Egyptian Tarot Deck by Silvana Alasia — Lo Scarabeo Full 78-Card Set

Short description:

Egyptian Tarot by Silvana Alasia is a full 78-card deck from Lo Scarabeo that immerses every reading in the visual world of ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs, gods, and ceremonial iconography adorn each card, creating a powerful bridge between classical tarot structure and the mysteries of pharaonic wisdom. A striking addition to any collector’s shelf or working deck rotation.

Description:

Quick Specs

• Brand: Lo Scarabeo
• Artist: Silvana Alasia
• Type: Full 78-card tarot deck
• Cards: 22 Major Arcana + 56 Minor Arcana
• Best for: Practitioners seeking a complete working deck in Egyptian symbolic tradition

Egyptian Tarot Deck Full 78 Cards: Art, Origins, and Tradition

Lo Scarabeo published this Egyptian tarot deck in 1996 with artwork by Silvana Alasia painted in tempera on papyrus, giving each card the texture and warmth of an ancient manuscript. The design draws on the occultist Jean-Baptiste Pitois, who theorized in 1870 that tarot descended from the legendary Book of Thoth, the mythic repository of all Egyptian magical wisdom. That lineage gives the deck a specific intellectual heritage that separates it from purely decorative Egyptian-themed decks.

All 78 cards are present: the 22 Major Arcana map Egyptian deities onto the traditional archetypes, so Thoth presides where the Magician stands, Isis anchors the High Priestess position, and Ra illuminates the solar cards. The 56 Minor Arcana across four suits, Wands, Chalices, Swords, and Pentacles, depict scenes from ancient Egyptian daily life, ritual, and myth. Court cards use the titles King, Queen, Knight, and Knave, consistent with the original Italian tarot tradition Lo Scarabeo follows.

How Egyptian Symbolism Changes the Reading Experience

Working with Egyptian tarot imagery shifts the interpretive frame in a meaningful way. Where Rider-Waite imagery draws from Western occult and Christian symbolism, this deck pulls from the Kemetic tradition, where concepts of Ma'at, the cosmic balance of truth and justice, and the Duat, the realm of the dead, shape card meanings. Readers who know Egyptian mythology find extra layers of meaning without overriding the standard tarot structures.

The card backs feature a colored motif with falcon and Heka scepter symbols, and the papyrus-style background makes each card visually distinctive in the hand. Card titles are printed in four languages: English, French, Italian, and German, reflecting Lo Scarabeo's European publishing tradition. The included instruction booklet covers both upright and reversed meanings and provides a brief historical overview of the Egyptian tarot tradition.

This deck works well alongside my statues collection, particularly for practitioners who maintain an Egyptian deity altar. Placing a card from a reading beside a relevant deity figure deepens the visual connection between the cards and the divine archetypes they represent.

How to Use the Egyptian Tarot Deck Full 78 Cards

The Tarot Fellow Standard

I stock this deck because it occupies a specific niche that few decks fill: a complete, traditional 78-card structure wearing authentic Egyptian artistic language, not a modern fantasy interpretation layered on Egyptian names. Silvana Alasia's tempera-on-papyrus technique produces imagery that reads as genuinely ancient rather than decorative. For a reader who wants Egyptian symbolism without sacrificing the full Minor Arcana, this Lo Scarabeo edition is the serious choice. Browse my tarot decks collection to see the full range of traditions I carry.

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