Tarocco dell’Astrologo

On pages 80 and 83 of Volume III of Stuart Kaplan’s Encyclopedia of Tarot¹, he describes and illustrates an astrological Tarot – the Tarocco dell’Astrologo – designed by Giorgio Tavaglione which he says was published in 1981 to accompany and illustrate the book Guida ai Tarocchi by Franco Spinardi, published by Armenia Editore of Milan. As I do not own or have access to that book, I cannot vouch for the veracity of this statement but let us assume that it is correct.

What Kaplan may not have known is that the exact same cards were issued in press-out form, six to a sheet, free with the Italian magazine l’astrologo between March and June 1981. In a fifth issue (July 1981), a 32-page instruction booklet in Italian was stapled in the centre pages of the magazine. The magazine was published by SIAD Edizioni S.r.l. of Milan. Among those listed as being responsible for the magazine’s publication one finds the name Giovanni Armenia, presumably the same Armenia as the publisher of the book by Spinardi. What is odd is that there is no mention of, or advertisement for, Spinardi’s book anywhere in any of the five issues of the magazine which contain the cards.

Tarocco dell’Astrologo press-out cards issued with the Italian magazine “l’astrologo” between March and June 1981, published by SIAD Edizioni S.r.l. of Milan. 4 sheets of 6 cards (including two with advertisements) + 32-page instruction booklet in Italian. Card size: 60 x 110 mm.

Let us turn now to Volume IV of Kaplan’s Encyclopedia of Tarot². On pages 541 and 542 he describes and illustrates the Tarocchi delle Stelle (Tarot of the Stars), designed by Giorgio Tavaglione and published by Dal Negro of Treviso in 1991. Lo and behold the major arcana are exactly the same as in the Tarocco dell’Astrologo described above! The only differences are the size (now 85 x 150 mm), the back design, and the addition of minor arcana and titles in English, French, German and Spanish in the four corners. At no point does Kaplan mention where the designs for the major arcana were taken from or when they were first created.

As for the cards themselves, these bear all the hallmarks of Tavaglione’s work: Roman numerals, zodiac wheels, celestial letters, alchemical signs, Latin, Sanskrit and Hebrew letters, astrological aspects, Arabic numerals, traditional titles and meanings in Italian. For the Tarocchi delle Stelle, a full explanation of the card meanings can be found in the 168-page booklet (in Italian only).

References

1. Kaplan, Stuart R. The Encyclopedia of Tarot, Volume III. Stamford, CT, USA: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.; 1990. pp 80 & 83.
2. Kaplan, Stuart R. The Encyclopedia of Tarot, Volume IV. Stamford, CT, USA: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.; 2005. pp 541-2.