many readings.

Para mi gusto personal el Tarot más bello con colores vibrantes. Mi predilecto!

Very beautiful deck. The book has great info as well. Some cards differ a little in mean to how I would normally read the cards but it’s nice to have different perspectives

Como paquete es interesante, el manual que incluye es muy interesante, pero la calidad de la imagen de las cartas y el material del cual están hechas dejan mucho que desear, es mucho menos que lo que se muestra en la imagen del producto, hasta parece que les falta tinta y definición

Absolutely stunning,The images are absolutely beautiful

The Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti is my favourite tarot deck and I bought my first set of it back in 2006. The graphics on each card really are beautiful and having seen others that are digitally produced, I've found many flat and just lacking something but not these. They're alive and convey so much and even after 11 years they don't disappoint. Size-wise they are not the large ones so easier to hold and shuffle and the card quality is good - my first set still has no corner separation after a lot of use. The book that comes with them though small(ish), offers valuable insights into the symbolism contained on each card and also some good interpretations. In 2006 I was a complete novice to the tarot and this deck was my first learning tool so for beginners I can highly recommend it and for experienced tarot readers I would recommend too because there is always something new to learn and this deck keeps giving, guiding and inspiring.