Tarot of Musterberg

Published August 23, 2015 Updated July 15, 2023

Designed by Cesare Asaro to simulate decks from the 1700s or earlier, the Tarot of Musterberg is based on the traditional Tarot de Marseille but with an imaginary historical background.

Austria Curio & Co Cesare Asaro Fantasy Tarot Tarocchi Tarot de Marseille
Created by Curio & Co., purveyors of products based on fictional history

Rather than based on ancient mysteries, elite occultism or New Age spirituality, Cesare Asaro created the Tarot of Musterberg in an alternate, imaginary setting simulating decks from the 1700s or earlier and evoking the power of nostalgia. These are the tarot cards which our grandmother might have used, recalling an imaginary past, discovered hidden in the attic. Inspired by the traditional Tarot de Marseille, together with wear and tear on the back of each card, this entertaining 79 card deck has extra nuances in the iconography including a 23rd trump card: the Siren. The deck is printed on acid free paper (to give the closest feeling of holding original cards from the period) in a small production run and comes complete with an instruction booklet and light-hearted cartomancy guide.

Tarot of Musterberg

Above: the ‘Tarot of Musterberg’ for card games and cartomancy, 79 cards in box, designed and created by Cesare Asaro of Curio & Co.

Tarot of Musterberg
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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

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