The Original Petit Etteilla

Learn foundational methods of divination from the Father of Cartomancy

Provides the first English edition of Etteilla’s seminal text, an Etteilla deck, and a tutorial on how to make your own deck.

Offers eight main spreads along with variations, devised by Etteilla, and accompanying commentary and case studies.

Shares how Etteilla’s 1770 method set the standard for most European cartomantic divination, influencing the development of both cartomancy and tarot.

Etteilla is the pseudonym of Jean Baptiste Alliette, known to divination devotees as the Father of Cartomancy. His 1770 manual, revised in 1773 under the title La Seule Manière de Tirer Les Cartes, was the first book on how to divine from playing cards, and it remains the basis for many cartomantic decks and tarots today. Now, for the first time, Etteilla’s manual is available in English.

This deck and guidebook gives readers a set of Petit Etteilla cards and a fully annotated translation of his text. The book explores how Etteilla’s deck and interpretive methods serve as the foundation for decks to follow, including the Lenormand and Rider-Waite-Smith decks. Readers will learn each card’s meaning (both upright and reversed) and the significance of each card’s placement in a spread. In Etteilla's system, each card’s meaning and associated words are printed on the card, allowing readers the freedom to use intuition instead of memorizing the meaning of each card. The result is an innovative system that offers a highly personalized method for readings.

Readers will also learn how to make their own decks to further personalize their connection with Etteilla's method. This book offers eight spreads devised by Etteilla, with variations of each, along with commentary, case studies, and practices to enrich your understanding.