October 31 - Daily Draw

I interrupt your regularly scheduled Etteilla reading session to bring you a Halloween daily draw!  For this, I had to get out what I consider to be my 'creepiest' Tarot deck - and I say that with a huge amount of respect and love for this deck!  It's called the Hermetic Tarot, and it's based on MacGregor Mathers writings for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.  It's a black and white deck, beautifully and exquisitely detailed - I could spend forever looking at these illustrations!  Plus it includes the absolutely wonderful titles attributed to each card, which makes this deck so atmospheric.

I drew the Sun, the King of Swords, and the Eight of Cups.  I'm not entirely up on my hermetic work; I've spent a few years away from the Golden Dawn and the Kabbalah, elemental, and astrological attributions they assigned to the Tarot.  Titled Lord of the Fire of the World, Prince of the Chariots of the Winds, and the Lord of Abandoned Success respectively; this deck makes every card sound so important.  I want to say that my day lived up to such lofty titles, but looking back it was a perfect description of my incredibly normal Halloween night!  It was absolutely beautiful weather for the prairie in late October (the Sun), but a stern male figure (the King) combined with over-excited and over-tired children led to the Eight of Cups - a beautiful night which turned a bit sour towards the end.

I used the Gypsy Lenormand for my pair today, and drew the Sun and the Woman.  This describes an energetic and successful woman; but I'm not sure that's me today!  I'm definitely feeling pretty tired after a night out trick-or-treating, and it's time for me to hit the hay.

A Papus Spread with the Papus Tarot

Today I had a reading for a friend who's wondering which path to take out of two options: to pursue a graduate degree in chemistry, or to continue to pursue entry into medical school.

Since I've been in an old-school mood lately, and this particular friend of mine is interested in Tarot mostly as a fun diversion,  I chose to go with a new spread and a new deck.  This is the Papus Tarot, created in 1981 and republished by US Games in 1982.  It's a nice deck, which is said to follow Papus's original designs quite closely;  though not owning a copy of The Divinatory Tarot myself, I can't say for sure.

This spread, according to the little white booklet of the Papus Tarot, apparently originates from Papus's book Tarot of the Bohemians.  It requires that you divide the Major and Minor Arcana.  Twelve Minor Arcana cards are drawn and laid out counter-clockwise in a circle to represent the twelve houses.  Then seven Major Arcana cards are drawn; four are laid in an inner circle and three in a triangle inside both circles.  The four in the inner circle represent commencement, culmination, decline, and fall.  The three triangle points are the past, present, and future.  I'm looking to the little white booklet for meanings, so while they seem genuine to me, I'm not sure if they're entirely in-line with Papus's ideas.

Of the twelves houses, cards 1-4 represent the past, cards 4-7 represent the present, and 7-12 pertain to the future.  The Queen of Cups talks of a poetic or loving person, the King of Batons of a fatherly person, the Queen of Batons of an understanding yet honorable person, and the Queen of Swords as a quick-witted or intelligent person.  The Major Arcana card for the past is the Emperor, and the card representing commencement is the Magician.  Right away, I notice that all of the cards from the past are court cards, and the Majors can represent people as well.  This tells me that my friend's past decisions were mostly influenced by others, but most especially by a man of strong will and self-confidence.

Next is the Queen of Swords, the Three of Cups which speaks of healing and compromise, the Eight of Cups which tells of discontinuing your effort and disappointment, and the Five of Cups is an unsatisfied desire, and struggle.  The Major for the present is the Tower; culmination is the Popess, and decline is Temperance.  These cards are telling me that a wise and intelligent woman and the thought of being a healer are pulling my querent towards medical school, but he is currently struggling in school and fears he won't be able to attain his goal.  He is in a crisis 'Tower' moment, which will resolve soon towards a more balanced emotional state.

The Two of Coins tells of new troubles, but the Valet (Page) of Batons bears important news.  The Queen of Coins tells of wealth, and the Six of Coins speaks of charity and kindness.  The Ace of Batons tells of creation and invention.  The Major card for the future is the Star, and the card for the outcome of the situation is the Lovers.  These cards are telling me that he will continue to struggle with his medical classes, but will receive an important push or piece of news from an outside source - perhaps a scholarship or grant.  The Star tells of hope and optimism, and the Lovers tells me that his decision will enable him to work on relationships as well as intellectual pursuits.

Knowing what I know of his situation, I told my friend that the cards are advising a change to pursue a graduate degree in chemistry.  His biology and anatomy work are becoming more and more demanding, and he feels he is unable to rise to the challenge.  While pursuing upper-level chemistry courses, he feels much more of an affinity for and understanding of the material, requiring that he spend less time away from his family.  I advised him to continue to do his best in all of his classes, and keep on the look out for scholarships or grants he can apply for; it's likely he will find a newfound optimism and creative drive that will aid him in his task of choosing his life's path.

October 22 - Daily Draw (Etteilla-style)

9WR Slowness, disadvantage; Temperance; PSR sudden event, imposter; Judgment

Okay, so I know I said I was done with the Etteilla daily draws; but perhaps I should have said that I'd be doing more of an evolution.  Today is the Cagliostro Tarot, first published in 1912 in Italy, using Etteilla-style numbering and keywords with a more Marseilles-like, Egyptian-inspired Major Arcana.

Today I drew the Nine of Wands reversed, Temperance, the Page of Swords reversed, and Judgment.  The Etteilla keywords listed are 'slowness', 'harmony', 'sudden event', and 'rebirth'.  This morning was very slow and steady, not usual for a Monday morning and very welcome!  Not sure yet what the 'sudden event' will be, but I suppose I'll have to try and be ready.  Judgment seems to say that it will change the character of the rest of the day.

I have a few more mixed Etteilla-style decks up my sleeve, and I'm still feeling in a cartomantic mood, so more Tarot history is in store!

October 20 - Daily Draw (Etteilla)

Today is the last of the Etteillas, and I've saved the most relatable for last!  This deck is the Dame Fortune's Wheel Tarot by Paul Huson and published by Lo Scarabeo.  It is an Etteilla-inspired deck, with a Marseilles-based Major Arcana and Minor Arcana drawn according to Etteilla's meanings.  It's very colorful and fun to read with, and is honestly half the reason I want to learn to read Etteillas - it's just so beautiful and I'd like to use it more!

Today I drew the Three of Coins, the Tower, and the Knave of Cups.  The Three represents someone or something of great importance (Etteilla keyword: 'noble').  The Tower is said by Huson to be the house of the Devil, and the lightning striking it is a blow struck against tyranny.  The Knave of Cups refers to a blonde youth, a messenger of affections and a slave of his or her feelings.  These cards seem to tell the story of a blonde youth conquering over the tyranny of someone placed above him - literally the only blonde youth I know is my younger brother, and I know his boss can be a bit tyrannical at times; so perhaps this heralds him finally getting fed up and quitting his job.  This wouldn't be a bad thing for him - the job is a bit beneath him and he took it because of burnout in his field of expertise; but the family would be happy to see him back in a position he's better suited to.

For my Lenormand pair, I've used Pixie's Astounding Lenormand; many of the cards have bright enough colours to pair nicely with Dame Fortune's Wheel, though I didn't draw any of them!  The Woman + Lilies I interpret as a calm and serene woman; not much is happening in my life right now, and I'm okay with that.

October 18 - Daily Draw (Etteilla)

Today I felt like going with a more Egyptian theme, so out come the pyramid and the obelisk!  This deck is a strange one, but quite interesting historically.  It is published by the Gamecrafter, a website that sells a few Tarot and Lenormand decks as well as other games, and it is as far as I can tell, the only readily-available Type II Etteilla.  Titled the Z. Lismon Etteilla, it was first published in 1838 by Simon Bloquel, and is very similar to Grimaud's Grand Etteilla.

I drew the Chaos, the Eight of Wands reversed, and the Five of Wands.  The keywords are 'Etteilla', 'destructive dispute', and 'gold'.  The Chaos card is meant to represent the time before creation in Etteilla's conception of the Major Arcana, and also be the significator card for a male questioner.  Since I am not male, I suppose I'll interpret it as Chaos.  I know just what this one is talking about - being unorganized leads to a dispute over money!  No need for details, but suffice to say that my family is living this at the moment.

For the Lenormand pair I once again used the Gypsy Lenormand; it just fits so well with these Etteillas!  The Snake + Anchor tells of the illusion of stability, something I count on that won't be there when I really need it.  Not sure what this one is referring to, but I'll be sure to update if it becomes clear.

October 16 - Daily Draw (Etteilla)

I chose a pink theme today, because it just seemed to fit so well with the name of the deck I'm using today: originally titled the Jeu de la Princesse Tarot in 1843, it's now available (though unfortunately out of print) from Lo Scarabeo as the Esoteric Ancient Tarot.  It is, apparently, a subtype of the Etteilla I but with artwork of a more Egyptian flavor.

I drew the Magician, the Six of Cups, and the Ten of Swords reversed.  The keywords are 'melancholy', 'the past', and 'short-term success'.  It's so interesting to me how alike some of these meanings are to the RWS images - Arthur and Pamela, despite having a less-than-stellar opinion of Etteilla, sure borrowed a lot!  Despite a pretty obvious difference in style from modern Tarot, many of the meanings themselves are not out of place.  These cards seem to say: in the past, you may have felt discouraged, but things are looking up in the near future!

For my Lenormand pair I got out my Blue Owl Lenormand.  I want to like this deck; it was one of the first I purchased to help me learn the Lenormand system.  I thought the little poems would be helpful reminders of the meanings of the cards.  Unfortunately, though they are cute, the translated English poems often have little to do with the meanings of the cards as I've read them elsewhere; and I have to consciously ignore them in order to make any sense of the cards.  The Stork + Tree tells of an improvement in health; I have been working steadily on an exercise program since my last baby was born, this seems to say that my work is worth it and I'll keep making progress!  It's always nice to hear that your work will pay off.

October 14 - Daily Draw (Etteilla)

Today's Etteilla deck is the granddaddy of them all: the Grand Etteilla, now published by Grimaud and subtitled Egyptian Gypsies Tarot.  It is known as the Type I Etteilla, and was supposedly Etteilla's own deck, first published in 1790.

I drew the Ace of Swords, the Ace of Wands reversed, and the Ten of Swords.  The keywords are 'excess', 'bankruptcy' and 'sorrow'.  Ouch!  I can certainly see the pattern - excesses lead to bankruptcy, which of course leads to sorrow - and unfortunately know just what it means in my own life.  I need to stay off of eBay!  There are so many beautiful and interesting cards I'd love to have, but now is the time to be investing back in my business, not bidding on every pretty thing I see!  A sobering message, but it's nice to have the warning.  These Etteillas are very Lenormand-ish in their interpretations and strings of keywords; not surprising, since Etteilla and Mme. Lenormand were contemporaries.  This kind of fortune-telling was born and thrived in the 18th century; and while Tarot has undergone tremendous change, the Lenormand cards seem to have stayed much more true to their roots.  I like the Etteillas, but using them with the Lenormand almost seems redundant; usually I read the Tarot for personal guidance or exploration of my thoughts, and save the Lenormand cards for the more predictive kinds of readings - but this seems to be the Etteilla's specialty as well!

I used the Gypsy Lenormand for my daily pair today; all these gypsy references in the Etteillas make it seem appropriate.  Tree + Fish seems to tell of more money coming in - hopefully by heeding the warning laid out by the Tarot, I'll actually make some money and be able to indulge a bit sometime down the road!

October 12 - Daily Draw (Etteilla!)

I had so much fun with Eudes Picard the last few weeks, that I have become interested in reading with all my early occult Tarots!  And of course, if I'm interested in reading with occult Tarot, it's probably best to start at the beginning - the Etteillas.

There's several different versions of these decks, each more or less following the occult ideas and cartomantic interpretations of Jean-Baptiste Alliette, a Frenchman and rumoured hairdresser from the mid-18th century. He published Etteilla, or a Way to Entertain Yourself with a Deck of Cards in 1770, and the Tarot hasn't been the same since.

The version I chose today is a lovely reproduction by Lo Scarabeo, of what is called the Type III Etteilla deck: originally named Tarot Egyptien: Grand Jeu de l'Oracle des Dames, it is now published as The Book of Thoth Etteilla Tarot.  It was originally published in 1865, many years after Etteilla's death.  It's illustrated in a very nice Neo-Gothic style that whispers gently of old gypsies laden with softly jangling bracelets.  I cannot tell you how much I love this tarot stylistically - but up until now I haven't read with it!  The Majors are all renamed and reordered according to Etteilla's vision, and there are keywords influenced by his ideas on the tops and bottoms of the cards.  I don't usually use reversals, but as these decks are meant to be read with them, I changed up my shuffling pattern a bit to turn some cards around.

I drew 'Prudence' - apparently Etteilla's equivalent of the Hanged Man - the Two of Cups, and the Knave (page) of Cups reversed.  I'm not great with French, but with the help of an online translator and the accompanying booklet, I believe the keywords are 'prudence', 'love', and 'fondness'.  Prudence is about doing or saying the right thing at the right time: nothing hasty or rushed here.  The cards seem to be calling for prudence in love; a passionate relationship that fades to a fondness and familiarity - as most people in a long-term relationship will attest, this is the way things go.  It's impossible to be in such an intense emotional state 24/7, but it's sometimes difficult to accept that the honeymoon phase is past, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

For my Lenormand pair, I once again used the Astrological Lenormand, I think it matches nicely with the feel of the Book of Thoth Tarot.  More about love here - Ring + Heart.  A loving commitment.. perhaps my husband making a sweet promise in love?  I guess today is the day to ask for him to cook dinner!

October 11 - Daily Draw and Observations (spanish style)

For the last of my Spanish-style daily draws, I'll be using the Thomson-Leng Tarot.  Not strictly in the Spanish school, as three of the four suits are illustrated RWS-style, but it does follow Picard's elemental attributions and the suit of Wands follows his geometric layouts.

I drew the Four of Cups, the Eight of Cups, and the King of Rods (wands).  The Four of Cups illustration has its typical RWS connotations; dreaminess, willful ignorance, but with an Airy, intellectual quality.  I like to think of it as the absent-minded professor card.  That's been me lately: diving in and out of Tarot books, spending time with my decks, and forgetting about most everything else!  The Eight of Cups is less traditional; the landscape remains the same but the only person pictured is staring at the cups in the riverbed rather than traveling away from them.  Picard's interpretation is balance and reason.  I ought to be trying for a bit more balance in my life at the moment!  The King of Rods represents genius, or great talent; it seems to be saying that I'll have more luck with the tarot if I put down some books for a bit and get myself involved in life.

I used Pixie's Astounding Lenormand for my Lenormand pair.  Clover + Garden seems to say that I'll have good luck or fun at a social event; I'll be heading out this evening, so hopefully that holds true!

After spending some time with Eudes Picard-inspired tarots, I've come to see and appreciate a few things about them.  I believe they're intended, and represented faithfully in the El Gran Tarot Esoterico and Universal Wirth Tarot, to be a more 'natural' tarot, sort of an offshoot of the Marseilles vine and flower decorative elements.  The Minors are the 'effects', as Picard says in his book Manuel synthétique & pratique du tarot, and they are also intrinsically connected to the world, especially the natural world, around us.  I really appreciate this interpretation of the Tarot, and I hope to revisit Picard's designs again in another series.

October 7 - Daily Draw (spanish style)

I'll be extending my week of Spanish school Tarot readings for two more entries, to highlight the two remaining Spanish style decks I own.  The only other deck I'm aware of is the Balbi Tarot, which I have unfortunately been unable to get my hands on yet.

Today I'll be using Lo Scarabeo's Universal Wirth Tarot, with Wirth-style majors and a minor arcana designed according to Eudes Picard's specifications. I drew the Seven of Chalices (cups), the Knight of Wands, and the Knave (page-equivalent) of Chalices.

The Seven of Chalices represents the world getting out of the way of love; material problems get out of the way and emotions are free to rule.  For me, material concerns that get in the way of love is mostly our children - they're wonderful and I love them, but they make having an adult relationship difficult!  The Knight tells of an adult that is unmarried, perhaps an artist or actor or in some other creative endeavour.  I'm honestly not sure who this could refer to; the court cards are a bit confusing in this deck and I don't have them figured out yet.  The Two of Chalices tells of the union of two magnetic principles.. I'm beginning to think my husband has stacked the deck *giggle*!

For my Lenormand draw, I used Lo Scarabeo's Art Nouveau Oracle; it matches nicely with the art style of the Universal Wirth.  I drew Clover + Coffin, which seems to say that my luck is coming to an end.  I'm heading out to a dinner with the in-laws soon, who I usually get along quite well with; here's hoping the cards are wrong on this count and my luck continues!

Take the good with the bad.. the Thomson-Leng Tarot now available!

Well, good news first, right?  The mailman pulled up today with a package for me, full of Lasenic Tarot decks to send on to their new home.  But at the bottom of the box was a little surprise.. a wonderful proof of my new deck reproduction!  Now, for the bad news - four year olds and cameras do not mix, and I'm afraid mine is out of commission.  I've used my camera phone to snap some pictures, but unfortunately it will be a little while until my new camera arrives and I can get some higher quality photos for everyone.  Until then, you'll have to imagine how wonderful this new deck looks - the Thomson-Leng Tarot!


This deck was first published in the early 1900s as part of a magazine giveaway; and an interesting little gem it is!  It is very Rider-Waite based, until you look a little closer.  Wonder why I've been so into the Spanish school of Tarot recently?  This deck not only follows Eudes Picard's elemental attributions of the suits, but the suit of Wands is drawn almost entirely according to his writings!  Obviously someone was reading Picard before Fournier published their El Gran Tarot Esoterico in 1978, but how did it end up in a set of cards given away with a women's magazine?  This fantastic riddle has yet to be solved.  But the cards are amazing!  They have a very 1920s feel to them.  Please visit my Tarot Shop page or click on the Tarot Shop link above to purchase this wonderful deck.

October 3 - Daily Draw (spanish style)

For today's draw I'll be using El Gran Tarot Esoterico, published by Fournier in 1978.  It is done in a modern woodcut style similar to many modern Marseilles restorations; but it follows the Spanish system as laid out by Eudes Picard.  I almost suspect this deck is the reason the system is referred to as the Spanish school of Tarot - it was probably the first deck following Picard's attributions to be published.

I drew the Seven of Coins, the Ace of Wands, and the Three of Swords.  The Seven of Coins here is said to represent charity; that is the only keyword given by Picard.  But I think the growing, branching tree can tell us more about this card: to me, it is charity given because you are prospering and growing.  Helping others is incredibly important, but make sure you have your own house in order as well.  The Ace of Wands is the idea of action; the beginning of a creative and fiery process.  As with most every day, I've had a couple of new ideas for decks, but perhaps this is a signal that I ought to follow through with one of them.  The Three of Swords is not a pretty picture here; it seems this is an ill omen in most all systems!  The fish is floating upside down, the plants have fallen to the bottom of a wind-whipped sea; Picard gives the meaning as a "morbid condition, or perverted instincts."  Though our instincts and intuition are often incredibly helpful, there are certainly times as well when they can lead us down the wrong road.  Perhaps this card is telling me to be wary of which of my ideas I pursue, as only one has the potential to root strongly as the tree on the Seven; and pursuing an idea that won't pan out is likely to be detrimental to my motivation.

I used my lovely Gypsy Lenormand again today, with the pair Anchor + Clouds.  My stability, that which I consider permanent and unchangeable, is actually much more insecure than I think.  I tend to start feeling trapped or bogged down when life becomes too mundane; but it's good to remember that the things we think of as everyday, mundane life can be pretty exciting and unpredictable when you think about it.

October 1 - Daily Draw (spanish style)

Whew!  It's been a busy week!  I've been finishing up another deck to send off to the printers for a sample, and also waiting (impatiently!) to receive the first for-the-public copies of the Lasenic Tarot so I can start shipping them out to their future owners.  During my week-long haitus from actually reading Tarot, I've decided to take this next week to dip my toes in the Spanish school of Tarot.

It's a fascinating subject.  Apparently begun by the frenchman Eudes Picard in his 1909 book Manuel synthétique & pratique du tarot, I'm not sure how this system made its way to Spain and became incorporated in so many Spanish decks.  This school of Tarot thought has a lot of interesting changes.  The Majors follow the Wirth sequence of Hebrew-letter correspondences, though I must admit I know little enough about the Qabbalah that the significance of that is over my head.  The most interesting change is the switching of elements: swords become watery, and cups take on the qualities of air.  I can certainly see this change: emotions are well known to cut like swords.  The Cups/Air association is a bit harder for me to fathom, however.  Picard believes that the Major Arcana represents the causes, and the Minor Arcana the effects.

For today's draw I've used the Crystal Tarot, illustrated by Elisabetta Trevisan and published by Lo Scarabeo.  The art in this deck is absolutely fantastic - I'm not sure what to compare it to artistically, except for perhaps stained glass windows; they just have a shining, ethereal presence, as if they're lit from behind.  Absolutely stunning.

I drew the Wheel of Fortune, the Seven of Wands, and the Two of Wands.  The Wheel represents the Cause according to this method of reading, which seems to be saying that my day today is rather out of my control, and will go according to the dictates of Fate.  The Seven of Wands in this system represents the victory of mind over matter, or invention.  The Two signifies cooperation, or an alliance.  This seems to be saying that Fate is pushing me towards a partnership or alliance that will help bring my creative and inventive dreams to reality: perhaps a new publisher that will be a bit more on the ball with things, or maybe my husband will give me an opportunity to ask him about drawing a few cards for another upcoming project.

For my Lenormand pair, I've used Lo Scarabeo's Art Nouveau Oracle, titled generically though it is a Lenormand oracle.  I find it at once very beautiful and a bit silly: the artwork is amazing, but many of the cards feature very large beautiful women, while the symbol of the card is very small and unnoticeable by comparison.  You can see that in the picture of the Key above, and I'd say it affects about a third of the cards in this deck.  They are still quite lovely, however; and because Lenormand is not as intuition-heavy or picture-centric as Tarot is, I find the deck to still be quite useable - unlike the Art Nouveau Tarot, which suffers from the same complaints and is unusable for me.

The pair today is the Key + Path.  I see this as a moment of inspiration or flash of understanding that will prompt me to make a decision I had previously been unable figure out.

I'm really liking this Spanish school of Tarot so far!  I have a few more pretty decks that I would love to bring out that follow this system, so stay tuned this week to learn more about Eudes Picard's way of reading the Tarot.