El Gran Tarot Esoterico Deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 Mar 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

lionette	12 Mar 2004
Hi everyone, Curious to know if anyone has this deck or has seen it? Have been tempted by the sale price at Joan Bunning's site. I'm always attracted to odd-ball decks and this is such a funky Marseilles type! That 9Swords sample card image sucks me right it! :) El Gran Tarot Esoterico ps. must've caught the buying bug from Jewel-ry by looking at her link to Soprafino deck! ;) edited to add: The deck was only given 2 1/2 stars here on AT, and the images online show the cards differently. Just hoping someone has it and can give me a more "real life" perspective on the deck...

Le_Corsair	12 Mar 2004
Sure, I have it; I paid too much for it on Ebay, as a matter of fact! It's an uncommon deck, not OOP but it only comes up occasionally so it seems as if it is. It is akin to the Eteilla and the Oswald Wirth decks, I think. I like the deck myself, and if you have a chance to acquire it at a good price, go for it. Joan Bunning is a sweet lady and I had no problem when I ordered from her. The majors on this deck don't always follow the RWS images you might be familiar with, or even the Marseilles images. The minors are unillustrated, or perhaps more correctly aren't illustrated in the RWS manner. If you want to see more of this deck, you can check out www.tarot.com as they have it over there, you can see all of the cards and decide if you like it. Bob :THERM

lionette	12 Mar 2004
Thanks for the link, Le_Corsair. Had a look at it there and reassured myself that it was indeed "right" to order it! :) Joan B's selling it right now for just $12.80 and couldn't resist. The swords suit with water, crabs, fishes, reminds me of the Crystal. I think I will like this deck alot! Le_Corsair, I realize the symbolism is steeped in spanish tradition, is there a book you've used with it?

jmd	12 Mar 2004
As Le_Corsair also mentioned, there is a vast discrepancy between this deck and either the RWCS, the CH Thoth, the Eteilla, or the Marseille. Despite what learntarot.com says, I do not find that 'the style suggests the Tarot of Marseilles, but with many differences' any more than RWCS 'suggests' the Marseille - though in some ways all Tarot decks, to be Tarot, do. For those who want to have swords signifying either Fire or Air, please note that this deck has the suit signifying water. Also, for those who prefer Hebrew letter allocations to be along Golden Dawn lines, be aware that they specifically are attached to one of the major European traditions, with the Fool as penultimate allocated Shin (hence the '300' on the card). Like the RWCS, card XIII has Death riding a horse - though in this case and unlike the RWCS, not referenced to the Apocalypse. VIII Justice depicts King Solomon about to cut the babe in two (to determine who's the child really is from two women claiming motherhood). II is named neither Papesse nor High Priestess, but the 'consultante', and is depicted by Eve in the Garden of Eden with the fruit of Knowledge of Good and Evil in her hand. XII the Hanhed man depicts a pillar found in various Spanish towns, a reminder of the times when unfortunate individuals were there roped and burned... Overall, quite unlike other decks, yet, in my opinion, carefully researched and depicted. Well worth adding to one's collection and to add to one's research into its specific symbolism, though I personally also consider that it deviates a little too much from Tarot iconography to be a 'core' Tarot deck. A more direct link to the cards' images on tarot.com is here

The El Gran Tarot Esoterico Deck thread was originally posted on 12 Mar 2004 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.