Symbolist Masters as a Tarot Deck
The last time Neptune was in Aries, 1861-75, a few important things happened. Romain Merlin, a French card historian, coined the name "Tarot de Marseilles" just before the transit began. Then, during that same Neptune in Aries window, occultists like Éliphas Lévi and Paul Christian transformed it from a card game into the esoteric divination system we know today.
Neptune is the planet of dreams, intuition, spirituality, creativity and the esoteric. Each time it starts a new cycle, the world of art and symbol undergoes a fundamental transformation — not just in what is made, but in how it reaches people and who gets to make it.
And, of course, Symbolists were borne of this era, and transformed our world with their art, and how it was viewed - breaking free from the institutions that had bound them.
Now that Neptune has returned to Aries, 150 odd years later, I have conjured these cards over the past few months and created synthesised meanings based on the major tarot philosophies of RWS, TdM and Thoth - they are stunning - and if you're into this kind of thing, I'd love your help getting them made <3