Why the Tarot de Marseille Deserves More Attention

Tarot Readers are largely autodidacts. We teach ourselves through practice, book study, online courses, YouTube videos — whatever’s out there. There’s no grand tarot authority to accredit higher ed programs, and no comprehensive canon to subscribe to. Married to curiosity, we Readers are the parents of our own learning.

And as a parent piecing together her own understanding of tarot history, I’ve realized deep into my studies that I have been guilty of neglecting my middle child: the Tarot de Marseille.

The one we call the eldest is the Visconti-Sforza, with surviving cards that date as far back as the 1420’s. Typical first-borns, these hand-painted cards appear accomplished and poised. Museum-worthy, they reflect a classy profile to Tarot’s ancestry, and do us proud.

The happy-go-lucky youngest is the Rider-Waite-Smith — the one who gets invited to all the parties. Charming and creative, RWS works to be everything to everyone: Psychologists, Occultists, Psychics, and more. You name it, she’s got it. In recent decades, RWS has become quite the influencer, with countless tarot decks printed in her style every year.

And then there’s the Tarot de Marseille — the shy one — with its understated woodcuts and limited color palette. Low-profile, but steady and sure, TdM-style decks were the primary face of the Tarot from at least the 1650’s to 1909, when the RWS burst on the scene and stole the show. And yet, TdM asks for, and often gets, the least amount of attention.

What has woken me up to the marvels of the TdM? An exciting new theory about its unsung role in history.

The theory, authored by Stav Appel in The Torah in the Tarot (Ayin Press, 2025), is that the TdM played an important role during the Spanish Inquisition. It was designed, Appel posits, as a secret keeper of Torah-based lessons and Hebrew lettering that made it possible for Jews to continue religious teaching in exile. Perhaps this deck is low-key by design.

Talking to Stav Appel is like sitting down with the teacher who finally gets your quirky kid… and shows you the genius you’ve underestimated all along. To find out more, read my book review here, see Appel’s website here, and/or purchase The Torah in the Tarot here.

Appel will speak about his book in Seattle on Saturday, April 25th, from 2:00 – 4:00. Seattle-area readers, please join us!

The tarot cards shared here are three versions of The World Card. From top to bottom, they are from the Visconti-Sforza, the Rider-Waite-Smith, and the Jean Noblet Tarot de Marseille tarot decks.

Yetta Snow is a professional tarot reader and educator based in Seattle, Washington. Her business, Present Day Tarot, approaches the Tarot as a way to bring meaning into every moment of every day.

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