The things I missed in this deck - after 28 years of looking!!

Magenta_Wolves

V Wands

Hello all, this is my first message, I found this board yesterday and am finding so much information here. Has anyone else noticed this?

On the V Wands the man in the red tunic with the hat on is holding onto a wand that has no growth on it, it is the only wand in the deck without growth.
 

Teheuti

Ace of Cups

Rosanne said:
The author Robert Place would agree with you Elnor. He says in his book That this Cup seems to represent the Holy Grail.
Waite says that the Ace is "an intimation of that which may lie behind the Lesser Arcana." The suit of Cups illustrates the summary of _The Metrical Romance of Robert de Boron_ (the earliest tale of Joseph of Arimathea and the Grail), which is found in Waite's _Hidden Church of the Holy Graal_ published the same year as the deck. You can see my findings regarding Waite's sources for the Minor Arcana cards in an article in Llewellyn's 2006 Tarot Reader.

Mary
 

namesoftrees

The more I look...

Hey that's interesting about the 5 of wands.


I've just noticed the magician's cool belt!
 

mollymawk

I like the 'PAX' in the chapel window on the 4 of Swords.

Frustration--I've studied the RWS a lot, but hate the printings of it I've seen. I used to have a halfway decent UW, but gave it away, since then all I've found is the 'washed out' version that looks like somebody left it out in the sun too long. And I just can't cotton to the Radiant.

So I keep a giant RWS for study and details, use the Illuminated for readings, and mentally 'fill in' those bits and bobs missing from the original.

I'm always amazed at people who say they've outgrown the RWS and gone onto something without half the symbolism. That pack of cards can keep you engrossed for decades--or maybe I'm just strange...
 

clbzkl

Hidden Court

I dont know if anyone has ever noticed this but some Kings and Queens thrones are without armrests. Let us take the Queen of cups as an example.
She has no armrest and she has her feet crossed.
I have read this as a woman who is uncomfortable and worries(no armrest) alot but decides not to act(crossed feet).

I dont know if that makes sense to anyone but that is my two cents.
 

namesoftrees

I've heard that a lot of pisceans stand with their feet crossed in a 'tail' like way. Maybe it's a watery reference. I get a comfortable feeling from her rather than inactive.
 

Code Warrior

Sedi said:
Is it just me or is The Tower one of the towers in The Moon or Death (perhaps seen from the back as it has three windows rather than just one)?


Les.

I also noticed this as well. The only other thing of interest I've noticed about RWS deck is I cannot for the life of me find Pamela's PCS on The Fool. Is it hidden in the rockwork under the dog?

Dan
 

BodhiSeed

Code Warrior said:
The only other thing of interest I've noticed about RWS deck is I cannot for the life of me find Pamela's PCS on The Fool. Is it hidden in the rockwork under the dog?

Dan

Somewhere I read that Pamela and Arthur had a huge disagreement over this card, and she refused to sign it for this reason. I'm not sure what the difference of opinion was over; perhaps another AT member will know.

Bodhran
 

Teheuti

bodhran said:
Somewhere I read that Pamela and Arthur had a huge disagreement over this card, and she refused to sign it for this reason. I'm not sure what the difference of opinion was over; perhaps another AT member will know.
I've been researching Smith and Waite for over 20 years and have never seen a source for this other than as a modern myth circulating primarily over the internet. Someone thought it a cute explanation and it has been going around ever since. Pixie's signature is sideways along the cliff side (just below and to the left of the dog's hind feet). If you have a copy of the Giant Rider-Waite (Swiss printing) or a good B&W from PKT then you can see it pretty clearly.

Waite mentioned that he had to "spoon-feed" her over several cards - but these seem to be ones where he made significant changes from the traditional (including the Fool among others).

Mary