Etteilla
Etteilla was the pen name of Jean-Baptiste Alliette, a French eighteenth-century cartomancer. He helped circulate written methods of divination with cards and developed his own tarot tradition. His importance lies in organising and sharing these methods; there is no need to credit him with inventing all cartomancy.
Background and development
The BnF records his card manual of 1770 and writings on tarot from 1783. This sequence distinguishes his early work with playing cards from his later tarot developments. It also helps separate original publications from manuals issued subsequently under the Etteilla name.
Contribution and distinctions
In this tradition, the order, titles and printed instructions can differ from Marseille or Rider-Waite-Smith. References to Egypt belong to its esoteric framework. A deck inspired by that idea does not establish historical transmission from Egyptian temples.
An example to explore
When comparing an Etteilla card with another deck, first identify its edition, number and title. Consult its own instructions before matching cards by their position in the pack. Two cards with the same number need not depict the same figure or follow the same reading rules.
Further reading
When studying a spread, note what comes from the manual, what the image suggests and what the question contributes. Petit Etteilla and Grand Etteilla should not be treated as interchangeable names. Links to other readings offer comparisons between traditions; each tool uses the deck identified in its introduction.