Etteilla Tarot

Jean-Baptiste Alliette, known as Etteilla (an anagram of his name), was a Parisian cartomancer active in the second half of the 18th century. After popularizing the divinatory reading of the piquet deck, he published around 1789 his Grand Etteilla: a deck of 78 cards completely rethought for cartomancy. Unlike the Marseille, which was then used as a game, Etteilla reorganized the arcana, modified their order and iconography, and associated each card with divinatory keywords printed along the edges. He was one of the first to theorize the use of tarot for clairvoyance and to codify the meanings in upright and reversed positions. His work has had a lasting influence on French cartomancy.

The Etteilla Tarot retains 78 cards, but with significant modifications compared to the Marseille. The major arcana have been renumbered and redrawn to serve divinatory reading. Each card bears printed keywords — upright and reversed — facilitating memorization. The minors offer allegorical scenes different from the Marseille tradition. Etteilla also developed specific spreads, inviting a progressive and narrative reading. This deck is particularly suited for keyword readings, without requiring deep symbolic interpretation.

It primarily interests enthusiasts of the history of cartomancy and those seeking a reading guided by explicit keywords. Its annotations make it less dependent on deep memorization. It fits well with concrete everyday questions — love, family, guidance — to which its tradition is historically linked. Like any cartomancy tool, it is used in a spirit of reflection and enlightened entertainment.