Tarot Nuages - Marseille structure in a cloud city full of fantasy creatures
The Marseille tradition relies heavily on abstraction and geometry. This deck takes that structure and fills each card with a narrative image. The result is a tarot that feels both familiar and shows something entirely different.
Gniedmann, a Russian artist working in Moscow, has imagined the city of Nuages: a place high above the clouds where elves, goblins, penguins and gargoyles come together. The Major Arcana are populated by demigods and powerful figures. The Minor Arcana show scenes rather than the typical wands, swords, cups and coins of the Marseille cards.
What you see on the cards
Each card is printed borderless with clear, almost vivid colours. The images are detailed but leave enough space to see your own story. The style recalls graphic novels: sharp-edged, slightly angular, full of movement.
The card backs show their own artwork. Gniedmann suggests you look at that side for a moment before you start laying out. It helps you tune into the atmosphere of the deck.
The cards themselves are printed on thin, flexible cardstock. They feel light and shuffle smoothly. Not the heavy stock of a standard RWS deck, but that thinness makes them pleasant to use.
Marseille structure, different images
Anyone familiar with the Marseille tarot will recognise the structure immediately. The numbering, the sequence, the division into Major and Minor Arcana: it all matches. What differs are the images themselves. Instead of the often symbolic or abstract depictions found in traditional Marseille sets, here you see complete scenes with characters.
This makes the deck more accessible for those who struggle with the Marseille style, but also interesting for anyone who wants that structure while seeking something contemporary.
Pull a card and first look only at the figures. What are they doing? Where are they looking? Leave the symbolism aside and tell the story you see.
The guidebook
The English-language guidebook runs to 64 pages. Gniedmann writes about each of the 79 cards but gives no fixed meanings. Instead he describes what he sees in the image and how you might interpret it. The tone is open: he encourages you to follow your own associations.
There are no spreads. Just some general notes on how you might work with the deck.
About Gniedmann
Gniedmann works in Moscow and combines influences from black metal, classical literature and visual art. His style is idiosyncratic and makes no concessions to what might sell. Tarot Nuages is a deck he wanted to make because it interested him, not because there was demand for it.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 79
- Language on cards: no text on cards
- Guidebook language: English, 64 pages
- Card size: 68.6 x 127 mm
- Material: thin, flexible cardstock
- Finish: borderless cards
- Weight: 408 grams
- Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
- ISBN: 9781646710676
- Artist: Gniedmann
Questions we often get
How does this deck differ from a traditional Marseille tarot?
The structure is the same: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana in the same order. The difference lies in the imagery. Where classic Marseille cards are often abstract or symbolic, this deck shows narrative scenes with characters and settings.
Is this deck suitable if you have not worked with tarot before?
Yes. The images are clear enough to see a story in them yourself. The guidebook explains how Gniedmann looks at the cards but does not impose fixed meanings. That makes the deck accessible without being rigid.
