Soprafino tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

bodhran	30 Nov 2004
Just bought a Soprafino tarot (an early Christmas present :-). I was wondering if anyone knew of a book, website, etc. that explains the symbology of these beautiful cards. Thanks, Bodhran

WolfSpirit	01 Dec 2004
Hi bodhran, I am waiting for this deck in the mail. It is really a beauty, isn't it ? I found a few earlier threads on this deck, one thread has a book recommendation and a lot of links to websites as well, but I haven't had time to find out if it is all useful information. If you do a search you can find a lot more threads on this deck. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=31182&page=1&pp=10&highlight=soprafino http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28958&highlight=soprafino

bodhran	01 Dec 2004
Wolfspirit, Thanks so much for the threads. Those have led to others, which have led to others... Should keep me busy for awhile. Bodhran

Little Baron	01 Dec 2004
I have done searches on the web before and have found it very hard to find information about the Soprafino. I found a book recently that uses the very similar 'Classic' to illustrate (Tarot Planner by Lady Lorelei) but it has no discussion of the actual cards symbolism. It seems as though the author wasn't even looking at them; they seem steered towards Rider Waite meanings. Should you come up with anything, would be most interested to know. I love the Soprafino. I have used it by combining suit and number correspondances; also intuitively, so far. If there is a book or website, I am sure that Cerulean will know of it. Yabs Enjoy your deck!

punchinella	01 Dec 2004
On his marvelous website, Mark Filipas classifies Soprafino design as "lexicographic," like the design of Marseille decks . . . that is, he feels that the major arcana of these two particular decks, Soprafino & Marseille, may very well have been designed with alphabetic (specifically, Hebrew) considerations in mind. Jmd started a thread awhile back suggesting a possible logic behind why Marseille designers would have worked a Hebrew alphabet into a deck of cards (involving crypto-Jews in Huguenot France . . . don't know the thread location off-hand, but a search would probably bring it up.) As I understand it, the Filipas suggestion is that Gumppenberg understood the logic behind Marseille lexicography & took it one step further with his deck--that dinner-plate superimposed on his Moon card being a prime example of "one step further" . . . Fascinating stuff!! If you're at all interested, I'd highly recommend the website--again, I don't have the address off-hand :( (Oh, and Mark Filipas is also a member here at Aeclectic, so perhaps I should let him speak for himself :) )

WolfSpirit	01 Dec 2004
I found this thread started by Mark Filipas, and I think he refers to the website punchinella mentioned: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=24103&page=1&pp=10 For now this thread has enough reading matter for me I think :)

Tarot Sparrow	01 Dec 2004
I just ordered this as well--early Xmas present from my b/f :) It's wonderful isn't it? Actually I'm weird; when it comes to study decks, for me, (such as my Hudes, New Palladini, and classics like this Marseille and the Thoth) actually prefer not to use a book. That's odd, I know. I like to conjure up my own meanings because the decks are so historically rich and it's like making historical discoveries for myself you know :roll eyes: Oh who am I talking to? :) Hope you enjoy your deck!

The Soprafino tarot thread was originally posted on 30 Nov 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.