2013 Lo Scarabeo's Tarot Illuminati

Tibor, I think from reading that this deck was not done by one of LoScarabeo regular artists. They are publishing a deck they admire, as they did with the Quantum and the Silicon Dawn. That may be why it seems to follow RWS more than usual for their publishing house.

Chiriku said:

Oh, well if it just means "brightly colored," my opinion of the deck has automatically risen.

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I honestly assumed that's what it was; "Illuminated", lit up, bright, luminous. It never crossed my mind to think it might be philosophical!

Tarot Illuminati can be found on Facebook. I can view the page even when signed out, so I don't think you need to be a Facebook user.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tarot-Illuminati/283151041725608

I'm of two minds about it. I like the ornate art, but not the faces.

Felicity

Chiriku said:

The deck that most piqued my interest was the one that was described thus: "All the cards are designed in pairs as part of a larger image and then split into two individual cards. Those cards, then, when they show up in a reading have a special connection. I apologize for the quality of the images. As I said…I was trying to be stealthy!"

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I believe that's the deck by Lucia Mattioli that has long been in the works. She did the Tarot of the Secret Forest. There are some images from the upcoming deck on her blog, but they are mixed in with other art so it's a bit hard to tell what's what.

http://lucinamatta.blogspot.com/

Felicity

Chiriku said:

(Is Moore suggesting that she's leaking proprietary company info by posting these? I can only assume she's joking).

I didn't realize Moore was in-house at Llewellyn. I thought she was a tarot writer who contracted with them to collaborate with deck artists. Interesting that she's the former. One doesn't usually think of an in-house corporate person also producing the creative content of their products.

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Barbara used to be the Tarot editor for Llewellyn until some years back.
Then she left Llewellyn and she is know an independent author and writer, even if she still work closely with Llewllyn as an external consultant. She attended that meeting in that guise.

As for the "leaking" I can assume it is part of both.
Barbara has published her "leak" on the Llewellyn website (but in her blog where the content is hers and her alone). But I can quite picture her sneaking a few pictures during the meeting, folowing an impromtu feeling. And most certianly nothing that was in the meeting room was intended for the final public, nor her pictures and comments have bene approved by marketing.
So yes, she is joking and she is not

Ric

Oh boy! Another deck (or two) added to my wishlist! ;]

felicityk said:

Tarot Illuminati can be found on Facebook. I can view the page even when signed out, so I don't think you need to be a Facebook user.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tarot-Illuminati/283151041725608

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Thanks for that.

Well, well.

Instant reaction: No dice; I'm not a digital art person. At all.

Second reaction after pausing to look at the Courts, especially the splendidly Elizbethan Swords: Now, just hold on a moment, partner.

This may be digital art (and it shows in the faces), but it simulates another form of art that I AM receptive to: collage. This is coming from someone who approves of much less seamless "analog" collage decks like those of Arnell Ando, James Wanless, and Cerridwen Genetti. Some of those Illuminati samples also remind me somewhat of last year's Tarot of the Holy Light (which I also like).

To the extent that Illuminati successfully simulates collage, I will plan to set aside some money for this deck. it shocks me to say this. But in life, we must never say "never," or risk being shown up.

Le Fanu said:

I honestly assumed that's what it was; "Illuminated", lit up, bright, luminous. It never crossed my mind to think it might be philosophical!

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I prefer your initial interpretation. Fingers crossed that no semblance of conspiracy theories or secret societies will leak into the deck.

felicityk said:

I believe that's the deck by Lucia Mattioli that has long been in the works. She did the Tarot of the Secret Forest. There are some images from the upcoming deck on her blog, but they are mixed in with other art so it's a bit hard to tell what's what.

http://lucinamatta.blogspot.com/

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I recognized the artwork immediately and figured it was the same artist. Her art is very nice, though a bit too gauzy and indistinct for me to truly love. It's really the conceit (the idea of two parts of a pair being separated at birth and meeting in the reading) that holds me in thrall.

RiccardoLS said:

Barbara used to be the Tarot editor for Llewellyn until some years back.
Then she left Llewellyn and she is know an independent author and writer, even if she still work closely with Llewllyn as an external consultant. She attended that meeting in that guise.

As for the "leaking" I can assume it is part of both.
Barbara has published her "leak" on the Llewellyn website (but in her blog where the content is hers and her alone). But I can quite picture her sneaking a few pictures during the meeting, folowing an impromtu feeling. And most certianly nothing that was in the meeting room was intended for the final public, nor her pictures and comments have bene approved by marketing.
So yes, she is joking and she is not

Ric

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Ah! Thanks for that inside "scoop," Riccardo. I hope nobody in Italy gets their feathers ruffled by her doing that for the LS-affiliated decks.

Looking at the Illuminati Majors now.

Some of these cards are really quite outstanding.

Loved the androgyny in Temperance, which I'm always keen to see. Also, interesting images on the Lovers, with one female-bodied person and one whose back is turned to us enough that we don't know anything about their sex or, because they're naked and oddly posed, gender performance.

The Star is an example of what I think Le Fanu is talking about in terms of extreme gaudy over the top-ness that is yet very compelling to the viewer, at least this one. I don't really think the archetype inherent to The Star benefits from sexing up, though.

Strength sums up exactly what I always look for in this archetype: the later (in the tarot timeline) idea of soft strength through mental/emotional will as opposed to mere brute strength (as was depicted in some early historical decks related to the Hercules archetype, etc).

I like the Anton Le vey-ish Devil.

Also, interesting choices in terms of ethnicities within the court cards. I don't know if it will be successful, as this ethnicity-per-suit choice a la Julie Cuccia-watts' Ancestral Path is always a fraught one that can fall into stereotyping (as opposed to mixing it up within each suit the way Alexandra Genetti did in Wheel of Change). We shall see.

I can't remember being this interested in a recent release in a few years now. Thanks for this thread, OP.

I really like the over the top Illuminati... it's now on my 'order when it's available' list!

I love the High Priestess, i am immediately drawn to it like she is pulling you into the mystery of the feminine, hidden mysteries and supernatural knowledge are awaiting me! Cant wait for it!! does anybody know of a release date at all? besides next year!

Dan