This is actually a follow-up post. Remember a few weeks ago I wrote about my first internet tarot trade? Well, my new friend in New Zealand has received her Thoth deck from me, and I have received by Legacy of the Divine Tarot from her. The trade is completed, but the journey is just beginning.

I am very familiar with Ciro Marchetti’s work. I am a fan and a friend. Many of my students use Legacy of the Divine. I even wrote a prequel “Sneak Peek” of the deck before it was published.

The question is, why didn’t I own this fabulous deck already? With tarot, sometimes it is all about timing. For whatever reason, now is the right time for this deck in my life. The fact is, I began reading with it professionally as soon as I received it. This almost never happens. I have a lot of decks for personal use, but very few make the cut for my professional use.

Legacy of the Divine is a wonderful professional reading deck. Its images are lovely and evocative. I know that Ciro wanted this deck to be his deepest and best tarot deck. The images reflect that intent.

I know some professional readers use the same deck for their whole careers. There is nothing wrong with that. For me, though, a new pro deck can offer new insights, new excitement and new connections.

The coconuts in the Nine of Cups, the two ladies on the Justice card, the sweet face of the Page of Cups – these are all details specific to this deck. Each of these details that catch my eye will give depth to my interpretations and understanding of each card, even after I’ve worn out this deck and gone on to another.

The black borders that blur into the colorful images create a lot of visual stimulation for me. My third eye is really enjoying working with this deck. The texture, warmth and dimension of each image offer us what is in my opinion not only the best Marchetti deck of all time, but maybe even the best tarot deck of all time. At least, that’s how I am feeling right this minute. I'm fickle, and there is plenty of love in my heart for lots of tarot decks. But a deck like this one leaves a mark on me that is permanent.