Papus’s report of the Etteilla method · 17-card line · 8 outer pairs and one centre
Historic Grand Etteilla Tarot Spread: the Second Deal with 17 Cards
Seventeen cards are laid from right to left, read as one line, then joined from the outer edges toward the centre. Two additional cards preserve a historical check described by Papus.
Draw the historical 17-card Grand Etteilla spread
The 17-card line
Read positions 1–17 from right to left before comparing the outer pairs.
No cards have been drawn yet.
Connected Grand Etteilla reading
Outer pairs moving toward the centre
Selected card
Historical check cards
Papus assigns the 18th and 78th cards to a “fluidic sympathy” check. TarotCards24 preserves them as source data only; this is a historical belief, not a measurable test of rapport or reading quality.
How to read the second deal
- Read the complete 17-card line from position 1 on the right to position 17 on the left.
- Compare the outermost cards first: 17 with 1, then 16 with 2, continuing inward.
- Treat each pair as a tension, reinforcement or transition; do not read two isolated definitions.
- Read position 9 last as the centre that concentrates the line.
- Finish with the connected answer, which combines the line, eight pairs and centre.
What the structure tells you
The source gives no fixed life topic to each position. The meaning comes from sequence and pairing: the line establishes the movement, the outer pairs reveal relationships, and the centre supplies the point of concentration.
FAQ
Why are there 17 main cards?
That is the number specified for the second deal in Papus’s account.
In which direction are the cards read?
First read the line from right to left, beginning at position 1.
How are the pairs formed?
Join 17 with 1, 16 with 2 and continue inward until one centre card remains.
What are the 18th and 78th cards for?
They preserve a historical “sympathy” check. The site does not present it as a scientific or technical test.
Can I use Rider–Waite–Smith?
No. This page is tied to the order and two printed readings of Grand Etteilla 1857.