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Page 1: © Accademia dei Tarocchi, 2014
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© Accademia dei Tarocchi, 2014

Graphic design and editing: Accademia dei Tarocchi

Rights of translation, electronic storage, reproductionand total or partial adaptation by any means (includingphotocopy and microfilm), are reserved for allcountries. For usage rights contact the editor.

Editing project: Accademia dei TarocchiDirection: Carlo Bozzelli - Accademia dei Tarocchi

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To Sara

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INDEX

Introduction

Chapter 11.1 Etymology

1.2 Study of the Tarot: which Model?The historical Model

The occult ModelThe metànoic Model

Chapter 22.1 The first Centuries after Christ

ProvenceEgypt

John Cassian

2.2 From 1000 to 1500Saint Victor and the Visconti Family

2.3 From the end of 1700’s to modern TimeThe French School

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The Anglo-Saxon School

2.4 The great ErrorNicolas Conver

Chapter 33.1 The general Structure of the Tarot

The Minor ArcanaThe four Suits: Pentacles, Cups, Wands and Swords

CupsPentaclesWandsSwords

The four CastesThe Major Arcana

3.2 DualismDualism: some unusual cases

Dualism: Male-FemaleThe Law of Difference

Dualism: general SchemeObservation Exercise

The Tarot: Yoga for the Soul

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3.3 Some meanings of the TarotCartomancy

A Path of KnowledgeA Vehicle of Consciousness

An Instrument of Help

Chapter 44.1 The Coded Structure: the first Codes

1) Graphic codesHanged Man-World code

DoubtLevels

New LevelsPentacles

CupsWandsSwords

The fifth Element

4.2 The Coded Structure: new codesSimplicity

The Lover-Judgement Code2) The Text-Codes

The Apostrophe CodeVarious Anomalies

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4.3 The Laws of the TarotThe Law of AntithesisThe Law of Duplicity

Example of the Fool’s StaffExample of the two houses

Chapter 55.1 East and West

5.2 Synchronicity

5.3 Synchronicity and the Tarot

Chapter 66.1 An optical LanguageGrammar: Codes and Laws

Lexicon: the KeywordsObservationDecryptionThe BookThe Veil

The HornsThe Torches

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6.2 The ArchetypesMethods of Interpretations

The traditional syntactic MethodThe Personages

Chapter 77.1 The Law of Contemplation

Spatial ReferenceTemporal Reference

7.2 The Law of OpportunityTo offer a Solution

7.3 Example of a Reading

Chapter 88.1 Tarology: a true Science

8.2 Cartomanciy and DivinationRisks: the divinatory Trap

The AdvantagesA spiritual Intelligence

Danger Alert

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8.3 Multiplicity of Teachings1) The Builders

2) The FreemasonsSquare and Compass

The ArtisanThe three Points in a Triangle

The 33 Degrees3) The Hermits of Egypt

8.4 A Path of Knowledge

Chapter 99.1 Anachronisms?

9.2 Prince Castracani Fibbia

9.3 The Cathedral of Orvieto

9.4 The Cathedral of Siena

Conclusions

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AppendixThe Marseilles Tarot

The so-called Marseilles TarotThe classic Marseilles Tarot

Restoration of the Conver Tarot of 1760

Bibliography

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CHAPTER 1

““No one will hide a valuable object in something of greatvalue, but many a time one has tossed countless thousands into

a thing worth a penny.”(Gospel of Philip)

1.1 ETYMOLOGY

Tarot: “Each of the illustrated cards which make up the Tarotdeck. The term was first used approximately a century after theinvention of the deck, estimated circa 1500. Its origin is evennow obscure.”

Is it correct, the definition we are used to hearingwhen speaking of this deck of cards? Scholars maintainthat the term Tarot, whose etymological origin is stilluncertain, was first used in XVII- century Italy. The

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term is in any case, mostly used in the plural. Theample literature on the subject shows us however thatits etymology is not the only thing in doubt: its originas well is not certain. Almost all researchers presumethat they were created in Italy around the XV century,during the Renaissance therefore. Actually, this ismerely a hypothesis, but because of the obsessiveinsistence with which it has been repeated, it hasbecome automatically true. This approach, from thepoint of view of authentic scientific andhistoriographic research, is incorrect; in that, withoutdefinite and proven evidence, one cannot transformconjecture into fact unless there is the intention to takeintentional liberties with the outcome. For example, weare convinced that the exact name is not to be found inthe Italian language (Tarocchi) but rather in the termadopted by all other idioms, to wit: Tarot. Setting asidefor a later time an investigation into the more complexaspects of its etymology, we will limit ourselves for themoment to note that the word is written, differentlyfrom Italian, in the singular form. (To be continued...)

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2.4 THE GREAT ERROR

At this point, wishing to point out one of theprincipal traits which dominated the investigation ofthe Tarot in the course of recent history, we might saythat almost all researchers made, more or less artlessly,the same mistake. As we have seen, most scholarshypothesized that these images had an ancient origin,and in the long list of hypothetical characteristics, therewere those who connected them to the Book of Thothof ancient Egypt, to the Hebrew Cabala, to Gypsyfortune-telling, and so on. In substance, based on theseconjectures, esoterists maintained that the RenaissanceVisconti Tarot, the most ancient known today, werenone other than the most recent echo of a remotetradition of which they conserved only an imperfectmemory, but to which because of the lack of directprovable ties, it was not possible to trace them. What todo, then, if these cards from the 1500’s were inadequatefor expressing a deeper sense? Convinced that theirknowledge was enough to guarantee an integralrestoration of the meaning of the Arcana, they all tookthe same path:

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They redesigned the Tarot according to their own personalvisions!

For this reason, each one wrote a text, commenting

his own ideas and theories, using as analysis model there-created and perfected deck. If, to these Tarot withmore esoteric characteristics, we add the infinitenumber of decks produced for other motives, as thosefor artistic or for recreative purposes, the reason isclear for which the quantity of decks published,especially in the last two centuries, has been, and todaystill is, so copious, reaching an impressive number ofeditions. Referring specifically to the Tarot deckscreated by the more famous authors of the 1700’s tothe 1900’s we may say that the drawings of these cardsexpress their perspective, their moral prejudices, theirpersonal convictions on the world.

Each has modified the original plan of the Tarot infavour of a subjective representation, committing anact of free will, but not to the good. Every authentictradition, by definition, transmits an objective messagewhich must prove to be far from any individualinterpretation. Therefore why did these scholarscommit such an abuse? Why did they violate a balancedand impartial knowledge in favour of a personal and

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private vision? (to be continued...)

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Fig. 1The Minor Arcana

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CHAPTER 4

“Infinitely great will be your happiness: from a simple mortal,you are destined, gradually,

to become God.”(Orphic Tombs)

4.1 THE CODED STRUCTURE: THE FIRST CODES

What is the Coded Structure? To what do we refer whenwe use this term? We have mentioned it various times,affirming that it is the basis for the understanding ofthe meaning of the Arcana, provided that theirdisposition respects certain criteria. In the precedingchapter, we disclosed that the Major Arcana are

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divisible, based on comparison with the Minor, by thenumbers 3 and 7. In this way, we introduced theconcept of the 3x7 Diagram, a scheme of 3 rows with7 cards each. Although this is not the only orderpossible, it is however the one which allows foridentification of the presence of the coded frameworkin a clear manner. The Fool is situated outside of thescheme because it is numberless, and therefore has therole of traveller along this path in 7 stages, to traverse3 times.

This distribution has already been studied by manyauthors of the past, without unfortunately their beingable to discover the presence of the Codes, which inthis manner remained, so to speak, eclipsed. What are,in substance, the Codes of the Tarot? We have alreadyintroduced the subject through several examplesrelative to the symbolism of the 4 suits of the MinorArcana or to the modalities of representation ofDualism, but we have not made demonstrations thatare more complex. Now, in order to proceed, we mustenter more into detail, and to begin, it will be well toreturn to the 3x7 Diagram shown here:

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Fig. 13x7 Diagram

The Coded Structure has this name for the presence ofCodes which, in order to be understood, must bedecoded. This is not something obvious. To understandwhat we mean, as for the “game” of differencesdescribed before, we must imagine our attentionconcentrated on a puzzle like those found in so manypuzzle magazines. The purpose is to discover, from theillustrations, the hidden, coded content, uncovering themeaning of the puzzle itself. Every Code of the Tarot is apuzzle that must be unmasked and understood.

The Coded Structure, in its entirety, contains thousands;and their purpose, differently than the pastimes we

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cited, goes far beyond that of simple entertainment. Infact, deciphering the Codes means to allow ourconsciousness access to fragments of principles ofwisdom, which, all together, create an extraordinaryteaching that may open the door to a superiorconsciousness. Therefore, these brainteasers are notsimple pastimes must be considered true sacred enigmas.We are perfectly aware that all this may seem asimprobable as the plot of a novel; it is real, however,and we will attempt to guide the reader inexperimentation in the first person, of the truth ofthese affirmations. We must clarify one point: that thatwhich we have said must all be verifiable. In describingthe occult model, we said that its greatest drawbackwas its inability to prove its own hypotheses. Thisimpossibility has always been determined by a lack ofrational objectivity attributed by the esoterists to theparticular nature of the Tarot (to be continued...)

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As we have seen, not even a science such as quantisticphysics, when it must calculate the position and themoment of subatomic corpuscles, allows itself suchconduct. We may, however, ascertain through empiricalexperience, that is, through the interpretations, that thecards show “tendencies to exist” and “tendencies tooccur” according to a criteria of sense which is nolonger arbitrary as in the past, but is disciplined byunequivocal rules (the Laws and Codes) and, as such,certifiable a priori. These are the only reasons forwhich we might change our mental attitude towardsthis subject. We could no longer affirm, as in particulardo the detractors of an esoteric use of the Tarot that,as the person who reads it establishes theinterpretation, everything is valid and acceptable and,nothing being demonstrable, there can be noattendibility. On the contrary, we should consider thequestion and the answer as united by a synchronisticevent (to be continued...).

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Fig. 3Example of disposition of cards during a reading

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GRAMMAR: CODES AND LAWS

The Codes and Laws, which allow us to understandthis sapiential teaching, are also the principles thatestablish the manner in which the Tarot expresses thatwhich it intends to communicate in the course of aconsultation. At the moment of a reading, Grammar isshown to be indispensable; it is the element by whichwe may comprehend the manner in which the sentencesare regulated and structured. In fact, knowing a priorithe principles, we may be sure to read correctly thatwhich appears to our eyes, with no interpretativedoubts. When we spoke of the Law of Duplicity and ofthe example of the house,81 we were using an example,which would facilitate the understanding of theseaffirmations. On that occasion, we learned that, when asymbol appears twice, it signifies that the Tarot is“underlining” it because it is of great interest for thequestion. This is a principle of grammar, a structuralrule: every time that, in two cards near each other, wefind the same symbol or concept, it means that theparticular element is important for the question asked.We may therefore say that, generally speaking, the Lawsare the rules which formalize the logic of theinteraction of the cards, so that the tarologist mayorient himself precisely in order to decipher the

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sentences, the message-replies of the Tarot.

LEXICON: THE KEYWORDS

Still in the same example, the symbol in question, thehouse, was a keyword. And a word is part ofa...dictionary. What does this mean? The examinationof the illustrations and the analysis of the Codes, leadto the comprehension of content hidden in thesymbolism of the Tarot. Gradually during this process,the presence of keywords intrinsic to the structure andsignificance of the various Arcana, is revealed. Theirindividuation creates overall, a Lexicon, a vocabulary.This identification does not happen according tosubjective or arbitrary criteria, but through a preciseand rigorous process. The two principal procedures are:

1) Direct observation2) Decryption.

Regarding the first method, simple observation of theimages (as the house in the House of God and theMoon blades) allows us to distinguish immediately a

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certain number of keywords. (To be continued...)

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CHAPTER 7

“In the presence of one who is perfectly innocuous, all hostilityceases.”

(Sutra Yoga of Patanjali)

7.1 THE LAW OF CONTEMPLATION

In the previous chapter we introduced the concept ofthe Traditional Syntactic Method, the particular system thatallows regulate disposition of the Arcana duringinterpretation. What are the principles at the basis ofthis procedure? They are two important Laws which,although certain modern authors have claimed them asa personal discovery, it is correct to attribute to the

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decryption system of Nicolas Conver.Let us observe again the figures of the Tarot and

analyze in detail the first of these rules the Law ofContemplation (to be continued...).

Fig. 1The 3x7 Diagram

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CHAPTER 8

“Yes, let the Word of God precede us! Let it humiliate thepotent forces of the earth, these perverse passions which we wish

to mortify and which claim, from our mortal bodies, a pitilessand tyrannical dominion! Let it subjugate them to our research

and our exposition! Breaking down the doors of ignorance,shattering the chains of defect which exclude us from true science,

let it lead us to our most secret Arcana.”(John Cassian, Cenobitic Institutions)

8.1 TAROLOGY: A TRUE SCIENCE

Anyone who has even only a vague knowledge of theTarot, knows that this subject calls to mind first of all,

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prediction of the future. On the contrary, from whatwe have described here, it should be clear that thereexist diverse ways of utilizations of the Tarot. It lendsitself, in fact, to a multiplicity of uses so rich andsurprising that this practice becomes only one of manypossibilities.

The Tarot is a metaphysical machine of which thedeck of cards is but a support, the vehicle of a perfectmechanism thanks to which these images, these sacredIcons, guard a plurality of teachings regarding man, hisdestiny, and the laws that govern him. All this is madepossible by a system of Codes and Laws, making up theCoded Structure, which generates a language ofcommunication between the human world and thespiritual.

The true Tarot may be considered an esotericaldiscipline complete in itself, which in past centurieswas named by the ancient Alchemists, Science of thesciences. (To be continued...)

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In our opinion, there is no doubt; the connection isexplicit. Even more because it is a confirmation of atrue relationship with the Tarot, the 22 represented bythe circle, which reconnects to the celestial world, andthe 56 by the square, associated with the terrestrial,respecting perfectly the dualism which characterizes thegeneral structure of the Arcana themselves:

22 → Major Arcana → Circle → Celestial56 → Minor Arcana → Square → Terrestrial

If this were not sufficiently astonishing, the centralhead of the Redeemer with the four later personages,reminds us distinctly of the symbolism of the Christ inthe mandorla which we find represented also in thecard of the World. This supposition is confirmed,according to a typical mechanism of the Tarot, the Lawof Duplicity, by the statues of the four living creaturesbeneath (the first clue); but also by an oval just beneaththe face of Christ, which surrounds the figure of awoman as in the iconography of the XXI card (to becontinued...).

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Fig. 9Comparison of the symbolism

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To explain more clearly the work done, we willcompare some illustrations of an Arcanum, inparticular the Fool, belonging to several editions:

Fig. 13Conver Fool, Heron edition

Fig. 14Conver Fool, Scarabeo edition

Fig. 15Conver Fool, Dal Negro Restored edition

It would not escape even the most superficialobserver that, however much it might amaze, the resultof the restoration of the 1760 Conver edition, issurprisingly similar to a deck well known to the general

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public. In fact, this correspondence exists, and isobvious. On the contrary, it would be more correct tospeak of a notable iconographic similarity, as this Tarotis almost identical. Where then, is the difference? Whywas the need felt to carry out this painstaking task?

This restored deck, as must now be evident, is noneother than the reclamation of an antique work. As therestorer of a marvellous painting does not claim itspaternity, although he has worked hard to reconstructit, the same was done in this case; the images renovatedand presented here, are and will always be free fromany and all presumed copyright. The Tarot is aninstrument created for man in ancient times, in orderto educate him (in the etymological sense of ex-ducere,)to help him to externalize that which he carries alreadyinside himself, to guide him along the way, to lead himtowards the comprehension of a superior and spiritualsense of existence, counselling him at the same time ineven the most ordinary and practical choices of hisdaily life. (To be continued...)


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