The Visconti-Sferza deck is quite pretty and distinctive. There's obviously a lot of craft involved in these things. An almost lost craft at that.
Friday, March 13, 2026
Temperance and friends
It's interesting to find out that the Tarot began as a deck of playing cards and wasn't associated with divination until the eighteenth century. That doesn't mean that the use of cards―playing and otherwise―to divine the future doesn't go back further. But these particular cards had been around for a few centuries before they picked up that reputation.
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I was first introduced to the Tarot when we lived in Vancouver where Inger had found an old Rider Waite Smith deck. Originally designed and illustrated in 1909 it's still the most popular of the 'reading' tarot decks. It's fascinating that the Tarot itself was originally used as playing cards more than 500 years ago.
At the time Inger tried to convince me to illustrate my own version of the Major Arcana cards - the Fool, the Magician, The Star etc. but I never felt like doing so. When it comes to divination the system is far too esoteric for me and things like that make me nervous.. not into tea leaves or palm reading either.
A couple of years ago Belle sent me the Wirth Tarot deck and an accompanying book called Tarot of the Magicians. I had a look through the cards and a couple of chapters of the book, but other than appreciating the artwork the symbolic meanings didn't capture my attention.
But that Visconti-Sferza deck you found really is very attractive.
The Rider Waite Smith cards are very recognizable. Pamela Colman Smith, who went by the nickname "Pixie"--and it fit--was a distinctive illustrator in general. Not too surprisingly, a lot of her work has mystical and/or mythological themes. Yeah, I'm curious about the process by which the tarot came to be considered an instrument of divination.
I think I understand your trepidation. Getting involved with something like that can seem crass if you don't share the beliefs behind it. But if you do share the beliefs you have to tread carefully. In the case of the tarot, that might be why there aren't a lot more editions.
There's an interesting story behind the Wirth deck as well. Oswald Wirth was a hypnotic healer, would probably be called a hypnotherapist if he were around today, dabbled in Theosophy, and was initiated into the Freemasons. Lots of interests that would seem arcane in the early 20th century. His illustrations have a notably Medieval feel.
It's too bad that the artists on the Visconti-Sforza deck aren't remembered by name. They did some beautiful work.
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