El tarot de Marsella

by Paul Marteau, María Luz González (Translator)

Ningún juego es comparable al antiguo Tarot llamado "de Marsella", fundamentalmente por dos razones: por ser el más conforme con la tradición y el más rico en sentido analógico de cuantos se conocen. Ha sido la tosquedad de su diseño y el hermetismo de sus símbolos lo que le ha condenado durante muchos años al olvido.

Nada en este Tarot ha sido dejado al azar: los dibujos fueron concebidos de forma que den sentido a los menores detalles, los colores son siempre los apropiados a la idea principal de cada Arcano, y el conjunto revela una filosofía trascendental.

Existen en el mercado comentarios sobre Tarots similares, pero además de que en su mayor parte no hacen alusión más que a los 22 Arcanos mayores y dejan en la sombra a los 56 Arcanos menores, apenas van más allá de la filosofía de sus autores y sus dibujos son incompletos o deformados, porque han olvidado representar aquello que no comprendían bien.

El autor de este libro, Paul Marteau, que es un conocido especialista francés, no escribe una historia de las cartas, ni tan siquiera una crítica sobre la concepción del Tarot de Marsella: traduce estrictamente el significado de su simbolismo.

Genres: Tarot

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

Reviews

[Marius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le Tarot de Marseille by Paul Marteau from 1949 is probably the key resource to reading the Marseille Tarot. Marteau was, as known, the publisher of the famous work horse of the Marseille, the Grimaud deck. Marteau covers the Major Arcana as well as the Minor Arcana in this book. A very interesting emphasis is put on the body language and colors of the figures on the cards. They are interpreted with a lot of symbology, ie. "the torso represents the animistic aspect; buttons and ornamentation are animistic enrichments" and "the raised arm indicates the connection with the above, the capture of forces". Each Major is broken down to abstract and concrete interpretations. Marteau also breaks down the meaning of each card in additional 3 parameters; Mental, Animistic and Physical. Reversals are also included. The general interpretation style, as I see it, is spiritual and psychological as it pertains to the journey of the fool. About 4 pages are allocated per Major Arcana and 3 pages per minor. Some meanings were fairly recognizable to that of other Tarot books, but some were a little different, ie. Hanged Man "..represents man subverting his action in order to orient himself towards the spiritual, in the feeling of hesitation and renunciation". Minor Arcana are looked on as details in making up the forces of the Major Arcana expressed in numbers and suits. The Court cards are described as conscious or directional energies as appose to the more reactive, simple forces of the minors. The book is illustrated throughout with the Grimaud Marseille deck (The English translation has an older Conver Tarot look alike, website link below). The spreads in the book is the simple cross, 12 card spread (using the houses of the zodiac as the card position aspects) and a 60-78 card horoscope spread! This is a good book for learning to read the TdM, for the beginner as well as the more advanced reader.

[Gaspar Torrez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Las descripciones o ¨traducciones¨ de las cartas que hace este autor son siempre pretenciosas y lo que escribe es definitivo, como si sus opiniones no dejaran lugar a otra interpretación.

[meri · Rating 3 out of 5]

yes, i had a witchy era