Tarot Mucha Deck

Tarot Mucha deck - Art Nouveau tarot after Alphonse Mucha

There are tarot decks that follow tradition and there are decks that translate an art style into cards. This is the second kind. Tarot Mucha brings the world of Czech painter Alphonse Mucha to tarot: flowing lines, floral tendrils, soft colours and female figures in elegant postures.

The deck follows the Rider-Waite structure, but every image has been redesigned in the fin-de-siècle style. Giulia F. Massaglia and Atanas A. Atanassov illustrated the cards for publisher Lo Scarabeo. They chose to use Mucha's ornaments not merely as decoration, but as part of the symbolism itself.

What you see on the cards

The colours are soft: plenty of beige, peach, pastel blue and soft green. The lines are fluid, almost dreamlike. Many cards show women with long, flowing hair and flowers as attributes or framing.

Every detail is deliberate. The flowers and ornaments are not additions, but carry meaning. The Sun has a halo of gold leaf, the High Priestess wears floral motifs in her gown, the Hanged Man is surrounded by ivy.

The cards measure 66 x 120 mm and are printed on sturdy cardstock with a satin finish. They feel smooth and shuffle easily. The format is compact enough for smaller hands, but the illustrations remain legible.

How you work with them

Because the deck follows the Rider-Waite structure, the cards are recognisable. The Swords are swords, the Cups are cups. The standard positions hold. That makes it usable for anyone already working with tarot.

At the same time, the imagery asks for a different gaze. The decorations invite you to look at a card longer. Which flower is there, which colour dominates, how does the light fall. That pace does not suit quick daily draws, but it does suit longer spreads where you take time to look at a card.

Lay a card in front of you and notice which ornament draws your eye first. That detail often adds an extra layer to the classic meaning.

The included book

The deck comes in a sturdy box with a hardbound full-colour book of 160 pages. Each card gets a page with a colour image and a description of the meaning. The text is clear and follows traditional interpretations.

The book goes beyond keywords. You get context for the symbols, explanation of the figures' postures and suggestions for interpretation. No complicated philosophy, just usable information.

About Giulia F. Massaglia and Atanas A. Atanassov

Giulia F. Massaglia is an Italian illustrator with a preference for refined lines and decorative styles. Atanas A. Atanassov works from Bulgaria and has experience with symbolic and spiritual imagery. Together they translated Mucha's visual language into a workable tarot system.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78 (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana)
• Card size: 66 x 120 mm
• Card quality: sturdy cardstock with satin finish
• System: Rider-Waite
• Language: English (book and box)
• Book: hardbound full-colour book of 160 pages
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
• Illustrators: Giulia F. Massaglia and Atanas A. Atanassov

Questions we often get

How does this deck differ from a classic Rider-Waite deck?
The structure and symbols remain the same, but the imagery has been completely redesigned in Art Nouveau style. The cards are softer in colour and much more decorative.

Are the cards available in other languages?
No. The book and box are in English. The cards themselves contain only Roman numerals and the standard tarot names.