How to Distinguish Between Different Styles of Tarot Cards

The Death card, from the Tarot of Marseilles

Used in Italy since the 15th century as playing cards, tarot cards are now commonly used in the West for divination and fortune-telling purposes. With seemingly endless variations, the images on tarot cards are evocative and usually beautifully and intricately rendered, and many modern decks are based on centuries-old tradition. Two types of tarot cards commonly used today, the Tarot of Marseilles and the Tarot of Florence, are identifiable from certain prominent features.

Things You'll Need

• Complete deck of the Tarot of Marseilles
• Complete deck of the Tarot of Florence

Instructions

TheTarot of Marseilles

1. Notice that the images on this deck are Medieval, with the figures' clothing reflecting the fashion of this era. Some modern variations of the Tarot of Marseilles may not look Medieval, but they have other distinctive features on certain cards that will help you identify them.

2. Find the card called "The Lovers" or "L'Amoreux." On this card there is a third person, a winged human that is probably female, looking in on the two lovers.

3. Take out the card called "The Moon" or "La Lune." In the Marseilles Tarot, this card depicts two dogs, a crayfish and two towers in the distance.

4. Locate "The Star" or "L'Etoile." On this card, a young woman is pouring water into a pond.

The Tarot of Florence

1. Observe that the images on this deck are more modern than those on the Tarot of Marseilles, as these cards became popular a hundred years later during the Renaissance.

2. Look at any of the "Knight" or "Cavallo" cards. The knight in the Florentine Tarot is depicted as a centaur.

3. Locate "The Moon" or "La Luna." In the Tarot of Florence, this card shows an old man looking at the moon holding a sundial and a caliper.

4. Find the card called "Strength" or "La Fortezza," and you will see a picture of a woman holding a column.

Resources

• The Tarot of Marseilles
• The Tarot of Florence