Hand symbols on cards???

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Nov 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Freddie	07 Nov 2001
Hi, I have noticed for years that certain persons painted on tarot cards have their hand posed in a gesture. The Hierphant in many decks has his four fingers split in the middle like a V. Does anyone know the symbolism of this? Also I see The Fool in the Swiss 1JJ pack doing the "I Love You" hand sign that is used in sign language today. Did it always mean that? I'm thinking it might mean "Kiss my you know what". LOL ..... Thanks, Freddie

tarotbear	08 Nov 2001
The Devil in the Rider has his hand lifted in what is described as an evil gesture- it looks like Spock's 'Live Long & Prosper' to me!

Mojo	08 Nov 2001
Freddie, The hand gesture on the Hierophant, which also appears on several other cards in the Waite-Smith deck, is one that was made popular by renaissance painters as a sign of holiness or of passing on a blessing. I believe there are some other ancient meanings to that particular gesture, but I can't recall them. As for the gesture on the fool, that comes from the middle ages and is called the "cuckold" and it is meant as an insult or a taunting... it generally refers to an unfaithful spouse, but it is also often meant to insult a man about his masculinity, or the lack of it.

Freddie	08 Nov 2001
Thanks, Freddie

Lightning	20 Nov 2001
Go to a search engine and search on MUDRAS. They are Buddhist hand gestures used during meditation and healing. I suspect that the hand gestures on the cards may be a carryover from a time when gesture had deep and universal meaning to everyone, on a "lighter" level: something like the language of flowers during the Victorian era, and hand gestures of baseball managers during a game! Most sites I checked out had many gestures shown with their meanings within Buddhist teachings.

The Hand symbols on cards??? thread was originally posted on 07 Nov 2001 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.