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4 Articles

Diane O'Donovan

  • Member since January 09, 2002

Retired university lecturer. Researcher into the origins of playing cards in Europe, the internal structure of the pack, court cards, the tarot symbols, etc.

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The Place of the Fool

This paper considers three questions relating to the Fool-card in the tarot-pack.

Shipman’s Guide: early card-packs and the Arcana

In late medieval Europe, among the various forms of card-sets that were tried, two were apparently found most useful.

Michael Scot's rebus figure of "Juppiter" as prototype for the tarot pack's "Magus”/”Bateleur”

A precursor for the 'Bateleur'/'Magus' included in the major arcana of our tarot pack.

1500 Hand-Painted Tarocchi Cards

Hand-Painted Tarocchi Cards

Hand-painted Tarocchi cards sometimes known as ‘Charles VI tarot’, North Italy, 1475-1500.