marseille - coins

i have been wondering for a long time about the number of leaves of the flower in the middle in all the coins cards. also, different decks have different numbers of leaves.
the outside leaves on the coins, they are yellow in all decks, also differ in number.
any ideas?
and then i also wonder about the colors of the stems and the flowers of the decoration in the different decks.
as example, i used 3 coins, for comparision, look here: http://home.hccnet.nl/k.van.rijn/3coins/Marseille3coins.htm

~kaz

Kaz: Jean-Claude Flornoy once quoted the following (I'll translate it after quoting the original French):

"nous découvrons les sept couleurs symboliques que nous retrouverons dans tous les tarots anciens; couleurs définies, entre autres, par la vieille phrase traditionnelle, encore chantée aujourd'hui par les compagnons du devoir :

Blanches, les larmes de Maître Jacques
Noire, la terre qui l'a porté
Rouge, le sang qu'il a versé
Bleus, les coups qu'il a reçus
Jaune, la persévérance
Verte, l'espérance"

Translation: "we discover the seven symbolic colours that we find in all the historical tarot decks: colours defined, amongst others, by an old traditional poem, still sung today by the companions:

White, the tears of Maîtres Jacques
Black, the earth that carried him
Red, the blood he shed
Blue, the knocks he received
Yellow, the perseverence
Green, the hope".

As to the colours of the stems and flowers: my personal opinion is that Camoin and Jodorowsky's colours don't make much sense. They may have good reasons to have done this, but they do not explain it properly on their web-site. I could go to one of Camoin's courses, but I have friends who attended them and after hearing of their experiences, I have decided not to.

Hadar's choice of colours is remarkably sensible.

Myself, I don't attach much importance to the actual number of the leaves (maybe I should) - to me it is more important to know that there are leaves and where they are placed, and if there are few or many. The flowers are of vital importance to me: are they open, closed, what form do they have, and how different are they compared to the preceding card and the following card. I do attach importance as to the colour of the flower, according to my interpretation of the colour scheme in the Tarot of Marseilles.

Hmm. I haven't really answered your question, have I. I have just been rambling like I often do.

I wonder if this thread shouldn't be moved to the Historical Section. I will have to ask a moderator.

not really, but thats ok

i feel there is some idea behind the different numbers though, i just havent discovered what exactly.

~kaz

LOL - I thought you were going to say that!

Would it help if I reminded you that the main function of leaves is photosynthesis? Converting light energy into stored energy? So the more leaves, the more energy can be converted and be used. They are reservoirs of energy.

thats a good reminder if the leaves are green, only green leaves do photosynthesis if i remember correctly.
looking at those coins, these are flowerleaves, the colored ones from the flower itself. you make me doubt my knowledge about biology here, do flowerleaves do photosynthesis?
i thought they were for attracting insects so they can reproduce.
ok, so the more leaves the more reproductive energy......hmm

~kaz

If I remember correctly, colored leaves are for, like you said, to attract pollen-bearers for the purposes of reproduction. I think that they may also serve the dual purpose of reverse photosynthesis (or "dark osmosis"), at night, when they convert oxygen directly into ATP instead of CO2 => O2 => ATP when H2O condenses on the plant itself.

kilts_knave said:

If I remember correctly, colored leaves are for, like you said, to attract pollen-bearers for the purposes of reproduction. I think that they may also serve the dual purpose of reverse photosynthesis (or "dark osmosis"), at night, when they convert oxygen directly into ATP instead of CO2 => O2 => ATP when H2O condenses on the plant itself.

Click to expand...

Wow, thanks! A whole new way of interpreting Marseille leaves opens up to me

fun with patterns

Tarot de Marseille Denier Patterns - Aeclectic Tarot Forum
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=35161

kilts_knave said:

If I remember correctly, colored leaves are for, like you said, to attract pollen-bearers for the purposes of reproduction. I think that they may also serve the dual purpose of reverse photosynthesis (or "dark osmosis"), at night, when they convert oxygen directly into ATP instead of CO2 => O2 => ATP when H2O condenses on the plant itself.

Click to expand...

This was a lot of fun to see here! Biology at the university level
really inspired me (though I drifted off into English Literature...).
I wonder how many people know how a plant gets water from its
roots up to its leaves? Science is as ancient as the first flowers.

Fulgour said:

I wonder how many people know how a plant gets water from its roots up to its leaves? Science is as ancient as the first flowers.

Click to expand...

Capillary action