Tavaglione/Stairs of Gold Tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Aug 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Laurel	03 Aug 2002
Opportunity presented itself and I purchased this deck. I'd found pictures of some of the cards online and some wonderful Aeclectic folks named it for me a week or so ago. Appearance: They're beautiful cards with an elaborate red, gold and black border. The RW-esque pictures within the borders are rather skinny but long, done in an Italian renaissance style. Colors are vivid and the images are exquisitely detailed. Esoterica: The reason I'd gotten this very qabalistic deck was because of the esoteric information included with each card and the very artistic way it was expressed. The Major Arcana include the Sanscrit, Hebrew and Archangelic/Celestial letters along with Zodiacal symbol for each card in the corners. The cards place upon the Tree of Life is also noted with the names of the two adjoining Sephiroth noted in Hebrew. The minor arcana are just as full of interesting occult details if not more so, including appropriate kabbalistic talismans on each of the Court Cards. LWB: The deck comes with an 80 page LWB that really has as much information as a book twice that size; Everything is in small handwritten script that is hard to read in big doses but extremely fascinating to me. The deck definately matches the excellent reviews I read about it. I won't be reading with it for a bit- the card names being all in Italian and the huge amount of symbolism included into each card is a little overwhelming for divination. But it will definately make one of the best study decks I've ever seen and I'm so happy with myself for getting it- it cost me $16 at my local occult store, and the version I'd been eyeing on Ebay went up to $16.50 + s/h. Laurel

Cerulean	03 Aug 2002
One thing Taviglione does is number the cards 1-78 on top, centered, following a pattern that seems to be also set by the Caligstro Tarot of 1910 and an earlier Etteilla---my own version is a reprinted Jeu Des Dames, with the original being printed maybe about 1878 or thereabouts in France. The Etteilla, Caligstro and Taviglione seem to mirror each other in the order if you go from card one to 78. Card one being the Fool and Card 78 being the 10 of Pentacles. There also seems to be an astrological significence explained in the Caligstro and a book called Tarot and Astrology by Muriel Bruce Hasbrouck where cards are assigned periods of the year. But not all the card assignments in the Caligstro agree with Hasbrouck's book... I notice that Taviglione does refer to degrees of the Zodiac, along with all his other details...there was a blurb somewhere that he founded/taught in an esoteric school when he was alive. I enjoy the cards but figure it will take quite a bit of time to unravel. Every few months or so I go back to it, taking in a little more. Mari H.

jema	06 Aug 2002
i just ordered this one. it just happend. i didn't really mean to. i was just browsing the decks and adding some just to see how much it would cost me and i added this one and the Karma tarot and whoops, i pressed "order" but i comfort myself with that i got the stairs of gold one to a very good price. it will actually be cheaper then most "normal" us-games decks! wohoo!! (the karma tarot on the other hand - a complete mysterie, i am not even sure i wanted it)

Starfish	06 Aug 2002
You guys peaked my interest and i had to go and check it out - LOVELY. Congratulations on your new deck, Laurel (and on your forthcoming deck, Jema!). Blessings - :TDEAT Starfish

Laurel	06 Aug 2002
Thanks Starfish! Yay Jema! You and I can puzzle out the esoterica together. Maybe Mari would help us? Laurel

catlin	07 Aug 2002
Thanks Laurel, for remembering this deck to me, another one for my wishlist!

jema	14 Aug 2002
i got this deck today and it is amazing! i love the LWB and the cards are beautiful and have no doubt a lot of things to teach. somehow this day was the day the mailman decided to give me almost al the decks i was waiting for. so i found 5 tarot decks in the mailbox. and this one was the most interesting of them all. i read the LWB is small doses and just feast my eyes on the fool today. i haven't gotten any further:)

The Tavaglione/Stairs of Gold Tarot thread was originally posted on 03 Aug 2002 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.