Symbolic Tarot of Wirth - Kabbalistic symbolism on Marseille foundations
This is a working deck for those who take the Western esoteric tradition seriously. Oswald Wirth published his first tarot cards in 1889 and laid the groundwork for modern symbolic interpretation of tarot. This deck unites those original Major Arcana with a full set of Minor Arcana, built according to Wirth's own occult system.
The imagery stays close to the Marseille tradition, but Wirth enriched every detail with layers of symbolism drawn from Kabbalah, Freemasonry and Hermetic philosophy. The cards are printed in five colours, including a gold tone that gives the symbolism extra weight.
What you see on the cards
Each card of the Major Arcana carries a Hebrew letter. That link between letter, number and image forms the basis of Wirth's Kabbalistic reading method. The images themselves are classical: clean lines, clear compositions, few decorative distractions.
The Minor Arcana follows what Wirth called 'occult tetrads': a system in which the four elements develop through the ten numerical ranks. No Rider-Waite-style scenes, just geometry, symbols and colour as guiding tools.
The format is 76 × 127 mm. That is larger than a standard Marseille deck, which makes it comfortable for studying details but less practical for small hands.
Who this deck works for
This deck assumes you already have some experience with tarot and are interested in the esoteric background. The symbolism requires study. You do not just pull a card here and read off a feeling.
Many readers use this deck in combination with Wirth's book 'Le Tarot des Imagiers du Moyen Âge', in which he explains his system. The multilingual guidebook that comes with the deck gives basic explanation, but is concise.
If you use Kabbalistic correspondence tables, the Hebrew letters on the Major Arcana are directly usable. You do not need to memorise which letter belongs to which card, it is printed right there.
About Oswald Wirth
Oswald Wirth was born in 1860 in Switzerland and died in 1943 in France. He was a Freemason, occultist and secretary to Stanislas de Guaita, one of the leading figures of the French occult revival at the end of the nineteenth century.
Wirth worked on his tarot as an attempt to restore and deepen the original symbolism of the Marseille cards. He did not regard tarot as fortune-telling, but as a visual philosophical system. That position shows in every detail of his design.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Card size: 76 × 127 mm
- Guidebook language: multilingual (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish)
- Print: five colours including mystic gold
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- ISBN: 9780738769585
- Designer: Oswald Wirth
Questions we often get
How does this deck differ from a regular Marseille deck?
The foundation is Marseille, but Wirth added Kabbalistic and Masonic symbols. Each card of the Major Arcana carries a Hebrew letter. The Minor Arcana is designed according to his own occult system, not copied from a historical source.
Is this deck suitable if you have never worked with tarot before?
No. The symbolism presupposes knowledge of Kabbalah, Hermetic philosophy and the Western esoteric tradition. There are more accessible decks to start with.
