About this blog

This deck is overpowering, intense, complex, symbol city, the systems are totally endless. This deck goes on and on, there is no end to it. The Cards them selves are like a tunnel that doesn't end. Like a worm hole. I have found that some tarot lovers keep the the deck stored and only bring it out of the closet once in a blue moon, due to that it is too busy for them to read from. If your one of these people please join the study group.

To understand each card one must look at them differently than other cards from different decks. This was my first step. This deck has a strange way of communicating to it's reader, I have tried this strange method on friends, family, and strangers. to see the results.

With success!

IronSides's Method for reading the Medieval Scapini Tarot Deck.

I have been inspired for many years by Mary K. Greer's books, that through her personal wisdom has taught me so much more with understanding the Tarot. These are Mary K, Greer's books that have help me decode Scapini's symbols, 21 ways to Read a Tarot - Step 13, pg 129; Tarot Reversals - Traditional meanings that help me put keywords to the symbols. Tarot for yourself - helped me work through reader block, which guided me to finding my method on how to read the cards, simple and easy. Without these books over the past 7 yrs I would have been lost to ever understanding or ability to even read this deck. I strongly feel that Mary k. Greer deserves some credit here, and that I will give her. you will find that I will be posting quotes through out this blog from her books for reference only to help you understand the Scapini's deck.

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Nanaimo, BC, Canada
I enjoy reading, collecting, everything that is Tarot related

The Medieval Scapini Tarot - Minor Arcana Suits

I will be quoting from the book by Ronald Decker, to show you how Scapini created, depicted, use of symbols, with in each card. Scapini in my point of view incorperated a large vast multitude of all historiacal aurthors and their each system. This deck is Mixed, which leave each reader any method of choice that he or she chooses to use. Yet Scapini was the magician, and artisticly crafted these different system into each card using symbols, therefore you need to study each symbol, to find the system your happy with. Then he crafted in ways of linking the cards to other cards through the symbols as well. possiably depicting the pathways on the tree of life. you will need to study kabbala - go to the Aeclectic forum and search index on kabbala for more information.

IE: The Queen of Swords. - I have already posted. but if you look closely to the symbols you will not only see that she is Air, but Fire, then Water, and earth. my method of dealing with this was to incorpated just the qualities to enhance this queen personality. But your method could be different.

To view the Queen of Swords go to This Post.
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Minor Arcan Suits:

Art and Arcana - by Ronald Decker - Quote -


Art and Arcana
by Ronald Decker
The Magicians altar was furnished with more than four items. The lamp, container of salt, incense, and various aromatic plants. All of these include the cup, disk, and blades, can be explained a talismans, for general protects with no specific reference to elements.

So wands, cups, swords, and disks certainly are found in a magical context yet their symbolism need not necessarily involve the elements. And when the elements are involved, their symbols need not necessarily be wand, cups,swords, and disks.


here is a combination of Levi - was more interested in joining the suit signs to th the tetragrammation, rather that the elements. A.E Waite, De Gebelin's sources, papus and Etteilla. are all combined below.

please add if I have missed any thing. you input is valuable.

Basically you can do what ever elemental system you choose to with this deck or not, Scapini left that choice up to you.

Swords = Sylphs - cloud (supernatural intervention) Flames, Swords cross in mid air. (watery)Eagle - bifurcated rod or magic trident. Earth spirits with swords.

Wands = Salamanders - mountains - scepters - Lion

Cups = Undines (water creatures) - stand before an alchemical pool - (Airy)water carriers/bearer - cup of libations - Aquarius

Coins = Gnomes (bull) - vegetation, creatures, wall of fire - holy pentacles. and Air spirits with pentacles.

So my interpretation of an Elemental system is this:

Swords = Earth
Cups = Fire
Wands = Water
Coins = Air

What do you think of this suit assigment with the elements? sorry trying not to laugh...ok laughing lol.

In The Queen of Swords the Swan links her to Venus, then venus is linked to the empress, and the empress is linked to the earth.

here is a clue scapini gives you of this:
Hands = indicate characteristics and abilities of the person.
Hands - Holds Sword - Look at the symbol sword and Hilt (swan) 3 crests, and the 3 worlds at top of hilt.
- Rests hand on Raven head - Look at the symbol of the Raven.

or 

Wands = earth
Swords = Water
Cups = Fire
Coins = Air




Scapini's Aces


Scapini's Aces give preview of the whole tree of Life.

Scapini includes serpents in all his Aces.

The Tree as a scaffold by which the human spirit can ascend to God.

Kether - images - stand above images, for Malkith - kingdom - the lowest sphere.

In the suit of Cup's Scapini's oplulent fountain for his Ace of cups, his fountain stands on the qlippoth, the "shells" or "Cortices" of evil. Qlippoth are marine shells, crab, scallop, and nautilus.

In the suit of Wands - the wand emblem has "the primordial circle" of kether above "the root" of Malkuth.

In the Suit of Swords - Scapini's Ace of Swords, is especially interesting for its abundance of symmetrical opposites. The contrasts of White and Black, good and evil, sweet and bitter. Kether - cannot be known by the sense of sight. The Sword emblem has "the Crown" of Kether above the "Diadem" of Malkuth.



The Aces too, about their having the modern suits included in the design; clubs, diamonds, spades, and hearts.


Ace of Wands -  TThe handle of his saw is a wooden FISH = The fish symbolizes the imagination and Christianity.

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