search for a tarot deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Jan 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

blashamma	16 Jan 2004
Hello, I am new to this forum. I joined because I have a specific request, but I have a feeling that I'll stay and join in with more! A while back, my sister gave me five tarot cards that she found in an apartment she moved in. I have recently been searching for these cards on the Internet. It's not that I want a full set or anything, but I would like to at least know a little bit about these cards. Things that I know about the cards: -They are at least ten years old (this is about when my sister gave them to me) -The cards are about 2 1/4" X 4 1/4". -The backs are a pale blue with a sun with a face on it (similar to those of medieval wood block prints) and a pattern of dots. This is by memory because I have these cards framed and the are really difficult to frame correctly. -The art is in muted colors- possibly watercolor with pen and ink-, and the style is similar to Renaissance art (however, it is not any Renaissance Tarot set that I have come across in my searches). -All of the five cards I have are major arcana. They have Roman Numerals at the top, and names at the bottom. -The cards have a beugy-gray mottled border that is approximately a quarter of an inch. The following is a highly detailed description of each card. - II The High Priestess a brunette woman sitting down on a appholsered bench. She has in her hands an open book. On her head is a gold and red three tiered crown with red flaps that come down on either side of her face. She wears a white dress with few embellishments, and over the dress is a full length cape that is red on the outside and gold on the inside with blue trim. Holding the cape on is a dark four-square brooche. her feet rest on a gold-trimmed blue pillow. Behind her head hanging is a blue tapestry in which the edges are overturned, showing that the back side is gold. The tapestry is trimmed in red, and has gold tassles hanging from the corners. - IIII The Emperor (I found it unusual that the numeral was written as it was and not as IV, but I know that that is how it was once.) This is a man sitting in a golden thrown. He is facing the left. The arms of his thrown are golden eagles, but only one is viewable due to the angle it is drawn. in his right hand, he holds a golden sceptor with a two-headed eagle. He wears a domed crown with many colors on it. he has a blue emroidered shirt on with gold embellishments. He has a red cape trimmed in white fur with black spots. He has green trousers and dark boots cuffed in red and gold. His right foot lies on a red pillow trimed in gold. - V Hierophant An older man with a whiote beard and moustache. He has a red and gold three-tiered crown(nearly the same as the High Priestess's) he is wearing a white dress with a gold and green full-length cape over it; the dress is trimmed at the bottom with a green design. In his left hand he holds a golden staff with a triple cross at the top. His right hand has two fingers up and is in front of his heart. Also, he is wearing white gloves. Across his waist is a golden sash with a red cross on it. behind his head on the wall is a white tapestry with swirly golden designs on it. It is trimmed in bluish-green and gold. IN front of him at his feet are four men. the one furthest left, all you can see is his chin, right cheek and nose. the one next to him is wearing a red shirt with a golden sash over his shoulder. His hands are in prayer position. The third man has white hair and a white shirt with a red shawl over his shoulder (much like the garb that Jesus is usually portrayed in). The fourth man is in the bottom right corner of the card. He is looking away from the Heirophant and seems to be looking at us. All that is visible is his head and a small part of his shoulder. - VI The Lovers At the top of the card is a red-haired cupid. He has a green blindfold on. Behind him is a whitish-gray cloud that has rays coming out of it. below him are three people. The first on the left is a man who looks like a king. He has a golden crown and a long red cape that is trimmed in white fur dotted in black. Aslo, he wears other green garments, but they are not very visible becasue of the angle he is standing. The king is looking up at cupid with a smile. Next to the king is a young man. This man has a helmet on, and a green and yellow stripped jerkin-like thing (I'm going to have to do more research on the clothing to get the appropriate name). he has a pink shirt on and orange tights. in his right hand, he is holding a dagger. Next to him is a woman who is wearing a green and red knee-length dress with gold trim. She has a white dress underneath which goes to her feet. the woman has red hair and a small green cap on her head. The woman and the young man are holding hands. The woman's right hand is over her heart. Also, Cupid's arrow is pointed at the woman. - XX Judgment Strangely, the font in which Judgment is written is different than the others. The top of the card shows a pink garbed angel appearing from behind dark clouds. Behind the angel is a dark sky. The angel is playing a trumpet. From the clouds come golden rays. below the angel is a brown and mountainous terrain with apparently naked people writhing in pain. At the very bottom of the picture is a man coming out of a hole in the ground; He is not facing us. to the right of him is an old woman covering her ears. She is looking towards us. Between the man and the woman is a red arrow that points to the bottom right corner of the card. Those are the cards I have. Any help anyone can give me would be highly appreciated. Thank you. I appologise for the typos. Please e-mail me if you have any questions.

Cerulean	16 Jan 2004
La Papessa is the third from the left: http://www.trigono.com/tarots/tarocco_soprafino.htm Judgment is second to the last, scroll down: http://it.geocities.com/a_pollett/cards3.htm The Tarocco Soprafino is available, either a low cost edition called the Neoclassical Tarots by Lo Scarabeo or just called Della Rocca or Tarocco Soprafino. You didn't say if the deck was unlaminated or not. I don't know which Italian edition that you have, but perhaps the two links above and the names mentioned will help complete your deck. Mari Hoshizaki

Cerulean	16 Jan 2004
Lovers, scroll down http://www.villarevak.org/td/td_3.htm Emporer, last card http://www.tarothermit.com/emperor.htm The Heirophant from the Neoclassical, which is a less expensive edition than the Il Menghello edition: http://www.tarotpassages.com/classicalV.jpg The old style Milanese or Italian tarots use the term "Pope" or Papa, not Heirophant. If this is what you were looking for, hope this helps. Mari H.

Majecot	16 Jan 2004
blashamma Hello and Welcome! Those are beautiful descriptions of your cards.. too bad is it only five. I love that you framed them. I am not familar with that deck,but I am sure some one will come along that is, that is, if Mari hasn't already pegged it. :D Do you have a deck that you read with as well?

blashamma	17 Jan 2004
Thank you so much Mari_Hoshizaki! Those are the exact pictures! I am so excited! I don't know what laminated or non laminanted means, well, I don't think I know in this situation. I'd imagine it's non- laminated because the cards are thin and... not shiny. Also, Majecot, thank you for you compliments. I have two that I use. I use the Aqaurian Tarot by David Palladini- it is the most beautiful tarot set I have ever seen! I also have an unnamed set by Shirley Barker. I don't like the pictures much, but it was my first set, and it's special to me because I had a dream about tarot cards the day before I saw them. And when I bought my second pack, I sort of felt like I was betraying my first one, but I think they are friends now and all is ok. HA HA HA! I suppose I sound like a kook! Oh well, I get that all the time. Thank you so much for everything!

Majecot	17 Jan 2004
blashamma, Don't you worry about being a kook around here:) I felt the same way when I got my second, third, forth, and well... so on. Mari does good research :D doesn't she.

Logiatrix	17 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by blashamma ...I use the Aqaurian Tarot by David Palladini- it is the most beautiful tarot set I have ever seen... YEAH!!! Let's here it for the Aquarian Tarot! Woo-Hoo!!! :D :D :D :D (BTW, Welcome, blashamma... ;) )

The search for a tarot deck thread was originally posted on 16 Jan 2004 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.