Tarock for divination?

[Le Fanu]

Something Ive been meaning to ask for ages and keep forgetting; is there anything about Tarock cards (the Austrian/ German/Prussian ones) being used for divination?

Why did tarot get chosen for cartomancy and not these cards?
If anyone knows anything about these cards for divination purposes. Or indeed uses them, please give me a few tips! I have a few decks already. Some with 78 cards, and others with unequal pips...

It´s just that what with my wishlist empty and nothing to buy, I thought Id start on Tarock cards

 

[BrightEye]

I have used them for divination. They are beautiful! You get them for 3 Euros a pack in Germany. But I don't know whether they were traditionlly used for divination. It was and still is a game played in pubs first and foremost, mainy in Bavaria.

 

[cardlady22]

It´s just that what with my wishlist empty and nothing to buy, I thought I'd start on Tarock cards

Welcome to the club! I love the fact that these decks have my beloved pip arrangements.

 

[philebus]

In Germany there may sometimes be a little confusion as to what is meant by Tarock. The only tarot game still played there that I know of is Cego and they call the cards by that name also. So far as I know, the only game played in Bavaria by the name of Tarock is played with a 36 card German suited pack - these were the only ones my friend from Munich new of. The Bavarian Tarock is an adaptation of a tarot game for use with regular playing cards, which is why it has that name.

I do know that France Cartes has produced a pack of French suited tarot cards for both game play and fortune telling. The images don't resemble anything like the Italian trumps or the common French ones - though they use that layout. (Tarobearslair did import some at one time but I don't see them in his store at the moment). There is also a pack from LS that uses French suite with animals on the cards.

One French pack, designed by Argio Orell has been republished by Modiano fronted by a fortune teller calling himself Alan. He has no real claim to the cards at all but tries to present them as being intended for divination and provides an entertaining (for the wrong reasons) booklet with the cards about that. On the other hand, we have to be glad that the cards were reprinted at all.

Other than these, I'm not aware of any established tradition of using French suited tarot cards for divination but I dare say that folk have tried it.

 

[BrightEye]

Cego is the French Tarot game. As far as I know it's not played in Germany, but in Alsace (which is where I bought mine when Iwas just 8 years old ahem). The Tarock I meant was the 36 card game.

 

[coredil]

It´s just that what with my wishlist empty and nothing to buy, I thought Id start on Tarock cards

I once went this road and still do it sometimes!
I even found some little gems
But be carefull, sometimes some of these decks can go quite high even if these are usually not the Divination Tarot collectors who are hunting them

Best regards

 

[thinbuddha]

I thought that the major difference between Tarock & Tarot was that Tarock was missing some of the pips?

Edumacate me!

 

[Le Fanu]

The type I mean are - for example - this one;

http://taroteca.multiply.com/photos/album/266/Allemand_A_2_Tetes

I found this particulardeck in a 2nd hand bookshop and use the pips for reading with, but I cannot help thinking that there must be ample symbolism in the "Majors" (not sure if this is the correct name), and I would like to use those too. They have a fabulous "Chinoiserie" feel to them.

Ive just ordered some others from Somerville´s. They have some wonderful facsimilies. I cannot do a correct link, but if you go here;

http://www.playingcardsales.co.uk/cards/

and then to Tarot and organise by Country/publisher, then Piatnik, and they have some wonderful ones. I intend to use the pips, but the "Majors" are so beautiful, I think it would be nice to use them! And if people use numerology for the pips, why not these??

I just wondered if anyone here had experiences to share!

 

[Le Fanu]

I thought that the major difference between Tarock & Tarot was that Tarock was missing some of the pips?

Edumacate me!

Meant to add; is that really the difference? Some I have have normal 1-10 pips. Others have lower numbers in one suit and higher numbers in another, black versus red.

 

[Mabuse]

French suited Tarot divination

I was going to put some information on the Alan/Orell Tarot/Tarock but Philebus beat me to it. This deck first appeared during the early 20th century and like the Austrian Tarock or German Cego decks, it only had 54 cards and was intended for Tarock playing. Modiano revived this deck during the 1980's for divinatory purposes and added the extra pips to make it a 78 card pack. This is the earliest instance of which I'm aware of a French suited Tarot being sold for divination.

Also, "Tarot de la Nature" is the name of that Frances Cartes deck mentioned earlier. It's an interesting deck. The court card images remind me of hippies! Although being designed and sold for divination, the Minor Arcana cards are double ended and are not reversal friendly. This is the only Tarot deck I've seen which is designed for divination and which also contains reversal frustrating symmetry. Based on what I've seen of many European Tarot cards, I've come to a conclusion that perhaps reversals are mainly an Anglo- American thing influenced by the RWS and Thoth decks.