Chrystella
I also recommend the book. I bought a paperback version via Amazon and that comes with the Kindle version as a free add-on.
To give you an idea of how he handles the pips, here's the entry on the 4 of Wands from his CBD tarot, which is pictured here.
You may not find clear meanings for many details in Marseille decks the way we find them for Golden Dawn decks. I just don't think Marseille decks are that esoteric. I think they're more rooted in time and place and you can learn a lot about them by studying life in Europe during the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
For example, La Papesse may refer to Pope Joan, a legend that would have been familiar to the people of those eras. Or, like in the Visconti-Sforza, she might represent Sister Maifreda da Pirovano or Saint Guglielma. I don't want to digress too much. My point is that knowing a little history goes a long way with the TdM and that might be a better avenue that trying to discover what the meaning of a particular flower is.
To give you an idea of how he handles the pips, here's the entry on the 4 of Wands from his CBD tarot, which is pictured here.
The static number 4 freezes the movement of the dynamic wands. The four wands are interlocked so that none of them can easily move. The plant decorations are rich and flowing but the spreading red shapes may hint at suppressed energy and tension. The top flower seems to be older than the bottom one, perhaps indicating that things continue to evolve under the surface immobility.
Interpretation: A temporary rest, preparing base for future advancement. Time to enjoy previous achievements. Change will come, but not right now. Existing tensions are the source for new and creative moves. In a conflict: a stalemate. It may be dangerous or harmful to move now.
You may not find clear meanings for many details in Marseille decks the way we find them for Golden Dawn decks. I just don't think Marseille decks are that esoteric. I think they're more rooted in time and place and you can learn a lot about them by studying life in Europe during the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
For example, La Papesse may refer to Pope Joan, a legend that would have been familiar to the people of those eras. Or, like in the Visconti-Sforza, she might represent Sister Maifreda da Pirovano or Saint Guglielma. I don't want to digress too much. My point is that knowing a little history goes a long way with the TdM and that might be a better avenue that trying to discover what the meaning of a particular flower is.