The Cardinal Virtues and the Suits

[Flaxen]

One of the things I find fascinating about the TdM is the allegorical images.

It’s well-know that the Christian Cardinal Virtues feature - Fortitude, Justice, Temperance & Prudence (this was is hidden and often debated). When I was researching how these were traditionally depicted it threw up some interesting associations.

Fortitude: Club, lion, broken column, tower

Temperance: Cups, fish, 2 jugs, water, wine

Justice: Sword, balance and scales, crown

Prudence: Mirror, book, scroll, serpent


What is striking is that each Virtue seems to have a symbol which links it to one of the four suits - Batons & Fortitude, Coupes & Temperance, Epees & Justice. The only one that seems missing at first glance is Prudence but it got me wondering if the Deniers are, in fact, mirrors. The way the Queen hold the ‘coin’ is very reminiscent of Prudence and her mirror.

As a result, I see the suits as each embodying our struggle to live according to the Virtues and this has added an interesting layer to readings.

[stronglove]

wow, what an amazing discovery..... and yes, i can see that queen of coins with her mirror....always wondered why she was holding it up like that..... a thought that came up was that mirrors reflect the world of matter, so of course they are associated with coins....
this is an exciting proposition, am really curious which deeper layers it can provide in Marseille readings....

[Charlie Brown]

In Caitlin Matthews' new book, she talks about the cardinal virtues in terms of the courts. I'm away from the book, however, and don't recall her specific associations. I glossed that part on my first readthrough since I wanted to study the virtues more.

[Flaxen]

In Caitlin Matthews' new book, she talks about the cardinal virtues in terms of the courts. I'm away from the book, however, and don't recall her specific associations. I glossed that part on my first readthrough since I wanted to study the virtues more.

That’s interesting! Her book isn’t available here yet...will have to get it when it comes out.

[Charlie Brown]

It's good. There were a couple of places that accidentally put the book out early so I was able to grab a copy.

[qndynes]

One of the things I find fascinating about the TdM is the allegorical images.

It’s well-know that the Christian Cardinal Virtues feature - Fortitude, Justice, Temperance & Prudence (this was is hidden and often debated). When I was researching how these were traditionally depicted it threw up some interesting associations.

Fortitude: Club, lion, broken column, tower

Temperance: Cups, fish, 2 jugs, water, wine

Justice: Sword, balance and scales, crown

Prudence: Mirror, book, scroll, serpent


What is striking is that each Virtue seems to have a symbol which links it to one of the four suits - Batons & Fortitude, Coupes & Temperance, Epees & Justice. The only one that seems missing at first glance is Prudence but it got me wondering if the Deniers are, in fact, mirrors. The way the Queen hold the ‘coin’ is very reminiscent of Prudence and her mirror.

As a result, I see the suits as each embodying our struggle to live according to the Virtues and this has added an interesting layer to readings.

Paul Huson talks about the virtues a bit in his Mystical Origins of the Tarot book. I think it is interesting to sit with for sure, and it is something peripherally think on and explore when I engage with the pips. Reading the pips considering the virtue linked to them. The one I've been stuck on correspondence is of course prudence. Some, I believe Robert Place is one, say that prudence could be the Hermit, and I can see that. Traditionally the hermit held an hourglass. I can see how the hermit could be prudence. I believe Mr. Place also mentions, and I'd have to go searching where I caught this, that (all this is in my words) Prudence is the distillation of the three previous virtues hence she could also correspond with the world. In some old decks the there is a particular World card that helps illustrate what Robert Place explains. It is a figure atop a globe, inside the globe is mirrored a city. I have to search for Place's quote to fully confirm this though, I did get this from somewhere.

The gist it seems to me that if you embody and perfect all three virtues, you arrive at prudence, arriving at prudence opens the gates to the eternal city, the undying city, heaven, etc.

[Diana]

Perhaps slightly off-topic, but as there was mention of the Reyne de Deniers (Queen of Coins), I'd like to show those people who've never seen it a most curious picture which is uncannily similar to the Marseilles Reyne de Deniers.

It's the sovereign of Mali and the picture comes from the Catalan atlas dating back to to 1375. This atlas was given as a gift to Emperor Charles V in 1381 so was not unknown in France at the time of the development of the TdM. I believe it is in the collections of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

I'm not postulating that there was an influence. But I've always loved this image.

Curious that Prudence is considered as the Hermit for some. Most curious. I would have thought it was sort of more *established* that if Prudence is found in the Tarot, that it's the Papesse.

Edited to add: Here's picture from a medieval manuscript in the British Library where Prudence is holding a book like the Papesse.

[dodalisque]

Since the TdM began as a gambling card game, I've always wondered if Prudence was the one Cardinal Virtue that was deliberately omitted from the deck. Prudence is the last thing you need when you're gambling. The truly prudent would never gamble. The deck is full of jokes - the Chariot is sunk up its axles; the Pope looks like the Devil; the Lovers shows a row in progress below a sign usually seen outside a brothel; the rickety Wheel of Fortune looks like it could collapse any second, etc. I don't buy this idea that Prudence could be the Hermit or the woman on the World card. The makers of the deck didn't feel the need to rename Justice, Strength, and Temperance.

[Charlie Brown]

The truly prudent would never gamble.

If you wanna win, you gotta chip in.




If anyone can identify that quote, I'll award them a prize.

[Charlie Brown]

I'm not postulating that there was an influence. But I've always loved this image.

That's fascinating. I wonder if an influence could have been possible.