Mystic Palette Tarot
Ciro Marchetti created two versions of the Mystic Palette Tarot that are essentially the same and yet feel completely different. As such I wasn’t sure about the best way to write about them. In the end, I decided to treat them like one deck and present them side by side. Therefore this is a longer post than usual because it is in fact reviewing two decks. So I’ll get straight to it.
About the Mystic Palette Tarot
Ciro Marchetti describes the Mystic Palette Tarot as “decorative and baroque with a touch of goth, a dab of Arthur Rackham, and a sprinkling of Victoriana.” I’d add, fantasy, steampunk, and Roman Empirical influences with religious and mythological overtones to that description. He does go on to say that it’s “a veritable visual potpourri,” and that sums up my first impression. The way the Mystic Palette Tarot mixes disparate elements into a cohesive whole is one of the aspects that really appeals to me.
If you just saw cards such as The Empress and the Strength cards pictured above then you might think you’ve got this deck pegged. Beautiful imagery featuring big cats alongside other animals. A stunning, almost 3D nature-based deck. That is until you see the cards below. Now you’ve got an angel wearing a very elaborate headdress on the XIV Temperance card while the IX of Wands has links to the Roman Empire. Yet, it works.
Things to consider
I find these cards are great readers but I wouldn’t call this a beginner’s deck. For starters, there are no titles, just Roman numerals which are hard to read on some cards. On the full colour version of the IX of Wands for example, the IX blends into the image. True you can just count the wands, but that can also be a bit difficult. In this example, the ninth wand is partially hidden behind the already hard to read card number. On the Muted version, the number is wrong altogether. How it became 0 is hard to comprehend.
Furthermore, Ciro Marchetti states that the “theme of this deck is creative imagination.” In creating the Mystic Palette Tarot, he used the RWS system as a starting point and then went from there. So many cards deviate from the more traditional meanings. Then add to that, the fact that the muted-tone version doesn’t come with a LWB, a cheat card, a link, anything and it becomes even more challenging. You get seventy-eight cards but nothing to directly reference them to. Therefore, if you’re just starting out and you’re drawn to this deck, I would definitely recommend the full-colour kit version.
General Information
Well I can’t say the deck follows or doesn’t follow standard nominations because the Major Arcana and the pip cards only have Roman numeral titles. The only cards with word labelling are the Court. There you’ll find the typical Page, Knight, Queen and King, albeit with no suit names. You need to look to the picture for guidance as to the suit.
When I first looked through the deck I didn’t like the Queens. I thought they looked too airbrushed, too frozen. Then I read that Ciro Marchetti aimed to keep the Courts expressions as neutral as possible because he didn’t want them to sway a reading. Even though I now understand his intentions, I’m still not sure how I feel about them. I find many of the Court cards do show personality and emotion. For example, my initial notes on Knight of Cups, pictured above, read, “seems more stern.” I just don’t see his furrowed brow as neutral.
Each of the cards feature astrological information which is a feature of Ciro Marchetti decks that I like. Some of the symbols stand out but others are more subtle. For the Court cards he only includes the element of the suit. The Major Arcana also show the Hebrew letter associated with the card.
The Mystic Palette Tarot cardstock
Both decks are the same size – huge. They measure 8.25cm x 14cm which makes them a handful. In terms of the cardstock I love that the muted-tone is matte because it is non-reflective and therefore easy to read with natural or artificial light. But it’s clingy so flicking through the deck is slow and fiddly. Some of the cards stick together and they just don’t slide. This isn’t an issue with the glossy full colour version. It’s pretty slippery. But I’m not a fan of how reflective they are.
Plus the size of the cards makes them generally hard to handle. They’re either slipping everywhere or not moving. My daughter struggles just to hold the full deck and even with large hands I struggle to comfortably overhand shuffle them in the usual manner. I appreciate the larger artwork but I don’t look at his Tarot of Dreams, (the only other deck of his I own), and think, “Gee I wish it was bigger.” So I think these decks could have been smaller.
Discussions on some individual cards
0 The Fool & XXI The World
0 The Fool
There is so much to appreciate about 0 The Fool in the Mystic Palette Tarot. I like that he’s not young. It’s a reminder that you’re never too old to start down a new path, or to adopt a new way of thinking, acting, being, or doing. I like the inclusion of the Marseille Fool card too. The link back to another system reminds me not to become beholden to just one approach to life. I also like that The Fool is not taking himself too seriously. There’s a cheekiness and a sense of joy in his expression.
When I combine this with the way he’s holding the card, I feel like he’s saying to me, “Look it’s time, what are you going to do? This could be you,” and all of a sudden his expression becomes more wise. Now he’s encouraging me to explore the possibilities and to free myself. It’s like he’s egging me on.
In the book Lee Bursten says there are three fools on the card. I see it as four. He mentions, The Fool in portrait, The Fool card, and The Fool tattoo on his forehead. But, the most important one to me is the one going on the journey, the one walking away from the show-and-tell and heading off to who knows where. The big Fool is a distraction. You don’t need a big song and dance – just do it!
XXI The World
I love that The Fool pops up again on XXI The World. It shows that the path continues. The World isn’t the end. One journey or goal may have ended, yes, but the path goes on beyond that point. The dog looks back, urging you to the finish line. There’s no need to rush. You can relish your accomplishment. But as any dog will tell you, a great walk today doesn’t negate the desire for another great walk tomorrow. Taken together these two cards show the cycle of beginnings and endings. Reaching a certain point is not the ultimate goal. It’s a stop on the path, that we should definitely savour, but it is not the final destination.
1 Magician & 4 of Cups
I The Magician
The Magician also incorporates the Marseille version of the card. This time in his top hat. The mortar and pestle is my favourite element though. With the infinity symbol hovering above, it suggests the never-ending ability to combine and blend together the resources we have at our disposal to produce something magical. In the book Lee Bursten writes, “The mortar and pestle and the well-used books tell us that these kinds of changes and creations don’t simply appear in our lives of their own volition; they require thoughtfulness, study, action, and the kind of self-discipline and practice needed to be able to juggle several potentially dangerous objects in the air.”
I love this and I believe it is so important. I don’t believe we just dream things into existence. We dream, we intend, and we act! Then with practice and perfection we too can seemingly pull a rabbit out of our hat.
4 of Cups
Lately I’ve been seeing the 4 of Cups in very different ways. It came up in a reading I did recently about Magician energy as part of my current tarot study hence why I grouped these two cards together. In that reading I saw the hand offering the fourth cup as a manifestation coming to reality.
In this card, Ciro Marchetti points out many other possibilities. Is she just content with what she has and doesn’t want anything more? Or is she envious of what someone else has and longs for more, just not more of what she’s already got? Or is it desire rather than envy and therefore linked to ambition?
I feel she is asking me, “What do you want? What would fill your cup? Is there anything you yearn for that you don’t already have, something that would complete the picture for you?” This is all without considering the influence of the Moon in Cancer, or the presence of the swan and the books. There is just so many things you can draw on in these cards and yet I don’t find them overwhelming.
IV The Emperor & IX The Hermit
IV The Emperor
While IV The Emperor begins at the original starting point – authority, power, leadership – Ciro Marchetti wants us to take this further. One idea is to remember that power doesn’t last forever. Therefore, this card could represent a changing of the guard. He uses the image of a young statue breaking to show that in time things fall away. My first interpretation was that successful leadership shouldn’t be about appearances. It should be about doing what is wise and just, not focusing on short term gain.
But that was just the start. I could write a full post on this card alone. For example, the fading pillars signifying failure of strong leadership or not focusing on being a pillar of society. Or, true self leadership being about cracking open the masks we hide behind as a means of protection. Or breaking free of the masks we feel encouraged/obligated to wear so we can act on what we see and according to who we truly are.
Something else I want to point out is that the astrological associations on the Major Arcana cards can be represented either illustratively or as a symbol. On IV The Emperor the ram is used to symbolise Aries, whereas on IX The Hermit below the latter approach is taken. You can see the sign for Virgo on his forehead.
IX The Hermit
Okay I will do my best not to gush too much over this Hermit card. I’ll just say it is one of my favourite cards in this deck and one of my favourite Hermit cards overall. The expression in his eyes, the way he looks into you, captivates me. I find the details and the concept provocative. I want to know what he sees when he looks at me yet I know that is not the point. He is asking me what I see.
Using the hollow of the tree as a frame is clever. So much goes on behind the tough external bark of a tree. Is his covering like the bark, a protection that hides the wonder that is going on beneath the surface? As much as I have always loved trees, before I read The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, I had no idea just how amazing they are. Sometimes you just need to have your eyes opened. This Hermit card attempts to do just that on a personal level.
There is just so much to like about this deck but one other thing I want to applaud is the number of elders you meet. It feels like lifetimes of wisdom incapsulated in a set of cards, just waiting for you to sit down with them. I really look forward to some long conversations with this Hermit.
VII of Pentacles
The VII of Pentacles introduces us to another older figure. She appeared next to XVII The Star on a split during one of my earliest readings with the deck and I saw The Star urging her to keep focused on what she’s doing. Enjoy the harvest, don’t question it. Double down, don’t divide your energy.
So, when I look at the VII of Pentacles I see someone who listened to the little voice in her head and kept focused on what she saw as her potential, her gift (the single pentacle the bird is sitting on) and she grew something solid and abundant. It required work and constant upgrading maybe of her thoughts or her plans, (the increasing size of the pots), but in the end, she is sitting in a beautiful space, surrounded by flowers. The cat is no threat to the bird; everyone is relaxed and content. What a great way to be.
The Mystic Palette Tarot Guide Book
Straight up, as I have already mentioned, there is no guide book in the Mystic Palette Tarot muted tone edition. There is absolutely nada. So this section is only relevant to the full-colour version. This version comes with a 119-paged full colour guidebook, although the full-colour images are scattered rather than used to illustrate each card.
This is a great book and definitely adds value to the full-colour version of the deck. It’s not a chunky book but it gives you plenty of information. I like that Lee Bursten doesn’t just ramble for the sake of following a designated layout. For example The Fool and The Magician write-ups are a page-and-a-half long, whereas The High Priestess runs to two-and-a-half pages. The Major Arcana generally have between a page and two-and-a-half pages worth of information. But before I discuss the card meanings section let me back up to the beginning of the book, because I really enjoyed reading that.
Preamble
Preface
The book opens with a Preface. Here is where you discover the layout of the deck and the thinking behind the structural features. For example, the names for the Minor Arcana suits are not printed on the cards so you can choose whichever names you prefer, and that the Major Arcana, while title-less, can be distinguished by the very pale gold or yellow Roman numerals. I don’t see that as a distinguishable feature though. If you scroll back and look at the Major Arcana Roman numerals and those on the Cups and Pentacles cards above I wouldn’t want to be a beginner again trying to differentiate between what was what.
In this section he does include a Roman numerals refresher course which I thought was a good inclusion – one I’m surprised more books don’t include. I am comfortable reading Roman numerals but I’ve never taken notice of the fact that each letter is only ever used consecutively three times before. I will now.
Introduction by Ciro Marchetti
Many guide books have Introductions, but this one written by Ciro Marchetti, connected me with the Mystic Palette Tarot deck on a whole new level. I felt I could see where he was coming from and I liked where that was. In his Introduction he discusses his philosophy of the tarot and the need to be comfortable expanding on predefined meanings. He gives five examples of the multiple ways individual cards can be interpreted – 4 of Cups which I discussed in part earlier; 3 of Pentacles; 5 of Wands; 10 of Wands; and the 6 of Swords. Snippets from two of these, Five of Wands and Ten of Wands I’ll share below.
5 of Wands
Just flicking through the deck, this card didn’t stand out to me in the slightest. Reading Ciro Marchetti’s explanation changed that. In this card he wanted to more “fully communicate the concept of inner conflict rather than just general conflict.” He explains that the fasces in the background are essentially a bunch of sticks that when bound together become unbreakable. However, as individual, isolated sticks they are weak and vulnerable.
He concludes, having given examples of how the fasces became an iconic and powerful symbol, with, “The five untied wands depict the dissolution of that bonded strength and suggest the consequences of that breakup.” I see the power and the damaging impact of the divide and conquer mentality in this card for both groups and individuals. It makes me wonder about the impact of compartmentalisation. How much do we weaken ourselves when we adopt that strategy?
10 of Wands
From the get go I liked this card. Ciro Marchetti points out that “for most people, their burdens take on a less tangible form” than those often shown as physical burdens on other versions of this card. He adds, “More often they manifest themselves emotionally, as concerns over finances, family, health or what the future may hold. How heavy a burden actually is depends on personal perception and response. In my scene, only five wands are sown in their physical state. The remaining five in the mirror complete the full number, but they are mere reflections. And so it is in life; our burdens are a combination of real and imagined glasses half-empty. Some are possibly non-existent or never to manifest, but nevertheless, in our minds they have substance and weight.”
When I look at the 10 of Wands in general I often wonder what burdens can be put down, delegated, or put on hold for now. This card takes that further. Considering the mental aspect is such a subtle yet powerful way to approach the card. For me this connects the card with the 9 of Swords.
The changes in the image of the 6 of Swords below suggest where he goes with that card. I like Lee Bursten’s writing style but I would love Ciro Marchetti to write his own guidebook because I love hearing what he had in mind when compiling the image. However, Lee Bursten takes over in the book from here.
Card Meanings
Major Arcana
For the Major Arcana cards Lee Bursten discusses the elements within the card image and the card as a whole. And, he does it well. His take on the cards is equally as compelling as Ciro Marchetti’s explanations. Meaning and explanation are interwoven in an interesting and easy to understand manner. Missing out on the book in the muted-tone version is a real shame. After providing an overall impression, under separate headings are Keyword Meanings, (which would be more aptly titled Key Sentence Meanings), Astrology and Hebrew Letter.
Minor Arcana
The Minor Arcana is divided by suit. In the opening to this section I really liked Lee Bursten’s approach to the Court cards. In the Mystic Palette Tarot, Ciro Marchetti wanted to move away from formulaic, fortune telling type approaches and encourage a creative, expanded way of viewing the cards instead. This is a deck focused on creative imagination after all.
Even though I say this isn’t what I would call a beginner’s deck, the way the Court cards are explained in this opening section can help demystify them. Bursten wrote, “The key to reading the court cards is described in a single word: reaction. The royal court figures are personifications of how we react to various situations. Their reactions are to a large extent dictated by their associated elements. Simply put, cups/water court cards would react emotionally” and so on. The idea is that these Court cards represent the reaction of the querent rather than someone in their lives.
He adds that Pages refer to news linked to the suit you’ve become aware of. Knights he links to air in that they are associated with thoughts. For example the Knight of Wands is thinking about taking action. This is different to many interpretations that see them as the action.
Example: 2 of Cups
I mentioned earlier that the book doesn’t show all the cards in full colour. Instead, which I think has value, for many cards there is only a black and white image of an important element or two from within each of the cards. Some of these are arranged in a different way to how they appear in the card. I like this approach because it focuses your attention and provides a starting point.
For the 2 of Cups, the unusual looking submarine is positioned at the neck area of the two large stone and coral blue profiles in the space the cups appear in the card. That in itself raises questions. The write up raises even more. It starts off fairly stock standard – “The Two of Cups examines the day-to-day, down-to-earth aspects of any relationship, whether romantic or otherwise.” Then it gets interesting.
He highlights the obvious blue figures then moves on to the similar but smaller profiles. He writes, “Interestingly, the more realistically drawn profiles below are actually more ephemeral, mere projections onto the glass goblets, while the blue fantasy figures seem more concrete. Which are the fantasy couple and which are real?” Now I’m paying more attention.
Next he points out that there is a “gender flip between the “real” couple and the “fantasy” couple.” Why might that be? He suggests it “could indicate our tendency to create a persona for the other person while keeping the real self hidden.” Or it could be referring to Jung’s anima and animus theory. Finally he posits that it could simply be alluding to the fact that gender roles are just that – roles and that we should remember how fluid these roles are. In a reading, apart from the relationship aspect, it can be a reminder “of the reflections, refractions, complexities, and subtleties inherent in any human relationship.”
The meaning wraps up with an Astrology heading, which in this case is followed by, “Venus in Cancer – Your impulse to relate (Venus) finds a home port and a dependable focus for its attention (Cancer).” That’s a beautiful starting point. If you have an interest in, or knowledge about, astrology obviously you can take these interpretations much further.
Wrapping it all up
Trying to write about these decks together without doing either a disservice has been a challenge, as is trying to discern how to wrap this up the most effectively. I really didn’t want to sit on the fence about which I prefer but that is where I’ve landed. My husband prefers the full-colour because he finds the muted-tone too orange-y, too same-y, even though his favourite deck is black and white. My daughter prefers the muted-tone version because she doesn’t like the bright electric blues in the other and she generally finds the colour saturation way too much. She’d like one in between. So asking them didn’t help because neither of their concerns bother me.
For the sake of it I started conducting a side-by-side comparison with the intention of picking which card I preferred in each instance and then tallying up the total number of favourites. But, I stopped. Some I really liked both versions. Others were an obvious choice for me. In the end, what stood out was that they don’t feel like they are the same deck. So, comparing them didn’t seem right. Yes the artwork is identical but they really do feel so different.
There are two factors that might make the decision easier though – the cardstock and the book. The standard version has the slippery cardstock that makes the deck much easier to move through. Whenever I wanted to flip through to look for a specific card when writing this post I would always reach for the full-colour version. The muted-tone version is frustratingly slow to flip through. And, the size of the cards may make neither deck appealing.
The lack of a book with the Mystic Palette Tarot muted-tone version could well be the deciding factor though. I bought the full colour version first because I wanted the book and then I bought the muted because it was the one that I was most excited for initially. However, I recognise that many people will not want two version of the same deck. I get Hermit energy from the muted and more Emperor vibes from the colour and so I am happy to work with both. Therefore, while initially I was unsure about buying both, now I’m glad I did.
Summaries
The Mystic Palette Tarot Cards
| Artist | Ciro Marchetti |
| Card Size | 8.25cm x 14cm |
| Card Stock | Flexible matte (muted tone) Flexible glossy (full-colour) |
| Shuffle | Both decks hard to shuffle because of their size. |
| Fan & Flip Through | Clumpy and grippy (muted tone) Slippery and easy to fan and flip through (full-colour) |
| Suits | Whatever you decide but in the book Wands, Cups, Swords & Pentacles |
| Court | Page, Knight, Queen, King |
| Strength / Justice | Strength VIII; Justice XI |
| Miscellaneous | No titling on box to discern the difference apart from the muted tone doesn’t have the book so the box is a much smaller, long side tuck box. Full colour version ISBN-10 0738776149 / ISBN-13 978-0738776149 Muted-tone version ISBN-10 0738776157 / ISBN-13 978-0738776156 |
The Mystic Palette Tarot Guidebook
| Written by | Lee Bursten with Introduction by Ciro Marchetti Somehow Lee Bursten’s name is spelt incorrectly on the cover. (Burston) |
| Pages | 119 pages |
| Appearance | Full colour and black and white illustrations |
| Contents | Preface Introduction by Ciro Marchetti Part One: The Major Arcana Part Two: The Minor Arcana Part Three: The Mystic Palette Spread and Sample Readings |
| Spreads | The Mystic Palette Spread (7 cards) |
Publishing Details
Created by:
Ciro Marchetti with guide book by Lee Bursten
Pictured Version:
Published by Llewellyn Publications (Muted-tone on 8th April 2024 / Full colour on 15th April 2024).
Creator’s Website:
