Pictorial Key Tarot Deck
To this day, the Waite Tarot remains a classic tool for divination. And although an entire era has passed since the creation of the legendary cards, original systems have appeared, yet the version of the mystic from the Order of the Golden Dawn remains at the peak of popularity. However, this deck has a worthy replacement. The Pictorial Key Tarot is a new take on an old classic. Now practitioners can admire the colorful scenes and easily capture the motifs of the cards. You no longer have to look at fuzzy pictures with a magnifying glass, as was the case with Waite. The author of the deck worked out the cards in detail to make life easier for practitioners.
History of creation of the Pictorial Key Tarot Deck
The Pictorial Key Tarot was first published by the Italian company Lo Scarabeo in 2007. The author of the cards was Davide Corsi. The deck laid the foundation for the whole style of the artist in terms of mantic systems. The main idea of creating a new instrument was the idea to breathe life into the classic approach of Arthur Waite. Almost a century has passed since the creation of the traditional deck. Times have changed, but the principles reflected in the Rider-Waite cards have remained the same. Davide Corsi decided to show the world an improved version of the "classics". To do this, he used computer graphics, which made it possible to get bright colors and realistic faces of the characters at the output.
In a short span of time, the Pictorial Key Tarot has become a popular alternative to Waite. The deck is still being re-released, because the demand for it does not fall. There are options with lamination and with a matte finish. However, the images of the original Corsi cards did not change in any way. You can call the Pictorial Key Tarot a new classic that really competed with the old school. This is a simple and understandable divination tool that answers almost all questions. No wonder the deck is called universal. She opens the locks on all doors.
Key features of the Pictorial Key Tarot
The Pictorial Key Tarot refers to the English school. In almost everything it repeats Waite: the Fool without a number, Strength – 8th. In addition to 78 cards, there is a blank. This is an Arcana, which depicts the High Priestess, and the name of the deck itself is written. Some practitioners use a blank card in spreads. When it falls out, this is interpreted as the end of the session – Tarot advises to finish fortune-telling. Another variant of the meaning is an association with an open door. The querent is able to independently choose his own destiny, has a chance to move on to a new path of life. Higher powers will not interfere, help, or, conversely, plot intrigues.
The Major Arcana in the Pictorial Key Tarot again refer to the classics. However, the author finalized some details so that the scenes here become more vivid and memorable. For example, on the Moon, Corsi added a monster that emerges from a pond. The wolf and dog are still present, but the monster heightens the sense of unease. On Death, the protagonist sits on a throne of human skeletons. Below you can see puzzled people who seem to have come for answers. In general, the picture resembles a scene from the Arcana of Hierophant. Only the place of the gracious Pope is now occupied by the spirit of death.
The Minor Arcana of the Pictorial Key Tarot deck also largely remained true to Waite. The protagonists, the scenes, the motives for the behavior of the characters – all this is very reminiscent of the classics. The author made some corrections here and there. However, this approach can be considered a manifestation of individuality – Corsi highlighted the important and omitted the secondary. The Seven of Wands shows a man who actively defends himself. At the bottom, six poles are drawn, which may be held by people. They could drive the character to the edge of the cliff so that he agreed with their decisions. But the man fights and does not think to retreat. The Two of Cups shows the same couple in love. Above the young people appears the symbol of the caduceus with the head of a lion. It can be considered a sign of patronage of the highest over this pair.
The suits of the Pictorial Key Tarot show four elements: Swords (Air), Cups (Water), Wands (Fire), Pentacles (Earth). The group of court Arcana includes: Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings. Aces are also detailed. The emphasis is on the elements and symbolism. For example, on the Ace of Cups, a white dove carries prosphora in its beak. It signifies purity, fidelity and spirituality. All Aces show hands, which symbolizes the manifestation of the elements in the human character and actions. A specific color scheme for each suit cannot be distinguished. Only one group of Swords is made in purely gray shades. But there are also blue skies. However, in this case, they hint at common sense and intellectual savvy.
Style and symbolism of the deck
Davide Corsi used computer graphics to create the Pictorial Key Tarot deck. Thanks to this technique, the characters became more alive. Now it is easy for the questioner to guess this or that emotion by the facial expressions of the characters. Their clothes testify to their character. The shades used here allude to the mood or motives of behavior in life. For example, the pink shirt on the heroine from the Nine of Swords indicates the girl’s soft nature. That is why she cannot resist the outside world. And the gray shirt of a man from the Four of Swords is associated with despondency, depression. The background can also indicate the general mood of the predicted events.
In terms of design, the Pictorial Key Tarot deck is very concise. The cards have a "wooden" frame with a black border. The Arcana numbers are duplicated at the top and bottom. Suit symbols are drawn on all four sides. The court Arcana of the Pictorial Key Tarot indicates belonging to the estate. The shirt is blue, with the image of a carved Catholic cross. A scarlet rose is drawn in the middle. The drawing is fractal. The cross on the shirt refers to one of the many medieval symbols hidden in the deck. Salamanders, white roses and fleur-de-lis – all this can complement the prediction, but requires certain knowledge.
Interpretation of the Pictorial Key Tarot cards
The meaning of the Pictorial Key Tarot refers to Waite’s classic developments. Corsi only tried to supplement the main motives, to make them more understandable. To do this, he used bright colors. For example, green tints often appear on the suit of Pentacles. They symbolize money, financial well-being. Butterflies appeared on the suit of Swords, denoting intelligence and creativity. The outlines of the characters became more alive, real. This helps to draw analogies with real people. The poses of the characters show emotions, which also makes it easier to read information from the cards. It would not be superfluous for a fortuneteller to study the manual, which briefly describes the main meanings.
At the same time, fortune-telling on the Pictorial Key Tarot can be built on the basis of intuition alone. The querent has the right to derive their own card values based on purely personal experience. Arcana combinations generally provide an endless field of options for interpretation. That is why constant skill development is needed. It will not be superfluous to pay attention to numerical designations. Numerology will become the key that opens the hidden meanings even for one card. Additionally, a fortuneteller has the right to study medieval alchemical and Egyptian symbols in order to better understand the message of the cards. Such knowledge will help in matters of an esoteric orientation.
What questions is the deck suitable for?
The spreads on the Pictorial Key Tarot can be carried out on absolutely any topic. No wonder the deck has such a name. Cards easily cover everything related to work, career, study. They are very down to earth, as they show life situations. The Arcana will give advice on whether to buy real estate, open a new business, or cooperate with a certain person. At the same time, they recoup well in terms of personal life. The suit of Cups shows love, family ties. But in order to get complete information, it is better to use the entire deck in work. It will also be good at showing health-related issues.
At the same time, the Pictorial Key Tarot deck is also suitable for spiritual quests. Cards will help determine the religion, find answers to important questions regarding religion. They will allow you to find your own path and avoid fatal mistakes. Also, the Pictorial Key can be used for topics related to magic. The Arcana will show the presence or absence of external influences. They will advise the correct way to remove the curse. That is why the deck is considered universal. It is easily applicable to a whole range of issues and tasks. It is only important to be able to draw analogies.
Who are the Pictorial Key Tarot cards for?
Definitely, the Pictorial Key Tarot is suitable for beginners. This is a great deck to start magical practice. It almost completely copies Waite in terms of meaning, but is more detailed and elaborated in terms of visualization. Definitely cards will appeal to fans of computer graphics and in particular the style of Davide Corsi. At the same time, the deck is concise, not overloaded with symbols. The author left only the most important. Experienced masters will also be able to work with the Pictorial Key Tarot. Each practitioner will open the deck in their own way. After all, despite the seeming simplicity, the cards are full of secret meaning.
The Pictorial Key Tarot deck is suitable for both men and women of any age. It will appeal to occultists, practitioners of magic and psychologists working with the human subconscious. Even in these things, the Tarot deck is comprehensive, applicable to different themes and approaches. The only group who might not like it is realism lovers. Still, the images on the cards are more reminiscent of scenes from a computer game. This style can be off-putting. Here you should focus on your own preferences and choose a deck to your liking, having previously worked with it at least once.