The poet Aretino (flourished second quarter of the 16th century), known to tarot enthusiasts as the author of The Talking Cards , wrote a dialogue mentioning the Popess in particular. The author's spokesperson, a prostitute named Nana, is educating Antonia, her naive colleague, about how to succeed ...

Now I want to see how well the Neopythagorean framework I developed for the SB, and which partially explicates the Marseille-style pips, holds for the trumps with the same numbers. I haven't a clue how to relate the SB pips to the SB trumps. Relating them, or the principles behind them, to the "...

That was a very intereting report, Ross. I am back on the "bound captives' theme. I happened to notice something on the "Fama" engraving by the "Master of 1466," as Lambert calls him. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5e7P4Y3Wo3w/S_HxscLL6RI/AAAAAAAAB1A/lyky86tDkj0/s1600/triumphs146...

For another look at the whole, I want to compare the SB pips with the more usual “Marseille” ones. How well does the Pythagorean framework I have developed fit those more abstract designs? The short answer is: with mixed results. The Aces and Twos are differentiated enough to see the same Neopythago...

By way of summary, I want to investigate three questions. First, how much does the Waite-Smith owe to the Sola-Busca? Second, how well does Marco’s assignment of the four temperaments to the four suits fit the SB pips? Third, how well do the “Etteilla” word-lists describe the Sola-Busca? 1. THE SB C...

From what the Theology of Arithmetic says about the Ennead, that it marks a turning around to the beginning, the source, one might expect that it would talk about the Decad as the Monad in another form. There is some of that, in that it refers to both as "God." But the Decad is not a new b...

Ross wrote, To me, the real excitement is the growing certainty that it is much earlier than 1500. I don't see how looking at the time certain clothing was in fashion, and even to an extent the artistic style, shows much about when a tarot deck was made. For one thing, cards tended to be conservativ...

he SB Nine of Batons shows a man crossing a stream carrying a heavy load of sticks. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5e7P4Y3Wo3w/TE0xilz56rI/AAAAAAAACDg/sJ9vAShXrME/s1600/324px-B09_Sola_Busca.jpg In the Renaissance, the most familiar picture of someone crossing a stream with a load was that of St. Christop...

"Thoughts pertaining to the body" equals, in Neopythagorean terminology, "thoughts pertaining to the vegetative soul," i.e. the body as a living, growing, reproducing entity. This is one thing the Pentad is about, according to the Theology of Arithmetic . I would say, with you, t...

Among the Sola-Busca Eights, I am starting with Batons because it is the only one of the four SB Eights to have all eight of the suit-sign objects together. Swords and Coins are both 7+1; Cups is 6 + 2. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5e7P4Y3Wo3w/TESyKyrw7pI/AAAAAAAACCI/dOo-0cvrfEs/s1600/324px-B08_Sola_Bu...