The Minchiate card game
The Minchiate card game is a variation of the traditional tarot cards, but it is not as popular as this one.
Its mysticism and magic are well known throughout the world and it gathers a large number of followers. However, many people do not know its history and uses.
At For Cards Lovers, we will reveal all the information you need to know about the Minchiate card game and you will become an expert.
History of the Minchiate card game
According to several researchers, the Florentine Minchiate Tarot was invented between 1526 and 1538. Originally, it was called : "Germini", the name that would cover the deck of cards. However, there is no consensus on this date in its creation.
What is known is that during the Renaissance it was widespread in Italy and was long practised in the geographical area between Bologna and Lazio, at the court of Paris, in certain circles of Nice and, with some variations, in Liguria and Sicily.
This is the Western deck of cards that contains the largest number of cards in the world, which makes it difficult to handle and not easy to shuffle, due to its considerable thickness, compared to modern card games. Few games in the world have a higher number of cards than this one.
Number of cards in the Minchiate deck
The Minchiate has 97 cards, 19 more than the traditional tarot.
He adds the signs of the zodiac, the four virtues (faith, hope, charity, prudence) and the four elements (fire, water, air, earth). Each of them adds a meaning or reading to the rest of the game.
Minchiate Card Game Signs
The signs of the Minchiate game are the same as those of the Tarot deck, although they have some variations.
In the minor arcana, the knights, are represented through the figures of centaurs or sphinxes, we can say that its creator has mixed the human with the animal.
The pages are men in clubs and swords and women in gold and cups.
In the Golden Staff, the faces of the coins are different, for example in the new Golden Staff has drawn some birds on the coin, different in each.
In the Palo de Espadas you can see many drawn animals (hedgehogs, cats and even chickens).
In the Major Arcana, there are also some small changes, for example, they do not have the priestess and include the elements of the zodiac, the elements and virtues.
The main games of the Minchiate card game
Mystical use
Unlike tarot, Minchiate cards are exclusively for divination.
It is important to internalize that the purpose of this one is to decipher the consultant's future, because it has a powerful astrological component that will guarantee a deeper vision than another tarot deck.
The procedure is as follows, sitting both the consultant and the tarot, begins by asking the universe and the stars for the greatest of discernments to guess the future of the consultant.
We draw with only seven of the cards, placing them in the form of a star starting with the card in the center.
We continue with the lower central map, followed by the upper left, lower right and upper right maps, finally the sixth map is placed at the bottom left and the last one at the top centre.
It is now that the ability to analyze and read the cards of the tarologist and to predict his future comes into play.
Minchiate like a game
This game spread to Florence and the rest of Italy, including France in the 18th century, and is said to have even surpassed the original tarot deck that was most popular in Italy.
In 1930, the game was still very popular, even in Genoa, but it wasn't until the 19th and early 20th centuries that its popularity declined considerably.
This deck of cards was divided among the players where the points were then added up and those with the most points won. Some cards were more valuable than others, for example the Grand Duke, the Western Emperor or the Lover were the most valuable.
