Javier NavarroThe Tarot de El Dios de los Tres (Tarot of the Three Gods) was first launched in 2021 and I have been following it ever since. It has some differences from most tarot decks I’ve come across on the market. It has a counterculture, cheeky feel to it, but also has depth and substance to its ideas.
Navarro is an Andalusian-born artist and illustrator who blends sacred imagery from world religions with popular iconography to design a universe of energy, joy and freedom.
This is not a deck review, just a walkthrough since I haven’t read the cards yet. For me personally, this is a collector’s deck. This is the deck I purchased for my artwork to have a beautiful collection of illustrations in my hands.
Deck art fuses inspiration from Greco-Roman Hellenistic period imagery and Japanese woodblock prints, presented in a unique and engaging innovative style. Oh crap, forgot the nudity warning. There is nudity and/or suggestive depictions, although I found it to be tastefully done.
Tarot de El Dios de los Tres is marketed as a deck based on RWS, although the composition in the Little Avana set appears to be more ornamental and decorative rather than driven by RWS symbolism. However, this is actually beneficial to the deck. I really love every one of Navarro’s illustrations and would hate to see it forced into the RWS template.
As I admired each piece of art, my inner ears heard Igor Stravinsky style music. At this point, the deck as a whole has something vibrating between 554.37 and 659.25 Hz. This is C sharp 5 (C#5) and E (E5) on the keyboard.
Like Stravinsky, there is a ballad style that is the Pop Art drama of the neoclassical period, with the upbeat rhythms of the Rite of Spring. It’s complicated. It utilizes a variety of compositional styles. It’s fun in every way.
I love the fusion elements of Sanātana Dharma (Hinduism) and Shinto traditions. I’m not always a fan of human animal heads in contemporary illustrations, but here I unequivocally love it wholeheartedly!
this yaoguai The monster replaced the demonic figure in the Wheel of Fortune card, plus the unicorn replaced…maybe the Sphinx? Coupled with the pink Anubis image, it fully embodies the symbolism of the classic Wheel of Fortune. Not to mention the hermit crab cameo on the hermit card.
I think that’s Thoth on the Knight of Pentacles, not sure who the main character is in the Queen of Pentacles, although the companion figure seems to be Buster, and the King of Pentacles reminds me of Tutankhamun’s mask. Additionally, in both instances of the Queen and King of Pentacles, the illustrations appear to be of golden sarcophagi (what is the plural of sarcophagus? sarcophagi?), rather than intended to depict light-skinned humans.
Here’s a close up of the Knight of Pentacles, look at the moth on the Ten of Pentacles. The rendering skills of these illustrations are amazing.
You can’t deny that Navarro is a very good illustrator. His lines are full of energy. Each of these cards is a starburst of images whose connections we intuitively feel through the collective unconscious, beyond culture.
You do see color coding in the florets, i.e. the Pentacles have a bubblegum pink background, the Chalice is blue, the Sword is purple, and the Wand is red.
Love the mythical connection between water (the Grail suit) and Pegasus in Knight of Cups. Earlier, the Knight of Wands showed the skeleton of a horse in flames; the Knight of Pentacles was a high-riding unicorn; and the Knight of Swords featured a very handsome, elegant blue horse. horse.
The one wearing the fox mask may be Vishnu or Kali, riding a blue lotus and wearing Thai clothes. crown A tiara guarded by twin panthers, with a Queen of Swords star card vibe, it’s everything!
I really hope the little white book that comes with this deck can Some A deck-specific insight into Navarro’s work or the artist himself, but unfortunately this is a generic LWB with a fixed card meaning that has no relationship to the card illustration itself. Ironically, it even contains a succinct account of the spread of the Celtic Cross.
A humorous new addition to the standard LWB that I have never seen before: “It is recommended to use two decks of tarot cards: one for meditative purposes and should only be used by its owner to avoid extraneous vibrations, and the other for fortune telling . ” Oh, what an interesting suggestion! =)
If I haven’t mentioned it before, it’s also heavily influenced by South American mythology and traditions, such as Aztec animal symbolism.
The picture above also shows the card back design, which is not reversible. That tiger head that summons power gives the impression of a carnival deck. You walk past a carousel, music and lights create a fun atmosphere, and the smell of fried fair food fills the air, and you enter a colorful tent to be greeted by a fortune teller who has this deck fanned out over the tables . Reading table.
In terms of production values, it comes in a folding box with cardstock, which was pretty standard in the 90s and early 2000s, but on the thin side by today’s production standards. I hope publishers invest more marketing and PR resources into promoting Navarro’s deck. I don’t see it featured much on tarot social media, which is a shame because with more exposure this would be a very popular deck.
El Dios de los Tres Tarot is an exciting deck. It’s multicultural. It’s a symphony of the senses, complex yet effortlessly controlled with precision. The artwork on each card is truly extraordinary.
There has been some discussion about whether these illustrations could be considered cultural appropriation. Of course, comfort levels will vary. It seems to me that Navarro is pushing the envelope, but isn’t that what progressive artists do? My conclusion is that the artist is trying to present these depictions as cultural orthodoxy or authentic heritage and tradition; in fact, this irreverent, tongue-in-cheek hodgepodge shows an artist who is fully aware that he is deliberately pushing the envelope in order to reach people’s Comfort level. To this end, the Tarot El Dios de los Tres aims to present a comprehensive and diverse view of the world. Navarro did not want to imitate established cultural traditions; He was trying to piece together old art into new avant-garde art. Predictably, this provokes provocation. Some people will be excited by what they see, and some will be offended by it. Either way, it’s art.
Federal Trade Commission Disclosure: I received this deck from the publisher for prospective review in accordance with Code of Federal Regulations Part 255, Chapter 16, Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Everything I say here is sincere and accurately reflects my opinion of the deck.