Barajas espanolas anyone?

Nemia

I saw some time ago on a TV show a Cuban fortune teller who used cards I didn't know. I looked up the show on the Internet, took screen shots and wanted to ask here what deck it is - but then by some googling found out they're barajas espanolas, gorgeous Spanish playing cards.

They're mentioned here on AT very rarely, there are some people who have them. I'm very tempted to add them to my playing card collection (which I confess I don't do much with - but they're so much cheaper than tarot and wonderful to look at, and I keep coming back to them).

Any opinions, ideas, experiences, book tips, knowledge...?
 

baconwaffles

Oh yeah they're great. I grew up using them for games, briscas, we still play on occasions. I have just one set, they can be found everywhere in the Caribbean. The set I have my partner uses for divination. The great thing about them is that they are similar to marseille pips, instead of the french suits. The pips are bastons, espadas, oros, copa, or batons, swords, coins, cups. I have seen beautiful reproductions by fournier on the tarotbg site.
 

Nemia

Oh yes, I'm in love with Fournier Nr. 12... and the Neoclassical is gorgeous, too. Playing cards with TdM suit symbols, and such clear beautiful colours.

How did your partner learn to use them for divination?
 

baconwaffles

He uses the same method of reading tarot. It's more of a cartomantic approach instead of esoteric. So the suits have their elements, although in cartomancy it's traditionally different than tarot. Batons air, coins fire, swords earth and cups water. These elements are approached from a more practical perspective. Batons or clubs are used to build things, swords for digging and defence, fighting. Coins are mercurial fire, and are about cunning and exchange of money. Cups well never change. To be honest, he didn't learn from any specific place. We do exchange readings for fin between ourselves and in that way learn from each other, and he also has a madrina back home that reads the baraja as well. We have card readings with her as well. Dawn Jackson's hedgewytchery method is incredible for learning to read the baraja, in my opinion. Her site is now archived bit it can still be accessed. There are also threads on that here on aeclectic.

Also, the continental tarot tradition could be a nice addon. In line with Fournier's Gran Tarot Esoterico.
 

baconwaffles

Oh and enrique enriquez's method works great with the baraja as well.
 

Nemia

Oh, that's great information, thank you so much! Enough to get me started. I have to have those cards! I'm so glad I asked :)
 

Migdal93

Oh thanks for this thread! I just bought my spanish playing cards and it's hard finding links for those. I wonder if we can read them like the minor cards of the Marseille tarot?
 

baconwaffles

Oh thanks for this thread! I just bought my spanish playing cards and it's hard finding links for those. I wonder if we can read them like the minor cards of the Marseille tarot?
Well, that's how I read the barajas. Similar to how I read TDM while also keeping in mind the geometry and different arrangements of the pips. The baraja pips are arranged differently than the tdm.
 

Migdal93

Well, that's how I read the barajas. Similar to how I read TDM while also keeping in mind the geometry and different arrangements of the pips. The baraja pips are arranged differently than the tdm.

baconwaffles I'll keep that in mind! Not sure how to read the geometry though! But maybe some TdM books talk about that, I'll check!
 

baconwaffles

baconwaffles I'll keep that in mind! Not sure how to read the geometry though! But maybe some TdM books talk about that, I'll check!
Well, what I mean by the composition is how the cups, batons, or swords and coins are shaped and how those shapes work with the cards around them. In general, for me at least and in cartomancy in general, pips aren't read solo, they are read in combination. Try that out, and see how it works. Think about the tools themselves cups are for drinking, denote water, emotions, the heart, and how the cups are arranged and how that arrangement interacts with the cards around it. I would recommend my favorites and most direct and clear cartomancers, in my opinion, Camelia Elias and Enrique Enriquez. Also check Dawn Jackson's Hedgewytchery archive, there are threads here on aeclectic that talk about Dawn Jackson's approach as well.

It really is a lot of fun, a clear and pithy approach to fortune telling.