Maroon Tarot

See card images of the Maroon Tarot

By Tomasz Maronski & Maja Zaworowska
Tarot Deck - 22 Cards - Self Published 2007

Review by Bonnie Cehovet

The "Maroon Tarot" is an independently published, majors only deck from Poland. It is a fantasy based deck, bearing traditional card titles, done in digital art format. There is one extra card, entitled the Reader (similar to the Artist card in the "Sakki Sakki Tarot"). The idea behind this deck goes back a decade, even thought the first cards did not come into being until December of 2006. There is an interesting note on the site that the Minor Arcana should be finished mid-2008, and that those who have already purchased the Major Arcana will receive a 25% discount on the cards.

The name of the deck comes from the color of the border (and, perhaps not so incidentally, a takeoff on the name of the artist. The coloring is dark and intense. The cards come in a lovely velvet bag, whose color blends beautiful with that of the cards. I was very impressed (and deeply touched) to see that a small card was attached to the bag, with the words "Thank You" on it, along with a smiley face. I intend to leave the card on the bag. :) The cards are not shrink wrapped, but they do have a solid band around them, and were enclosed in loose plastic. The shipping envelope protected the cards, so that they would arrive at any destination in good shape.

There is no LWB (Little White Book) with this deck. However, there is a site (www.kartytarota.pl) with background information on the deck, and several sections that are still in development: information on the cards themselves, Tarot history, and Tarot spreads.

The cards themselves are 7 cm by 12 cm (approximately 2 3/4" by 4 5/8"), and of good quality, sturdy card stock. On the site it notes that the cards are UV lack on both sides. I have no clue what this means, but the cards are glossy and gorgeous!

The back of the cards shows a dark maroon colored graphic, framing what looks like a doorknob in the center of the card. The deck name appears across the bottom of the cards. The front of the cards shows the same dark, ornate border, appearing rather as a picture frame for the scene inside.

At the top of the card is the card title in large, bold, gold colored letters, in Polish, on the left hand side of the card. (Note: The card titles are the traditional Tarot titles, with Strength as VIII and Justice as XI.) On the right hand side is the Hebrew letter for the card, and its Astrological, Planetary and Elemental association. The card number, in Roman numerals, is shown centered at the top of the scene. Centered on the bottom of the card, in small script, is the card title in English.

Within each scene there is a focus of light. For the Fool, the focus of light is the delicate butterfly that has landed on his hand (note: in this deck, the Fool faces the reader). For the High Priestess, the light appears as lightening between buildings that are acting as the traditional Tarot pillars. The Empress is a stunning card, showing a youthful female figure standing in a parapet, looking out to the left hand side of the card. Her white dress and her crown are luminous. The Emperor stands on a similar parapet, looking out to the left hand side of the card, with the parapet and the flowing ends of his robe, as well as his crown, being luminous.

The Chariot shows some type of fantasy creature, with a figure in a flowing red robe standing in its mouth. The light is behind the head of the creature. The Hermit stands in a luminous white mist, wearing a white, hooded robe, facing the left hand side of the card. His lamp is held over his left shoulder, so that it is behind him.

The Wheel of Fortune shows a luminous blue light in the center of the wheel. The Hanged Man literally hangs in a luminous, cave like atmosphere! Temperance is one of my favorite cards, showing a green background with a tree and grass, with a long stemmed red flower on the left hand side of the picture, with a small red bird drinking nectar from it. The light here comes from the back of the scene.

The Star shows a luminous star shining at what appears to be the end of a row of buildings. I love the card of Strength, which shows a hand, in the form of a fist, rising up from what appears to be a castle. The right hand side of the hand and the bottom lift hand side of the castle are illuminated (along with three windows in the castle). The World shows an illuminated globe at the end of a body of water, with cliffs rising on either side.

I am not necessarily a fan of fantasy Tarot decks, but I am attracted to this one! I look forward to seeing what is done with the Minor Arcana. I also look forward to seeing the site fleshed out so that we get some idea of what the author intended for this deck. Bravo to independent publishers!

© October 2007

Bonnie Cehovet is Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has had articles appear in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.

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Review by Gayla Uslu

On occasion, a Tarotist anticipates and enjoys the experience of an immediate, viable connection with a new deck. This was the case when I received my copy of the Maroon Tarot. I don’t make strong connections with decks very often, but I sensed and hoped I would when I saw this deck online because the images on screen seemed to glow and reach out to me. Although the digital images represent the deck well, it was no comparison once I got in my hands. I was elated.

The Maroon Tarot is a major’s only, digital art, fantasy deck created and published in Poland. It is painted by Tomasz Maronski and the idea, production and copyright credits belong to Educatio (aka Maja). The name, Maroon Tarot, comes from the development of the cards borders and the coincidence the artist name, Maronski, is similar to the name of the color maroon in English. Incidentally, I found the idea of naming the deck after a color interesting in regards to its association with the psychological aspect of color symbolism. The color maroon is symbolic of courage and strength. This deck has a great deal of profundity and reflects these characteristics accordingly. It’s a digital imagery deck with a dark, solemn appeal which reflects a bright, warm ray of light in each card. The UV lack coating on the cards enhances the quality and seems to make the cards take on a radiant glow. The unusual borders enhance the cards with a window effect which almost looks like you are peering into another dimension.

The deck is good quality cardstock, 68 mm W x 115 mm H. The deck comes in a velvet bag with nice little band around the cards. On the website, the bag looks bright red, but it is actually maroon. It’s well protected in plastic, but not shrink wrapped.

Each card has the title in English and Polish, which makes it unusually interesting and fun to learn the polish translation of the major arcane names. The cards have corresponding symbols on the top right, which is nice for quick reference when exploring correspondence and dignities.

This deck has a great deal of depth and emotional appeal. It’s a serious deck, with a unique allure because several of the characters of the major arcane have their backs turned in the card. I found the Death card to be unusual because the Reaper is sitting alone in a stormy field. The Fool is by far the most exceptional card of the deck. The Fool’s connection with the butterfly is significant because butterflies represent the keeper of secrets and indicate change, joy and light. It evokes the concept of content reflection. The most beautiful card of the deck is Temperance which shows a humming bird delicately balancing itself in the air while drawing nectar from a flower which is a distinctive representation of the concept of balance. There is an additional card called The Reader which is a silhouette of a jester sitting in dim light. It is the only card without the signature glow. I believe this card would be useful for a Tarotist to Tarotist reading exchange. It could be used as the significator for a reading designed to help a Tarotist explore their role as a Reader.

I will confess, I am not an avid fan of digitally created decks, but I take exception to this one because it doesn’t over focus on the personalities of the majors, rather it peers into the environment. I experienced success when reading with this deck. The cards flowed well and invoked my intuitive spirit quite intensely. The reading was accurate and the cards did force focus on the deeper meaning of the querents matter. Unfortunately, no companion book is offered with the deck and the card description page on the website is still in development. I don’t find this significantly hindering because each card speaks out for itself very clearly and leaves much to the imagination. The deck is not fully complete. The pips and courts are scheduled to be published in 2008. Again, not a major issue because the majors only version is a strong deck in itself. I hope they maintain the contemplative theme of the majors throughout the pips and courts.

I recommend this deck to beginner, intermediate and advance Tarotist but warn it does carry a strong aura and somber intensity. It is not a deck for the light of heart, nor is it a deck for basic study of Tarot unless a companion book becomes available. If you like computer generated decks like the Gilded Tarot and Tarot Deck of Athennium, you’ll definitely like this one. Even if digital imagery is not your taste, this is still one to love considering its unique qualities and origin. We don’t see to many decks coming out of Poland, so this fact alone makes it a treat.

Gayla Uslu is an enthusiast, student and reader of the Tarot since 1996. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management, History and English. She is a member of the American Tarot Association since 2006 and an active subscriber of the Aeclectic Tarot Forum. Gayla reads for the Free Tarot Network and is a Contributing Editor for The Tarot Channel.

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