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Origin of Sm-Wt Small Cards Scenes/Meanings

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.divination,alt.tarot,alt.magick
From: nagasiva 
Subject: Origin of Sm-Wt Small Cards Scenes/Meanings
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 06:21:09 GMT

50020423 VIom kals@ DAy2y2y2yyk2221

Pearlz :
> I just have trouble finding a meaning without the QBL because 
> the minor arcana cards all look so much alike to me. Like, what 
> would be the diff between the 7 of wands and the 8 of wands?  
> I'd be lost.

I'm not convinced of any particular historic progression on this
point of Small Cards and I've heard some inspiring contentions
as regards the origins and consistency of the set thereof. here
follows a brief table of associations with the cards you have
selected, identifying their source (7/8 Wands/Clubs/Rods only 
in 'right' rather than 'inverse' meanings):

 SOURCE                            7             8
 Book T (Regardie "GD, p. 546.)    Valour        Swiftness
 Alliette (LWB 1969, p. 45-7.)     Journey       Fruitless negotiations
 Parlour Sibyl (LWB 1979, JMSimon) Minor $ gain  Disappointment(F)/Hope(M)
 Dummett (Encyclopedia, 1978)      Success, gain Swift activity; speed
 LenormanD (LWB, n.d.)             Loss, theft   Enemy, resistance
 Mlle Lenormand (LWB #194115)      Theft         Enemies
 Rider-Waite LWB                   Success, gain Swift activity; speed

  [NOTE: (F) => Female Querent; (M) => Male Querent.]
 
in the playing-card decks they were Mountain (Loss) and Mice (Theft),
while in tarot they were geometric or had some scene depicted (as in
the Smith-Waite deck with its warrior against 7 (Valour) and 8 wands
extended before us at a river basin (Swiftness). why someone would get
the impression of swiftness from that lazy-looking river (8) is beyond 
me. maybe the 8 wands are flying like broomsticks. it seems easily 
interpreted that the contending warrior may have to maintain his 
position of success and gain by virtue of battle, combat (7).

I'd suggest that the way to remember any significance of any card is
to construct an elaborate story describing the scene depicted, or using
the objects placed in the card. this is to what I was getting in making
my Stickman Tarot -- raw symbolism of number and shape, a kind of mini-
malism which I've seen included in some of the decks composited in books
like that by Dummett.

I don't see that there is a real connection between these Lenormand
Playing Card decks and the Smith-Waite/GD Small Card meanings. maybe
I'm missing something with this test (exceptions?), but it seems to
be a completely different contextual framework between the two types
of cards. I'll have to make a closer comparison and attempt to get
more information from those who contend a direct relationship, such
as sri catyananda, apparently.

nagasiva

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Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.divination,alt.tarot,alt.magick
Subject: Re: Origin of Sm-Wt Small Cards Scenes/Meanings
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From: nagasiva 
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50020423 VIom kals@ DAy2y2y2yyk2221 proven!

nagasiva  writes:
> SOURCE                            7             8
> Book T (Regardie "GD, p. 546.)    Valour        Swiftness
> Alliette (LWB 1969, p. 45-7.)     Journey       Fruitless negotiations
> Parlour Sibyl (LWB 1979, JMSimon) Minor $ gain  Disappointment(F)/Hope(M)
> Dummett (Encyclopedia, 1978)      Success, gain Swift activity; speed

this should be 

  Stuart Kaplan (Encycl., 1978)   Success, gain Swift activity; speed

> LenormanD (LWB, n.d.)             Loss, theft   Enemy, resistance
> Mlle Lenormand (LWB #194115)      Theft         Enemies
> Rider-Waite LWB                   Success, gain Swift activity; speed

>  [NOTE: (F) => Female Querent; (M) => Male Querent.]
 
>in the playing-card decks they were Mountain (Loss) and Mice (Theft),
>while in tarot they were geometric or had some scene depicted (as in
>the Smith-Waite deck with its warrior against 7 (Valour) and 8 wands
>extended before us at a river basin (Swiftness). why someone would get
>the impression of swiftness from that lazy-looking river (8) is beyond 
>me. maybe the 8 wands are flying like broomsticks. it seems easily 
>interpreted that the contending warrior may have to maintain his 
>position of success and gain by virtue of battle, combat (7).

>like that by Dummett.

s/b Kaplan

btw, Kaplan seems to indicate that tarot decks didn't have scenes in
them prior to the Smith-Waite tarot. is this true or what?

nagasiva

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