Is There a Companion Book For...

Any of these following decks?

Aquarian Tarot
Shadowscapes Tarot
Deviant Moon Tarot
Medieval Scapini Tarot
Sun and Moon Tarot
Etteilla Tarot

If anyone's ever read any, I'd be much obliged to hear about it.

Thanks!

Yes to Deviant Moon, and it's gorgeous, full of color plates and Patrick's sketches.

Take a look at the Forum Index. There's a whole section on Companion Books....

Rodney

Well, that was interesting. I never even knew that section was there. And I've been hanging around AT for how long? Oooh boy.

Herodotus, there is a book for the Shadowscapes Tarot, listed in that section. But the companion book for the Medieval Scapini isn't there, and I know it exists. The deck was sold either with or without the book, and I am fairly sure the book is available on its own.

The Scapini book is called Art & Arcana (A Commentary on the Medieval Scapini Tarot), by Ronald Decker, US Games Systems Inc, USA, 2004. It's still very much in print and for a companion to the deck really rather good. The introductory section is clear, and forthright (as you'd expect from Mr Decker) and the card definitions are succinct, but illuminating. It will certainly increase your enjoyment of the deck. For its modest price it's well worth picking up.

Laura Borealis said:

Yes to Deviant Moon, and it's gorgeous, full of color plates and Patrick's sketches.

Click to expand...

Ditto.
It's one of the most beautiful Tarot books I've ever seen.

Regarding the Aquarian Tarot, here is a list of books that were written for or illustrated with the Aquarian. "The Windows of Tarot" was specifically published by the original publishers to accompany the deck, but it's not a great book. "Psychic Tarot" is the book that USGames currently sells as the book for the deck.

Thanks

RWcarter, I actually perused that section of the forum in search of a companion to one of these decks, and when I found nothing, I came here with my question and figured I'd throw a couple other ones I was curious about out there. It is a very handy index, and it's always the first place I turn to when I have these sorts of questions, which is why I rarely find myself having to pose them here.

I think I may have heard of the Deviant Moon one. Is it only available in hardcover?

Thanks for the other suggestions, I appreciate them. Incidentally, the Aquarian Tarot was the pack originally in question, and I thank Lee for pointing me in a direction.

Re: the Aquarian Tarot...

there is a 2013 book, Painting the Soul by David Palladini and Anastasia Haysler, that covers both Palladini's Aquarian and New Palladini decks.

More info here:

http://www.davidpalladini.com/

Regarding the Aquarian Tarot books we've mentioned, I think it's worth pointing out that they all reflect their authors' personal views about what's on the cards, and not the artist's. I haven't read the Painting the Soul book, but it seems like, again, it's not Palladini's personal interpretations but his co-author's.

So while these various authors' interpretations of the visual elements on the cards may be interesting and instructive, I'm not sure that we should be viewing them as in some way "official" as we might if it was the artist's own writings. I suppose Painting the Soul could be seen as more official since the artist is the co-author, but personally I would be more likely to buy his book if it included Palladini's own interpretations of his artwork. And I say that as someone who has written an "official" companion book for an artist's deck.