the ancient wisdom of the cards.
08/04/2012 at 11:50 AM
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I think this deck would be more useful to me if I spoke French, because then the markings on the cards would make a great deal more sense to me. Even as it is, I find the deck charming. They're not kidding about the Petit part though. The deck is small in size, the cards are thin, and there are only 32 of them. More than half the box is taken up with the miniature paperback that comes inside the little box.
08/04/2012 at 11:50 AM
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There's nothing particularly fancy about this deck, but it is very much what it claims to be. It is a very neat, orderly looking Marseilles pattern Tarot, with each card bearing a white background and primary colors for the illustrations. It doesn't deviate much from what you'd expect in a Marseilles deck, except that the captions and indices are very crisp and easy to read -- and moreover, the are in English! This pleased me. Personally, I have no intention of using it for divination, as I consider the Marseille pattern to be a primarily gaming deck, but that's just me. This deck is certainly durable enough to stand up to the wear of everyday use, and while the figure cards are not reversible, their clear indices would still make it pleasant to play with.
08/04/2012 at 11:50 AM
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Etteilla (1738-1791)Jean Baptiste Alliette (a.k.a. Etteilla) was an influential French occultist who helped establish the occult nature of the Tarot. Had it not been for Etteilla, the theories of Court de Gebelin might never have become popular. It was Alliette who made divination with the Tarot popular.
08/04/2012 at 11:50 AM
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Antoine Court de Gebelin (c. 1719-1784)Antoine Court de Gébelin (c. 1719-1784) was a French pastor who initiated the rumor that the Tarot represented the remnants of the Book of Thoth, the wisdom of the ancient pharaohs. He was incorrect, but his theory gained widespread popularity and it has taken over two hundred years to truly dispense with his ideas. Even today, there are people who believe that the Tarot is the Book of Thoth.