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| Tarot. The Library of Esoterica. Jessica Hundley |
I'm enjoying the "Tarot" volume by Jessica Hundley from the Library of Esoterica.
To
explore the Tarot is to explore ourselves, to be reminded of the
universality of our longing for meaning, for purpose and for a
connection to the divine. This 600-year-old tradition reflects not only a
history of seekers, but our journey of artistic expression and the ways
we communicate our collective human story.
For many
in the West, Tarot exists in the shadow place of our cultural
consciousness, a metaphysical tradition assigned to the dusty glass
cabinets of the arcane. Its history, long and obscure, has been passed
down through secret writing, oral tradition, and the scholarly tomes of
philosophers and sages. Hundreds of years and hundreds of creative
hands—mystics and artists often working in collaboration—have
transformed what was essentially a parlor game into a source of
divination and system of self-exploration, as each new generation has
sought to evolve the form and reinterpret the medium.
Author
Jessica Hundley traces this fascinating history in Tarot, the debut
volume in TASCHEN’s Library of Esoterica series. The book explores the
symbolic meaning behind more than 500 cards and works of original art,
two thirds of which have never been published outside of the decks
themselves. It's the first ever visual compendium of its kind, spanning
from Medieval to modern, and artfully arranged according to the
sequencing of the 78 cards of the Major and Minor Arcana. It explores
the powerful influence of Tarot as muse to artists like Salvador Dalí
and Niki de Saint Phalle and includes the decks of nearly 100 diverse
contemporary artists from around the world, all of whom have embraced
the medium for its capacity to push cultural identity forward. Rounding
out the volume are excerpts from thinkers such as Éliphas Lévi, Carl
Jung, and Joseph Campbell; a foreword by artist Penny Slinger; a guide
to reading the cards by Johannes Fiebig; and an essay on oracle decks by
Marcella Kroll.
About the series
The
Library of Esoterica explores how centuries of artists have given form
to mysticism, translating the arcane and the obscure into enduring,
visionary works of art. Each subject is showcased through both modern
and archival imagery culled from private collectors, libraries, and
museums around the globe. The result forms an inclusive visual history, a
study of our primal pull to dream and nightmare, and the creative ways
we strive to connect to the divine.
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