Tarot of the Renaissance by Giorgio Trevisan Deck
Beautiful palaces, magnificent music and painting, beautifully dressed people – all this is the Renaissance. This is the time of Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo. The flowering of human thought and talent. The Renaissance Tarot deck is a reminder of this wonderful time. The cards allow you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of ancient Italy. This is a fairy tale about dragons, brave knights and beautiful ladies. But even from a beautiful story, you can get answers to your own questions. The main thing is to read between the lines. The deck recognizes only a gallant approach. It will help the chosen ones to find the truth.
History of creation of the Renaissance Tarot Deck
The Tarot of the Renaissance was first published in 1995. The author of the deck was Giorgio Trevisan, a famous Italian artist. Pietro Alligo, the founder of the Lo Scarabeo publishing house, helped in the development of the Arcana. In a short period of time, cards have gained great popularity. The deck was re-released in 2001, 2005 and 2010. There are both full-size and mini-versions of the Arcana. The authors were inspired by the era preceding the New Time – the 15th century. This is the heyday of Italian creativity – music, painting, architecture. The very image of a person is put at the head. It is deified, idealized.
The Renaissance Tarot deck sings an ode to personality. The authors in one tool have collected the best human manifestations, showed life from the aesthetic side. Even negative moments are served under the sauce of sophistication. Artists, musicians, writers of the Renaissance exalted the female image. For the heart of a beloved one could die in a duel with an opponent. The woman acts as a goddess, a saint, endowed with divine power. She is a mystery. It was not for nothing that the authors decorated the box of the deck with the image of a beautiful lady from the Arcana of the Empress. This image is also duplicated on the advertising card.
Key features of the Tarot of the Renaissance by Giorgio Trevisan
This tarot standard refers to the English school. Strength comes at number 8. There are 78 cards in the deck. The Major Arcana in the Tarot of the Renaissance mostly repeat Waite’s motives. For example, the Fool depicts a strange-looking man – one foot is bare, a spoon is inserted into the hat. The hero wanders along the road during the day, but carries a lit candle. In this case, if we draw parallels with Waite, then the character differs only in age and attire. In general, the card repeats the classic ideas – recklessness, lightness, fun and life in one day. The Emperor and Empress show the royal couple. But upon closer examination of the Arcana, one can notice an important detail: the hero has one coat of arms, and the heroine has a completely different one. This suggests that the couple is only preparing for the union. A woman has her own kingdom, she alone rules the lands.
On the major group, you can complete the story about the similarity of the deck to the classics. The Minor Arcana of the Renaissance Tarot, although they are plot, are still fundamentally different from Waite. There is no standard structure here to fall back on. For example, the Eight of Swords shows a lonely girl with a book in her hand. Her facial expression does not indicate fear. On the contrary, the card means liberation, a way out of a difficult situation. The book is knowledge, power, which is now in the hands of the heroine. On the Seven of Pentacles, a girl runs away from home. Flying gold coins are visible behind her. The Arcana can mean an attempt to evade financial obligations, communication with clients, or the inability to manage cash flow.
The suits of the Renaissance Tarot deck remained standard: Cups, Swords, Wands and Pentacles. The very approach of the authors to the plots has changed. Now Wands are more responsible for any skills, abilities. So, on the Six, an elderly man is shown playing the pipe. On the Two of the same suit, two characters are drawn fighting each other. They are in excellent physical shape, their robes are reminiscent of carnival costumes. All this suggests that the opponents are fighting in public, demonstrating their skills. And the Swords in the deck speak more about protection and liberation than about something tragic. For example, on the Six of Swords, the knight defeats the dragon and victoriously places his foot on his head. The Nine shows a warlike girl with a blade in her hand. She’s come a long way, judging by the collection of swords on the wall. Now the lady can fend for herself.
Pentacles in the Tarot of the Renaissance denote cash flows, finances. Moreover, different images often appear on coins – from the profile of a king to a knight on a horse. Interestingly, on the King of Pentacles, the hero puts his own crown on a golden ball placed on the throne. Such a detail can speak of "working" capital, the ability to build reliable systems that bring money. Cups in the Tarot of the Renaissance standardly indicate feelings and connections between people. But the authors again left the classics. So, on the Three of Cups a bored lady is drawn, while in Arthur Waite this card shows great joy, a holiday. But on the Six of the same suit, there is an adult pair. There are no people on Two at all – only a restless sea, a ship and bowls floating on the waves.
Style and symbolism of the deck
The Renaissance Tarot deck is made in watercolor technique. Giorgio Trevisan used muted hues to emphasize the ephemeral nature of the images. The artist created a kind of dream, immersed the questioner in a beautiful distant past. The clothes of the heroes refer to the Middle Ages. Ladies wear lavishly dressed dresses, while men wear brightly colored suits. The cards have a white frame. The shirt is decorated with patterns reminiscent of palace stucco, as well as something like a coat of arms. The reverse side of the cards is different in each edition. However, everywhere it is made in a similar theme of the Renaissance.
In the Renaissance Tarot deck, great emphasis is placed on the image of the person himself. The artist worked out the facial expressions and gestures of the characters, their clothes. The scene of action is either the walls of the house, or nature, the city square. Only once, except for the major group, does a mythical hero appear in the Tarot deck – this is a dragon on the Six of Swords. Even the Devil depicts an ordinary person. The hero here is dressed in a black cloak, holding a bag of gold coins. At the same time, people themselves are endowed with certain abilities. So, the heroine from the Ten of Pentacles levitates in the air, and the man from the Three skillfully juggles coins on the go.
Interpretation of the Renaissance Tarot cards
The interpretation of the Renaissance Tarot should be done intuitively. The usual meanings according to Waite only work here for the Major Arcana. In order to understand the logic of the minor group, you should refer to the manual. The authors give brief meanings of all cards, but also leave the fortuneteller freedom of choice. Each practitioner must work out his own correspondences. For the prediction to be correct, you need to refer to the artist’s tips. For example, dispersing clouds indicate the end of the black streak, the way out of the crisis. The hat removed from the character speaks of the inability to keep secrets, complete openness to others. The white flag clearly hints at surrender, and the presence of a cast shadow – at the "double bottom" of the situation.
Renaissance Tarot spreads may involve the use of reversed positions. It all depends on the skills of the querent. Beginners can also only use the major group, the same suit, or the court Arcana. It is important to pay attention to neighboring cards. So, the same Ace of Swords can mean both the beginning of a war, the need to defend oneself, and a previously lost battle next to the Ten of Wands. The accompanying Arcana line up a certain line of prediction. They complement the main meaning or increase or decrease the energy of the card in the future. Often, it will be difficult to draw any conclusions from one position.
What questions is the deck suitable for?
The Tarot of the Renaissance by Giorgio Trevisan is suitable for a wide range of questions. The deck well covers topics related to finance, business and work. Gives advice on choosing a profession, career growth, starting or expanding your own business. The cards, although they have a flair of elevation, are still very mundane. Also, the deck is suitable for viewing subjects regarding relationships with relatives, friends, and the second half. It is possible to use the Renaissance Tarot for inspiration. Especially cards will be useful for creative people. Images from the Arcana will be able to inspire you to write new music or create an extravagant look.
Of course, the Tarot of the Renaissance can be used to view magical situations. The deck shows the presence or absence of various influences. There are many small details on the cards that should be taken into account. Also, the deck will help you find your own vocation, hobby. However, the Renaissance Tarot is not very suitable for viewing topics related to leisure or travel. The Arcana show approximately the same natural landscapes, which interferes with interpretation. At the same time, the deck is good for viewing the age, appearance or health of a person. In this regard, it is eloquent.
Who are the Renaissance Tarot cards for?
The Renaissance Tarot deck will appeal to fans of soft cards. The watercolor style will not let your eyes get tired after a long practice with the Arcana. If a person works with clients, then this detail is very important. Of course, the deck will appeal to fans of the work of Giorgio Trevisan. The Tarot of the Renaissance will be appreciated by subtle natures who are fond of art. The cards are very poetic, which can be seen in the images and shades used. Some Arcana can even be inspired to write songs, paintings. A whole field of possibilities opens up before the practitioner. It all depends on his perception and available talents.
At the same time, the Renaissance Tarot deck is not suitable for beginners. The scenes here can be too complicated to interpret, and it makes no sense to draw analogies with Waite. It is better to purchase this deck only after active practice with the classics. Then the fortuneteller will have the skill to correctly read the images, rely on colors and symbolism. The Tarot of the Renaissance is more likely to appeal to women than men. The deck is very thin, beautiful, sublime. Ladies will find a common language with cards faster and easier.