Cult of Tarot Forum

Apparently there's a Facebook group, which according to Ciro, is actively uploading books as PDF's and entire sets of images from decks, his collective body of works over the past 18 years, being amongst them.

Here is a link to the Cartomancy Forum thread:

Ciro Marchetti Piracy Debacle Update

This is a MUST READ.

Ciro Marchetti alleges nefarious activity being promoted by this Facebook group in graphic detail, which if true, is heinous and given further thought, sadly not so shocking.

This is absolutely horrible. I think the time has come to buy Ciro decks, real ones I mean. I can't believe anyone could be so beastly and mean - steal his work from an artist - then pose over the pirated deck with silk wraps and blessings - disgusting hypocrites - and I hope many people "invade" that FB group and voice their opinion about this rip-off.

I love Karen Mahoney, that woman is FIERCE!

I just received this link from "gregory"

BaBa Studio Karen Mahoney Warning

I never bought a Marchetti deck - which would you Marchetti lovers recommend?

Unfortunately he doesn't name the facebook group that is doing this.

Seems like what they are doing is extremely illegal.

It's hard to imagine how they can get away with it.

I hope he has reported the group and everyone sharing copyrighted content. I’m sure Facebook wouldn’t take kindly to such behavior.

Nemia wrote: ↑18 Jun 2020, 19:35 I never bought a Marchetti deck - which would you Marchetti lovers recommend?

Ciro's approach to and understanding of the Tarot has evolved and matured over the years, and this is reflected in his array of decks.

I must admit that the only deck I have ever really been disappointed in was his Tarot Decoratif, both artistically and esoterically.
He describes it as art-deco, although to my mind, it more closely resembles arts and crafts period, and overall it's kind of a "blah" deck. But that's just IMHO.

It's a Marseille style deck, but he counsels that people can read this deck with RWS meanings, and also includes RWS imagery within the cards as "training wheels" according to hs description.

I find that kind of ironic, because "blah" is hardly an apt description for Ciro's overall style, which is very flamboyant for the most part. I always considered him the Franco Zeffirelli of the Tarot world

As for recommended decks, I would say "Tarot Grand Luxe" which has very tasteful, unobtrusive borders, and reflects his recognition of the importance for ethnic sensitivity and racial diversity, a quality that was lacking in his earlier decks.

The "Grand Luxe" Empress card is exquisite:

Tarot Grand Luxe Empress US Games

Tarot of Dreams is a masterpiece, the depiction of Minerva as the Ace of Swords is unrivaled.
This is published by U.S. Games and is now borderless.

Another early deck, Gilded Tarot, evolved into Gilded Tarot Royale and is now a borderless ed. by Llewellyn.
Legacy of the Divine Tarot, was reincarnated as a borderless, eighth printing, 2019, also published by Llewellyn.

Aside from the stunning art, the secondary benefit of owning both aforementioned Llewelyn decks is that the card dimensions are identical.

I have actually swapped cards between each deck to compile something resembling a more idealized and personalized Tarot deck, although that doesn't mean to say that I won't restore both decks back to their original state, but it's nice to know you have this option.

It is the same approach he took with the Gilded Reverie Lenormand and his Kipper deck.

I think Ciro's Marchetti Tarot is only available through his website:

Marchetti Tarot Deck + Accessories

The Magician card is awesome, and this is also a borderless deck.

Sometimes, his work has been criticized as being too pretty, but if you actually take the time to really study the individual cards, there is some true brilliance that is revealed.

His inspiration is derived from literature, the performings arts, esotericism, art history, just to name a few of his Muses.

For Ms. Nemia, I might suggest his Marchetti Tarot which has more "organic" imagery , but you can see the images for yourself on his website. However, if you overlook his other decks, then you miss out on his fabled "Faith" card and "Ace of Swords" (Minerva) from his Tarot of Dreams.

I will add, however, that I'm glad he decided to remove the very obtrusive borders that were in place from the 1st printing, a signed ed. which is now selling for a very $ pretty penny.

I used to own all his early signed 1st editions, but I can live with it, nobody died and the world didn't come to a end .
My only regret is that I don't have a reference with which I can compare the artwork.

I know that some of the images have been enhanced / redrawn to varying degrees, and from what I've seen, these have mostly been beneficial changes.

Thank you! I took a long good look at his website and also found the Encore Tarot interesting. What do you think about it?

After what Ciro went through lately, I think the time has come to discover his art for myself.

I see there are quite a number of Etsy sellers offering Marchetti decks. Does Ciro have his own Etsy shop or are they all fakes? Should I report them? Where can I buy a Marchetti deck safely? Book Depository? For me, shipping costs are always a factor - not everybody is living in the US. I'm confused now.

Nemia wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 17:22 Thank you! I took a long good look at his website and also found the Encore Tarot interesting. What do you think about it?

Ciro Marchetti Encore Tarot

I think it's an extremely handsome deck.
It's a compilation of previous works that have decidedly been re-designed and re-colored, and very attractively so.

I must admit that I had previously ignored this deck, under the false assumption that this was merely a collection of earlier designs without any compelling attributes. Well, I am mistaken.

Thank you for prompting me to take a closer look.

The Encore and Retrospective decks are siblings in that they are both compilations of re-designed cards, very nicely so, I might add, although I personally favor the Encore, to each their own.

Nemia wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 17:22 After what Ciro went through lately, I think the time has come to discover his art for myself.

I encourage you to do so, and not just to "enable" you or anything.

Nemia wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 17:22 I see there are quite a number of Etsy sellers offering Marchetti decks. Does Ciro have his own Etsy shop or are they all fakes? Should I report them? Where can I buy a Marchetti deck safely? Book Depository? For me, shipping costs are always a factor - not everybody is living in the US.

Apparently he does, in fact, have a store front on Etsy:

Ciro Marchetti Etsy Store

although, you must go directly to his website for more detailed images of some of the cards.

I do not encourage anybody to accuse or name any particular third party seller of being engaged in nefarious activity, to do so would open the doors for a potential libel lawsuit. We should leave that to the individual artists and publishers to make those assessments. They have fierce lawyers, you don't, and even if you do have your own legal pitbulls, it's not your fight.

If anybody wishes to purchase through a third party, they do so of their own volition.
However, unless you're looking to purchase a signed 1st edition from a decade ago, that's been long OOP, I really don't understand why there is any need to go through a third party seller.

Most of his decks are readily available through U.S. Games Systems, Llewellyn, his website, the Ciro Marchetti Etsy storefront, and yes, Amazon.

Reduced shipping costs, I suspect that is one way a third-party seller, engaged in selling fraudulent decks, might seek to entice the unwary. You run the risk of saving on shipping and end up with a pirated deck, plain and simple.

Regarding third party sellers, OBVIOUSLY there ARE honest and reliable re-sellers, whether they be on eBay, Etsy or some other retail venu. Being a third-party seller does NOT automatically equate one to being a Medusa with a perpetual bad-hair day, writhing serpents not withstanding.

As for Ciro's existing decks, I don't advise trying to save on shipping costs only to get burned by a pirated deck, penny wise pound foolish, as the saying goes.

Nemia wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 17:22 I'm confused now.

We are all confused........

Scott Lang: I'm so confused.
Bruce Banner / The Hulk: These are confusing times.

Avengers / Endgame.....but you knew that already

I know neither Avengers nor Endgame - sorry

The Encore is the one I'd love to have but I can't afford it - with shipping, it's 80$, that's a huge amount for me. The Grand Luxe looks impressive, I looked at some videos, but it's so busy, so colourful...I'd prefer the Encore but that's out of the question. Benebell Wen has written a wonderful review of the Encore.

I'm glad to know that the Etsy shop is really his!

And I still hope he won't let piracy stop him from developing his art and publishing more decks. The community, i.e., all of us, are the ones who have to take this matter seriously.

Nemia wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 17:22 I see there are quite a number of Etsy sellers offering Marchetti decks. Does Ciro have his own Etsy shop or are they all fakes? Should I report them?

Papageno wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 19:04 Regarding third party sellers, OBVIOUSLY there ARE honest and reliable re-sellers, whether they be on eBay, Etsy or some other retail venu. Being a third-party seller does NOT automatically equate one to being a Medusa with a perpetual bad-hair day, writhing serpents not withstanding.

The thing is, Etsy is for people who make stuff. Period. It isn't for resellers. That's Ebay.

People who sell on Etsy have to verify that they made the items they are selling. There is an implicit understanding that you are buying from a creator. Anyone selling other people's stuff on Etsy are misrepresenting themselves.

Mel Meleen caught someone selling her work on Etsy and after a LOT of hassle, finally got her decks taken off that seller's shop. These were not re-sold decks. These were pirated versions of her work printed badly and being passed off as hers. And it wasn't just her work. There were other popular decks. We made an effort to contact the artists and tell them and people came together to get the decks removed.

Here is the thread she started to explain what was going on:
Tarot Decks being pirated on Etsy - let's get them taken down

That shop had something like 30 decks for sale. They now have a half dozen or so.
FYI- Etsy is not diligent enough about getting these shops taken down. They make money off them so unless people report, complain etc, they won't do anything. That shop should be gone, but at least the pirate decks are gone, except those last few.

And here is the surprise part: Pirated decks are not always cheaper.In fact, the pirated decks of Mel's work were selling for more than she charges. High prices make people think they are buying the real thing. So it isn't always people looking for something cheaper. Sometimes it's just straight-up fraud. The buyer has no idea.

Any 3rd party seller on ebay or wherever (again, Etsy is NOT meant for that) who has "new" decks and has a seemingly unlimited supply of them is probably a pirate. Obvi, people buy and sell and trade decks and that's legit. We do it here. But what you don't see here are people with dozens or more copies of a deck for sale. That's a red flag.

There are exceptions, 3rd party sellers sometimes work with the creator, but that fact will always be made clear. Lon Milo DuQuette worked with shop in Omaha Nebraska to get a deck of his printed and distributed. But that partnership was all made very clear in the promotion of the deck.

So the short answer, on Etsy, only buy from the deck creator.

Nemia wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 19:34 The Encore is the one I'd love to have but I can't afford it - with shipping, it's 80$, that's a huge amount for me. The Grand Luxe looks impressive, I looked at some videos, but it's so busy, so colourful...I'd prefer the Encore but that's out of the question. Benebell Wen has written a wonderful review of the Encore.

Hopefully, there will be enough copies of the Encore Tarot to keep everybody happy for awhile.
I hope you eventually obtain a copy for yourself.

Thanks for the link to Benebell Wen's review and her thoughts about "New Media Art vs. Old Visual Arts", a contentious subject for some, although I've never understood why all the fuss. Art in it's myriad forms is highly subjective, I don't believe in getting all twisted out of shape about it.

Nemia wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 19:34 I'm glad to know that the Etsy shop is really his!

And I still hope he won't let piracy stop him from developing his art and publishing more decks. The community, i.e., all of us, are the ones who have to take this matter seriously.

Yes, we should take the matter of copyright infringement and theft of intellectual property seriously, because it affects ALL artists, not just graphic artists who design cartomantic decks.

Maybe Ciro will simply use this opportunity to take a long break, recharge his batteries and gain some new perspectives, inspirations, and artistic insights. As you know, the works of some celebrated artists, like Picasso, were a direct reflection of an evolutionary process, both personal and professional, hence Picasso had his Gray period, Blue period, Cubist, etc.

Perhaps in the future, we will witness a new "period" in Ciro's approach to art.

When Mel informed via her mailing list about the actions of this Etsy shop, I checked it out and complained to Etsy. I'm sure other people did so, too. I think it's important that platforms like Etsy know that they lose credit and reputation when they don't react quickly. They can't claim authenticity and everything Etsy used to stand for if they let such criminal acts just happen.

I'll have to start to save up for the Encore I really want to have it now!

Is this Ciro's website? It seems genuine - if so, better to buy there than from Etsy...

And the Encore is fabulous.

Pen wrote: ↑20 Jun 2020, 08:39 Is this Ciro's website? It seems genuine - if so, better to buy there than from Etsy...

And the Encore is fabulous.

That is a beautiful website. I agree, it seems genuine. I will see if I can find out if it is. Or if anyone else can verify it, that would be great.

And it is always better for the seller to sell directly from their own website rather than Etsy.
Etsy fees are really high and cut into the seller's usually already meagre profits.

Most sellers with their own websites only use Etsy as a "courtesy" to buyers who would prefer to go through Etsy.

Joan Marie wrote: ↑20 Jun 2020, 10:17 That is a beautiful website. I agree, it seems genuine. I will see if I can find out if it is. Or if anyone else can verify it, that would be great.

And it is always better for the seller to sell directly from their own website rather than Etsy.
Etsy fees are really high and cut into the seller's usually already meagre profits.

Most sellers with their own websites only use Etsy as a "courtesy" to buyers who would prefer to go through Etsy.

That certainly seems to be Ciro's authentic website to me, however, it never hurts to double check, and your seal of approval certainly carries more weight , especially since you are also a respected and fellow artist, known within the community.

You are correct about everything you've said about Etsy, both on this and the other thread.

I used Etsy simply out of convenience, since I was already making other purchases through them anyway.

I just did a comparison between what Ciro charges on his homepage website and his Etsy store , and I can attest that Ciro does not charge more on Etsy to compensate for the Etsy fees, although some other artists do, not that I blame them.

Joan Marie wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 20:53
The thing is, Etsy is for people who make stuff. Period. It isn't for resellers. That's Ebay.

People who sell on Etsy have to verify that they made the items they are selling. There is an implicit understanding that you are buying from a creator. Anyone selling other people's stuff on Etsy are misrepresenting themselves...

Any 3rd party seller on ebay or wherever (again, Etsy is NOT meant for that) who has "new" decks and has a seemingly unlimited supply of them is probably a pirate. Obvi, people buy and sell and trade decks and that's legit. We do it here. But what you don't see here are people with dozens or more copies of a deck for sale. That's a red flag.

There are exceptions, 3rd party sellers sometimes work with the creator, but that fact will always be made clear. Lon Milo DuQuette worked with shop in Omaha Nebraska to get a deck of his printed and distributed. But that partnership was all made very clear in the promotion of the deck.

So the short answer, on Etsy, only buy from the deck creator.

I think this is a common misconception about Etsy. Going back about 5 or 6 years and more Etsy was focused on handmade, but that has changed (partly because the CEO is ex-ebay....). The focus is now on 'unique' and/or 'personalised' (he said so himself) so you find many many more sellers who are reselling, larger manufactureres, or selling items which are not 'handmade' (e.g. print-on-demand or outsourcing design/manufacture). A lot of handmade sellers haven't been happy about it, but that's the way it is.

Doesn't excuse the pirates though!!!

BlueStar wrote: ↑21 Jun 2020, 19:51

Joan Marie wrote: ↑19 Jun 2020, 20:53
The thing is, Etsy is for people who make stuff. Period. It isn't for resellers. That's Ebay.

People who sell on Etsy have to verify that they made the items they are selling. There is an implicit understanding that you are buying from a creator. Anyone selling other people's stuff on Etsy are misrepresenting themselves...

Any 3rd party seller on ebay or wherever (again, Etsy is NOT meant for that) who has "new" decks and has a seemingly unlimited supply of them is probably a pirate. Obvi, people buy and sell and trade decks and that's legit. We do it here. But what you don't see here are people with dozens or more copies of a deck for sale. That's a red flag.

There are exceptions, 3rd party sellers sometimes work with the creator, but that fact will always be made clear. Lon Milo DuQuette worked with shop in Omaha Nebraska to get a deck of his printed and distributed. But that partnership was all made very clear in the promotion of the deck.

So the short answer, on Etsy, only buy from the deck creator.

I think this is a common misconception about Etsy. Going back about 5 or 6 years and more Etsy was focused on handmade, but that has changed (partly because the CEO is ex-ebay....). The focus is now on 'unique' and/or 'personalised' (he said so himself) so you find many many more sellers who are reselling, larger manufactureres, or selling items which are not 'handmade' (e.g. print-on-demand or outsourcing design/manufacture). A lot of handmade sellers haven't been happy about it, but that's the way it is.

Doesn't excuse the pirates though!!!

o! this explains a lot!;) I'm considering deleting my etsy for good just bc of their politic constant changes to worse!

Nemia wrote: ↑20 Jun 2020, 07:04 I'll have to start to save up for the Encore I really want to have it now!

The Encore is his best work to date. I have bought a few of CM's self published decks direct from his website - Decoratif, Marchetti, Gilded Royale and Encore and I also got the Retrospective in a trade. I am a fan of his work, which has got increasingly better over the years, and I like all of them, but the Encore is his swansong. If you have that one, you don't really need any of his others - it's all the best bits made better.

I might have to make the Encore my DotW next week so I can post pretty pictures.

That would be great! Is there no way to buy the Encore Tarot in Europe? These shipping costs are killing me!

Not as far as I can tell. I've never had to pay customs fees though, which often makes for a triple whammy!