Golden Art Nouveau Tarot
Golden Art Nouveau Tarot
This is a deck you won't want to put down.
Forget reading the cards, every time I pick this one up, I get distracted by the art on the cards, forget what I am doing and just end up rifling through the deck, gazing at the beautiful shiny pictures by by Giula F. Massaglia.
I’ve seen this one on Amazon and at my local bookstore several times, but have always passed it by. Then a friend posted a reading done with these cards laid out on lovely floral fabric, and I was smitten.
If you want a deck that feels luxurious and a bit indulgent like a big slice of chocolate cake, this is it.
Do I need another Rider Waite Tarot deck? No.
Do I want this one? Definitely yes.
What’s in the box?
The box contains 78 gold embellished cards, yes each card is decorated with foil. Cards are thin and flexible, but printed on high quality cardstock. This makes them easy to handle and shuffle with grace and ease. There is a little white book printed on paper, pretty basic, with a color front page.
The only part I don’t love is the box. Just a basic, fold top cardboard box, and I have already bent the book and box trying to stuff the cards and book back it in to the flimsy top opening box.
The guidebook includes meanings for all 78 cards in English, Italian, Spanish and French. These meanings are very basic, but complete. This is very good for beginners, who may want to understand the basic meaning without a lot of other peoples interpretations clouding the interpretation. Also good for seasoned readers who want a quick refresh, or to explore a new version for greater depth.
“Nine of Swords. A man awakens from a violent nightmare. He starts from the bed, lost in terror and despair. This is the dark night of the soul, when all seems lost. A mind caught in hopelessness cannot imagine the coming of the dawn, but it will always come.”
The deck follows the Rider Waite Tarot precisely in both art and meaning. These cards are all redrawn illustrations based on Pamela Smith’s drawings in the Rider Waite Smith deck. Massaglia’s drawings are a respectful tribute to Smith’s work. They are well defined and absolutely beautiful.
The Golden Art Nouveau Tarot, illustrated by Giula F. Massaglia, blends the sinuous elegance of Art Nouveau with a luxurious, gilded palette that elevates traditional tarot symbolism into decorative, modern visions. Massaglia’s drawings feature fluid lines, botanical motifs and stylised figures rendered with meticulous linework and touches of gold that catch the eye without overwhelming the card meanings, making the deck both a beautiful collector’s item and a practical tool for readings, especially for readers who appreciate aesthetic coherence and a gentle, romantic reinterpretation of classic archetypes.
This would be my new absolute favorite aside from one thing, the personalities in the cards are very well developed and I find it difficult to navigate beyond them. They have a tendency to remind me of people I know, skewing my perception. The facial expressions can also be somewhat distracting from the meaning of the cards.
My overall impression is still very positive. If you are looking for a new deck, and like shiky things, this one is a winner.
You can get it here on Amazon
or Bookshop.org