Tarot Life Planner (Lady Lorelei - Melissa Michael)

Cerulean

Just received my discounted book that is illustrated with the the Tarocco Soprafino or the 1845 Della Rocca design from the Di Gumppenberg.

I used the Amazon.com bookseller network.

I thought after checking the net that the book might come up with generic meanings and common-sense approach to readings that reflect possible meanings. I wasn't startled when I received the book about the writing--nicely done from an experienced reader.

I had hoped for more deck-specific details, because the deck is very beautiful and I like history. I would say the illustrations in color make this a nice reference for me, but it might be too much of a duplicate of information for some.

I'd recommend the book to the following:

1) People who are attracted to Lo Scarabeo's Classical Tarot and want to read with such designs...but are confused about the lack of scenes or humans in the minor cards

2) Someone who needs an English language reference on reading with Italian decks. Decks that have a similar design that includes:

a. Ancient Italian Tarots from Lo Scarabeo;
b. De Vecchi boxed set with
-the book I Tarocchi Laura Tuan and the
-Giant Dotti deck based on the Il Menghello printing
c. Tarocco Soprafino
d. There may be similar 19th century Milanese-designed tarots such as the Lamperti that might fall in this design pattern.

I think there is enough variations in the designs and coloring to make the di Gumppenberg and Dotti decks different for me than using the Visconti Gold book and deck set from Lo Scarabeo.

At the moment I am comparing it to my De Vecchi set with the Giant Dotti and the book by Laura Tuan that comes with it...I wish I could find a giant or larger Tarocco Soprafino! The link that follows gives a sample of Lady Lorelei's writing below...

Regards,

Cerulean

http://www.ata-tarot.com/reflections/04-15-04/basketball.htm
 

fyreflye

I just got a copy of the LE Soprafino (#1927) which contains a sheet delineating the card meanings of the Majors. But any of these Italian, and in fact all non-illustrated historical decks, can be read by the same method I use with the Marseille. It simply requires that you give up the idea that you have to include the minor cards in your spread and that your spread needs to be 10 - 15 - 78 cards in size. All these notions are part of the baleful legacy of the RWS and its mutant offspring.

1. You can read any deck using only the Majors.
2. No spread needs more than 5 - 7 cards to be useful. If you need more information you can always do another spread in answer to a different question. The simplest configurations are the easiest to read.
3. When you need a final dispositor of a spread, total the card numbers (they're all Trumps, remember?) and if the total is 22 or less, use that number card as your "Solution" card. If the total is more than 22, add the digits to create a single number (43 is 4 + 3 = 7 = The Chariot.) Count The Fool as card # 22.
4. Marseille cartomancers have been using these methods for centuries with great results. The RWS method and its clones are as relevant as a Jimmy Swaggart rewrite of The Bible.
 

Cerulean

Il Solleone mirrors a similar method

in the LWB for some of the decks, including the Tarocco Soprafino. I'm glad you find value in that approach.

I do agree that I've read Italian, American and English authors that will cater to a mass market appeal to assign minor card meanings. Other than some historical views discussing satirical poetry to Italian tarocchi card structures (MM Boiardo) or the later Etteilla-based decks, I've not come across well-known historical associations of how the minors are assigned meanings in historical Italian decks that I have.

I noticed that Laura Tuan's Italian text for the Giant Dotti has similarities to decanate dating on Paul's Supertarot site. Her meanings feel similar to some of early Lo Scarabeo's (through consultant G. Berti) recommended meanings for their decks...and sometimes the similar meanings agree with Kapan's written attributions to the Visconti reprints.

One exception to all these seems to to be the Isa Donelli's Italian descriptions of the Di Gumppenberg 1830. This seems to be a little different, because there's commentary of the limited coloring of the majors and courts and the assigned 'numerology' to the minors tosses in the names of Pythagorean concepts and elements. That's giving me more pause and I'm still looking into such concepts in conjunction with minors. It may turn out to be playing card
style of reading, but I don't know that yet.

Thanks for your commentary.


Best regards,

Cerulean
 

Jewel-ry

Just bought this book in a discount book store...it was very very cheap.

I was attracted to it because it is illustrated with one of my favourite decks but when flicking through I found a large picture of Il Carro with the following statement

'Any tarot reader can interpret the message of control and self-discipline that is integral to the Chariot card in the context of the question asked; but only you can realize that the ribbon tied around the charioteer's waist reminds you of the bow on a box of choclates you ate in one go and made yourself sick from; a lesson in self control '

What wonderful words!

I just hope there is more of this type of thing in the book. I am beginning to waver in my 'one deck' study. This is the 2nd book I have been tempted by and now I want to set this deck free too!

J.
 

Emily

Hi Jewel-ry,

Did you get it from 'The Works' :D - I got mine from there last week too. This book had been in my Amazon basket for months but because I couldn't find any reviews about it I wouldn't commit myself to buying it and then I go into 'The Works' and find it for £3.99.

I have the Classic Soprafino deck the book is illustrated with but I mainly bought it because I started to read it in the shop and I loved her style of writing. I've started to do some of the exercises with the Majors - All in all its a very interesting book. :)
 
"L'Etude du Tarot" by Oswald Wirth Babylonian Tarot Deck and Book Set