An introduction of the Margarete Petersen Tarot, a deck with artistic design.
While I was slacking off on updating my blog, a new version was released!
Please note that this page is an introduction to the old version.
I have only seen the new version in photos, the edges of the card designs are bordered with a wine red color, which is so beautiful.
↓↓↓ The shopping link below is for the new version.
Artworks
Major Arcana
Some cards have different names from the general Rider version.
For example, IX is The Crone, XII is Trial, XIV is Mediatrix, and XX is Renewal.
Minor Arcana
The suit names are Flames (for Wands), Cups (for Cups), Feathers (for Swords), and Coins (for Coins / Pentacles).
Also, the court cards are Mother, Father, Daughter, and Son, and they represent the roles of family members, but also have symbolic meanings as its guidebook says.
Overview / Features
The size is 95 x 140 mm, which is relatively large for a tarot deck.
The card stock is thin and flimsy. I wonder how the new version is like.
Impressions
What I like
As a personal impression, I was very impressed by the specific two cards: Major Arcana Hierophant and Justice cards. I felt as if I was finally able to digest the worldview of these two cards, which had been ambiguous to me.
The designs may seem difficult to understand at first glance, but the deck comes with a 78-page guidebook that provides detailed explanations of the designs. For example, the design for the Nine of Cups shows a pearl resting on top of a seashell, and the guidebook explains what that pearl symbolizes.
What I don’t like
It is difficult to tell the difference between the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana cards at first glance because there is no clear design distinction.
Also, the Major Arcana cards have Roman numerals at the top, but the Minor Arcana cards do not.
In March 2022, a 20th-anniversary special edition tarot deck was released, which gives a luxurious impression with the border color of the cards changed to wine red.
This deck is as large as an oracle deck, making it difficult to handle when shuffling, etc. However, this size is necessary to enjoy the details of the artwork. If the cards were made any smaller, the impact of the art would be weakened.
Wrap Up
I also created a simple introductory video where I flip through all the cards.
Please take a look if you’re interested.