…now – you are so seemingly occupied with your various courses and discussing important things online – that I can understand how the above has left you utterly speechless…

Who wouldnt be ?

…I thought of offering you a glimpse on – for this purpose “Courier New” works well – how the “landscape-sequence” occurs between the cards quite naturally – if you know what the Numerals are made for – to cheer you up a little bit in the meantime – nevertheless…

A
————( )————
( )—-(18)—-(19)—-( )
—-(15)—-(17)—-(20)—-
——–(14)—-(16)——–
—-(13)————( )—-
——–( )—-( )——–
—-( )—-( )—-( )—-
( )—-( )—-( )—-( )
————( )————

B
————( )————
( )—-(18)—-(19)—-( )
—-(15)—-(17)(16)(20)—-
——–(14)—————-
—-(13)————( )—-
——–( )—-( )——–
—-( )—-( )—-( )—-
( )—-( )—-( )—-( )
————( )————

C
————( )————
( )—-(18)—-(19)—-( )
—-(15)—-(17)(16)(20)—-
——–(14)—-(13)——–
——————–( )—-
——–( )—-( )——–
—-( )—-( )—-( )—-
( )—-( )—-( )—-( )
————( )————

D
————( )————
( )—-(18)—-(19)—-( )
—-(15)—-(17)(16)(20)—-
—————-(13)——–
—-(14)————( )—-
——–( )—-( )——–
—-( )—-( )—-( )—-
( )—-( )—-( )—-( )
————( )————

E
————( )————
( )—-(18)—-(19)—-( )
—-(15)(17)—-(16)(20)—-
—————-(13)——–
—-(14)————( )—-
——–( )—-( )——–
—-( )—-( )—-( )—-
( )—-( )—-( )—-( )
————( )————

F
————( )————
( )—-(18)—-(19)—-( )
—-(15)(17)(16)—-(20)—-
—————-(13)——–
—-(14)————( )—-
——–( )—-( )——–
—-( )—-( )—-( )—-
( )—-( )—-( )—-( )
————( )————

G
————( )————
( )—-(18)—-(19)—-( )
—-(15)(17)(16)(13)(20)—-
—————————-
—-(14)————( )—-
——–( )—-( )——–
—-( )—-( )—-( )—-
( )—-( )—-( )—-( )
————( )————

…it may be difficult – hopefully not impossible – to fill a cup that THINKS it is already full – so I did it step by step not to confuse y u…

And now – if you may – think about the little holes – some worn out and replaced – for example – in the Visconti-Sforza Cards – AND the background pattern on 19 of the 20 preserved Trumps – AND about the MEASUREMENTS of the Cards…

NOW – at least – you can tell the FAKED Sets from the REAL ones – IF you want to…

DEO VOLENTE

C

…you are very right – in this case things are much more complicated than that – sometimes it can be just the other way round – meaning a chronological young event might be evidentially “older” than its “antecedent” !

When in nature such an event occurs it is called an “atavism”.

Im referring to the TdM of Grimaud – I liked your attitude towards this deck in the above text very much – and ( maybe not exactly ) like you – I think of it as the bearer of the essence of Tarot – naturally only as a “descendant” of the elder Visconti-Sforza Cards…

As you said – the G. TdM is based on the C. TdM – nevertheless it features many often overlooked iconographic details – and some of them are NOT present in the preserved Conver Cards.
Now – knowing from his wood printing devices that Conver did several versions of similar cards – for several reasons – it might be assumed that the G. TdM might be the more “original” Tarot.
Of course this would only make sense if those details take the cards to a “new” level – and thats what they do.

But to see that one has to leave the “oracle” point of view – looking at only ONE card at a time – behind.

Some of these details are – the 2 dices on the Magicians table showing 1 and 5 – the rivets on the cuirass of the Charioteer – the square in the middle of 4 of discs and whats in it…

Further more you might place XI directly under XXI – and see what happens…
…and you might be surprised when you try first – from left to right – XVII – XVI – XX…
…and then move the XX to the right – so that another card will fit between XVI and XX – and try XIII…

All the above is not to be understood in the context of conventional “card reading”…

If you are interested in the iconographic roots of the Visconti-Sforza Cards – from which – especially the Grimaud TdM is a direct offspring – and have a little time at hand – you might be interested in reading this…

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=128423

Have a good weekend

C

I am aware of the image to which you refer, having previously also used it in various courses since the 1980s and discussed it online.

The main point with it is that similarity is not identity. In other words, just because an image has various aspects that has similarity to another does not make of one the antecedent to the other, nor even influential thereon. If that is what is suggested, then it needs to be argued.

…maybe you shouldnt narrow down your sight on conventional christian belief when you want to find out what TAROT is about – it was the time of RENAISSANCE when the Cards sprang to Life…

The picture on the TdM World Card is several hundred years older than that – you might have a look on the Greco-Roman bas relief 2nd C. A.D.in the Modena Museum of PHANES and the even much elder Pelasgian creation myth about Eurynome and Ophion what should have become later the model for the Orphic beliefs…

Enjoy

C