Tarot cards as countries?

[Jungian]

I am intrested to know whether or not you believe cards can represent a place or a country. 

I asked a question 'in which country could I move' twice. I got: The King of Swords (first time) and The Star (second time)

 

In general I would like to know which country you associate with each card.

 

*moderators please feel free to move it or modify this post as/if needed.*

[PathWalker]

Honestly, if I wanted to try for that kind of result, I would have designated countries beforehand. Sorry.

Otherwise it's like the tarot IS speaking to you, but you haven't chosen a common language before you start, and you don't know what is being said to you.

 

I think you need to work it out to your satisfaction, with the deck you're using, and then try again?

 

Best of luck with it, interesting idea.

PathWalker

 

 

[gregory]

I'd agree with Pathwalker. Otherwise you are almost trying to manipulate the answer.

[Jungian]

20 hours ago, PathWalker said:

Honestly, if I wanted to try for that kind of result, I would have designated countries beforehand. Sorry.

Otherwise it's like the tarot IS speaking to you, but you haven't chosen a common language before you start, and you don't know what is being said to you.

 

I think you need to work it out to your satisfaction, with the deck you're using, and then try again?

 

Best of luck with it, interesting idea.

PathWalker

 

 

Thanks you very much. I think you are right. It is too confusing otherwise. 

 

For sure I am intrested for tarot and geography in general. 

[Ix Chel]

Benebell Wen did write a post about this topic 

https://benebellwen.com/2019/04/12/tarot-and-geopolitical-divination-antoine-court-de-gebelin/

 

[_R_]

Leaving aside Court de Gébelin’s speculations for the moment, I will note that he was not the only one to connect the cards of the tarot to various geographical locations. Another slightly later author, connected the 4 suits to various parts of Europe: the British isles to the swords; Scandinavia and the Baltic countries to the coins; Greece to the staffs; and Rome (i.e. the Italian peninsula) to the cups. I may translate these writings in due course.

[Grace]

@Jungian I play a similar game with my husband, except we pulled out 3 cards and asked about his next project car. 🤣 I don't remember the exact cards, but I explained the general feeling/meaning behind the cards and we narrowed it down to a couple models that fit.

 

On 5/10/2020 at 1:00 AM, Jungian said:

The King of Swords (first time) and The Star (second time)

For me, King of Swords might relate to a country known for its pioneering in intellectual persuits, perhaps with a history of monarchy and war... Maybe a country like Sweden with it's connection to the Nobel prize. Or Italy with the oldest University in Europe. I would rule out the USA as they don't have a monarchy - though they fit in other ways. The Star... A country with a history connected with astronomy, reaching new heights, an empire (maybe fallen?)... Italy would again fit this, Germany, Poland, or even Morocco with it's astrological Arabic history and fancy observatory somewhere in the mountains. 

 

It's certainly fun to think about!

 

 

[gregory]

There's actually a deck of European geography: (including Africa - don't ask me, I just have it; it's not  my fault !)

 

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by gregory

[_R_]

@gregory What is this deck, and how many cards are in it in total?

[gregory]

Tarocco Geografico dell'Europa - 78 cards; it was reprinted by Il Meneghello as a limited edition of 2000 in 1985. I got it out because of you and it does in fact have maps of all the continents. It's maps from the 18th century; apparently such educational decks were quite common. The "instruction" card says you should play it just like tarocco. Suits are north, central, south and Islands.

 

XII is England. This amuses me.

 

It seems to be for sale here:

 

https://www.maremagnum.com/libri-antichi/tarocco-geografico-dell-europa-milano-il-meneghello-1985/159069266

 

[_R_]

Thanks!

[gregory]

Also here for more money

 

https://blackcatcaboodle.com/products/signed-european-geography-tarot-menegazzi-limited-ed-39-400-mint-1985

 

 

 

 

[gregory]

OOH:

 

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/1539262001

[_R_]

1 minute ago, gregory said:

OOH

Ooh indeed!

 

I might just go and translate the piece I mentioned earlier and illustrate it with some of those images.

[gregory]

Have full deck if you need a scan - though mine doesn't have the backs of the BM copy.

[Ix Chel]

On 5/15/2020 at 9:51 AM, _R_ said:

Leaving aside Court de Gébelin’s speculations for the moment, I will note that he was not the only one to connect the cards of the tarot to various geographical locations. Another slightly later author, connected the 4 suits to various parts of Europe: the British isles to the swords; Scandinavia and the Baltic countries to the coins; Greece to the staffs; and Rome (i.e. the Italian peninsula) to the cups. I may translate these writings in due course.

@_R_ Which author was that?

[_R_]

8 hours ago, Ix Chel said:

@_R_ Which author was that?

An obscure 19th century Belgian artist with too many eccentric ideas; having gone back over his writings, I find they are of the same calibre as those of Court de Gébelin, which is to say, completely out-there... I am not at all convinced of the merit of translating them as a result, especially as the Tarot connection, in this regard, is most tenuous.

[gregory]

Delville ?

[_R_]

18 minutes ago, gregory said:

Delville ?

Delbeke, Louis, in his "Harmonie Universelle Et Omniverselle Ou l'Absolu."

 

He wrote (and self-published; his widow was selling the things for ages afterwards...) a number of hefty tomes, in the same vein as Court, a verbose and eccentric sort of cosmogony, which mentions Tarot briefly in passing in this connection. Another volume has a fuller exegesis of ancient literature such as the Ramayana according to the Tarot. It is equally outlandish and not at all very instructive, except, perhaps, as a curious example of the multifarious uses to which the Tarot has been put.

The books are on Google Books or on the Internet Archive, but they are mentioned absolutely nowhere in the literature; I expect it was far too obscure to gain any notice, on the one hand, and the limited means of circulation for a self-published work didn't help any either.

[gregory]

Delville was pretty odd too !

[_R_]

21 hours ago, gregory said:

Delville was pretty odd too !

Yeah, it does come with the territory, I suppose, but given the cut of their collective (Belgian) jib, I am inclined to think there was something in the water... (no offence to our Belgian friends)

[Ix Chel]

On 5/18/2020 at 1:39 PM, _R_ said:

Delbeke, Louis, in his "Harmonie Universelle Et Omniverselle Ou l'Absolu."

 

He wrote (and self-published; his widow was selling the things for ages afterwards...) a number of hefty tomes, in the same vein as Court, a verbose and eccentric sort of cosmogony, which mentions Tarot briefly in passing in this connection. Another volume has a fuller exegesis of ancient literature such as the Ramayana according to the Tarot. It is equally outlandish and not at all very instructive, except, perhaps, as a curious example of the multifarious uses to which the Tarot has been put.

The books are on Google Books or on the Internet Archive, but they are mentioned absolutely nowhere in the literature; I expect it was far too obscure to gain any notice, on the one hand, and the limited means of circulation for a self-published work didn't help any either.

 

Thank you for your information.

[_R_]

1 hour ago, Ix Chel said:

Thank you for your information.

I forgot to mention the curious fact that our Belgian friend draws attention to this anthropomorphic description of Europe, and likens it to a four-armed Hindu goddess. Although he does not name names or give sources, this is based on the theory emitted by É. Lévi that the four suits are related to Adda-Nari, e.g. see here.

[Guest]

I once compared the Four Suits to the four regions of the USA.

 

Swords for the East Coast (lots of intellectual-types in New England like writers)

 

Wands for the Deep South (a region of deeply religious farmers and hunters)

 

Cups for the West Coast (many compassionate artists and liberals)

 

Pentacles for the Midwest (farmers and laborers who provide crops and livestock)

Edited October 6, 2020 by Guest