PRE-@JZAPHAELITE AROTINDEX English Italiano Espafiol Francais Portugués ....PRE-RAPHAELITE TAROT The art and life of the Pre-Raphaelite painters were wholly devoted to the pursuit of beauty in the sense of the divine essence intrinsic in every aspect of creation. With their ability to transport us to distant worlds and through their symbolic language, these incredible artists still manage, even today, to fascinate us, arouse profound emo- tions within us and put us in touch with our in- tuitive side. Inspired by some of their most famous works, the Arcana of this deck make the symbols found in every detail and the metaphors hidden in every image, the perfect keys that allow us to gain ac- cess to our inner world and bring out our most enigmatic passions and highest virtues. THE PRE-RAPHAELITE BROTHERHOOD Three twenty-year-old students at the Royal Acad- emy in Victorian London of 1849, exhibited their works for the first time signing them with the ini- tials PR.B. (the same initials that are shown on the Nine of Chalices). None of the public knew what this stood for, but everyone quickly realised that the style and content of these paintings were highly innovative. It was only after a year that people discovered that the acronym stood for Pre- 3Raphaelite Brotherhood. The three young found- ers were Dante Gabriele Rossetti (1828-1882), William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) and John Everett Millais (1829-1896). The first, who was the son of an Italian member of the Carbonari and brother of an occultist, was an avid reader of Dante, Blake, Shakespeare and Poe. In addition to painting, he also composed epic poems and other forms of poetry. The second was born into a merchant family but abandoned the work of his father to devote himself to painting. His interest in spiritual topics drove him to travel to the Holy Land, where he could see for him- self the places where the events in the Bible took place. The third was a child prodigy. He was born in Jersey into a wealthy family and was taken to London by his mother who wanted him to receive the best possible education. At eleven years of age, he entered the Royal Academy and his record of being its youngest student still stands today. The critical comments made about these young painters fell into two categories: some were full of praise, others highly disparaging. What was cer- tain was that they could not go unnoticed. Soon they were joined by other London intellectuals in- cluding Thomas Woolner, James Collison, Freder- ick Johnes Stephens and William Rossetti. The Brotherhood split up after a few years, but enjoyed a comeback through the work of artists such as Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) and William Morris (1834-1896) who were painters 4but also interested in home furnishings and fash- ion, giving rise to the style that later was subse- quently known in France as Art Nouveau. Con- versely, John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) came on the scene some decades later and, unlike his masters, he achieved notable success among his contemporaries. THE MUSES We cannot fully understand the concept of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood without, rightly, in- cluding its sisterhood. In fact, there were many women (mothers, sisters, friends, domestic staff, wives and lovers) who revolved around the young artists and built up all-consuming relationships with them. They were the muses and icons of timeless beauty that inspired the magnificent works of their brothers and we can see them de- picted in this deck of cards. The most famous was undoubtedly Elizabeth Sid- dal, known as Lizzy, Delicate and ethereal, with beautiful, long auburn hair and dreamy eyes, she embodied the ideal of angelic beauty and was reminiscent of the women in Dolce Stil Novo. She was Ophelia, Beatrice, the Ancilla Domini that we can see immortalised in the Three of Swords. She was born into a poor family, met Rossetti, fell in love and married him. Thanks to him, she re- ceived an education, became a poet and, in turn, a painter as well. The critics claimed that she was 5even better than her mentor. But life with the art- ist was not easy: he was unfaithful, she had a mis- carriage and fell into depression. She died prema- turely at the age of 32, alone in her room through an overdose of laudanum. Conversely, the one who perfectly embodied the ideal, provocative, yet tortured temptress was Jane Burden: long black hair, blue eyes and a per- petually pouting expression. She was Persephone, the beautiful Isolde, Syrian Astarte and the Queen of Wands in this deck. Jane also originated from a humble household; she was noticed by Rossetti and entered the Pre-Raphaelite entourage and be- came their model. She married Morris, but had affairs with a number of other men, including Rossetti. Thanks to the company she kept and her lively intelligence, she developed a passion for culture: she learnt French and Italian and became very good at playing the piano. Fanny Conforth, on the other hand, with her gold-coloured hair, full lips and sinuous curves, represented the epitome of Junoesque beauty. She was Rossetti maid and became his mistress, but unlike the others, she never became an intellec- tual and is mocked by the Brotherhood. Her fea- tures are like those of Lady Lilith, Lucretia Borgia, Venus Verticordia (“Changer of Hearts”) which inspired our Ace of Swords. We should also mention: Effie Gray, the wife of the art critic Ruskin, who annulled her marriage with him in order to marry Millais; Annie Miller, Hunts 6beautiful lover from a poor background; Frances Polidori, Rossetti educated and well-to-do moth- er. In addition to posing for her son Dante, she also modelled for their family friend, Lewis Carroll. THE IDEALS OF THE PRE-RAPHAELITES What made the Pre-Raphaelites appear so original to their contemporaries, and so modern, fascinat- ing and exciting to people in our time were the ideals that animated their works, their beliefs and their way of seeing art and life in general. Inspired by their European Symbolist colleagues, they criticised: — the alienating effect of the industrial society that drove man away from nature; — the moralism of the Victorian Age that penal- ised, in particular, the role of women in society; — the rigid academicism of painting techniques and the pointless dogmatism of themes and art subsequent to Raphael. In contrast they hoped for: — the reconciliation of man and, in particular, the artist with nature; 7 the re-awakening of a mystical, ancient and pantheistic spirituality; — the return ofa pure, free style, relevant to reality, like that of the painters before Raphael (known as “primitives”) and the artists of the Middle Ages. 7In other words, the Pre-Raphaelites had an eso- teric view of the world, that is, they believed that sacred truths lay hidden behind the appearance of things. Their works were teeming with sym- bols that were cleverly hidden among natural ele- ments. In fact, nature is the true protagonist of their paintings: it is taken to be the embodiment of the “Divine” and all matter is spiritualised. As we admire the Arcana of this deck, we find our- selves looking at an eternal spring; the vegetation is luxuriant and sumptuous; stones, flowers and stars become esoteric symbols and represent mys- tical teachings; the human figures (mostly wom- en) blend in with the surroundings and become metaphors themselves of the twofold aspect of Mother Nature, sometimes benevolent and fertile and, at others, harsh and deadly, as is evident if we compare the cards of the Empress and Death. ART AND MAGIC For the Pre-Raphaelites, artistic creation was an authentic magic ritual. Painters often went into the fields, woods and river banks to create their works and, surrounded by nature, they sought to capture the infinite connections between the mi- cro and macrocosm and catch the messages from the Divine. They often used ancient, obsolete and artisan-style techniques in order to represent more effectively themes from the past, seen as an idyllic Golden Age. In their sense of aesthet- 8ics, the presence of light prevailed over every- thing and devastated darkness, so much so that dark colours tended to disappear, leaving room for vibrant, bright and radiant hues. The palette would become that furnace where elements are transmuted and yellow gold stands out over the other colours like an Alchemists gold. Thanks to these artists who could use their brushes like magic wands, natural elements are represented in a meticulously truthful fashion as they are expres- sions of the Divine that is hidden in everything. ARCANA AND THE WORKS Every arcanum in this deck, inspired by a Pre- Raphaelite painting, allows us to pick out these artists’ best-loved themes, taken mostly from sa- cred and profane literary works, or from mythi- cal and historical events, belonging to a distant, idealised, though never forgotten past. An example of this is the Two of Swords in which we can recognise the “Beata Beatrix” by Rossetti, who was extremely fond of Dantesque themes, or the Three of Wands where Miranda from Shake- speare’s tragedy “The Tempest” appears, immor- talised by Waterhouse. Conversely, another example is the Three of Swords - inspired by the “Ecce Ancilla Domini” by Rossetti - which shows the Pre-Raphaelites’ preference for themes taken from the scriptures, although profane themes are also well represented: those taken from 9the Greek myths, as we can see in the Strength card, inspired by the “Circe Invidiosa” by Waterhouse; those taken from epic poems about knights and the Arthurian legends such as “The Lady of Shalott” by Waterhouse, which appears on the Six of Swords and those taken from fairy tales and popular litera- ture such as “The Mermaid” (also by Waterhouse) who is the main character on the Moon card. THE MAJOR ARCANA 0 — The Fool: freedom is intoxicating, but it has a heavy price tag. Freedom, instinct, madness, cha- os, innocence, danger. I - The Magician: you have a myriad of talents to start your ascent. Initiative, initiation, talent, as- tuteness, mastery. Il — The High Priestess: search for true knowl- edge among arcane pages. Secret, meditation, inner voice, study, doctrines of the Occult. III - The Empress: indulge the natural urge to cre- ate. Creativity, fertility, ideas, desires, ability to ex- press oneself, Mother Nature. IV - The Emperor: dominate your emotions and you will have the world in your grasp. Authority, leadership, stability, order, security, sound gover- nance, tyranny. V — The Hierophant: only put your trust in the guide that leads to supreme knowledge. Master, spiri- tual mediator, faith, high ideals. 10VI - The Beloved: every choice involves an inevi- table consequence. Choices, uncertainties, longing to love, free will, affections, following your heart. VII — The Chariot: to reach your goal, you need to become master of your own means. Conquest, travel, triumph, determination, heroism. VIII — Strength: instincts need to be tamed, not re- pressed. Discipline, command over one’ instincts, conscious sexuality, courage, passion, commit- ment, fierceness. IX — The Hermit: you need to shed light on the past io evolve in the future. Crisis, wisdom, loneliness, poverty, asceticism, contemplation. Curiosity: the person who posed for the figure of Christ, depicted in the painting “The light of the World” by William Holman Hunt Gee arcanum “The Hermit”), was a woman, Christina Rossetti, Dante Gabriele’ sister and a poet. The artist’ intention was to express the androgyny of the soul and the fusion of opposites in the Divine X —The Wheel of Fortune: nobody can escape the laws of eternal evolution. The end of a cycle, fate, fortune, Samsara, successes, risks. XI —Justice: weigh things up, make your decision and reap the benefits. Equilibrium, universal laws, rigour, responsible decisions, judgement, neutrality. XII The Hanged Man: you need to adopt a dif- ferent perspective. Sacrifice, waiting, new perspec- tives, impotence, illumination. 11XII — Death: have no fear, every end is always fol- lowed by a fresh start. Deletion, conclusion, trans- formation. Total and inevitable changes. Curiosity: the person who posed for the famous paint- ing “Ophelia” (which inspired the arcanum “Death’), was the beautiful 19-year-old Elizabeth Siddall who remained in the water in a bathtub for several hours and fell ill with bronchitis. Her father sought compen- sation from the painter John Everett Millais to cover her medical expenses. Elizabeth continues to pose for the Pre-Raphaelites and later married Dante Gabriel Rossetti XIV — Temperance: by combining body and spirit you can find out the secret of true health. Harmony, health, tranquillity, healing, sobriety, superior guide. XV — The Devil: genius and recklessness often go hand-in-hand. Passion, temptation, unbridled sex- uality, artistic talent, wealth, addiction, excesses. XVI - The Tower: blow up the walls that imprison you. Explosion, collapse, liberation, enlighten- ment, body, inspiration, hubris. XVII - The Star: pursue the ideal that guides you on your way. Altruism, idealism, beauty, hope, faith in cosmic designs, sound prospects. XVIII — The Moon: fear the dark only if you fail to see that it is the other face of light. Mother God- dess, dreams, subconscious, illusion, magic, fear, instincts. 12XIX - The Sun: the soul is light, let it show itself. Paternal archetype, success, joy, optimism, team- work, vitality. XX — Judgement: what you thought was lost is about to re-emerge. Renewal, calling, revelation, vocation, redemption. XXI - The World: he who is master of himself will achieve his objectives. Realization, success of a piece of work, fulfilment, joy, conclusion. CHALICES Cards dedicated to emotions and feelings. Ace of Chalices: drink with joy from the fountain of life. Holy Grail, a divine gift, great opportunity, love and fullness. 2 of Chalices: have faith, your love is reciprocated. Love, friendship, relations, cooperation, reconcili- ation. 3 of Chalices: raise your glasses, it’ time to make a toast. Gathering, party-time, weddings, moments of joy. 4 of Chalices: why are you going around with your head bowed, when the way to look ahead is with your head up? Wasted opportunities, negativity, habits, bad temper. 5 of Chalices: it takes time to heal the wounds of the spirit. Disappointment, nostalgia, sadness, broken spirit. 136 of Chalices: memories of the past come to mind. Memories, past, childhood, protection. 7 of Chalices: dispel the illusion that clouds your eyes. Subconscious, illusions, lucubrations, men- tal journeys, energy. 8 of Chalices: it hurts, but now you have to go into the unknown. Painful departure, uncertainty about the future, nostalgia, emigrating, indepen- dence. 9 of Chalices: finally you deserve a well-earned rest. Conviviality, enjoying life, relaxation, comforts. 10 of Chalices: you can only find serenity through sharing. Peace, love, gratitude, family, feeling care- free, home. Knave of Chalices: never refuse a gift that comes from the heart. Congratulations, offers, gifts, shar- ing, accepting. Knight of Chalices: be a bearer of noble ideals. Pure soul, harmony, elegance, beauty, love. Queen of Chalices: listen to your heart, look through the eyes of your soul. Sensitivity, powers of a medium, imagination, insight, charm, under- standing. King of Chalices: it is an extraordinary gift being able to understand the soul of others. Benefactor, great heart, profound spirit, compassion, as- sistance. 14PENTACLES Cards dedicated to the material and practical world. Ace of Pentacles: remember that true riches are those of the spirit. Gain, success, fertility, economic and moral value. 2 of Pentacles: enjoy the gifts of fortune without any worries. Adaptation, feeling carefree, bartering. 3 of Pentacles: put yourself to the test and exceed your expectations. Examinations, tests, promo- tions, career advancement. 4 of Pentacles: those who are too stable are likely to come to a halt. Economic security, health, strength and immobility. 5 of Pentacles: everything is transitory, even the darkest moments. Neediness, hardship, difficulties, dark period. 6 of Pentacles: everything returns; those who have given will be rewarded. Generosity, tolerance, prof- itable investments, business skills. 7 of Pentacles: for a good harvest you need to let the fruit ripen. Warning to be patient, prudence, slow maturation. 8 of Pentacles: a good departure puts the journey on the right road. New projects, excellent bases, excel- lent prospects. 9 of Pentacles: if Chance is treating you propi- tiously, humour it. Winning, luck, propitious moment. 1510 of Pentacles: some small things can turn out to be highly valuable. Propitious Chance, interior and exterior wealth, security, haste. Knave of Pentacles: wake up, seize the moment! Opportunities, proposals, chances, fertility. Knight of Pentacles: you prefer travelling along beaten tracks. Resistance, stubbornness, need for materiality. Queen of Pentacles: wait patiently for the gifts that life bestows upon you. Sensuality, rootedness, com- mon sense, plain talking. King of Pentacles: give yourself a prize, you deserve to be proud of yourself. Concrete values, hard work, industriousness, responsibility, en- joyment. WANDS Cards devoted to creativity and passions. Ace of Wands: those who work hard will be reward- ed. Invigorating challenges, courage, risk, com- mitment, growth. 2 of Wands: without commitment, the flame will go out. Indecision, lack of commitment, sadness. 3 of Wands: believe in yourself and your future will be bright. Achieving a good position, stability, in- dependence, business. 4 of Wands: open your arms to others and forget your worries. Safety, joy, stability, cooperation. 165 of Wands: accept life’ challenges with courage. Competition, tests, self-evolution, evolutionary crises. 6 of Wands: you are right to be happy. Optimism, success, good news, victory. 7 of Wands: tackle those who want to put a spanner in your works. Self-assertion, self-defence, defend- ing your dreams. 8 of Wands: wonderful surprises are on their way. Imminent news, unexpected news, favourable news. 9 of Wands: you are sneaking around fearing threats. Seeking protection, feeling threatened, hardening, defensive attitude, feelings of resentment 10 of Wands: be careful not to put too many irons in the fire. Overloading, not feeling up to it, pride. Knave of Wands: let a new adventure rekindle your inner fire. New opportunities, proposals and chal- lenges, fiery temperament. Knight of Wands: you want it all and you want it right away. Audacity, vitality, yearning, a warm and intense period. Queen of Wands: remember that if you want to, you can. Joy and courage in living one’ life, self- esteem, determination, dynamism, caprices. King of Wands: believe in yourself and in your in- spiration. Readiness, courage, steadfastness, merit, activities. 17SWORDS Cards devoted to conflicts and communication. Ace of Swords: it is time to put things straight. De- cision, clarity, triumph of reason, impulse. 2 of Swords: if you blindfold your eyes, you will fumble in the dark. Doubt, despair, contradictory thoughts. 3 of Swords: demanding tasks must be accepted in order to grow. Painful decisions, gloomy ideas, dis- enchantment. 4 of Swords: it would be best to wait a while until the situation improves. Immobility, loneliness, anxiet- ies, worries. Curiosity: the person who posed for Henry Wallis, as Chatterton, was the brilliant and misunderstood poel George Meredith. His wife, Mary Ellen Nicholls, became the artist’s mistress and ran off with him. Mer edith raised their only child by himself, never forgave his unfaithful wife, but showed a deep understanding for the women living in the difficult and bigoted Vic- torian era. 5 of Swords: in war there is always a losing side. De- feats, humiliations, cynicism, lack of self-esteem. 6 of Swords: if you abandon your habitual shores, you never know where you might land. Competent help, changes, insecurity, unexplored and foreign destinations. 7 of Swords: beware of deception! Cunning, lies, theft, scams. 188 of Swords: too many obligations can begin to cramp your style. Imprisonment, restrictions, con- straints, inhibitions and prohibitions. 9 of Swords: if you do not recognise your own val- ues, who will respect you? Anguish, nightmares, fears and inner torments. 10 of Swords: not everything turns out as you would like it; be resigned to it. Cold, gloomy prospects, psychic stress, sudden and traumatic end. Knave of Swords: criticism is useful even if it hurts Errors of assessment, fierce but constructive criti- cism, disappointment. Knight of Swords: it promises to be a chilling pe- riod, be prepared. Frost, conflicts, psychological violence, quarrels, verbal attacks. Queen of Swords: you need determination to elimi- nate the superfluous. Discipline, independence, numbness, sadness, hard-heartedness, sarcasm. King of Swords: once you have gained power, it is advisable not to abuse it. Wisdom, eloquence, can- dour, legal issues. READING YOUR NEAR FUTURE A particularly suitable way of consulting your Tarot cards inspired by the works of Pre- Raphaelites is with the spread that is called “the near future”. This spread was inspired by Joseph-Aimé Péladan, a French occultist from 19the 1800s who influenced the ideals of the Brotherhood. As you can guess from the name, this spread is particularly suitable for looking into the very im- mediate future. One thing that can be useful is not to see the Tarot reading as a prediction of the future, but rather as a moment of inner aware- ness that can help us to understand the direction in which we are going. A direction that we can change and influence by making our own choices and through our own behaviour. After shuffling the cards, choose 5 of them and arrange them from left to right as in the chart on page 2. Card 1: indicates aspects that are favourable to the person seeking advice — the people, events, qualities that can help their plans; Card 2: reveals the obstacles and unfavourable circumstances; Card 3: also called the clarification card, repre- sents what happens if cards 1 and 2 are concilia- tory; it sheds light on the question; Card 4: also called the judgement card, is the pre- monition; it reveals the outcome of the situation; Card 5: called the summary card; it sums up the spread and indicates possible developments. 20I TAROCCHI PRERAFFAELLITI Larte ¢ la vita dei pittori preraffaelliti sono dedica- te alla ricerca della bellezza, intesa come essenza divina racchiusa in ogni aspetto del creato. Con la loro capacita di portarci in universi lontani e at- traverso il loro linguaggio simbolico, questi artisti riescono, ancora oggi, a suscitare in noi profonde emozioni e a metterci in contatto con la nostra sfera intuitiva. Gli arcani di questo mazzo, ispirati ad alcune delle loro opere pit famose, fanno del simbolo e delle metafore celate in ogni immagine le chiavi ideali che ci permettono di accedere al nostro mondo interiore e farne emergere le pitt insondabili pas- sioni e le pit elevate virtu. LA FRATELLANZA PRERAFFAELLITA Nella Londra vittoriana del 1849, tre studenti del- la Royal Academy espongono le loro prime opere firmandole con il monogramma PR.B., ossia Pre- Raphaelite Brotherood. | tre giovani sono Dante Gabriele Rossetti, William Holman Hunt e John Everett Millais. Il primo é appassionato lettore di Dante, Blake, Shakespeare e Poe e oltre a dipingere compone versi. Il secondo lascia il lavoro di commercian- te per dedicarsi alla pittura. Il terzo é stato un 21bambino prodigio, entrato a soli undici anni alla Royal Academy. La critica nei loro confronti si divide: c’é chi li esalta, c’@ chi li denigra, ma sicuramente non passano inosservati e in seguito si uniscono a loro si uniscono altri artisti, tra cui John William Waterhouse. LE MUSE Molte sono le donne che gravitano intorno ai gio- vani artisti. Madri, sorelle, mogli, amanti sono le muse che hanno ispirato le magnifiche opere dei loro confratelli. Tra tutte ricordiamo V’eterea Elizabeth Siddal, che vediamo immortalata nel Tre di Spade di questo mazzo; la conturbante Jane Burden, la nostra Re- gina di Bastoni; la giunonica Fanny Conforth, a cui é ispirato il nostro Asso di Spade. GLI IDEALI DEI PRERAFFAELLITI A rendere i preraffaelliti cosi originali agli occhi dei loro contemporanei e cosi affascinanti ai no- stri, sono gli ideali che animano le loro opere. Essi criticano: —Yalienazione della societa industriale che ha al- lontanato l'uomo dalla natura, — il moralismo dell’Eta Vittoriana che penalizza in particolare il ruolo delle donne nella societa, 22— ilrigido accademismo delle tecniche pittoriche e Tinutile dogmatismo dei temi nell’arte successiva a Raffaello Sanzio In contrapposizione auspicano: ~ il riavvicinamento dell’uomo alla natura, — il risveglio di una spiritualita mistica, — il ritorno di uno stile attinente al vero, come quello dei pittori che precedettero Raffaello. In altre parole, i Preraffaelliti hanno una visione esoterica del mondo, e ritengono che dietro lap- parenza delle cose si celino verita sacre; per loro, la creazione artistica € un vero e proprio rito ma- gico. Contemplando gli arcani di questo mazzo, ci rendiamo conto di come sia la natura, intesa come corpo del “Divino”, la vera protagonista dei loro quadri. GLI ARCANI MAGGIORI 0 - Il Matto: la liberta é inebriante, ma pud costare cara. Liberta, istinto, follia. I — II Mago: disponi di molti talenti per iniziare Va- scesa. Iniziativa, talento, astuzia. Il- La Papessa: cerca la vera conoscenza tra pagine arcane. Segreto, meditazione, studio. III — LImperatrice: asseconda l’impulso naturale di creare. Creativita, idee, capacita di esprimersi. IV — Limperatore: domina le emozioni e avrai il mondo in pugno. Autorita, stabilita, tirannia. 23V — II Papa: confida solo nella guida che conduce al sapere supremo. Maestro, fede, alti ideali. VI-LAmante: ogni scelta comporta una conseguen- za ineluttabile. Scelte, libero arbitrio, affetti. VII - Il Carro: per raggiungere la meta, occorre padroneggiare i propri mezzi. Conquista, viaggio, trionfo. VIII — La Forza: gli istinti vanno domati, non re- pressi. Disciplina, dominio sugli istinti, coraggio. 1X - LEremita: 2 necessario far luce sul passato per evolvere nel futuro. Crisi, saggezza, solitudine. X - La Ruota: nessuno pud sottrarsi alle leggi dell’e- terno divenire. Fine di un ciclo, sorte, fortuna. XI - La Giustizia: pondera, decidi ¢ infine raccogli. Equilibrio, giudizio, neutralita. XII - LAppeso: occorre adottare un altro punto di vista. Sacrificio, attesa, illuminazione. XIII - La Morte: non temere, a ogni fine segue sempre un nuovo inizio. Eliminare, terminare, trasformare. XIV - La Temperanza: fondendo corpo e spirito scopri il segreto della vera salute. Armonia, guari- gione, morigeratezza. XV — II Diavolo: genio e sregolatezza si danno spes- so la mano. Passione, tentazione, talento artistico. XVI - La Torre: fai saltare i muri che ti imprigiona- no. Esplosione, liberazione, ispirazione. XVII — La Stella: persegui l’ideale che guida il tuo cammino. Altruismo, bellezza, speranza. 24XVIII — La Luna: temi il buio solo se non vedi che é Valtro volto della luce. Sogno, inconscio, illusione, istinti. XIX — Il Sole: anima é luce, permettile di manife- starsi. Successo, gioia, lavoro di gruppo. XX — Il Giudizio: cio che ritenevi perduto, sta per riemergere. Rinnovamento, chiamata, rivelazione. XXI - Il Mondo: raggiunge i suoi obiettivi chi & padrone di se stesso. Realizzazione, coronamento, conclusione. COPPE Carte dedicate alle emozioni e ai sentimenti. Asso di Coppe: bevi con gioia dalla fonte della vita. Dono divino, pienezza. 2 di Coppe: abbi fede, il tuo amore é ricambiato. Amore, amicizia. 3 di Coppe: in alto i calici, é ora di brindare. Rac- colto, festa. 4 di Coppe: perché giri a testa bassa se é in alto che puoi puntare? Negativita, malumore. 5 di Coppe: serve tempo per sanare le ferite dello spirito. Delusione, nostalgia. 6 di Coppe: riaffiorano alla menie le memorie del passato. Ricordi, infanzia. 7 di Coppe: dissipa Villusione che annebbia i tuoi occhi. Subconscio, illusioni. 258 di Coppe: fa male, ma ora devi andare verso l'i- gnoto. Incertezza per il futuro, nostalgia 9 di Coppe: finalmente ti spetia un meritato riposo. Convivialita, agiatezza. 10 di Coppe: solo nella condivisione si pud trovare la serenita. Pace, famiglia. Fante di Coppe: non riftutare un dono fatto col cuo- re. Offerta, condivisione. Cavaliere di Coppe: fatti portatore di nobili ideali. Armonia, bellezza. Regina di Coppe: ascolta il tuo cuore, guarda con gli occhi dell’anima. Medianita, fantasia. Re di Coppe: é una gran dote saper comprendere Vanima altrui. Compassione, aiuto. DENARI Carte dedicate al mondo materiale e pratico. Asso di Denari: ricorda che la vera ricchezza é dello spirito. Guadagno, successo. 2 di Denari: godi senza affanno dei doni della sorte. Adattamento, spensieratezza. 3 di Denari: mettiti alla prova, supera te stesso. Esa- mi, promozioni. 4 di Denari: chi é troppo stabile, rischia di diventare immobile. Salute, solidita. 5 di Denari: tutto @ transitorio, anche i momenti bui. Indigenza, difficolta. 266 di Denari: tutto torna, chi ha dato sara ricompen- sato. Generosita, tolleranza. 7 di Denari: per un buon raccolto bisogna lasciare che i frutti maturino. Pazienza, prudenza. 8 di Denari: una buona partenza prospetta un otti- mo viaggio. Progetti, prospettive. 9 di Denari: se la sorte ti @ propizia assecondala. Vincita, fortuna. 10 di Denari: certe piccole cose possono rivelarsi preziose. Sorte propizia, ricchezza. Fante di Denari: sveglia, cogli l'attimo! Proposte, fertilita. Cavaliere di Denari: preferisci percorrere strade gid battute. Resistenza, caparbieta. Regina di Denari: pazientemente attendi i doni che la vita ti elargisce. Sensualita, radicamento. Re di Denari: premiati, hai motivo di essere fiero di te. Operosita, competenza. BASTONI Carte dedicate alla creativitd ¢ alle passioni. Asso di Bastoni: chi si impegna verra premiato. Coraggio, crescita. 2 di Bastoni: senza impegno la fiamma si spegne. Indecisione, tristezza. 3 di Bastoni: credi in te ¢ il futuro sara radioso. Au- tonomia, affari. 274 di Bastoni: apriti al prossimo e dimentica gli af- fanni. Sicurezza, cooperazione. 5 di Bastoni: accetia con coraggio le sfide della vita. Competizione, prove. 6 di Bastoni: hai motivo di essere lieto. Successo, vittoria. 7 di Bastoni: affronta chi vuole metterti i bastoni tra le ruote. Autoaffermazione, autodifesa. 8 di Bastoni: gradite sorprese stanno per giungere Novita, notizie favorevoli. 9 di Bastoni: ti aggiri guardingo temendo minacce. Ricerca di protezione, rancori. 10 di Bastoni: attenzione a non mettere troppa car- ne al fuoco. Sovraccarico, orgoglio. Fante di Bastoni: lascia che una nuova avventura riaccenda il tuo fuoco interiore. Sfide, temperamen- to focoso. Cavaliere di Bastoni: vuoi tutto e lo vuoi subito. Audacia, vitalita Regina di Bastoni: ricorda che se vuoi, puoi. Auto- stima, volonta. Re di Bastoni: credi in te ¢ nella tua ispirazione. Prontezza, fermezza. SPADE Carte dedicate ai conflitti ¢ alla comunicazione. Asso di Spade: 2 ora di mettere in chiaro le cose. Decisione, chiarezza. 282 di Spade: se ti fasci gli occhi, brancoli nel buio. Dubbio, sconforto. 3 di Spade: compiti gravosi vanno accettati per cre- scere. Decisioni dolorose, disinganno. 4 di Spade: conviene fermarsi finché la situazione non migliora. Solitudine, ansie. 5 di Spade: in guerra c’e sempre qualcuno che rima- ne sconfitto. Sconfitte, cinismo, 6 di Spade: lasciando i vecchi lidi non si sai mai dove si approda. Cambiamenti, insicurezza. 7 di Spade: attento agli inganni! Astuzia, bugie. 8 di Spade: troppi obblighi cominciano ad andarti stretti. Restrizioni, vincoli. 9 di Spade: se non riconosci il tuo stesso valore, chi ti rispettera? Incubi, paure. 10 di Spade: non tutio finisce come vortesti, rasse- gnati. Stress, fine traumatica. Fante di Spade: le critiche sono utili anche se fanno male. Errori di valutazione, delusione. Cavaliere di Spade: si preannuncia un periodo ag- ghiacciante, preparati. Conflitti, liti. Regina di Spade: serve determinazione per elimi- nare il superfluo. Disciplina, insensibilita. Re di Spade: una volta raggiunto il potere, @ bene non abusarne. Saggezza, questioni legali. 29LA LETTURA DEL FUTURO IMMEDIATO Un metodo particolarmente indicato per consul- tare i tarocchi ispirati alle opere dei Preraffaelliti é la stesa detta “del futuro immediato”, ispirata a J. A. Péladan, un occultista francese dell’Ottocento che influenzo gli ideali della Confraternita. Una cosa che pud risultare utile é vedere la lettura dei tarocchi non come una previsione del futuro, ma come un momento di consapevolezza interiore che ci possa aiutare a comprendere la direzione verso cui stiamo andando, sapendo che possiamo cambiarla, con le nostre scelte, quando vogliamo. Dopo aver mescolato le carte, sceglierne 5, dispo- nendole da sinistra a destra come nello schema a pagina 2. Carta 1: indica gli aspetti favorevoli al consul- tante, persone, eventi, qualita che aiutano i suoi progetti; Carta 2: rivela gli ostacoli e le circostanze sfavo- revoli; Carta 3: detta anche carta del chiarimento, rap- presenta cosa accade conciliando le carte 1 e 2 € fa luce sul quesito; Carta 4: detta anche carta del giudizio, é la pre- monizione e svela l’esito della situazione; Carta 5: detta carta della sintesi, riassume la stesa e indica possibili sviluppi. 30TAROT PRERRAFAELITA El arte y la vida de los pintores prerrafaelitas estan dedicados a la btisqueda de la belleza, interpre- tada esta como la esencia divina que subyace en cualquier aspecto de la creacion. Con su habilidad para transportarnos a universos lejanos, y me- diante un lenguaje simbolico, estos artistas provo- can en nosotros atin hoy emociones intensas que nos conectan con nuestro lado mas intuitivo. Los arcanos de esta baraja, que se inspiran en algunas de sus obras mas famosas, utilizan los simbolos y las metaforas ocultas en sus image- nes como Ilaves perfectas para acceder a nuestro mundo interior y sacar de él las pasiones mas in- conmensurables y las virtudes mas elevadas. LA HERMANDAD PRERRAFAELITA En la Londres victoriana de 1849, tres estudian- tes de la Royal Academy exponen sus primeras obras firmandolas con el monograma PR.B. (Pre- Raphaelite Brotherood). Estos tres jévenes eran Dante Gabriele Rossetti, William Holman Hunt y John Everett Millais. El primero es un apasionado lector de Dante, Blake, Shakespeare y Poe, y ademas de pintar, compone versos. El segundo deja su trabajo de comerciante para dedicarse a la pintura. Y el ter- 31