Tarocco Mitologico

So I have a quandry fellow tarot enthusiasts. I am a decoted student of Greco-Roman mythology. I've been studying it since I was 7 years old. I even like the old Ray Harryhausen movies and Disney's Hercules no matter how much they put their own personal "spin" on it. So of course my rabid love of tarot has prompted me to purchase the Mythic Tarot, the Olympus Tarot, the Renaissance Tarot (uses loads of mythic imagery), and the Etruscan Tarot. Just the opther week I was minding my own business happy as a clam when I ran across the Tarocco Mitologico by Amerigo Folchi on tarotgarden.com. Now... as with other decks by Folchi it's gonna be pretty expensive... so kids... do I go for it? Does anyone have this deck and just love the crap out of it? I have enjoyed the other myth decks but none has ever made it into particularly high rotation.

Go for it!

If you really like it and really want it, go for it! As long as it's not too expensive. You don't have to use a deck everyday for it to be a treasured purchase; I never use my Vertigo for readings, just meditation and study, and I love it to bits. I don't know how expensive this deck would be, but if you feel you would benefit from it, or even just really really want it, indulge your shopaholic tendencies! xxx

You can also check at Alida in Italy for a price cmparison. They have it at $72, which may or may not be a better deal. That's at
http://www.alidastore.com/indexen.html .

If you want to save for it...

Here were my reasons:

1. My first Folchi deck because after I looked at the Mark Filpas review, I was well-informed at the colors, ideas and suits. It has an English-Italian booklet (see number 4), beautiful colored backgrounds with collage papers and fine illustration work when I was studying portraiture, life drawing and interested only in Greco-Roman mythology.

2. The poses of the majors and minors can teach one about 'classic' poses that are repeated in later eras of European art, in revivalist periods. The High Renaissance and Neoclassical periods, for instance, had that gorgeous contraposto twisting of light and shadow in their sculpture and painting.

3. It is my second favorite for the mix of drawing and painterly elements Folchi mixed in, and my own art styles reflected those similar delights.

4. I believe it is a mix of Italian classical elements and postmodern ideas--the booklet has amusing Freudian game interpretrations will go along with the turn of the century to say about 1970's kind of pop psychology of Greco Roman myths...the Oedipus complex was never so funny, tragical and yet beautiful from someone immersed in the culture of antiquity and humerous modern ideas. Yes, there's frank body art in some of the suits, but it isn't graphically silly as some bawdy tarots nor does it take it self too seriously.

Can you use it for yourself and others ? Well, to the right friendly adults, it can be funny--but to a partner or people with an intimacy problem, no, it's not going to be funny or interesting. I think as a creative story or art tarot, it has great possibilities.

Thank you so much for the info folks. And Mari, I don't know how I missed the review before I'm always on that site, thank you so much.

One thing I have noticed about Mythical decks like the Mythic Tarot or Renaissance Tarot is that the minor arcana is usually devoted to 4 different stories whcih I sometimes think is limiting for the deck. I read that in Mitologico the suit of cups is based on the myth of Narcissus. Is there enough to that one small myth to fill an entire suit? The Olympus Tarot split it up based on places/objects/heroes/monsters but I wish a greco-roman deck would go the way of the Legend Arthurian Tarot and just use individual moments from the larger body of work to illustrate the scenes. I felt like that was less limiting.

It's more a question of the art

I've never taken to the Sharman Burke deck's art or storylines, but some people like that full story development.
If you are speaking of the Brian Williams deck, I like the book for background on tarocchi/tarot commentary and art themes, but do not use the cards in the deck.

The Olympus in limited format of one to three cards in a spread is a creative one for me if I feel like reflecting on the classical theme and think of how a story/allegorical tales applies to me. The descriptions are brief, briefer than the Folchi deck.

In terms of the Folchi deck, of the art style doesn't entice you, then I don't think you'd enjoy spending the money for the deck. The commentary from the booklet for the majors is very good for a tarot done in the 1970s or 1980s, but they are short two or three paragraphs.

The minors sustain interest for me because I find the art colorful, different and learn from the scenic elements. The booklet, to me, has interesting analytical twists in the brief description.
A very small paragraph of maybe two or four lines describes the scene, a divinatory meaning follows in the minors. But I don't know of anyone who uses it besides myself and just because I find it interesting--well, it's
probably a question if the art seems worth it to you.

If I were you, I would hold off a few weeks. Later, after reading the review again from Mark Filpas website, then I believe you will know if it's worth it to you. Some people take to more delicate illustration or different art styles. If it doesn't appeal really now, wait a week or two...Mark Filpas' description of the contents of the booklet is very accurate, he just doesn't say how brief the descriptions are for the minors.

"The little booklet was written by Andrea Gamboni, whose commentary on these mythological archetypes make the deck even more interesting. His text has the stylings of psychoanalytical language woven throughout it. "

Thanks again Mari. I really like all of the art that I've seen for this deck, it's really beautiful and I think the use of line drawings and collaged backgrounds was a very unique choice. I agree that the Olympus Tarot's LWB was uber-brief but that didn't trip me up because I knew most of the scenes already. Judgement threw me a bit because I didn't know the stories about Aphrodite and Ares' children Phobos Deimos and.... the other one.

I checked out the review and liked some of Folchi's choices. At first I wasn't sure about the choice of the Minotaur as the Devil but after marinating on it a bit it seems to make perfect sense. The Greek Pantheon doesn't really contain a standard devil figure so the use of Hecate and others for the card always struck me as beinga little odd. The minotaur as half man half beast locked away in a twisted dungeon feeding annuallly on the virgins of Athens makes much more sense for this card. I had been worried about the minors being limiting but by including both gods and heroes in the majors Folchi obviously isn't one to limit himself.

I read on Filipas' review that the suit of staves is based on Greek erotic art rather than on a particular myth. I've noticed this is the only suit not shown in pictures. How does this work out for the deck?

Here's a link to Filpas' other essay

You'll notice that two of Folchi's tarot cards are used to illustrate this essay.

http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Stories/priestss.html

I believe that there are so many written translations and retellings from several periods in history--translations of "Hesoid's" poetry" to Renaissance "Metamorphsis," that the Folchi deck can be a vivid illustration that I would have enjoyed seeing to illustrated poetic translations.

Of course the suit that isn't illustrated will pique your curiousity. But the review and commentary already given gives the flavor of what the deck --I don't think there are any more surprises.

But of course, if you do searches online for Folchi tarots you can judge if the price is fair and if this is worth it to you.
Of Folchi decks currently available and a wider sampling of his work:
http://www.trigono.com/tarots/italcards_publisher.htm

I can only say visually the deck has a whole holds my interest and I'm not interested in trading it in or such, but that is me. Not many twentieth century collections or artists who try to focus on sensual and psychological themes in classic art and tarot have held my interest for long. I've had my Mitilogical for about four years.

Best wishes as you decide. Let us know if you find something.

Mitologico...my first love.

This was my very first deck...I acquired it around 1993. The images are beautiful, striking really. I really cherish this deck and would happily recommend it despite the fact that it has become reather expensive and rare.

Shade said:

I wish a greco-roman deck would go the way of the Legend Arthurian Tarot and just use individual moments from the larger body of work to illustrate the scenes. I felt like that was less limiting.

Click to expand...

Me too, that's why I've never bought any of the decks available--even Folchi couldn't entice me when I had the money to buy it--I find the whole idea of limiting the stories distasteful.