Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards

by Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer

, seen on the Pagat, or the first Atout. The girl forces open the mouth of a lion, expressing vitality, force, courage, daring. It would seem the ancients believed that, in suffering or trouble a woman was superior to a man, for endurance and strength of mind.

The figure also typifies innocence, so the fable of Una and the lion seems to be depicted, whether intentionally or not. Another symbol is that of the Amazons, who pretended, say modern writers, to great strength, in spite of being women, but the translations of some of the cuneiform tablets lead one to suppose that these female warriors were more noted in their own times for their wit than for their strength. The value given to the card indicates it to be under the protection of Minerva. The Hebrew letter for this card is Kaph, which typifies a grasping hand. This card represents subtle and mystic occultism, with its influence over mankind; in fact, female charity. It recalls, by its costume and attributes, the Egyptian goddess Neith, whose temple was at Sais, the chief city of the Delta. She wears a peculiar emblem on her head, sometimes called a “shuttle,” recalling the device of the Atout. Mr. Rawlinson, in his “Ancient Egypt” (page 342), says the inscription on her shrine reads: “I am all that was, and is, and is to be. No mortal hath lifted my veil.” The last expression would be understood in Egypt, for the lifting of the veil is the conclusion of the marriage service, when the bridegroom sees his wife for the first time. Therefore, one meaning of the card is a bride.

XII. L’APPESO (The Hanged Man)

The hanged man is a remarkable figure on the twelfth leaf of the Book of Thoth. The person is suspended by one foot from a gibbet that is crudely made, by placing a bar in the fork of two opposite trees that have been lopped of other branches. The hands are tied behind, and the right leg crosses the left, by which the figure is suspended. This peculiar form of punishment was at one time inflicted for certain kinds of crimes in Etruria, and was probably typical when it was adopted. It has been suggested that one of the signs of recognition between Freemasons consists in crossing the legs, although these persons generally remain upright and are not contortionists, so it is difficult to concede this connection with the figure on the Atout. It shows a young man, who is said to be the Pagat, or inquirer, of the first Atout, who, having passed through the temptations of youth, begins to aspire to an ethical future. This is exemplified by his position, indicating discipline, or submission to a superior will. Perhaps another idea is, that since all the blood has run to his head, the powers of knowledge are concentrated, and will be increased. The card expresses equilibrium, charity, courage, knowledge and prudence; also wisdom and fidelity. Lamed is the corresponding Hebrew letter; it designates the arm, so is, therefore, connected with expansive power and movement, as applied to all ideas of extension, of occupation, of possession. The figure being raised above the earth, and in a position of pain, together with humility, typifies a mind withdrawn from temporal ideas, or a martyr to science. Vulcan is supposed to be the Olympian god typified by L’Appeso, not only on account of the strong arm, but also because he was thrown out of heaven and lamed for life.

XIII. LA MORTE (Death)

This thirteenth Atout is represented on some cards as a skeleton mowing off the heads of men, on some as a rider on a white horse, and on others on a black one. There is an old proverb: “Death comes riding on a white horse,” and sometimes the clouds betokening rain are called “the white horses of death.” One of the horses of Aurora was called Abraxas, the numerical value of these letters summing up three hundred and sixty-five, or the number of the days of the year. The occult meanings attached to this card and its number in the Atouts are well known, for the latter is connected with bad luck or death in all European countries, and in every place where the worship of Mercury or the Hermetic art, as connected with cards, has penetrated. It is not so regarded, however, by savage tribes, who have not followed this cult. This superstition is, therefore, by many deemed to be one of the proofs that the cards were descended from those mysteries. It is supposed that this image of Death was the half-way position in the temple of Thoth, and therefore divided the Atouts to the right and to the left, since they were placed in sequence on both sides. Thoth Hermes, the unnumbered Atout, was represented by a statue that occupied the centre of the building, under which stood an altar. On this altar the rods (or pip cards) were thrown when consulting the oracle. At any rate, the altar (or its remains) occupies the centre of the ruins of the temple of Mercury, at Baiæ. The central position of Death was deemed to indicate the dividing period of a man’s life. The inquirer, after consulting the pictured figures, representing the family, religion, government, and friends of the beginning of his life, now learned of the more serious affairs of later years, not necessarily death or bad fortune, but, rather, a transforming force, since this Atout marked such a distinct epoch in the path of life, and was to be considered most seriously. Still the card also portends sorrow, destruction, and death. The letter is Mem, meaning fertility and formation, or the development of the being in an unlimited space, perhaps regeneration after destruction, or immortality in another world.

XIV. LA TEMPERAN (Temperance)

It is probable that this figure was intended for Nut or Nephthys. Of her but little is positively known, and, so far, no temple erected to her has been discovered. She was called the wife of Seb, and the mother of Osiris. Her titles are “the Elder,” “the Mother of the Gods,” and “the Nurse.” She is usually represented as veiled and pouring a liquid from a vase. Her figure frequently appears in tombs, as if she was the guardian angel or protector of the dead soul. This idea of an oblation to the gods, through pouring wine or oil before them, is found to be common among the Babylonians, and to “pour oil on the troubled waters” is no mere figure of speech.

The fourteenth Atout is represented as a winged female pouring liquid from one jug to another, signifying individual and corporeal existence, production, fruition, health, temperance, economy and offspring. Its letter is Nun, signifying fruit of any kind and all things produced. Neptune is typified by one of his nymphs offering an oblation when mingling the waters. There may be a remote and more occult connection with this device and divination, for one of the earliest methods of consulting the gods was through pouring water on oil, or oil on water, and prognosticating from the results. This process is found to have been used among the Babylonians as early as two thousand five hundred years before Christ. Two books have been discovered on this subject that give full directions for consulting the wishes of the gods through those means, and they have been fully translated by Dr. Arthur Ungnad. One is, “Interpretations of the Future among the Babylonians and Assyrians,” and in it are found many directions for discovering the wishes of the gods, such as: “If the oil fills the cup, the person dies;” “If the oil floats on water to the east, the person will die;” “If to the right, it is good luck, if to the left, it is misfortune.” The name, Temperance, given to this card, seems to be rather misleading and modern, since the picture evidently typifies this most ancient custom.