Table of Contents
A gold-foil tarot deck inspired by Baroque to celebrate the divine and light your path. The Baroque Tarot Deck is inspired by an architectural and artistic style. The Baroque style was developed and used in countless churches across Europe from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. Much like its namesake, the deck aims to express a celebration of the divine, seeking salvation from the dark, and guiding us throughout our journey from the poverty of the soul to spiritual richness and fulfillment.
Product description from the publisher
I’ve always been a bit of an art history geek, so it’s probably no surprise that I recently stumbled upon a tarot deck inspired by the Baroque period and just had to get my hands on it. When it finally arrived, I was absolutely blown away by the exceptional quality and stunning artwork. It’s clear that La Muci Design poured their heart and soul into creating this masterpiece. However, that is not a coincidence, as that is what they do with all of their decks. They might even be my favourite tarot deck studio.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Deck box is beautiful and sturdy + Everything feels high-quality + Amazing artworks | – Perhaps not as baroque as it could be |
About the Creator
Esra Dagtekin Mirt, the art director for this deck, was previously a school art teacher but now owns an esoteric shop. She is also a blogger and runs Kickstarter campaigns. During the coronavirus pandemic, she started La Muci Design, a small boutique shop. Esra has dedicated much time and passion to creating tarot decks and other spiritual items. La Muci Design has an online store where you can purchase their tarot decks, oracle decks, and other spiritual items. Although based in Slovenia, their online store is accessible from anywhere.
Cards and the Artwork
This deck has 78 cards divided into 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The cards have gilded edges, and gold is present throughout the deck’s and box’s design. The artwork’s colours exude a Baroque atmosphere and give the cards a sense of grandeur typical of the Baroque period. However, as well as grandeur, the Baroque was also a time of dramatic expression. I think this is somewhat lacking in the art of the cards, as in quite a few of them, the person’s face is either blurred or replaced by the face of a statue. The end result is rather expressionless in some cases.
The whole area of the card is reserved for art, and I think that’s a good thing because you can fit more art on the card. The gold edges of the card act as frames for the art, reminiscent of paintings framed in gold. The same gold theme continues with the name of the card, which is written in gold on the bottom of the card in a font that definitely fits the theme of the deck.
I have a wide variety of decks, but I have found that some of the cards in this deck have become my favourites. For example, The Magician is perhaps one of my all-time favourites. Its dark and mysterious figure reminds me of veiled sculptures, such as The Veiled Virgin by Giovanni Strazza in the 19th century. The card is darker than many other The Magicians, which I like a lot. The cards follow the symbolism of the Waite-Smith decks pretty closely, making them easy for a beginner to decipher.
The Guidebook of Baroque Tarot
The guidebook is small, but it is high-quality and well-done. It has everything a beginner needs to start their journey with this deck. This guidebook is an excellent example of how a guidebook doesn’t have to be massive to contain a lot of information. It is the same size as the cards, so it fits nicely inside the deck box. It has 90 pages.
The guide starts with a few pages explaining what the deck wants to say and be. Among other things, it explains what the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana represent and how court cards are divided into elements in this deck. Perhaps there could have been more text about what Baroque was and how it relates to this deck, but I don’t know if it would have been of interest to anyone but me.
One page is reserved for each card. The first half of the page is reserved for keywords and reverse keywords to facilitate quick interpretation. Halfway through the page, the astrological context of the card is given. The rest of the page is reserved for a longer description of the card, which helps to understand the card in more depth. A similar description is also provided for the reversed card.
Conclusion
Baroque Tarot Deck is a visually stunning, high-quality tarot deck inspired by the Baroque period. The deck features exquisite artwork with a touch of grandeur and gold accents, capturing the essence of the Baroque era. While some cards may lack the dramatic expression characteristic of the Baroque style, the overall quality and attention to detail make this deck a valuable addition to any tarot collection. Especially if you are an art history geek like me.
