Grand Etteilla 1857 · Tarot card 3
Grand Etteilla Tarot card 3 – Vorsatz / Wasser
An intention gives direction; water tests its flexibility. The card becomes practical when the aim remains clear while the route adapts to real conditions.
What is shown on the card?
A landscape with water and mountains opens between two columns; a fox and a resting lion sit in the foreground.
Printed meanings in the 1857 edition
Vorsatz
“Vorsatz” means an intention, plan or proposal. On page 79, the word is joined with the inquirer and clarification to form different sentences.
Wasser
“Wasser” shifts the reading from a fixed plan to a moving medium: feeling, adaptation and a course that responds to its surroundings. This is a modern editorial comment on the printed elemental term.
The printed terms and sentence-building method are historically attested. The applications to love, work, personality and daily reflection are clearly identified TarotCards24 editorial interpretations.
Commentary and difference from RWS
No direct RWS equivalent: card 3 must not be equated with a Rider–Waite–Smith card carrying the same number. Cards 1–8 form their own creation and elemental sequence in this Etteilla edition.
Alternative reading: When a decision is stuck, water may indicate a necessary change of route rather than indecision.
Practical interpretation
Love: In relationships, an intention should be spoken aloud. Water also asks whether the plan can accommodate both people’s feelings.
Work: At work, the card calls for a clear goal and flexible execution. A rigid plan loses contact with new information.
As a person: A purposeful person; in the water position, someone who senses moods and adapts their approach.
If this is your card today: Write down one intention and beneath it the smallest observable action with which you can test it today.
Explore Grand Etteilla Tarot 1857
Frequently asked questions
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot card 3 – Vorsatz / Wasser mean in its first reading position?
“Vorsatz” means an intention, plan or proposal. On page 79, the word is joined with the inquirer and clarification to form different sentences.
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot card 3 – Vorsatz / Wasser mean in its second reading position?
“Wasser” shifts the reading from a fixed plan to a moving medium: feeling, adaptation and a course that responds to its surroundings. This is a modern editorial comment on the printed elemental term.
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot card 3 – Vorsatz / Wasser mean in love?
In relationships, an intention should be spoken aloud. Water also asks whether the plan can accommodate both people’s feelings.
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot card 3 – Vorsatz / Wasser mean at work?
At work, the card calls for a clear goal and flexible execution. A rigid plan loses contact with new information.
What kind of person does Grand Etteilla Tarot card 3 – Vorsatz / Wasser describe?
A purposeful person; in the water position, someone who senses moods and adapts their approach.