Eudes Picard meaning of the checkers board on page of swords

Metafizzypop

Haven't looked it up, but as far as I remember, Picard associated the swords suit with water...

Oh, yes, I'd forgotten. In fact, I have the El Gran Tarot Esoterico that Abrac mentioned on page one here, and which also has Swords as water. So this element assignment would explain the water on this card.

But I'd still say the chessboard represents strategy. With water nearby, the card to me suggests a combination of both types of mental processes, of intuition and intellect, feeling and thinking, subconscious and conscious. There's a dualistic vibe to this card that I can't get away from.

ETA: I just took a look at my El Gran, and the Page of Swords shows a chessboard as well. It's looks like a big mat, and the Page is standing on top of it. No water is shown. The Page is standing mostly with his back to the viewer, and his hand is up on his forehead, above his eyes, as though shielding them, and looking out into the distance. He looks like he has his sights set on something. A plan? His enemy?
 

Abrac

A chessboard is what I thought of too when I was looking at this card. The literal translation of damier is "checkerboard" though. Maybe you have to be French to fully understand what Picard was saying. Just looking at it, it does seem he's involved in some sort of strategic maneuvering.
 

Metafizzypop

A chessboard is what I thought of too when I was looking at this card. The literal translation of damier is "checkerboard" though. Maybe you have to be French to fully understand what Picard was saying. Just looking at it, it does seem he's involved in some sort of strategic maneuvering.

Checkers still does need some strategy I'd say. It's not as complex as chess, but it still takes skill.

I did a little research on the words. The English "checkers" comes from the French chess "echecs." FWIW.

Thanks for mentioning the El Gran Tarot Esoterico. One of my fave decks. And it also has the Page of Swords by a chess/checkerboard.
 

Abrac

Encarta defines checkerboard as,

"game board: a game board patterned with two colors of squares, usually black and red, arranged alternately, that can be used for playing a variety of games including checkers."

and Wiktionary,

"A board, usually square, covered with such a pattern; especially such a board with 64 squares, used to play chess and draughts / checkers."

So it sounds like "checkerboard" describes the pattern more than what it's used for. It could represent chess, checkers or some other game of strategy. :)
 

Metafizzypop

So it sounds like "checkerboard" describes the pattern more than what it's used for. It could represent chess, checkers or some other game of strategy. :)

Well that works for me. :)
 

kwaw

Bit off-topic : but I love it :D

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Habit de Tablietiere

A merchant of fancy wood-turnings, chessboards, etc.,
 

Abrac

Thanks for mentioning the Universal Wirth. It's a modern deck that follows the Eudes Picard pattern, and one of which I was not aware. It's too bad they didn't write a companion volume to go with it, at least I'm not aware of one.