€ 42,50
Jake Baddeley is an internationally recognised painter whose work draws heavily on the techniques of the Old Masters. He painted all 78 cards by hand, building on Hermeticism, Neoplatonism and the Eleusinian Mysteries. The 368-page guidebook works out the historical and philosophical background of each card in full.
This is not a beginner deck: the imagery is layered and the guidebook reads more like a scholarly text on Western esoteric philosophy than a quick reference.
Jake Baddeley painted each of the 78 cards individually, drawing on the techniques of the Old Masters. That is not a marketing claim: it shows in the lighting, the layered atmosphere and the symbolism, which sits close to Renaissance painting. The result is a deck that looks unlike most of what is available.
The philosophical foundation lies in the Western Mystery Tradition: Hermeticism, Neoplatonism and the Eleusinian Mysteries. That background is not decorative. It is built into the symbolism of both the Major and Minor Arcana. Alchemy, mythological rebirth and spiritual transformation recur throughout as visual themes.
The style is dark and richly coloured, with an atmosphere closer to an alchemical laboratory or an old cabinet of curiosities than to a modern tarot deck. The gold foil details on the luxury edition accent the card images without overwhelming them. At 130 x 185 mm, the format is larger than a standard playing card and gives the illustrations the space they need.
The included guidebook runs to 368 pages and offers historical context, symbolic analysis and interpretation support for each card. This is not a brief keyword summary. It is a text that works out the philosophical and iconographic background in depth. Anyone who wants to understand the imagery without that background will find the guidebook essential.
The guidebook is in English. Readers who are not comfortable in English will miss a significant part of what this deck offers.
Take one card, read its corresponding passage in the guidebook, then look at the image again. The layers of symbolism become visible once you know what you are looking at.
Jake Baddeley is an internationally recognised artist known for his technical mastery and esoteric imagery. His painting style combines classical lighting techniques with a personal vision of mysticism. That makes this deck both a working tool and a collector's object.
Is the guidebook accessible if you are not familiar with Western esoteric traditions?
The guidebook explains the historical and philosophical background, so prior knowledge is not required. It is, however, a dense 368-page text that demands serious engagement. Anyone used to brief keyword lists will find this works quite differently.
How does this deck compare to a standard Rider-Waite-Smith deck?
The Baddeley Tarot does not follow Rider-Waite-Smith visual conventions. The symbolism is rooted in Renaissance philosophy and Western mystery traditions, which means the card images look substantially different. Readers who are accustomed to the RWS structure will approach this deck differently.
| Auteur | Jake Baddeley |
| ISBN | 9781922574343 |
| Taal | English |
| SKU | 0845-DB6000 |
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