Louis-Raphaël-Lucrèce de Fayolle, comte de Mellet, was born in 1727 in Périgueux, a city in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in southwestern France. His was a noble family and he inherited the title of chevalier (knight) along with extensive holdings of land and wealth. Later, his title was elevated to comte (count) as a reward for his service to the king. De Mellet’s military career included service as a musketeer, the chief of the corps of bodyguards for the king of Poland, knight of the Order of Saint Louis, officer of the corps of bodyguards for the king of France, governor of the French provinces of Maine and Perche, lieutenant general of the king’s armies, and field marshal to the king himself. The count was married to Élizabeth-Mélanie le Daulceur in 1763 and they had five children. When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, as an avid supporter of the king, de Mellet was compelled to flee the country. He went to Germany and his lands were confiscated, he died in1804. (Vine, 146-148)
De Mellet had been a subscriber to de Gébelin’s Monde primitif at least since the publication of the third volume, in 1775. At that time, he began corresponding with deGébelin when he wrote to the esteemed savant to debate an issue on grammar. It seems that de Mellet’s maternal uncle, Henri-Léonard-Jean-Baptiste Bertin (1717-1794), may have provided the introduction to de Gébelin. Bertin was also a subscriber. Presumably he helped spark de Mellet’s interest in Chinese philosophy, which was a major influence on French intellectuals in the day. Bertin was considered an expert on Chinese philosophy and culture, having supported the French Jesuit mission in China, and was noted for his private collection of Chinese artifacts. In Article V of de Gébelin’s Tarot essay, he identifies Bertin as the person who brought to his attention a Chinese artifact with a series of images grouped in sets of fourteen and seven, like the divisions in a Tarot deck. Additionally, Bertin, de Mellet, and de Gébelin were all followers of the then-current economic movement known as physiocratie that promoted the centrality of agriculture as the route to national prosperity. We can see that both essayists associated the Tarot suit of Batons with agriculture and wealth. Both single out the Greek hero Hercules as an example of the virtue inherent in working the land.
It is not clear how de Mellet’s essay came to be included in de Gébelin’s encyclopedic work. The two men could have been working together on theories concerning the origin of the Tarot in the course of their correspondence. Conversely, they may have developed similar ideas while working separately and later have compared notes. There are many places where they agree and yet, in other areas, the two men diverge. We are not sure who influenced whom. Perhaps they influenced each other. I feel that the fact that de Gébelin published an essay that disagreed with his own on a considerable number of points demonstrates his humility. It suggests that he did not think his was the final word on the subject. De Mellet was the only other author to be included in de Gébelin’s encyclopedia. De Gébelin repeatedly expressed his admiration for de Mellet’s ideas and admitted that de Mellet’s interpretation of the Tarot trumps was the completer and more coherent of the two men’s presentations. Having closely compared them, I came to agree, which influenced my decision to create the deck that the count described.
Dear Robert M. Place,
I couldn’t find an email address, so I try to contact you here.
I am writing on behalf of Róbert Puzsér, Hungarian film critic and public thinker.
Mr. Puzsér is a great admirer of Tarot cards and especially your Raziel Tarot illustrations.
Recently he completed his latest book, entitled “Metaphysics” of which concept came from the cards of Major Arcana.
We would like to use your illustrations for this publication.
The structure of the book “Metaphysics” is based on the knowledge that understanding the transcendent is not built linearly but concentrically. The author created twenty-two concepts with the twenty-two letters of the Hungarian alphabet, which he circles with spiritual need in the book’s twenty-two chapters. The intention is that the twenty-two circles described in this way together cover a large area, which provides a comprehensive picture of the relationship between reality and truth. Based on the numerical correspondence between the letters of the Hungarian alphabet and the Major Arcana of the Tarot, the author created analogical pairs between the titles of the chapters and the archetypes of the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana so that the text of the twenty-two chapters is visually supplemented by the images of the corresponding cards and placed in a broader context. As a result, the outcome will be a meditation object that communicates with both brain hemispheres, guiding the reader along the spiritual path of knowledge with an overall artistic demand.
The book would include around different 20 Tarot decks, but only the Major Arcana from all of them.
We already have permission for the other decks, nearly everyone gave it for free as they like our project.
The book will be printed only in Hungarian.
My question is whether we can use your Tarot cards as illustrations in our publication, and if so, under what conditions?
Also we would like to purchase the deck, would you be so kind and let me know where can I buy it?
Thank you in advance for your reply!
Best, György Péchy
Middle Wing Production Co.
mail: gyorgy@szelsokozep.hu
phone: +36 70 502 9045
You can write to me at alchemicaltarot@aol.com
I was just reading this message and was wondering if you still need permission for using some of my cards.
I am a former student of the late Bill Nolan. In 1974 Nolan introduced himself to us coeds as the head of occult and art metaphysical academia – a secret academia that works with our government. Nolan demonstrated his photographic memory and began his instruction in visual art as a metaphysical disipline. This was a one time program and which the form and function and the historic elements of perception were revealed. ACA – the former Atlanta College of Art became SCAD Atlanta. Today I read an submit my reports to the City of Fort Myers, Florida as sworn affidavits. I post my sworn affidavits on WARD 4 PEACE (facebook) and markcranford.com > table of contents> (Affidavits For Civil Rights Reports). mcdesignarts@mac.com
Fascinating historical insight into the life of uis-Raphaël-Lucrèce de Fayolle, comte de Mellet, and his intriguing connection with the Tarot’s origins. The intertwining paths of de Mellet, de Gébelin, and Bertin shed light on the intellectual climate of the time. How did the Chinese philosophy influence their perspectives on the Tarot, and what role did their shared physiocratic beliefs play in their interpretations? The collaborative nature of their work prompts the question: Did de Mellet and de Gébelin influence each other, or were their similar ideas a product of independent exploration?
That is an unanswered question. What do you think?