By Sarah Taylor
After this weekend, I will be using a new tarot deck for the Weekend Tarot Reading, which is posted here on Planet Waves each Sunday.
The Rosetta Tarot was created by M. M. Meleen, and while I describe it as a re-visioning of the Thoth Tarot, it is more than able to stand on its own two feet as a singular contribution to the tarot world. I have a deck myself and it is both beautiful and holds a vibrant energy that is also distinctly feminine. I’m looking forward to seeing how we work together in a reading.
I thought I would introduce the deck through the words of its creator, and so this week we have an interview with M. M. Meleen about how the deck came into being, the philosophy that shaped it, and the role that tarot plays in her life.
Note: I can’t get into a discussion on a tarot deck that is inspired by the Thoth without also getting into a discussion on Qabalah (or Kabbalah), the Tree of Life and other occult (‘hidden’) symbols. I understand that not all — probably not many — readers will be familiar with a lot of the language used here, but I am leaving the interview untouched for the most part because this approach to symbolism is an integral part of M. M. Meleen’s philosophy. For those who are familiar, it will offer an insight into what brought The Rosetta Tarot into being. For those who aren’t, I’d suggest meeting it with an open mind and the knowledge that you can read more about what you want (I’ve included some links to the absolute basics), and leave what you don’t. The comments in squared brackets are mine.
What is your tarot background?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to tarot imagery and the associated symbols and structures. I don’t feel that I have a tarot background in any professional sense, at least in this lifetime, as I’ve never done readings for hire.
My mother had some interest in the tarot and had painted a mural-sized copy of the Rider-Waite Wheel of Fortune on our kitchen wall in the place I lived in as a preschooler, so I spent a lot of time studying it over my breakfast cereal, and it must have had an effect. A few years later while sick with a fever I spent a lot of time with a tapestry of The Fool, marked with the Eye of Horus.