From the famed creator behind The Alchemical Tarot and The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, comes a new interpretation of the timeless Tarot de Marseilles.

The Alchemical Tarot of Marseilles is a new and fresh take on the classic imagery of the Marseilles tarot, reinterpreted through the ancient spiritual symbology of Alchemy and Hermeticism. Inspired by Renaissance artwork, respected tarot creator and author Robert M. Place took cues from other classic decks like the Minchiate to design the Minor Arcana, and drew upon an ancient Hermetic text for the Major Arcana. The result is a truly unique deck that bridges the spiritual and philosophical meanings of Hermeticism and Alchemy with the imagery and symbolism of the tarot. 

"...Now I feel it is time to return to my roots, and I have reinterpreted the Tarot of Marseille in my own style. I also want to show that these images are clearly related to Hermetic philosophy and can without being totally redesigned be correlated with the alchemical Opus. The trumps in this deck are based directly on the traditional French cards with the French titles. The original cards are examples of naive folk art, and I have redrawn the figures in a more sophisticated style but one that that is still influenced by Renaissance prints. Each trump displays the same alchemical symbol that I used for the latest editions of The Alchemical Tarot. But the major innovation is that each trump displays a quote from the ancient Hermetica (as translated by Walter Scott in 1924), and that these quotes clarify the meaning of the imagery on the card in a way that demonstrates the underlining Hermetic philosophy."

          - Robert M. Place, The Alchemical Tarot of Marseilles

Cards are 5" x 3.25", and feature matte-finish cardstock and gold gilding. The deck comes in a sturdy cloth-covered box, and is bundled with a 48-page guidebook. Minor Arcana/Pips feature divinatory imagery.  

For more information and background on Robert M. Place, check out The Hermit's Lamp Podcast Episode 50, featuring a conversation between Robert and Andrew.