Tarot De Marseille Review – How Did I Get On ?

It’s pretty obvious I have a wide collection of tarot decks and I really wanted to give a Tarot De Marseille review of an iconic tarot deck. There are 2 decks that are widely talked about and that is the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck and the Tarot de Marseille.

Now I really wanted to talk about this deck in detail, from where it originated and that this is one of the oldest decks still used today.

I’ve been avidly collecting the older tarot decks as I love the beautiful designs. Although I do like the designs that are more modern and the decks which are a little different, I still admire the older decks.

Now one thing I strongly advise is if you purchase this deck, I would also grab a book that will go with it. Only because the guide book is not in English, so you will need something to complement the deck. It’s one of the oldest decks available to purchase, along with some other decks from the 17th/18th century.

The Tarot De Marseilles was created around the 15th Century, but there is limited information on an exact date. Some websites may say 16th century, so it’s really hard to know what the dates really are. Now, the reason the date is seriously unknown is that the oldest deck found was from around 1650 but this was unknown as to when it was created.

In the UK, this can also be known as the Tarot of Marseille or Tarot of Marseilles.

You will find that with tarot, dates and origins are widely unknown with people presuming of its origin. Many years ago, this deck is shrouded in a lot of secrecy, especially when it was used for divination. Originally it was just a playing card game.

If you are curious and looking for a free review, you can try Eva Tarot and see how you like it.

Okay, so I am going to now get into the review.

Tarot De Marseille Review – How Did I Get On Reading This Deck?

The Review

I am sure that the card stock for this particular deck has changed in 20 years, as when I first saw this deck in my teens, this was quite a thin card stock. Now it is really thick and I am not sure which I prefer.

I’ve noticed of late that the card stock for tarot cards has been changing. Some cards are now thicker, whilst others are thinner. Does this bother me? Well not really. However, I know this has upset a lot of tarot experts of late.

It can make it harder to shuffle, especially when you have small hands like me. I tend to go for smaller decks when I can.

Now size-wise, The Tarot De Marseille is slimmer than your typical standard tarot card. Also with the same height, but there is also a relatively thick card, unlike the RWS style of decks.

It’s similar in size to the Nicoletta Ceccoli Tarot with being slimmer than your typical card.

The quality of the cards is really good, however as the pictures are very old, this has not been changed. Which I can really appreciate as I do like the aesthetic of them looking 100’s of years old. So they do look faded in some places and have the look like they are from the 15th/16th century.

So, the major arcana is your typical major arcana, similar to RWS and the minor arcana is more like playing cards, as you can see from the pictures.

This is where the playing card aesthetic for the deck came from as originally they were playing cards, then used for divination at a later date.

The writing on the major arcana is in French, but there are also roman numerals so it helps, although it is easy to depict the meaning of the card.

I adore the artwork, it is a very 15th-century French style. From the playing card aesthetic of the minor arcana and the beautiful detail throughout the major arcana. With simple significators to the key symbols littered throughout this deck.

Guide Book – Tarot De Marseille Review

I received a guide book that is in another language and there was no English interpretation. However, I did purchase another book to go with this so I was able to understand the cards.

I came across a wide range of books that complement this deck very well. So this needed to mention this in my Tarot De Marseille Review.

How I got on with the deck!

I tend to connect with decks rather easily and I am able to read them. So I did find it easy to read this particular deck.

The major arcana are the same as RWS so it helps with understanding the cards.

With the meanings of each card, there are similarities to the RWS however, they are also vastly different. I found these cards were more on the side of spiritual and deep within your soul.

Final Thoughts of Tarot De Marseille Review

I do love the aesthetic of this deck and found I could use it with ease. However, to reiterate, I do strongly recommend purchasing a guide book to help you with learning about the deck.

Totally one I would recommend as a first starter deck, or something you want to add to your collection.

*This deck is graciously provided in exchange for a review. With thoughts, feelings and writing all of my own.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please note that links included within this post include Amazon Affiliate links.

There are also other affiliate links within this post and I do earn a small fee for every purchase. 

It may be the case I also offer special discount codes where applicable.

This deck was sent to me to review and the review is of my own wording.