Sets of additional symbols put onto the cards

Greetings everybody,

it may be a little conceited for a newbie like me to make, as a first post, a new thread on such a vast and complex topic (especially since I'm mostly asking for help with it rather than providing any info myself), but I've tried browsing the board for a couple days, and finding no dedicated thread I decided to register so I could get one started.

So! Without further ado, what is this thread about? Basically I'd like for everybody to list here (and possible provide moderately detailed explanations or links to them) all kind of stuff that can be found on the border of tarot decks (especially, but not necessarily, those found on more than just one deck).

The most obvious would clearly be:
Astrology symbols (constellations-planets)
Jewish Letters
Seasons
Cardinal Directions
Times (of the day or from the reading)

There are of course plenty of threads dedicated to these (though I'd like a link to a reference table for what each letter signifies)

Then there are more obscure ones (to me at least), such as:
Elemental triangles (as seen on the tarot of color http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-of-color/)
Iching symbols (of which I only know the name; found on Quest Tarot http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/quest/)
Numbers of all kinds (as seen on the tarot numerologico http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/numerologico/)
Runes (found tweakedon Quest Tarot http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/quest/ information on the original can be found here http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/meanings.html thanks to SunChariot)
Various other alphabets (anybody has a list? Two decks that use the same foreign alphabeths are http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/enoil-gavat/ and http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/stairs-of-gold/)

And then there's three which may be a Quest Tarot (http://www.questtarot.com/) exclusive, and are explained on that site (among free downloads):
Gemstones
Court Cards' Physical Traits
Yes/No signs

And I've also read (on this forum) about four worlds and a number (12?) of paths. Where do I go for the basics on those?

Anyway I've gone through the decks archive here at Aeclectic Tarot, and took note of all decks that have this sort of features. Here's links to all of their pages (including those linked above):
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/soul-mandala/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/magic/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-of-color/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/numerologico/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/enoil-gavat/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/stairs-of-gold/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/magow/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/quest/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/egyptian/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/holy-tot/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/egipcios-kier/

Can you guys help me understand them? The ideal would be both explanation of how they work as well as how these symbols came to be on the cards (when they have old roots, like the runes).

Ideally, this thread could serve as a guide to all newbs like me who develop an interest for these extra features. If enough explanations (either posted here or linked to) are given, I believe it may even grow into a worthy "Note" thread.
If, on another hand, it actually sucks, then feel free to burninate me for asking so much info on my first post
Oh, and if I put it in the wrong subsection, or if the mods feel the title isn't clear enough feel free to change that (but if you do, please PM me ^_^)

Wow, Duke Serkol! Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I checked out the website you mentioned, (among the many you mentioned)- the Quest Tarot (http://www.questtarot.com/) & it looks to be an amazing deck. I am finding myself extremely interested in buying the deck--do you have it by chance, yourself? I think I'll be investing in this purchase immediately!

I'm going to check out the other sites both you and SunChariot mentioned tomorrow as well, but right now, bed calls................

I erased my post as I had just noticed that it spoke of Runes and I-Ching and they were already mentioned in the original post.

But in case anyone still needs the Rune sites I listed, here they are again:

http://www.runemaker.com/futhark/reading.shtml

http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/meanings.html

http://www.sanfords.net/learn_runes/Rune_meanings_Divination_Fortunes.htm

As for Runes, I have Rune stones (look like polished stones with the letters painted on) adn Rune staves (kindof shaped like popsicle sticks with the letters carved in). I don't know if they come in any other formats, but I find they read well. I have use them as well as my Tarot and Oracles.

As for the I-Ching, it usually uses either coins or yarrow sticks. There is an Oracle deck that is the visual representation of the I-Ching (in card format). It's the Tao Oracle. I personally find it very good, and it modernizes the meanings of the I-Ching symbols with makes them a lot easeir to make sense of.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tao-oracle/

I'll leave this here this time, in case anyone needs it.



Bar

Firstly, Welcome to the forum Duke Serkol. If you introduced yourself as a new member people would rush to your request I am sure. Enjoy the forum, as you have searched, you will see there is an interesting group here. Have fun.
The Ancient Egyptian Tarot by Clive Barett has Hieroglyphics around the border and the cards themselves are formatted in size to Sacred Geometry.
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/ancient-egyptian/

~Rosanne

too big a question but...

Greetings, Duke Serkol ~ Welcome to Aeclectic Tarot!

I see you come from...

Yuggoth... is a strange dark orb at the very rim of our solar system... There are mighty cities on Yuggoth—great tiers of terraced towers built of black stone... The sun shines there no brighter than a star, but the beings need no light. They have other subtler senses, and put no windows in their great houses and temples... The black rivers of pitch that flow under those mysterious cyclopean bridges—things built by some elder race extinct and forgotten before the beings came to Yuggoth from the ultimate voids—ought to be enough to make any man a Dante or Poe if he can keep sane long enough to tell what he has seen...

H. P. Lovecraft ~ "The Whisperer in Darkness"

celticnoodle said:

Wow, Duke Serkol! Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I checked out the website you mentioned, (among the many you mentioned)- the Quest Tarot (http://www.questtarot.com/) & it looks to be an amazing deck. I am finding myself extremely interested in buying the deck--do you have it by chance, yourself?

Click to expand...

You're welcome ^_^
However those other links are to images within the Aeclectic Tarot database. And no, I don't have that deck.

Thanks for the links SunChariot! I'll add the second one (seems the best out of the three) to my first post. I'll continue to do so if I get any more useful links, so that it may become a quick and simple reference guide
Uhm, so runes are typically 24 eh? Looks like the author of Quest Tarot toyed with them a bit to make them suit his needs (since he has 23 trumps).

I've seen the page for Tao Oracle, but that didn't help very much in understanding the origin of I-ching or how they may be applied to tarot (too bad that guide was not among free downloads on Quest Tarot, eh?)

Rosanne said:

Firstly, Welcome to the forum Duke Serkol. If you introduced yourself as a new member people would rush to your request I am sure.

Click to expand...

I... thought I did..? Anyway, thank you ^_^

Rosanne said:

The Ancient Egyptian Tarot by Clive Barett has Hieroglyphics around the border and the cards themselves are formatted in size to Sacred Geometry.

Click to expand...

I see... but are they applied with a meaningful criteria, or are they there just to make it more Egyptian-ish? And what's Sacred Geometry?
Anyway, yeah, I forgot the Egyptian decks. There's three of them with various symbols:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/egyptian/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/holy-tot/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/egipcios-kier/
The last one I actually own... but can't find it at the moment >_<
I'll add them too to the list in my first post.

I also remembered a few more things that can be found/read from the cards: Seasons
Cardinal Directions
Times (of the day or from the reading)

Added them to the first post.

That's right Fulgour, but let me tell you, the place ain't nearly as bad as Uncle H.P.L. makes it sound. Except for being so darn chilly all of the year...
The Fungi too are rather nice once you get to know them. They actually attached an internet connection to my vat, which is how I'm talking to you now. I kinda miss my limbs though... all six of them.

Yes welcome Duke Serkol, and what an wonderful first post!

A couple of things... I believe that Rosanne was referring to introducing yourself in the New Members forum, (correct me if I'm wrong Rosanne). Also the moderators don't change, edit or remove posts without notifying the poster by PM.

This is very interesting as I was asked a similar question last night at the Tea & Tarot meeting that I run. We were discussing personality/year/hidden/karmic cards and years, and one woman asked where this information came from. Who first thought of this and why and how is it used in Tarot. Great question!

Likewise with the use of symbols in cards... why, who and how.

My own view is that Tarot cards can be read without any relation to crystals, astrology, Kabalah etc, but all of these things give insight. Where do they take over though? I have a friend who is an excellent Astrologist but doesn't read tarot. She gave her take on 4 cards last night. Strength, The Moon, 8 of Cups and 8 of Batons. It was amazing... and all of that from an Astrological perspective.

Of course these things are not necessary to Tarot,and they can only be helpful as long as they don't come to dictate a reading, no argument there.
After all, not everybody agreess even on the way planets and constellations are associated to cards... and that's really the way it should be.
If every possible meaning and association was set into stone... what purpose would a reader be? What of interpretation? (A word that in itself means to give significance to that which lacks a pre-determined one).

But if used without mathematical certainty, these symbols can be quite helpful (It can become difficult to keep in mind all these meanings for as many as 78 cards), and really they just intrigue me for what they are: arcane symbols used to customize a deck without changing its essence.
In fact, as I wrote down in my profile, I'm actually considering making a deck myself, which is why I'm researching this: to decide whether or not to include some symbols like these, which ones exactly and how. (So far, I'm inclined toward seasons, elements, the alphabeth and maybe a set of runes).

If you don't mind, I'll now try to ask a few questions...

1) I know that the suits are associated to elements (usually wands=fire, cups=water, swords=air, coins=earth), but what of the trumps?

2) This one was in my first post but may have been unnoticed: I've read (on this forum) about four worlds and a number (12?) of paths. Where do I go for the basics on those?

3) I've identified and listed most of the stuff found on those decks linked to in my first post, but still can't figure out some of the symbols on these 2
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/enoil-gavat/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/magow/
Can anybody help with that?

Duke Serkol said:

And I've also read (on this forum) about four worlds and a number (12?) of paths. Where do I go for the basics on those?

Click to expand...

This sounds like the four worlds of Qaballa (there are several variations of the spelling- starting with "K" "C" "Q" and "Qu" with 2 L's or only 1 L. Different spellings (apparently) refer to differing systems. Honestly, I'm not sure that all 8 spellings I refer to above are even in use- but you can try all the variations if you want to search for more information.

Qaballistic attributions in tarot are based on the Tree of Life and the 22 "paths" of the tree of life. Because there happens to be as many paths on the tree of life as there are cards of the Major Arcana, many have been led to believe that tarot was based on Qaballa. Others think of it as another layer of meaning that can be used in a reading but not necessarily part of the original design- still others don't think that there is any relationship, and to try to force one system into the other system is a red herring.

There is far too much info to go into in any detail here (and it would drag the thread pretty far off topic to boot). Suffice it to say that both Hebrew letters and/or diagrams of the tree of life on a card are almost always related to Qaballistic philosophy.

-tb

thinbuddha said:

There is far too much info to go into in any detail here (and it would drag the thread pretty far off topic to boot). Suffice it to say that both Hebrew letters and/or diagrams of the tree of life on a card are almost always related to Qaballistic philosophy.

Click to expand...

Okay then, but if you have any links (even to threads in this board) that you believe can introduce novices to the subject, they would be welcome

Thanks!