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Why read tarot de marseille
The Tarot de Marseille offers a bare bones approach to tarot. After getting used to the Rider Waite Smith deck, which I consider more of an oracle deck than traditional tarot, I found the Marseille's minimalist design challenging at first. But once I learned to read it, I became a convert. The Marseille is direct and to the point, with no gentle padding or extra symbolism. It tells it like it is, offering blunt insights. Unlike other decks that focus on personal development or softer guidance, the Marseille is all about fortune telling, straightforward, precise, and focused on giving you clear direction for the future.
How To Work With Pip Cards
Here’s a quick overview of how to work with the pips in the Tarot de Marseille.
• Learn the suits (Golden Dawn/Rider-Waite approach):
Cups = feelings, emotions, relationships.
Coins = finances, home, body.
Wands = creativity, action, willpower, energy.
Swords = intellect, thoughts, ideas.
➻ This elemental approach comes from the Golden Dawn system and heavily influenced Rider-Waite-Smith interpretations.
• Find direct relationships (Open reading approach):
Look at how the cards relate to each other. For instance, if the Knight of Cups is looking away from the Three of Swords, he's probably not ready to make his feelings known, possibly avoiding a difficult conversation and the finality of whatever he is resistant to express.
Example #2: If the King of Coins is looking at the 4 of Coins, he’s probably considering trading his coin for something better—he wants more.
➻ This style is especially useful with Marseille or other pip decks where imagery is minimal. It relies on context, visual direction, and intuition.
• Check for increases or decreases (Open reading/Numerology approach):
In a financial reading, a progression like 2 of Coins, 4 of Coins, 10 of Coins shows growth. A decrease like 9 of Coins, 8 of Coins, 7 of Coins indicates a slow decline—but not catastrophic.
➻ This method blends open reading with basic numerology, reading the flow of numbers as narrative movement.
• Major Arcana card numbers rule or correspond to the numbers of each suit (Golden Dawn/Numerology approach):
The 4 of Wands (4) links to the Emperor (IV, 4), symbolizing stability and structure. So the 4 of Wands can be read as a sign of establishing foundations or celebrating order in creativity or action.This could look like routine, steadiness, perseverance, developing habits, working steadily, persevering with a job/project, using a methodical approach to creativity.
➻ This adds a deeper archetypal layer to pip card meanings by drawing on numerological and esoteric associations.
These are just a few core methods to help you explore the pips. Try them out, mix and match, and most importantly, trust your own insight as you grow more confident. If you're curious, check out the resources below to help you with your pip learning journey! Feel free to explore and combine what resonates with you.
Tarot/Oracle Resources
Favorite tarot decks
What is true sidereal astrology?
True Sidereal astrology matches zodiac signs to the actual constellations in the night sky, based on where the stars really are, not the seasons. In contrast, Western Tropical astrology uses a fixed zodiac that stays the same every year, based on the changing seasons rather than the stars. True Sidereal adjusts the signs to reflect the current positions of the planets within the real constellations and includes 13 signs instead of 12. This system is more closely connected to astronomy and is often favored by astrologers who want their charts to show the sky as it truly appears.
If you are interested in looking up your natal chart, click the link below 'Mastering The Zodiac,' then click 'Charts' in the navigation, followed by 'Chart Calculator'.
astrology resources