The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot [With Cards]

by Caitlín Matthews

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the most renowned artists of his day and, in modern times, his work is recognized worldwide. He is acknowledged as the most prophetic visionary of our era, envisioning and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312349378
• ISBN13: 9780312349370
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 7.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Did not receive cards

Although this listing says "with cards," I only received the book. I can't be too upset because of how cheap it is (on amazon this deck is over $30) but I bought this thinking it would include the deck. The other reviewers seemed to have gotten cards so this could have been a mistake, I still recommend buying with caution.

Excellent Guide cards

These cards are some of the best I've ever used. I would reccommend them to anyone as a begginner or journeyman or master of the tarot.

DaVinci Enigma Tarot

This set made a fine gift and was well worth the purchase price. Any novice reader will enjoy this set.

Excellent Gift for Myself!

This set of Tarot cards is great fun and I learned much by reading the booklet that accompanied the set. Very interesting and beautiful.

Beautiful idea, lacking in quality

While some people find the large amount of white border space on the cards to be a problem, I can see why Caitlin did it that way - the images vary in width and height, so the white space varies from card to card. My big problem with the deck is in the quality of the cards - they are very thick, which makes quite a stack for my small hands to shuffle - and they are not cut to the exact same width and height. That is a real problem when shuffling and (especially) cutting the deck, because the "fatter" cards are going to always be the ones your hands find. Therefore, you can't really randomize the cutting. Given the amazingly beautiful quality of some decks (U.S.Games' Golden Tarot, for instance), I'm disappointed in this book/deck set.

Enigmatic Da Vinci...

When opened, the cards and reference book are quite pretty (I hope this doesn't sound too mundane!). I noticed that there are 80 cards, 2 more than the traditional tarot deck. All of the illustrations are reproductions of the original Da Vinci works and are beautifully presented. On closer inspection all of the microcosm cards (except the court cards) have a keyword on it to facilitate imagery and connection to it, and exploration of the message being conveyed. The macrocosm cards are, in most cases, given the same names as those of a standard Rider-Waite major arcana deck (although the illustrations are obviously different). The cards that differ are: II High Priestess - Enigma; VI Lovers - Twins; VII Chariot - Imagination; X Wheel of Fortune - Time; XI Justice - Experience; XII Hanged Man - Passover; XV Devil - Pain & Pleasure; XVI Tower - Deluge; XVII Star - Way-Shower; XVIII Moon - Conception; XIX Sun - Birth; XX Last Judgement - Renewal. I examined card `0 Fool' and found that the meaning corresponds to the standard Rider Waite `0 Fool'. The two extra cards are `Enigma Cards', one represents the `Enigma Pattern', the other is `The Enigma Card'. The Enigma Pattern reveals how the card-backs join together to form a complete pattern of repeating roundels and interlocking knotwork. Across the Enigma Pattern design are five repeating, many-sided geometric forms, which Leonardo designed. There is detailed explanation of the background and meaning of this in the reference book. The second extra card, the Enigma Grid, shows the sequence of the full deck face up. This grid reveals the natural resting place for the cards if they were to come together as a complete deck. Although the two Enigma cards are not actually used in readings, they are referred to in the various unique spreads shown in the reference book... particularly the Destiny Spread. Through using these spreads you will learn how matching the card-backs together produces a series of random connections that transcend the Enigma Grid sequence, helping you find the unique signature of your soul's code. The reference book is comprehensive and covers an introduction to the theory behind the cards, an introduction to Leonardo Da Vinci, explanation of how the cards work, and a chapter on both the macrocosm (major arcana) and microcosm (minor arcane) cards. There are also sample spreads and readings to experiment with. You will find a bibliography, further reading suggestions and acknowledgements at the back of the book as well. Each macrocosm card is given a two page spread in exploration covering `Dimmi' - Core question/meaning; `Background' - exploration of the symbolism; `Soul-Code' - expansion of meaning; `Upright' - Focussed meaning; `Reversed' - reversed meaning; `Disconnected'- used as part of the Enigma Pattern interpretation. The microscosm cards are explored under the same headings, but are given one page each.