I had noted the first part is more or less a paraphrase (somewhere?), and Rainsford places some the material at the end of Court’s essay towards the beginning as well, as I recall. But he veers towards a more literal translation quite quickly, and we can guess at the reasons for his presentation of ...

Looking for something else, I came across a reference to an article on this very subject, written by no less than the man who taught Artaud astrology, tarot , etc. “Manuel Cano de Castro, Rencontre d’Antonin Artaud avec les tarots,” in: K, n° 1-2, juin 1948, « Antonin Artaud. Textes, documents, témo...

That 's possible, but in the preface to Court's essay, he notes that "my Curiosity at that Time led me to procure the several Species of Cards used by different Peoples", plus we know he was in Italy so that was my first thought as to the deck.

And thanks for the kind words!

A presentation of Rainsford's translations has now been posted here: https://traditionaltarot.wordpress.com/2020/11/27/court-de-gebelin-an-enquiry-into-the-origin-of-the-game-of-tharot-etteilla-the-method-of-playing-with-the-pack-of-cards-called-tarots/ and will - eventually - be followed by another...

You would need to go and read Wirth’s book, now available in English, to confirm or infirm your theories. Wirth’s booklet has been retranslated and published again recently, although I have not seen either edition. It is apparently a condensed version of his main work. You can find more details on t...

As some of you already know, a period translation of the Tarot works of both these authors has recently resurfaced online. The translation was done by Charles Rainsford, a prominent English Freemason who had a lot of contact with European Masons, and who attended the congresses of the Philalethes, a...

According to Van Rijnberk, the author who wrote pseudonymously as "Johannès Trismégiste" was one Lorambert.

Thank you. Likely nobody in Europe and 1650 knew the word Kundalini, but caduceus (a symbol of peacemaking Herolds and diplomats) is a good idea, especially since 1648 peace had returned for many persons (Westfälischer Friede). This topic has been discussed elsewhere - I will see if I can find a re...

Good to know. Which book by Trismegiste? And is the Spanish there, too? That is what I was chiefly interested in. That would help to decide whether the method came from Spain, or the Spanish is a translation from the French - the latter seems more probable, if it is in Trismegiste, unless he credit...

Another omission: Papus gives a long quote from a "Catalan grimoire" in Spanish on a "Gypsy method" of card-reading called "The Pearls of Isis", which he then translates into French. Stockman translates the French and leaves out the Spanish. Perhaps of more importance ...