Julia Orsini, Le Grand Etteila, ou l'Art de Tirer les Cartes. 1853

Cerulean

Paris
Chez Les Merchands de Nouvates
(Right side of page)

Left facing page
On trouve chez le memems libraries
Le
Grand Jeu de l'oracle des Dames

78 Cartes-Tarots

Imprimees en chromo-lithographie, a l'imitation des minatures de
XVe sicle, renfermes dans un etui et accompaniees du liver
explicatif 12 fr., e franco par la poste 12.fr.50

-----------------------------

Art of the Cards
of
Julia Orsini
Paris
House of Merchandes of Novelties(?)

The Grand Oracle of Ladies
78 cards of tarot

Printed in color lithography, to imitate the minatures of
15th century, and accompanied by books
explaining, 12 francs, with the postage of 12 franc.50

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NOTE: Apologies for the wierdness of this translations of meanings. This is taken directly from the French text circa "1850" (dating presumed from 1853 copyright cited in Papus' Tarot of the Bohemians citation of Julia Orsini'--Note corrected April 2011). This paperbound edition has delicate paper whose shredded binding falls apart at each handling--I am fortunate that all text is intact, although some of the printing is fading. It came with a reddish box and the cards of the 1880-90 Lismon Etteilla. The seller, Wolfgang Kunze, has noted that the Lismon stock was warehoused when Lismon went out of business. The stock was said to be sold to BP Grimaud and the tax stamp of 1890 has been applied to Lismon cards. The designs of Lismons cards can vary (see Lismon thread of comparisons--to be inserted later). If I ever find out more of the Lismon editions, it will be posted and noted here/and the appropriate thread).

I consulted the Edition Dusserre (circa 2001?) undated 112-page booklet that came with my reproduction of the Grand Jeu Oracle des Dames--but I found the updated translation in English contains different punctuation from my Julia Orsini booklet. The Edition Dussere booklet has a few more additions to the meanings of the cards and in some cases the descriptions seems to refer to card designs that literally describes cards that suit the Lismon 1880-90. I also have been using Decker and Dummett's History of the Occult Tarot book and Mary K. Greer's Timeline of the Occult Tarot in related threads).

Updates will be periodic, until the 78 meanings are translated/transcribed for educational, historical and comparative reference. As of August 2009, the circa 1850 Julia Orsini text of 78 meanings does not seem to be widely circulated. Hopefully those who consult this freely will appreciate the spirit of this was voluntarily typed so in the spirit of sharing we can learn together.

Each card has one page of meanings. I numbered each paragraph of text. If you have an Editions Dusserre Grand Oracle du Dames and the 112 page booklet translated in English, you will notice the additional text of their translation is not in the text that is translated/transcribed here--I do not know the date of Editions Dusserre translation of the Julia Orsini text.

Best regards and hope you can find this helpful.

Cerulean
 

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N.1 Etteilla

N. 1.
Etteilla - The Questioner
The Chaos

1. This card represents the chaos, spirit of God; this represent also the one who interrogates the oracles for the book of Thoth.
2. If you drew cards for the man, and it is not (a gentleman), then you must withdraw from play, and place it at the commencement/beginning of your line, without counting it in the number of the other (cards).
3. If it is for a lady, you must retrieve the card, it is useless, and you must replace it with (the appropriate card).
4.The tarot signifies discovery, meditation, profound spirit.
 

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N.2 Enlightenment - Fire

The Luminious (Light)

1.You would see this is the card of fire, the luminiousity that is enlightening, it's nearness is always favorable; the two infants who are in the picture announce a great posterity.
2. If it is for a man who is consulting, this signifies explanation, wedding, glory, interpretation of more secrets, rewards.
3. If it is for a young person when you do the cards, then it predicts marriage shortly. For a lady, it predicts the infants.
4. For a woman who a little older, her better qualities will be remarked by a man of advanced age who would like to offer his heart, and his hand, accompanied by a grand fortune.
 

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N. 3 Talk - Water -- The Plants

The Plants

1.This card represents the moon, water, the eart, the night, it signifies bad talk, cancans (?), discourse (gossip?)

2. If it is near n. 23, then it announces news from the country.

3. If it is near n. 21, then it predicts dissension caused by talk of a double entendre.

4. If the questioner is a mariner, then it announces the voyage of far off lands, searching that is useless, waste of time.

5. For the young person, this predicts tears, if this card is preceded by the n. 45, then this announces that the tears will cease when there is news of an inheritance and followed by n.39, then one will marry a young blond man with a fortune.
 

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N.4 Deprivation - Air --The Sky

The Sky

1.The Egyptians meant much in the explanations of this card as they regarded this as a bad star.

2. The significance; deprivation, considerable loss, hypocrisy.

3. If the consultant is a lady, this certainly announces she will be maliciously spoken about by her bad friends. But if this card is right side up, the malicious one will have a day she is facing ridicule herself.

4. Near n.20, you need to avert the speculators who will prey on your fortune, and you need to be on your guard.
 

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5. Voyage - The Earth - The Man and Four-Legged Ones

1. The feminine nude within the middle of the circle indicates the truth over the earth, the branch of olive announces peace generally, the attributes of the four evangelists that encircle the earth are the signs of sages, the pyramids indicate the increase of fortune.

2. The card predicts for you the good hour, courage, battles won.

3. With n.38, it announces the arrival of money.

4. Near n.36, it tells you to expect to be nominated for an employment elevation.

5. Preceded by n. 9, this predicts win of due process (court?).

6. Succeeded/followed by n.77, it is a grand sign of the good hour.
 

Cerulean

N. 6. The Night - The Day -- The Stars

The Stars

1.This card represents for you the sky, the sun bright over the earth, but the pale luminiousity of the moon will in a moment replace it; the sense of mystique in the figure is not too difficult to explain.

2. This signifies darkness, storms, eclipses, blindness.

3. If the person for you are consulting is aged, this card then predicts many more days.

4. If this is a young person, this shows more obstacles for the union that has been hoped for a long time.

5. Reversed, this promotes enlightenment in the affairs that you are embroiled in.
 

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N. 7 Support - Protection __ The Birds and the Fishes

The Birds and the Fishes

1.The serpent creeps over the land, a sign of malediction, the sea is calm, the birds fly rapidly in the region of air to show to us that with effort, we can always rise.

2. This card announces support by an important person with whom you will obtain employment that has been much sought-after.

3.If the consultant is a young woman, this card predicts she will marry a man rich and celebrated.

4. When this card arrives reversed, this card predicts that your enemies will be forced into confusion for a long time and absolute silence.
 

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N. 8. E. Etteilla - The Questioner

1. This card is for the consultant; if the person you are doing the reading for is feminine, then you take the card in play and pose it at the beginning of the line that you are explaining; if the consultant is the male, you will retrieve it from the line and replace it as per the instructions (written earlier).

2. The circles around the feminine represent the labyrinths of the future, what her imagination contains and troubles her; but soon the oracle will speak, and the future is to be known.
 

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N. 9: The Justice - The Lawgiver

1. The King Solomon (Salamon) seated on the throne, holds all the attributes of the justice.

2. This card announces to you that the legal process that you have been dispensing many considerable sums will judge in your favor, or that quarrel that have kept you far from a relative or your friend will cease to be harmful.

3. If it is for a feminine that you are consulting, the tarot here announces that the calamitous gossip will soon be discovered very soon.