Ayumi
Jean-Claude Flornoy, in his self published booklet about his interpretation of the tarot of Jean Dodal "THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL" states on page 47,
"When a being incarnates, he is looked after by one of the four "royalties", catagories, castes or colleges into which the ancients divided society: Batons, of which the Papess is the archetypal model of those who produce and construct: peasants or craftsmen. Coins, with the Empress personifying those who trade and keep money circulating: the merchants and financiers. Swords, for which the Emperor represents those who defend and govern: princes and warriors. And finally the Cups, with the Pope as model for those who teach and cure: priests and healers."
Earlier in the booklet Flornoy equates the element of Earth with the Papess (page 5), The element of Water with the Empress (page 7), the element of Fire with the Emperor (page 9), and the element of Air with The Pope (page 11).
So, we get a tidy set of correspondences:
FIRE..........SWORDS..........EMPEROR
AIR.............CUPS.............POPE
WATER........COINS............EMPRESS
EARTH........BATONS..........PAPESS
From a historic perspective, these correspondences seem like the most sensible of the various ones I've seen. Thank you Mr. Flornoy.
Source:
Flornoy, Jean-Claude. The Journey of the Soul. Sainte-Suzanne: LeTarot.com Editions, 1999.
This booklet is avalible in either French or English, along with his excellent handmade reproductions of the the Tarot of Jean Dodal, the Tarot of Jean Noblet, and handsome leather tarot cases through the authors website, www.letarot.com.
Ayumi
"When a being incarnates, he is looked after by one of the four "royalties", catagories, castes or colleges into which the ancients divided society: Batons, of which the Papess is the archetypal model of those who produce and construct: peasants or craftsmen. Coins, with the Empress personifying those who trade and keep money circulating: the merchants and financiers. Swords, for which the Emperor represents those who defend and govern: princes and warriors. And finally the Cups, with the Pope as model for those who teach and cure: priests and healers."
Earlier in the booklet Flornoy equates the element of Earth with the Papess (page 5), The element of Water with the Empress (page 7), the element of Fire with the Emperor (page 9), and the element of Air with The Pope (page 11).
So, we get a tidy set of correspondences:
FIRE..........SWORDS..........EMPEROR
AIR.............CUPS.............POPE
WATER........COINS............EMPRESS
EARTH........BATONS..........PAPESS
From a historic perspective, these correspondences seem like the most sensible of the various ones I've seen. Thank you Mr. Flornoy.
Source:
Flornoy, Jean-Claude. The Journey of the Soul. Sainte-Suzanne: LeTarot.com Editions, 1999.
This booklet is avalible in either French or English, along with his excellent handmade reproductions of the the Tarot of Jean Dodal, the Tarot of Jean Noblet, and handsome leather tarot cases through the authors website, www.letarot.com.
Ayumi