Reading the Marseille Tarot

538 Pages·2009·140.285 MB·English

by  Jean-Michel David

Reading
the
Marseille Tarot
J-M. David
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Reading the Marseille Tarot J-M David
Reading the Marseille Tarot
Copyright © 2009
J-M. David and Association for Tarot Studies
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any means without written permission from either the Association for
Tarot Studies or Jean-Michel David. Standard international and national publication
copyright and intellectual property laws and regulations apply to every aspect of this
book in which it may be located.
Association for Tarot Studies bibliographic detail:
Author: David, Jean-Michel
title: Reading the Marseille Tarot
date of publication: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-9757122-3-8
image credits:
Jean Noblet tarot - Jean-Claude Flornoy
Nicholas Conver tarot - Kenji Ishimatsu
other images electronically edited by J-M. David
Association for Tarot Studies
A 0044941 T
PO Box 4013
Croydon Hills
Vic., 3136, Australia
ATS
ASSociATion.TAroTSTudieS.org
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Foreword..............................................5
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
2 I - Le Bateleur.........................................25
3 The Pips..............................................43
4 II - La Papesse.........................................63
5 III - L’Imperatrise......................................81
6 The Courts............................................99
7 IIII - L’Empereur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
8 V - Le Pape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
9 Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
10 VI - L’Amoureux......................................171
11 Virtue...............................................189
12 VII - Le Chariot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
13 VIII - Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
14 VIIII - L’Ermite.......................................239
15 X - La Roue de Fortune................................257
16 XI - Force............................................277
17 XII - Le Pendu .......................................293
18 About Readings, Eschatology & Metaphysics . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
19 XIII - La Mort........................................325
20 Elements & Alchemy..................................341
21 XIIII - Temperance ...................................357
22 XV - Le Diable .......................................375
23 Astrologos...........................................393
24 XVI - La Maison Dieu.................................411
25 XVII - L’estoille.......................................429
26 XVIII - La Lune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447
27 XVIIII - Le Soleil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .463
28 XX - Le Jugement.....................................481
29 XXI - Le Monde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .499
30 Le Fou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .519
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Reading the Marseille Tarot J-M David
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Foreword
Foreword
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Reading the Marseille Tarot J-M David
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Foreword
Foreword
This book arises out of an online course I prepared during the period
of a year spanning across 2007-2008 following previous requests that
I provide something of the sort for online users. For the participents
at the time, what they obtained was (precisely) a six-page document
for each of the thirty chapters that forms this book. At the time I had
no intention of transforming the material into bookform, though was
encouraged to do so from its onset – and this encouragement, from
both various participants, friends and those closest to me could not be
unheeded.
So allow me here the usual author’s prerogative to at least acknowledge
a few people who have made this document a ‘completed’ work-in-
progress. Firstly, everyone who participated in the very first course during
those thirty weeks spanning across two years. I never asked for their
permission to name them, so they shall remain anonymous. Some were
simply encouraging (something an author always needs), others took
the time to write lengthy suggestions for improvement (something else
an author such as myself needs), yet others offered alternative views to
some of the ones I offer (and, of course, this allows for the currently
unquestioned to be brought to reflection). Without their support, as-
sistance, enthusiasm and criticisms, I doubt I would have taken the
ongoing time to complete the task I set myself.
Once I made some (very minor) revisions, Shane Kendal took the
time to go over most of the manuscript and sensitively, with ‘my voice’
remaining with all its peculiarity, make numerous suggestions to clarify
the text. Most of his suggestions I happily took, and some I stubbornly,
and no doubt to my future regret, simply read. Once the book was com-
pleted – though that’s a term that I frankly feel I cannot yet fully apply
– Robert Mealing, who had similarly and from the start encouraged
me to write it in the first place, designed the cover. Though even there
he did not have carte blanche, but was rather restricted to my demand
that it have a white background and that it ‘match’ the other Associa-
tion for Tarot Studies covers. He also did not recall that the very title is
something he suggested during a conversation we had some years prior.
The online course completed, it also motivated me to again locally or-
ganise a year-long course, using the text as its basis. The participants of
those two courses I also sincerely thank – not only for their deepen-
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Reading the Marseille Tarot J-M David
ing feedback, but also from the friendship that has resulted out of the
sessions, the wonderful delicacies brought for the tea-break, and the
community we effectively formed during that time.
On a personal level, and apart from those already mentioned (Shane
and Robert), others deserve especial mention. Con Margaritis, Judy
Ratz, Vicky Spanos and Paul Martin have been particularly valuable in
my striving to bring this to some kind of ‘completion’. As have Lyn Olds
and Fern Mercier. In fact, without their enforced deadline, it would
likely still remain on my computer... more or less ‘nearly finished’. A fur-
ther special mention should be made here: Jean-Claude and Roxanne
Flornoy have not only shared their hospitality, but without their own
determination in bringing forth this deck from semi-oblivion, we would
all be so much the poorer. The Noblet is a deck that truly deserves its
rank amongst but few as one of pre-eminence.
There remains many details in the book I would have liked to have
altered a little – mainly for clarity and due to not earlier on taking some
of the suggestions made. I am also certain that errors remain to be cor-
rected, and trust that it remains, nonetheless, well received. The book
remains, however, as it stands for this edition, and I intend clarifying,
adding to, and subtracting from various sections with forthcoming revi-
sions.
Finally and, to be sure, also firstly, as any author in an intimate rela-
tionship will attest, all too many ‘free’ days and times are taken with the
writing of the material... to have the support for not only its first writing
but also the persistent encouragement to bring it to birth in this form,
I deeply thank Pauline, without whom, none of this would have been
feasible.
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Chapter 1 Introduction
Introduction
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Reading the Marseille Tarot J-M David
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