Alright, let me tell you about my journey with the Visconti Tarot. It wasn’t something I planned, really. I’d been using my trusty Rider-Waite deck for ages, knew it inside out. But then I kept seeing mentions of these older decks, the really old ones, and the Visconti name popped up a lot.
Curiosity got the better of me. I started looking at pictures online. The art style was completely different – Renaissance vibes, you know? Looked almost like paintings. It felt intriguing, like looking back in time. So, I decided I needed to experience it firsthand. Finding a deck wasn’t super straightforward; there are a few different versions floating around, reconstructions mostly. I eventually settled on one that looked decent quality, a reproduction obviously, and placed the order.
When the package arrived, I took my time opening it. The box felt substantial. Inside, the cards were larger than my usual ones, and the gold foil – wow! It really hit me. They looked impressive, maybe a bit intimidating. I spread them out on my table. The Major Arcana and the court cards were stunning, full of detail, these figures in period clothing. Felt very noble, very grand.
Getting Down to It
Then came the Minor Arcana, the numbered cards. And that’s where things got tricky. Cups, Swords, Wands (or Batons), Coins… but just the symbols. Four swords. Seven cups. No little pictures telling a story like I was used to. Just the suit symbols arranged on the card. Honestly, my first thought was, ‘How the heck am I supposed to read with these?’ It felt like half the information was missing.
So, I didn’t jump straight into readings. Instead, I just spent time with the cards. I’d shuffle them, lay them out, look at the artwork on the Majors and Courts. I tried to get a feel for their energy. It was definitely different – less psychological, maybe more direct, more focused on events or status perhaps? I’m not sure how to describe it.
I did a bit of reading about the deck’s history, the Visconti and Sforza families, the fact that the originals are incomplete. That context helped. It made me appreciate it more as a historical object, not just a divination tool. It felt like connecting to a much older tradition.
- Handling the large cards felt different.
- The lack of illustrated pips was the main hurdle.
- The artwork pulled me in despite the challenges.
Figuring It Out
Actually trying to read with it required a shift in my approach. For the Minor Arcana, I had to lean more heavily on basic numerology and the core meanings of the suits, plus whatever intuition popped up based on the surrounding cards. It forced me to simplify, in a way. No complex scenes to interpret, just the raw energy of the number and suit.
It took practice. Lots of it. My first few readings felt clunky, uncertain. I kept wanting to see a story in the pips that just wasn’t there. But slowly, I started to get a rhythm. The readings felt… different. Sometimes starker, sometimes more regal, less about the nitty-gritty of daily emotions and more about broader themes or situations.
It’s definitely not my go-to deck for every situation. If someone wants a deep dive into complex emotional dynamics, I’ll probably reach for a deck with more illustrative minors. But the Visconti? I pull it out when I want a different perspective, maybe a more formal or ‘big picture’ feel. Or sometimes, just because handling those beautiful, historical-looking cards feels special.
So yeah, that was my process. Started with curiosity, faced some challenges with the non-illustrated pips, but eventually found a place for it. It pushed me to rely more on basics and intuition for the minors and gave me a new appreciation for the history behind tarot. It wasn’t easy, but worth the effort to connect with something so foundational to tarot history.
