Sarah // Clinical Herbalist • Professional Tarot Reader • Magic Maker 🌿
IG: @rowanandsage | A place for things that interest my minds eye, personal thoughts, and music of all kinds.
Circa 1838, a cartomancer by the pseudonym Julia Orsini published a companion book for the Grand Etteilla II tarot.
Pictured above is the Etteilla III by Éditions Dusserre, which is to this day distributed with that same booklet. The meanings provided reflect concerns and habits of yore.
Some excerpts are also oddly specific. Enjoy!
Stars, similar to The Emperor: “A magician that you met has made a lot of wrong predictions.”
Prudence, similar to The Hanged Man: “[If near the King of Coins,] you will fight a brown-haired man.”
Temperance: “This card could announce an accident after bad preparation of food taken in a meal.”
Plants, similar to The Moon: “[The Querent’s] party in the country will be affected because of the rain.”
Enlightenment, similar to The Sun: “[An older woman’s qualities will soon] be noticed by an older gentleman who will offer her his heart, his fortune and a wedding ring.”
King of Wands: “An uncle in a faraway country, who has never given any news, has made fortune and has made you his heir. He will soon come for a surprise visit.”
Five of Wands: “You will be robbed next time you go to the theater.”
And last but not least, my favorite—a possible meaning for the Ten of Cups: “this card predicts [a man] will have a duel which will end with an appetizing lunch.” ⚔️🍔
There are, of course, many other such meanings!
References to marriages, sailors and hidden fortunes abound, but these cards also read beautifully in modern times.
hot take: moms need to learn how to listen to and comfort their daughters without making everything about their own traumas
a classic example
daughter: hey this thing you do bothers me very much and i wish you wouldn’t do it
mom: well my parents abused me and im not even as bad as they were and i had to sit through it so you gotta sit through whatever i do to you too
a common variant
mom: well i’m having a really hard time right now and you know that i’m doing my best and that i didn’t mean to hurt you ergo you are in fact the asshole for asking me to consider your feelings and change my behavior during this hard hard time i’m having
least favorite
mom: fine. you’re right and i’m wrong and i’m a horrible person. there. are you happy now?
see also
mom: you can’t be mad at me. you’re not allowed to be mad at me. i can’t stand it.
