Soprafino Tarot

[Patrick Booker]

Classic and Ancient Italian

Just compared complete decks. Many differences. Several of the male figures are clean-shaven in the Classic and have beards in the Ancient Italian, notably the Emperor. As I understand it, the Classic images are based upon the 1835 Soprafino. Both nice, but I definitely prefer the Classic.

Patrick

 

[Richard]

It's interesting to compare the Classic keywords with Waite's PKT. Some (particularly in the pips) seem to be taken haphazardly from Waite's interpretations, others contradict Waite. For example, The keyword for the Pope is Inspiration. Waite states, "...he is not inspiration..." That for the Tower is Exile. This is in accord with Papus' interpretation of the card as the Fall of Man, which Waite totally rejects. Maybe there is some Italian source for the keywords.

 

[Le Fanu]

Just compared complete decks. Many differences. Several of the male figures are clean-shaven in the Classic and have beards in the Ancient Italian, notably the Emperor. As I understand it, the Classic images are based upon the 1835 Soprafino. Both nice, but I definitely prefer the Classic.

As sapienza has observed, the faces in the Ancient Italian are "smilier/more smiley", those in the Classical more austere.

 

[Debra]

It's interesting to compare the Classic keywords with Waite's PKT. Some (particularly in the pips) seem to be taken haphazardly from Waite's interpretations, others contradict Waite. For example, The keyword for the Pope is Inspiration. Waite states, "...he is not inspiration..." That for the Tower is Exile. This is in accord with Papus' interpretation of the card as the Fall of Man, which Waite totally rejects. Maybe there is some Italian source for the keywords.

LoScarabeo keywords were often haphazard.

 

[Richard]

LoScarabeo keywords were often haphazard.

Thanks for the information. I'll stop wasting my time trying to make sense of them.

 

[Debra]

You're welcome. In their reprints of some old decks they labeled the coins as "pentacles"--there was a learning curve.

 

[Patrick Booker]

I found Paul Huson's book 'Mystical Origins of the Tarot' really helpful for tracing the origins of the meanings we now regard as traditional (for the whole deck).

Patrick

 

[Richard]

I found Paul Huson's book 'Mystical Origins of the Tarot' really helpful for tracing the origins of the meanings we now regard as traditional (for the whole deck).

Patrick

That's seems to be a good reference. It's on my list of must haves.

 

[gregory]

It's on MY list of actually read it - twice

 

[Richard]

It's on MY list of actually read it - twice

Now that's got to be the best recommendation I've seen!