crone
I learned the Tarot over 45 years ago from my Iranian room mate who gracious shared the traditions and reading skills as she had been taught her through oral tradition. I learned using a deck of playing cards because at the time it was very difficult to obtain a "proper" tarot deck, and even more difficult to find anything available in English (or German, which I also read and speak) on its use and origins.
One of the things that caught my attention early on were what I’ve come to refer to as "folk" designations given to certain cards and suits. I know it has become popular to fashion titles and images for individual cards and suits, but I am looking for information on card/suit designations used in folk tradition and taught as part of a shared or rembered oral tradition rather than from literary or scholarly traditions such as those fashioned by the Golden Dawn, Crowley, or Levi.
For example, I was taught that the suit referred to popularly as Pentacles is not the suit of material realtionships and wealth, (although this can be part of it) but primarily, the suit involves earth magic and its mastery the echos of which meaning may have influenced the popular choice of the pentagram, or pentacle, as signifier for this suit.
Another example is the “folk” name of certain court or pip cards; I was taught that the King of Swords is known as the Destroyer (Shvia), Sadist (or later the Marquis de Sade), the Six of Cups as unrequited love (or, later, the Card of Romeo and Juliette), the Page of Swords, the warrior maiden (Amazon), Valkryia,(or later, Jean d'Arc), the Queen of Swords as "She who cannot be turned" (one the the fates such as Atropos “one who cuts the thread”, or even the Goddess Kali Ma.
This "folk" knowledge is often found in how various cards relate or interact with each other: I was taught that the Queen of Pentacles (earth magic, and realm of the senses) was both the Crone (the Eternal Return) of the Goddess triad, and dark side (sister) of the Priestess (aesthetic and spiritual realm) and Maiden of the Goddess triad. And finally, the Queen of Cups (realm of the emotions) may represent the Mother, or Source of Life (the well) in the goddess triad. In the oldest grail and quest legends, we see how Guinevere is presented as a "white" sorceress (Priestess or May Queen), while her husband's sister, Morgan(na) (Queen of Pentacles) is the "dark" sorceress and her rival (also, Hel, Hecate, the Gate (Samain).
Would anyone like to share any oral tradition/information regarding the cards? It does not matter if it is fortune-telling related, since I am finding a lot of "truth" cutting both ways. Thanks so much, and thank you for welcoming me into the circle! Bright Blessings!
One of the things that caught my attention early on were what I’ve come to refer to as "folk" designations given to certain cards and suits. I know it has become popular to fashion titles and images for individual cards and suits, but I am looking for information on card/suit designations used in folk tradition and taught as part of a shared or rembered oral tradition rather than from literary or scholarly traditions such as those fashioned by the Golden Dawn, Crowley, or Levi.
For example, I was taught that the suit referred to popularly as Pentacles is not the suit of material realtionships and wealth, (although this can be part of it) but primarily, the suit involves earth magic and its mastery the echos of which meaning may have influenced the popular choice of the pentagram, or pentacle, as signifier for this suit.
Another example is the “folk” name of certain court or pip cards; I was taught that the King of Swords is known as the Destroyer (Shvia), Sadist (or later the Marquis de Sade), the Six of Cups as unrequited love (or, later, the Card of Romeo and Juliette), the Page of Swords, the warrior maiden (Amazon), Valkryia,(or later, Jean d'Arc), the Queen of Swords as "She who cannot be turned" (one the the fates such as Atropos “one who cuts the thread”, or even the Goddess Kali Ma.
This "folk" knowledge is often found in how various cards relate or interact with each other: I was taught that the Queen of Pentacles (earth magic, and realm of the senses) was both the Crone (the Eternal Return) of the Goddess triad, and dark side (sister) of the Priestess (aesthetic and spiritual realm) and Maiden of the Goddess triad. And finally, the Queen of Cups (realm of the emotions) may represent the Mother, or Source of Life (the well) in the goddess triad. In the oldest grail and quest legends, we see how Guinevere is presented as a "white" sorceress (Priestess or May Queen), while her husband's sister, Morgan(na) (Queen of Pentacles) is the "dark" sorceress and her rival (also, Hel, Hecate, the Gate (Samain).
Would anyone like to share any oral tradition/information regarding the cards? It does not matter if it is fortune-telling related, since I am finding a lot of "truth" cutting both ways. Thanks so much, and thank you for welcoming me into the circle! Bright Blessings!