The Influence of Etteilla &
His School on Mathers & Waite
By James W. Revak

APPENDIX D

HOW COMPARISONS BETWEEN DIVINATORY MEANINGS WERE MADE

Perhaps the best way to understand how the author classed DMs, is to present a few examples; therefore, let us compare DMs for the Four of Cups, which follow.

The School of Etteilla (Papus, 1909):

“Upright.

“This card signifies, with regard to medicine of the mind [i.e. D’Odoucet’s Science des signes, ou médecine de l’esprit (Science of signs, or medicine of the mind)]: Weariness, Displeasure, Discontentment, Disgust, Aversion, Enmity, Hate, Horror, Anxiety, Mental Suffering, Mild Dejection, Vexation, Painful, Annoying, Unpleasant.—Distressing, Troubling.

“Reversed:

“New Instruction, New Light.—Sign, Indication, Conjecture.—Omen,
Presage.—Premonition, Prognostication, Prediction, Novelty.”  (p. 135).

Mathers (The Tarot, 1888/1993):

“[Upright:] Ennui, Displeasure, Discontent, Dissatisfaction.

“Reversed: Acquaintance, Conjecture, Sign, Presentiment.” (p. 46).

Waite (PKT, 1910):

“[Upright:] Weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations, as if the wine of this world had caused satiety only; another wine, as if a fairy gift, is now offered the wastrel, but he sees no consolation therein. This is also a card of blended
pleasure.

“Reversed: Novelty, presage, new instruction, new relations. [Additional Meanings:]
Presentiment.”  (p. 218)

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“[Upright:] Contrarities.  Reversed: Presentiment.”  (p. 290).

The author judged that of Mathers’ eight DMs, seven comprised strong matches and none comprised modest matches (see  Table 15).  He also judged that of Waite’s seventeen DMs, eight comprised strong matches and two comprised modest matches (see Table 16).
 

Table 15—Comparisons of DMs of 
Mathers vs. Those of the School of 
Etteilla



Mathers The School of Etteilla 


Strong
            Matches 
Ennui Weariness 
Displeasure Displeasure 
Discontent Discontentment 
Conjecture Conjecture 
Sign Sign 
Presentiment Premonition 
Modest Matches 


None 



Table 16—Comparisons of DMs of Waite vs. Those
 of the School of Etteilla


Waite The School of Etteilla 


Strong
            Matches 
Weariness Weariness 
Disgust Disgust 
Aversion Aversion 
Vexations Vexation 
Novelty Novelty 
Presage Presage 
New Instruction New Instruction 
Presentiment Premonition 
Modest Matches 


Contrarities Vexation, Annoying, Troubling,
            etc. 
New
            Relations Novelty,
            New Light, etc.

Next, let us compare the subset of Waite’s DMs which match (strongly or modestly) those of the SE with those of Mathers.  The author found that of the 10 qualifying DMs of Waite, two comprised strong matches; and two, modest matches  (see Table 17).

Table 17—Comparison of Selected DMs of Waite
 vs. Those of Mathers



Waite Mathers 


Strong
            Matches 
Weariness Ennui 
Presentiment Presentiment 
Modest Matches 


Presage Sign, Presentiment 


Vexations Displeasure, Discontent,
            Dissatisfaction

These examples illustrate how the author made comparisons of DMs.

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