r/TarotDeMarseille

Finally got my first Minchiate deck (and first deck from Il Meneghello); it’s gorgeous!!
I’ll be holed up at home all weekend learning how to use it lol

Sharing images here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCTLVw

I hope this is the appropriate sub for this. I suspect most TdM readers eventually venture into the Minchiate 😬.

I'm not sure if I'll read with it but it's definitely beautiful to behold and use as a study reference or for reflections.

Been scouring online for resources but it seems Minchiate didn't get much traction in "divination". What I found were some traces of online concepts, presumably by Andrea Vitali (Le Tarot Cultural Association) with a proposed 5 categories system: Trionfi, Virtues, Zodiacs, Elements, Minors. Then a card drawn from each category to respond to the query.

1. 21 Trionfi: 5 "Popes" + 10 trumps (Temperance–Tower) + 5 Airs (Star, Moon, Sun, World, Fame) + Fool
2. 4 Virtues (Hope, Prudence, Faith, Charity)
3. 12 Zodiac signs
4. 4 Elements
5. 56 Minors: 40 pips + 16 court cards

Of course, one can just drop some sections such as the Zodiacs and read it like TdM. Wonder if anyone has other methods that use the whole deck?

For people that - like me - are fans of old tarot decks, owning a copy of the Jean Dodal tarot de Marseilles is a real kick. Dating back to 1701, it was until very recently one of the oldest known TdM decks in existence. While new discoveries have pushed back the date for the oldest TDM deck by several decades, it remains one of the most loved and most speaking examples of TdM I style. I finally got a copy (not a real facsimile, not a real restauration, but something in between) from Tarotgraphe. I am already loving it!

I did a deck interview. And the basic message is clear: this is a no nonsense deck. It will give me rational answers and urge me to put these into action. The big caveat being that this strict rationality may not be the most social acceptable way to go about it. The Hermit as shadow card emphasizes this enlightened yet solitary aspect, reminding me a bit of Mr Spock. A deck that certainly has its place in my readings…

Yesterday I did this reading and I want to break down step by step how I read. Red circle for attention grabbing and everything included.

♥️ 1. The question: How will my night shift at the restaurant be? What can I expect?

The question is the heart of the reading and making the right question is the half of a correct answer, so we need to be clear and specific. (NEVER yes/no questions. Tarot is not a coin you can flip and call it a day). I just wanted to know what was ahead in my road for the next hours during my shift so I asked that.

Important: I'm asking about MY shift at the restaurant, so the cards will speak about MY situation. Unless it affects me, my coworkers can break a leg and the cards will ignore it.

♦️ 2. Deck: Playing Marseille by Ryan Edwards

This deck is special. Ryan fused the major arcana of Tarot de Marseille with the common playing cards as the minor arcana (plus 4 knights). To read it I base my meanings on the original Italian interpretation of the majors/trumps and a very simple cartomancy structure (search *"For the with of poor memory"* or *"The Devil's picture-book"*).

Important: Poker suits and Tarot suits are NOT the same. While similar, they're different languages.

♥️ 3. Spread: Line of 5

The Line of 5 is a very simple spread. There are no positions (like the Celtic Cross) so instead, the cards move from the present to the future, from left to right. We're asking about my night shift so the line expands from the moment I clock-in to closing time.

♦️ 4. Techniques

I use 2 classic techniques to read the Line of 5:

The main one is just moving from left to right (present to future). Card #1 is affected by card #2, then #3, then #4 and so on. Like a story, we have a beginning + middle + ending (which coincides with my shift duration).

JUGGLER + TIME + A♦️ + 9♣️ + K♠️

The second one is mirroring. We read #1 and #5 together, and #2 + #4. The card in the middle becomes a focus point/theme.

JUGGLER + K♠️

TIME + 9♣️

A♦️

♥️ 5. Meanings

The Italian School reads with the original meanings of the cards from the Renaissance, so we don't have The Magician or The Hermit.

THE JUGGLER: The street artist performing a trick with his tools and table. He represents cunning, skill and labor, all tricks we do to gain our bread. As one of the lowest ranks he also represents the conmen, the artists and the common artisans. (I'm working as a cook so I literally look like the Juggler in front of my grill).

TIME: Old Father Time carrying an hourglass. I know there's not an hourglass in the card but originally it used to be. He represents the pass of time, old age, slow movement, patience and fatigue.

Ace of Diamonds: The suit of diamonds represents success, money, wealth, luck and rewards, etc. The Ace is the strongest card of the suit, so we're talking about a high reward, a big success.

Nine of Clubs: The suit of clubs represents the fields, the wilderness, hard-work, knowledge and movement. The Nine is usually *"the peak of the mountain"*. A big amount of something which has been developing slowly with long-lasting effects. A big number of duties, a lot of movement.

King of Spades: The suit of spades represents pain, sorrow, danger, fight and failure. The King is usually a man, so we'll be speaking about a troubled man, an enemy, someone mad or in bad condition.

♦️ 6. The majors

Not all cards weigh the same. The major arcana ALWAYS ranks above the minors, so they lead the answer. The minors can contextualize or add details but NEVER contradict the majors.

The answer really is between the Juggler and Time and there's a little trick to read the trumps (that doesn't replace a whole reading, but makes things easier): Imagine card #1 becoming card #2.

The Juggler is a young man worried about his looks and how the show he is giving. He moves his tools with swiftness around the table. Time is old, he moves slowly and carefully and can't do it without his walking stick. He's focused on the clock (hourglass). He has been around for a looooong time and now his body is tired.

And just like that we already have the answer: Work will become slow and tiring. We could even say boring or repetitive/monotonous. We can also see work done carefully, with a lot of patience.

♥️ 7. The minors

Now that we have the main answer we can work the details. Poker cartomancy has its own set of rules so we'll go step by step:

A. The colors: Red is day/warmth/comfort. Black is night/cold/restlessness. Do we move from the red into the black or from the black into the red? We have one red followed by two blacks, so the initial warmth will become very cold and uncomfortable.

♦️♣️♠️

B. The suits: Card #1 is affected by #2 and so on. The diamond (wealth/success/security) is affected by the club (work/movement/grow). The colors let us know that this situation moves from comfort to restlessness so the gain and security suggested by the diamond becomes anxious and busy. As a cook, I receive tips (diamond) and orders (clubs).

Take what we have and add the spade (pain/incorrect/anger). Black followed by black is "from the frying pan into the fire", so not only is it busy, it has an extra layer of trouble. Club + Spade = Mistakes, work done incorrectly, fatigue, useless effort, etc.

♦️ + ♣️ + ♠️ =

Success which has troubling efforts as a consequence.

C. Numbers and faces: As mentioned before, the ace is strong and punctual, the Nine is slow but big and the King is usually a man involved in some way and who affects the previous cards with his suit. Together we can conclude A♦️ + 9♣️ + K♠️ =

A strong and punctual success/reward carries a big amount of work left to do which is done incorrectly by (or makes mad/upset) a man.

Important: I'm asking about a single afternoon working at a family restaurant, not the fate of my whole life so we need to TUNE DOWN the cards. The Ace is not a thousand dollars and the King is not Hitler.

♦️ 8. The Line of 5, complete

JUGGLER + TIME + A♦️ + 9♣️ + K♠️ =

Work at the kitchen will become slow, tiring and monotonous but the patience and care exercised will result in a strong and punctual success/reward with the consequence of a big amount of work left to do and done incorrectly by (or it will make mad/upset) a man.

Notice how the ace of diamonds contextualized TIME. Now his slow movement has a benefit.

♦️ 9. Mirroring

The Ace of Diamons in the middle is our theme card. It describes what is happening around it. As we know, it represents a strong and punctual reward/success.

JUGGLER + K♠️ = The work and the skills of the Juggler are "damaged" or leave unsatisfied a man. (That better not be about my cooking skills!).

TIME + 9♣️ = The slow pass of Time moves uphill, trying to surpass the mountain of unfinished orders ahead. He better start soon.

We can conclude that for this "treasure" to be adquiered there won't be an easy way. Special attention to don't let the orders accumulate and commit mistakes by rushing it.

♥️ 10. Conclusions

From the 4 playing card suits the Hearts are missing. Hearts represent love, pleasure and feelings. It's a shame, it's absence means there's no fun time (but also no broken hearts).

How was the night? Exactly as you read. Boring with a sudden peak of orders and cleaning duties late in the night. My coworker made some mistakes but I also had some beef with a drunk client which made my job more difficult, so I wasn't short of Kings of Spades. I'm yet to count my tips to confirm the Ace of Diamond.

♥️♠️♦️♣️

Let me know what you think about my process!

Deck: Playing Marseille by Ryan Edwards

Spread: Line of 5/general reading

Style: Hybrid poker cartomancy + Italian Tarot.

For context, today I'm part of the kitchen staff so that means I'll be behind the grill for the most part of the night. Not surprised to see the Juggler, with his own "grill" as card number one.

What I'm less excited about is Time, the Old Man in the following position foretelling a very long and tiresome shift. The Juggler who plays and moves his instruments to satisfy the crowd now slowed down, barely walking, barely moving. Long are the hours.

(I mean, I don't like the implication that my cooking may be slow or "crippled". And, since the Juggler encapsulates from the kitchen to the waiters to the musicians, this could be more general mood).

But... look at that! The effort isn't in vain, the center card, heart of the reading is the reward! The ace of diamonds after Time (who also rules patience and care) suggests valuable tips.

Finally 9 of clubs and the King of Spades.

I don't love the 9 of clubs, in particular this late in the reading because we're in the late hours of the restaurant. I want to go home dawg, and this is a mountain of work left to do. We have red (diamond) followed by black & black (club and spade). That's not good. Bad omens for the closing hours. The shining victory will become obscured.

Diamonds and clubs speak of tying missing links. Really a "buy now, pay later" combination. Busy, super busy. And the King only makes it worse. He could be my manager (mad) or a difficult client. The result is the same: The already difficult work gains an extra level of pressure. Clubs + Spades = Fruitless effort, painful movement, very tiring.

It makes sense. By mirroring the cards, the King's spade crosses the Juggler (the working staff and the labor itself, cause of his disappointment). Time is crossed by the clubs (gods have mercy I want to go home. I can feel the boredom and the anxiety just by looking at these two). The only stable card is the Ace. (It better be).

I will be here for a while it seems. It could be worse.

(Also, not a single heart. I guess the kitchen staff is not allowed to have fun. And boy, it's quite telling how quiet this place is rn).