Alchemical
Rider-Waite-rooted alchemical deck for intuitive readers seeking fresh perspectives.
by Robert M. Place, Rosemary Guiley · Thorsons · 1995
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The record
After reading for nearly 30 years with various Rider-Waite Smith decks, and experimenting with several others, I wanted something new, stimulating, but not completely untraditional. As an intuitive reader, I have a great deal invested in the imprinting I've done on the Rider-Waite-Smith cards over the years, but was looking for imagery that would challenge and refresh my perceptions. I spent many hours scanning decks and reading reviews, but did not feel that "ah ha!" pull until I happened across Place's website. I felt an immediate connection to both his artistic style and his philosophy. The book he co-wrote with Rosemary Guiley offers a wonderfully accessible introduction to the history of alchemy, its influence on philosophy, metaphysics, and scientific method from ancient times to the present, and then draws reasonable, non-dogmatic parallels between the structure of the Tarot and the stages of alchemical process. This leads to some dramatic re-interpretations of the imagery, strange to the eye at first, yet deeply meaningful after even a brief perusal of the companion text. Like many recent artists, Place plays with the suits a bit. Cups become archaic looking jars and alembi
The cards
