A New Da Vinci Tarot!

[Cerulean]

I've heard it all now and I laughed harder than I have in days..

The last listing:
http://www.connections-publishing.co...epartment_id=3

http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/medframe.htm

I saw the Matthews' old Western Way esoteric title in a used bookstore and I popped the title from speculation to the mythology, fairy-tale and fable sections. The Matthews have studied much in the way of old stories and make their living teaching, advising, and giving classes...so my laughter today was one of wonderous delight.

From the website:
"First in the pipeline is The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot by Caitlín which, we should assure you, is everything to do with Leonardo and nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code phenomenon (although of course that won’t stop it benefiting from the current popularity of the same.) The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot has afforded Caitlín a wonderful sojourn in the realms of Leonardo’s extraordinary world. The 78 cards are all by Leonardo himself, featuring the drawings and cartoons from his notebooks and sketches. The unique feature of the deck is that the card backs make up a complete design (also by da Vinci) which enable the reader to create unique and insightful readings by connecting parts of the pattern. This has been a thoroughly absorbing project which will be published in August..."

If Lo Scarabeo can do a Celtic tarocchi, why not Matthews working with a Leonardo Da Vinci oracle? Not a mystery to me...by the way, it's based on Leonardo's 'prophesy' writings, which some say are riddles or writings perhaps inspired by readings of Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) or his own humor. The Savonarola comment comes from the book Leonardo: The Artist and the Human, by Serge Bramly. The humor comment comes from a note below:

http://www.humane-history.org/biblio...o-da-vinci.htm

Leonardo is said to have been a vegetarian and a lover of animals: the book I mentioned above and the commentator in that above note is referencing that information.


Regards,

Cerulean

[Cerulean]

http://www.memorisethis.com/product....d=1543&chid=32

I had Tarot of the Third Millenium on one of my wishlists at one time, before I decided it wasn't that intriguing a puzzle for me...but this mention of a Leonardo Enigma puzzle makes this deck a curiousity for me.

Regards,

Cerulean

[spoonbender]

Thanks for sharing this information, Cerulean. Isn't it odd that one of the sites says it's available in September, while the other says that it's available in Augustus??? And now the last link you gave seems to have it in stock already...

[Sophie]

I first saw this, I groaned. Not another Da Vinci Code spin-off. But it seems to be about Leonardo, not Dan Brown, so I'm happy to be intruigued. They should package it with a selection of his notebooks, available in single volume paperback form and one of the most enjoyable dip-in books I own.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...lectictaro-21/

I'm also a bit baffled by the release date, but I've plenty to do in the next few months, so I'm happy to wait until September!

[cormac]

i know this is a bit old of a thread but i myself have just stumbled across the leonardo deck and i am very impressed from what i have seen and read so far -- it looks gorgeous and i'd like to have a copy to just look at if nothing else lol -- but how do people who have received the deck like it as a functional tarot deck? just wondering -- thanks

[Cerulean]

It will be out in September 2005.

Regards

Cerulean

[cormac]

Originally Posted by Cerulean

It will be out in September 2005.

Regards

Cerulean

i see it for sale now on amazon -- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/IS...sim/aeclectic/

[Nydia]

These are two different decks. I, too, would like to have the Leonardo Da Vinci Tarot which is available right now. I agree with Cormac that I'd like to have it "to just look at if nothing else."

I'm curious about The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot and, of course, want to see scans of the cards as soon as possible.

[cormac]

oh i see there are two -- even cooler -- i'll be saving my nickels for a special 'gift' for myself

[Solandia]

Some publicity information for the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot I received from Caitlin Matthews is attached below, which goes into some detail about the background and inspiration for the deck.

* * * *
THE DA VINCI ENIGMA TAROT BY CAITLíN MATTHEWS

In January 2005 a hidden room was found during the renovations of the rambling friary of Santissima Annunziata in Florence. The room was nothing less than the lost studio of Leonardo da Vinci, complete with trial frescos. This incredible discovery arrived right in the middle of the Da Vinci Code phenomenon that has so gripped the world. It seemed to be yet one more revelation in the speculative web that Dan Brown has woven in his racy novel. For many people, fiction has become fact and speculation history. So much has been assumed about Leonardo and his work: that he is a 'hidden master' of esoteric lodges or an encoder of artistic secrets and mystical emblems, but few have explored the man himself and his own views about the universe. For many, Leonardo da Vinci is an enigma who fuels all kinds of crazy speculation, but you won't find it in this tarot where his own images and words speak for themselves.

In the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, the focus is upon the life, work and vision of Leonardo da Vinci. Hailed as a polymath of genius, Leonardo regarded himself as 'the disciple of experience,' one who scorned necromancy and alchemy as 'lies,' one who made close observations before he formed conclusions. Rather than believing what others have written about Leonardo, we can read for ourselves what he thought and believed from his own notebooks, for throughout his life he jotted down ideas, impressions, sketches, observations and projects. The evidences of these notebooks reveal a unique mind and a searching soul who never ceased from considering the experience of the universe.

Leonardo's pragmatism, his insistence upon clear and accurate observation, his distrust of speculation and his desire to extend the discoveries of the ancients by finding new pathways have always spoken to me as the necessary requirements for a true seer, someone who is both wise and grounded. His profound understanding of the soul and his sense of vocational direction and flexibility are what we all need to explore our own lives and souls. This tarot is an attempt to provide a book of life, a portable art-gallery and a tool for navigating your way through life with respect for the universe of which we are a part, with Leonardo's artistry and enquiring mind as your guide.

The images of the Da Vinci Enigma Tarot are all drawn from Leonardo's notebooks, cartoons and sketches and have not been redrawn or reinterpreted in any way. The images portray the range of Leonardo's vast interests from engineering and painting through to anatomy, optics, geometry, light and the wonders of nature. Although the images from the notebooks may be less familiar to us than the famous paintings, they are no less iconic. Many of them have the intimacy and thoughtfulness of the unconscious artist who is drawing for himself alone and not for any audience or patron. They are thus more reflective and insightful.

Leonardo wrote, 'It is an easy thing to make oneself universal.' The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot is nothing less than a map of the cosmos. The 22 Major Arcana Cards represent the Macrocosm and the 56 Minor Arcana Cards represent the Microcosm and its four elements. This is a Renaissance way of seeing the cosmos, with the Macrocosm or 'Greater World' as the entire universe seen as a whole, and the Microcosm or 'Lesser World' as the reflection of the Macrocosm in miniature. In the Renaissance philosophy of Leonardo, the Microcosm was the human being, for 'the ancients called man a lesser world… (for he)… is composed of earth, water, air and fire.' By attempting to harmonize Microcosm with Macrocosm, we are enabled to live in a more balanced way that is faithful to the union of both worlds. These 78 fully-illustrated cards create a portable notebook to help you explore the sacred proportions and divine harmony of the Macrocosm, so you can find balance and harmony in your everyday life.

The unique feature of this deck is that the card-backs join together to make a complete pattern called the Enigma Grid. Its repeating roundels and interlacing knot-work are taken from the labyrinthine repeat design that Leonardo used to decorate the Sala della Asse in Ludovico Sforza's castle in Milan. Across the design are five repeating polyhedra, the many-sided geometric forms that Leonardo drew for his mathematical mentor, Luca Pacioli, for his 1509 book The Divine Proportion.

The sequence of the Enigma Grid is how the cards come to rest when they are not in use, in a grid which replicates the interpenetration of the Microcosm by the Macrocosm. When you use the Destiny Spread you will learn how matching the card-backs together produces a series of random connections which transcend the Enigma Grid sequence, helping you find the unique signature of your own soul's code.

In the accompanying book there are some new spreads to help you familiarize yourself with the cards by play and practice: Vitruvian Man, Cause and Effect and the Divine Proportion Spread which draws upon the mathematics of the Fibonacchi sequence. When you know the cards a little better, you will be able to move on to the Destiny Spread which is an endlessly enticing, allusive and illuminating way of using both the face and the back of the cards. This more advanced spread will keep you enthralled and help develop and extend your powers of interpretation.

Each card has three possible meanings: upright, reversed and disconnected. This last meaning is used in the unique Destiny Spread when you attempt to join together your chosen cards into your unique part of the Enigma Grid. With the cards face down, the reader places them together to form a unique reading, which is then turned face up and read in relation to the issue or question. While most cards will be upright or reversed, one or two will not connect and these represent parts of your life that are stuck or disconnected. However, if in conventional spreads you find a card 'difficult' or you have an inner ambivalence about it, then you can consult this disconnected meaning for guidance.

Leonardo held that 'all of our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions.' Tarot is not a method of 'fortune-telling' but a way of preparing for the next moment by scrutinizing the evidence of the present circumstances. We can follow Leonardo's lead by observing the factors of the present moment in more detail when we ask questions. Throughout the margins of his notebooks, Leonardo uses the phrase dimmi or 'tell me' whenever he tries out a new pen nib, as if challenging it to tell him something new. Thus, the entry for each card meaning asks you terse, searching questions concerning your present circumstances, to give you insight into your destiny.

Learning to read and understand our soul's code helps us discern the path of our destiny - not a fixed or fated path - but a mature enquiry into what motivates each of us and how we can best be true to our nature. The working out of our destiny is found in the scrutiny of each moment - this is the work of the Microcosm; however, the sum of our deeds, motivations and findings affects the whole universe, and that is the work of the Macrocosm.

Leonardo originated a wholly new and original study - the observation of nature and experience. He wanted to establish a unique mixture of art with science in which all artists would observe the structure and form of everything, recording it how it was. Everyone's soul is an enigma waiting to be read. There is a treasury of gifts within each of us that helps us read the enigma of our unique code. The way we use these gifts and weave them together helps determine our ultimate pathway through life. By knowing ourselves, by looking more intently at the reasons why we were born, we discover our unique soul's signature, becoming more harmoniously aligned with the universe.

This is a playful tarot that explores and reveals the thresholds of revelation for those who are honest with themselves, just as Leonardo was, but who also want their dreams to fly. This complex, brilliant, impatient man has lent wings to all who aspire, explore and observe.

* * *

~ Solandia