Philippe Camoin is the heir of the last Master Cardmakers of Marseilles… His father, Denis Camoin Tourrasse, son of Marie-Thérèse Camoin and André Tourrasse, was the last CEO of the Camoin factory, which printed the Tarot de Marseille as well as many other decks. Marie-Thérèse Camoin was the daughter of Antoine Camoin, who also ran the Camoin factory, carrying on a family tradition.
In 1863, his ancester Jean-Baptiste Camoin married Marie-Madeleine Martin, his second wife who was shareholder of the factory and descendant of Nicolas Conver. The factory "Levenq de Conver-Camoin et Cie" then became the "Camoin House".
As a craftsman factory, the House of Camoin dates back to Nicolas Conver, who engraved in 1760 his Tarot de Marseille. Considered the most complete and the closest to perfection until 1997.
In 1997, Philippe Camoin, in collaboration with Alexandre Jodorowsky, completed a long and complex work of reconstruction and draws a reconstructed Tarot de Marseille. To do so, he created a new Tarot de Marseille combining symbols scattered throughout the various tarots from Europe in order to create a totally new esoteric structure. Through this achievement, he improved the practice of his ancestors. This reconstructed Tarot has begun the revival of a Philosophy that exists beyond a simple deck of cards: a Philosophy which has lain dormant for centuries.
Philippe Camoin’s desire is to reveal the richness of the Tarot de Marseille and its relevance for all human beings, whatever their culture, nationality, age or social class: the Tarot speaks to the entire world!
To support this claim, he has studied symbolism and different religions since the age of 14. Adding to this the study of Alchemy, Western Mysticism, Tibetan Buddhism, Parapsychology, the Powers of the Soul, Shamanism, Hinduism, Shivaism, Raja Yoga, Meditation, etc., he gained an understanding that allowed him to include the Tarot de Marseille in a cultural context much more vast and encompassing than any other approach.
When he was twenty-six, at the death of his grandfather, he realized that it was his responsibility by way of his ancestry to preserve and reveal the Tradition of the Tarot de Marseille. The spiritual heritage of a long line of Master Cardmakers and many years of research led him to undertake with Alexandre Jodorowsky the task of reviving this ancient Tradition.
Not only has Philippe Camoin pursued studies in Mathematics, Medicine, and Information Technology, but also he has studied a dozen foreign languages, enabling him to analyze and study human psychology on a global level across a wide range of cultures, ways and customs which he studies alongside the various tongues. He is also a musician (wind instruments) and actor; he attended intensive courses in method acting at the Actor’s Studio for one year, then learns advanced acting during four months of classes with John Strasberg.
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