4 of Cups - Medieval Scapini Tarot

[BrightEye]

I'm still learning this deck as it's very different I find. Any others more familiar with it, do you get a sense that the 4 of cups has aspects of emotional renewal (the two cicadas would point to that), intoxication (Eros and Silenus on the cups) as well as emotional stability (a more 'traditional' meaning)?

 

[BrightEye]

I know the Scapini is a somewhat obscure deck but there must be some opinions on the 4 of Cups in general. it came up in a reading today and seemed really positive. emotional stability?

 

[Rusty Neon]

What I especially like about the Medieval Scapini deck are the numbered minor arcana cards, where Scapini illustrates Etteilla (upright) and Golden Dawn divinatory meanings and introduces his variant meanings for uprights and reversals. Each such card generally illustrates a variety of positive and negative meanings.

The 4 of Cups is a 'negative' card in both Etteilla (upright) and Golden Dawn -- ennui, satiety, boredom -- which Scapini illustrates in his card. However, as indicated in the LWB (presumably written with Scapini's input) to the deck, there are the two cicadas, one grown (old) and one newly emerged. Presumably the grown cicada corresponds to the Etteilla and GD meanings. In the LWB, Scapini likens the newly emerged one to a deus ex machina. The reversed meanings given to the card by Scapini seem consistent with the newly emerged cicada: new possibilities, relationships, acquaintances, knowledge, and approaches. These reversed meanings would seem to be ones that Scapini invented as a positive counterpart to the negative upright meanings.

 

[BrightEye]

Thanks for replying Rusty Neon,

What I especially like about the Medieval Scapini deck are the numbered minor arcana cards, where Scapini illustrates Etteilla (upright) and Golden Dawn divinatory meanings and introduces his variant meanings for uprights and reversals. Each such card generally illustrates a variety of positive and negative meanings..

well, i never knew that. who is Etteila? i've come across the name before on historical research but never paid any attention.

The reversed meanings given to the card by Scapini seem consistent with the newly emerged cicada: new possibilities, relationships, acquaintances, knowledge, and approaches. These reversed meanings would seem to be ones that Scapini invented as a positive counterpart to the negative upright meanings.

this is the kind of meaning i got from the card when it appeared in my reading yesterday. i expected to feel like the crying mermaid, but instead everything turned out so fantastic that i felt like the naked little boy, the deus ex machina quite unexpectedly.

i don't use reversals. i had a sense that i would have got this card in the rx position if i used them. does the cicada image have a history?

 

[Mystic Leo]

I've always looked at this card as " open your eyes things are not as bad as they seem" does that fit with your reading yesterday.

 

[Mystic Leo]

I've always looked at this card as " open your eyes things are not as bad as they seem" does that fit with your reading yesterday BrightEye

 

[BrightEye]

i think i get it now: it's definitely the aspect of renewal. the page of pentacles and world were also in the reading. i think the world supports the positive aspect of the card. what about the scenes depicted in the cups. is there an overtly erotic aspect to it all?