[The Happy Squirrel]

Originally Posted by Teheuti

The Picard interpretations appear in English in The Encyclopedia of Occult Sciences by M.C. Poinsot (1939), which was reprinted as The Complete Book of the Occult and Fortune Telling (1945). I believe the former is available for download at one of those sites where you have to give them all your private info.

Anyone know if there are any differences in contents between the two editions?

[Philippe]

Concerning Eudes Picard, I recently found his tarot and bought it.
It's quite rare so here are some pics

[DavidMcCann]

Originally Posted by Philippe

Concerning Eudes Picard, I recently found his tarot and bought it.

Is that an actual pack of cards? I have the book (in the Italian translation, which is still in print), but I never knew that the cards had been published.

Incidentally, does anyone know where he got the idea (or was it all his own work) of taking Cups as Air and Swords as Water? He's an elusive character. I read his Astrologie Judicaire many years ago, but there doesn't seem to be any real information about him on the internet. This hardly counts:
http://www.zam.it/mobile/home.php?url_name=Eudes_Picard

[Philippe]

Yes it's an actual pack of cards (13,2X8,2cm) made by an engraver with the original mints (wood+zinc) found recently at an auction sale in France. It's not a facsimile.

[The Happy Squirrel]

The majors seem to be of a different aesthetic style compared to the minors.

[Philippe]

Originally Posted by The Happy Squirrel

The majors seem to be of a different aesthetic style compared to the minors.

Yes indeed. Majors exhibit a clumsy TdM style while the minors are of a medieval-art nouveau spirit. But the font of the titles is the same for both.
The engraver was unaware of Eudes Picard yet he dates the mints from 1900-1920.

[Philippe]

Deleted

[Teheuti]

I have the original 1909 book by Picard: Manuel Synthétique & Pratique du Tarot. The Majors are far more crudely drawn than the Minors, and the interoretations are composed, almost entirely, of summaries from other, acknowledged sources: Eliphas Lévi, Paul Christian, Falconnier, Pierre Piobb and Bourgeat, with an occasional nod to Papus. Picard states that he'll write a more complete book on the Majors in the future.

It is the Minor Arcana that Picard devotes himself to in this book - with original interpretations and beautifully-drawn illustrations. He writes: "The study devoted to the fifty-six minor cards is original. The plan on which it is conceived, is developed further. The drawings are carried out according to the magic and cabalistic traditions."

My very poor translation continues:

"It is with astrology that we had recourse on the basis of the following principle: since the 22 major cards represent causes, the minor cards must represent effects. It is allowed that the causes are essential and that they belong to the system of the Universe. We will perceive these causes only if they appear in the form of effects which can fall under control from our directions and in a concrete plan. However, this plan, it is [of] the Earth. . . . The major mode becomes minor. . . . In short, card VIII [Justice] evokes any universal idea of balance; while the swords will provide us a complement to the principle of Justice like: lawsuit, crimes, judgements, magistrates, etc."

"The Coins will qualify for money and only the money; sceptres, the action; cups, the armor [love], and swords, resistance, the fight. The numeral value provides a coefficient of intensity and fate. The number is strong or weak; beneficial or malefic. We drew up relationship between the significance of the numbers of the first 10 major cards and the first 10 minor cards of each group. Moreover, we preserved at each number its cabalistic value. The note of fate was given to us by the beneficial or malefic character of the elements and the signs. The signs of fire and air will be regarded as beneficial and the ground and water signs like malefic. The sceptres and the cups will be favorable, while the Coins and the swords will not be it. Thus the beneficial and malefic symbols are opposed two to two. Just as the number can be considered in its good or bad reports/ratios, according to whether it applies to a beneficial or malefic symbol."

[Philippe]

I recently came across an article (from le journal du Dimanche Juin 1910) which shows some cards of the Picard's deck. My cards match exactly those reproduced in the weekly (see pics below). I knew the deck existed but wasn't aware it was a woodcut engraving, as late as 1909-1910 !! But Picard was notoriously very traditionalist. By the way this deck is an exact contemporary of the RWS (12/1909).

[coredil]

Originally Posted by Philippe

I recently came across an article (from le journal du Dimanche Juin 1910) which shows some cards of the Picard's deck. My cards match exactly those reproduced in the weekly (see pics below). I knew the deck existed but wasn't aware it was a woodcut engraving, as late as 1909-1910 !! But Picard was notoriously very traditionalist. By the way this deck is an exact contemporary of the RWS (12/1909).

Nice found Philippe!
Now I am curious to read the whole article, it seems as if it would be longer than your jpg.
Would you mind to post a pic of the whole article? And maybe with a higher resolution, as it is now quite difficult to read.

The printing date of my copy of the Manuel Synthétique et Pratique is dated with 1909 (MDCCCCIX)
On the last page of the book, Eudes Picard signs the last chapter with 30 Juillet 1909.
Usually the printing date of Waites "The Key to the Tarot" (the first book that accompanied the early edition of Pam's deck) is dated 1910.
But according to K. Frank Jensen's book "The Story of the Waite-Smith Tarot" the book and the decks have been available shortly before Christmas 1909.

At first sight it seems then that Eudes Picard book has been printed a little bit earlier than Waites.
And probably/maybe Picard's deck too, on page 189 of Picard's book there is an advertising for the deck that should have been available at the Librairie H. Daragon (the editor of the book).
It would be interesting to know if indeed Picard's deck and book was publicly available in 1909 even before Waite's book and Pam's deck!

Completely O.T.
I had to grin looking at the background of the pics for your cards!
Is the Henry Maire label a vintage one for Le vin fou?