The suits, upright

Note: This post last modified Jan. 19 2017, to remove some extraneous material in Papus along the sides of his cards which do not correspond to what is in the 3rd Cahier.

I continue now translating Etteilla's 3rd Cahier, resuming at the point where he starts giving the upright meanings of the suit cards. Again, I am adding material from other sources after what Etteilla says about each meaning, mostly from English translations of the keywords and the lists made up by his followers. If I add nothing, it is because they are all the same as what I put. For easy reference, these are:

S = Stockman’s translation of the Etteilla material in Papus’s Tarot Divinatoire. For trumps and number cards, there is one keyword and then a word-list for both upright and reversed meanings, of which I only give a few. For the courts, there is a keyword on top and also some words along the right side of Papus's cards; the latter have no basis in the 3rd Cahier and are not included here.

R = Revak’s translations of Papus word-lists, at http://www.villarevak.org/td/td_1.htm

F = the keywords in English and French on the 1969 France Cartes (Grimaud) deck, for which the French keywords of the 20 cards shown in Decker, Dummett, and Depaulis's Wicked Pack of Cards correspond exactly.

D = the keywords in English and French in the booklet that comes with Dusserre’s edition of the Grand Etteilla III (entitled Tarot Egyptien, Grand Jeu de l”oracle des Dames)

DDD = Decker, Dummett, and Depaulis, Wicked Pack of Cards. They give nothing for the courts. When they show the card-image, and the French keyword is different from F, I give the French as well. This only occurs in one instance (out of 20 cards), card 29.

c. 1840 = French only, "Julia Orsini," Le Grand Etteilla, ou L'Art de Tirer les Cartes, which has same keywords as D plus word-lists for both upright and reversed

An additional difficulty is that Etteilla now adds a second set of footnotes, which he puts at the end of his list. Since it is not easy here to flip back and forth between pages, I am moving these to the same blog-page as their originals, after the ones indicated with asterisks (*). These additional footnotes have to do with how to interpret the card in relation to other cards that may have come up in the reading. We are starting with the last sentence on p. 14 of the original, which seems like an introduction to what follows even though it is not a new paragraph. For my explanation of why "staves" for bâtons, see toward the end of my introduction, about the suits.

Quote:

We are going to pass to the 56 minor Hieroglyphs, taken up under the primary four faces, which have all the numbers relative to the high Sciences, or second Human sciences. (*14) Staves [bâtons] in their positions. Situs. [Latin for "Situated"; it might be his term for "Upright"] N. 22. King of stave [bâton], this is a man. [S countryman... Conscience; R Man of the Country...conscientious; F & D Homme de Campagne = F Country Gentleman, D The Country Man] N. 23. The Lady, this is a woman. [S countrywoman...gentleness, virtue; R Woman of the Country...Gentleness, Virtue; F & D Femme de Campagne = F Country Lady, D The Country woman] N. 24. The Knight, means Departure (1). [S departure; R same; F & D Départ = Departure] N. 25. The Page, Good Stranger [or foreigner]. [S stranger or foreigner; R Stranger; F Étranger = Stranger; D Bon Étranger = Good Stranger. See also Etteilla, 4th Cahier Supplement, p. 145, where he says "étranger: nous y avons mal-à-propre ajouté le mot bon = stranger [or foreigner]: we have inappropriately added the word good, and p. 147, where he changes the keyword to Étranger without the Bon. Bon also has the sense of the English "decent." Patreekotheartist suggests "kind stranger." In my view that would be "gentil"; however, that's what a decent stranger would be.] N. 26. 10 of batons, Betrayal. [R & D; Treason] N. 27. 9, Delay. [S in list: lateness, delay] N. 28. 8, Party in the country. [S in list, R countryside . . . pleasure; F & DDD Campagne = Country; D Partie de Campagne = Country Party] N. 29. 7, Prattle [Fr. Caquets]. [S Gossip; S in list negotiation; R Discussion; F & D Pourparlers = F Negotiations; D Preliminary Talks; DDD Pour Parler = Negotiations] [See also 4th Cahier Supplement, p. 145: Nous avons pas eu assez recours aux terms génériques, ayant mis caquet au lieu de paroles, &c. Les paroles ne devant se voir que comme pour parler utile, ou comme bavarderie, suivant les cartes qui accompagnent celles qui signifient [i]paroles/i]. = We did not have enough recourse to generic terms, having put prattle in place of words. The words around it seeing whether as useful speech or as prattle, following the cards that accompany those that signify words. On p. 147 he gives "Pour Parler. Paroles" as keyword for the 7.] N. 30. 6, Domestic [Fr. Domestique]. [S Servants, in list domestic servant; R Domestic Worker; DDD Domestic] [In the 4th Cahier Supplement p. 146, Etteilla adds that this can be augmented to "un inférieur", i.e. an inferior, depending on surrounding cards. However he did not put this change in the list of keyword changes that follows.] N. 31. 5, means Gold. N. 32. 4, Society [Fr. Societé. [S Company; DDD Social Success ] N. 33. 3, Enterprise. [S Enterprise; in list, to undertake; R Enterprise, Begin; F & D, Enterprises = Enterprises; DDD Enterprises] N. 34. 2, Sorrow. [S & D Sadness; R Chagrin] N. 35. 1, Birth. The Cups in their positions, Situs. [Latin for situated; the meaning is "as situated," i.e. upright.] N. 36. King of cups, Fair-haired man. [S: fair (haired) man, honest man. . . Art, Science; R Fair Man, Honest Man... Arts, Sciences; F & D Homme Blond = Blond Man] N. 37. The Lady, Fair-haired woman. [S: fair (haired) woman, honest woman... wisdom; R Fair Woman, Honest Woman.... Wisdom; F & D Femme Blonde = Blond Woman] N. 38. The Knight, Arrival (2). N. 39. The Page, Fair-haired boy. [S: fair-haired youth, studious; R Fair Young Man, Studious; F blond boy, D Fair-haired boy.] N. 40. 10 of cups, The town [ville] where one is. [S: the town where you are; in list: town, city; R Town, City; F & DDD La Ville = The City; D La Ville = Town] N. 41. 9. Victory. N. 42. 8. Fair-haired girl. [S Fair Girl, in list fair-haired girl, practical girl, honor; R Fair Girl, Honest Girl, Honor; F & D & DDD Blond Girl] N. 43. 7. Thought [Fr. La Pensée] (3). [D La Pensée =Thoughts] N. 44. 6. The past (4). N. 45. 5. Inheritance. [S Heritage, in list inheritance...heritage; R Legacy...Heritage] N. 46. 4. Boredom (5). [D Ennui = Troubles] N. 47. 3. Success. N. 48. 2. Love. N. 49. 1. Table. [S in list Table, Meal; R Table, Meal; F Table = Gastronomy] ________________________________ *14. I will give the reason for all these divisions, not in the style of the Ancients, but according to the knowledge of the Cabalists.

Footnote 14 seems to me quite important. He is not claiming an Egyptian origin specifically for his interpretations of the suit cards. Rather, they come from the “Cabalistes”, which I think means not the Jewish mystics, but those in Europe of his time and before who practiced a largely hidden tradition that combined Jewish-based mysticism, alchemy, Pythagoreanism, and perhaps other doctrines and practices--everything they imagined as part of the prisca theologia, the ancient theology. The ancient Egyptians would have been close to that source. Card-reading with the Italian deck of 56 cards was part of that tradition, he seems to be saying.

Now here are the Swords upright meanings. From there he goes on to Coins. We are on p.

Quote:

The swords in their positions. Nº. 50. The King of sword, Man of the Law (*15). [S on side: Warrior, Man of Action, Man of Justice, Dark or Red-Haired Man; S in list: man of the cloth; R Man of the Law; F Man of Law; D Legal Profession] Nº. 51. The Lady, Widowhood (6). Nº. 52. the Knight, Soldier, Man of the sword, by estate. [S soldier, with swordsman second; R Soldier, Man with a Sword; F Soldier; D Military] Nº. 53. the Page [Valet], this is a Spy. Nº. 54. the 10 of Swords, Tears. [S Weeping, F Sorrow] Nº. 55. the 9. Cleric. [S Man of the Cloth, S in list: celibate...priest...monk or other religious devotee; R unmarried person...priest...monk...religious person; F Priest, D Clerical; DDD Ecclesiastic] Nº. 56. the 8. Illness said of N. [S Damage, S in list criticism, unfortunate position, critical moment; R Criticism.. Regrettable Situation, Critical Moment; F Critique = Criticism; D Critique = Critical; DDD Criticism] [In the 4th Cahier Supplement, p. 147, he changes this, or perhaps adds to it: "Moralement et physiquement. Lepre" = "Morally and physically. Leper.".] Nº. 57. the 7. Hope. [F Esperance = Expectation] Nº. 58. the 6. Envoy, Messenger. [S route....envoy, agent; R Road ...Envoy, Messenger; F and D, Route = Journey; DDD Journey] Nº. 59. the 5. Loss. Nº. 60. the 4. Solitude. [F Solitude = Loneliness; DDD Loneliness] Nº. 61. the 3. Nun [Religieuse] (*16). [S Nun as keyword, in list distance ... disdain; R Estrangement [Removal]; F & D Eloignement = F Separation, D Removal; DDD Separation] [In the 4th Cahier supplement, p. 148, he adds Vestale, or "filles et femmes solitaire, ou qui se cloîtroient chez les premiers Egyptiens" = "solitary girls and women, or who cloistered themselves, for the first Egyptians"] Nº. 62. the 2. Friendship. Nº. 63. the 1. Crazy Love (*17). [S Extreme; R, F, D Extrème = Extreme] [In the 4th Cahier Supplement, p. 148, he changes the wording to "Extrême, avec Passion" = Extreme, with Passion"; DDD Pregnancy--which is the reversed keyword everywhere else.] The coins in their positions. Nº. 64. The King of coin, Dark-haired Man. [S: dark man, merchant; R Dark Man, Shopkeeper] Nº. 65. the Lady, Dark-haired Woman. [S in list, R: dark woman, opulence] Nº. 66. the Knight, Helpful man. [S useful; R Utility; F & D Utilité = F Usefulness; D Utility] [In 4th Cahier supplement, p. 148 he changes keyword to: "Objet, chose utile" = "Useful object, thing."] Nº. 67. the Page [Valet], Dark-haired boy. [S dark-haired boy, study; R A Dark Youth, Economy] Nº. 68. the 10. The house. [D Home] Nº. 69. the 9. Effect. [R Result; F Effet = Bills, DDD Bill of Goods, D Effect] Nº. 70. the 8. Dark-haired girl. [S dark-haired, passive; R A Dark Girl, Passive; F Fille Brune = Dark Girl, D Brown-haired girl; DDD Dark girl] Nº. 71. the 7. Money. [DDD A little money] Nº. 72. the 6. The present. [S in list: currently] Nº. 73. the 5. Lovers or Mistress (7). [S Lover or master; S in list lover, mistress; R Lover, Mistress; F & D Amant ou Amante = F Lovers; D Lover; DDD Lovers] Nº. 74. the 4. It's a gift. [S in list present, gift; R Charity, Present; F & D & DDD A Gift] Nº. 75. the 3. Nobility. [S Nobility; S in list noble, important; R Important, Noble; F & D Noble = Noble; DDD Noble] Nº. 76. the 2. Embarrassment. [S Embarrassment/ Awkward Position /Confusion; S in list difficulty, obstacle; R Embarrassment, Obstacle; F Difficulties; D Trouble] Nº. 77. the 1. Perfect contentment. [F Absolute Harmony; DDD Perfect joy] ________________________________ *15. For the Egyptians of the reign of the true Mercury, those who commanded the Armies rendered justice, treated the sick and served at the Temples during peace. *16. The Egyptians received as Vestals only those whose nature was unshaped; that was very rare. *17. Crazy love; to moderate it, work 18 hours daily plowing [aux labours]; the remedy is Egyptian. ________________________________ (1) Departure, is not a figure; but the departure of the card which follows it. (2) Arrival, Idem [the same]. (3) Thought; one sees on whom it falls; example, 54 [Tears], 53 [Spy], 43 [Thought], one says: you spy on somebody to make him or her shed tears, etc. (4) The Past: if one sees 18 [betrayal], 44 [the past], one says, in the past you committed a hideous betrayal, for which you have a thousand regrets; or on the contrary, 44 [the past], 18 [betrayal], 51 (this last number reversed) [wicked woman]: a wicked woman betrayed you in the past. (5) Boredom (*20); 56 [illness said of N] 46 [boredom], your boredom will make, or is making, or has made, you fall ill; because it is always necessary to see which time is marked in the sheets [or cards; Fr. lames] that came; 46, 56, your illness carries you too much into boredom. (6) Widowhood is not a figure, but purely an event: 8 [female enquirer], 51 [widowhood], 1 [male inquirer], the man will die before the woman: 1, 51, 8. the Husband will remain a widower: 8, 1, 51, they will both go one right after the other, the Husband taking the lead. (7) Lover or Mistress: when the sheets [or cards] are being read for a man, and when 73 [lover or mistress] follows, it is an announcement that he has a mistress; so, for a woman, one says to her that she has a Lover.