Arcana of Alessandro Volta

Arcana of Alessandro Volta
Ernesto Solari, 1999

The subject of this unusual Trump deck is the physics of electricity, or more specifically, the physics of electrical energy as discovered by Alessandro Volta. This deck sometimes calls itself Gli Arcani della Fisica (Arcana of Physics), but at other times refers to itself more appropriately as Gli Arcani di Alessandro Volta (Arcana of Alessandro Volta). It was published in 1999 by Aisthesis & Magazine.

The designs are by Ernesto Solari, an Italian artist and art professor who has studied the parallels between Tarot and a variety of seemingly unrelated subjects. Solari’s studies have been presented as exhibitions and in book form, and many of his designs have been published as Major Arcana decks.

Solari’s impressionistic images are full of motion and energy. He uses large geometric shapes, for example, to diagram the directional flow of energy, a technique reminiscent of Lady Frieda Harris’ artwork for the Thoth Tarot. The publisher has done an great job producing this deck; the cards are large (just under 4¼" x 6"), the colors bright, and the cardstock well laminated. One criticism is that there are a few areas where the images are blurry. The printing itself is sharp; rather, the problem is that some of the photographs of the original artwork were apparently not in absolute focus. This problem is far outweighed by the deck’s overall concept and production excellence.

Solari uses the principles of physics as metaphors for the major arcana. The principles illustrated here are those discovered by the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, among whose many scientific contributions are the electric battery, the condenser, the capacitor, the electrometer, and the electrophorus – the first electrical generator, which functioned by inducing a static electrical charge. His name is memorialized as the unit of electric potential, referred to by Volta as tension, and called by us the volt.

The decks by Solari often have kabbalistic connections. The cards in this deck, for instance, are associated with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The second Hebrew letter beth is also the word for house. Shown above is the second Trump La Papessa, which is titled Allegory of Science. Solari describes this card as representing a house, a container, and the first passage through which moves the light of the first arcanum. It is “inductive knowledge, the archetype of the intuition, the instinct.” The painting shows a woman sitting in the presence of a large tree, near its top is a symbol of the caduceus. A wave moves downward from the upper left and passes through her, perhaps symbolizing the intuitive reception of knowledge. She is looking at the chessboard in front of her, which may signify that solving the questions of science is like a game. The allegory seems to suggest that both logic and intuition are requisites for science.

Trump 8, Justice, is titled The Electroscope. A previous form of this device was given significant improvements by Volta, allowing the detection of very small charges of electrical energy and the determination of a positive or negative charge. His modifications also introduced the ability to measure these charges. Solari says of this card that “the energies in motion in the seven are coagulated in the eight. Justice is the axis of cosmic balance, hinge of the passage gate to the nine, law of universal equilibrium. The only just way to act is to become part of this plan, so as to act in harmony with all. Justice indicates that the reaction to an action must be balanced. It is always an invite to reflection.”

Volta eventually created an apparatus able to detect electrical charges which were too small for his electroscope to detect. This new device was called the condensing electroscope, or Condenser, represented in The Wheel of Fortune. It consisted of two discs separated by a thin insulation. If an electrical charge is applied to one disk while the other is grounded, one plate will move away from the other. Solari writes that “The Wheel is the hinge around which turns the wheel of events; the transformation of things, of beings and of circumstances.”

To explain the principles behind his condenser, Volta conceived the equation Q = C x T, where Q stands for electrical quantity, C stands for capacity, and T stands for tension, which is the tendency of electricity to escape from an electrified body. Volta’s primary contribution may be the proving of contact tension, represented by Trump 11, Strength. Contact tension is the creation of electricity when two different metals are brought into contact. This principle, which gives a battery its energy, parallels the traditional images of Strength as well.

The electrometer is depicted at the lower left of The Hanged Man card. Above the glass jar is a brass sphere atop a brass rod; two thin gold leaves are suspended from the bottom of this rod. These leaves will move away from each other when an electrically charged body is brought near to the upper brass sphere. This shows that the charged body is inducing a distribution of electrical charges. If the sphere is grounded, then disconnected, and then the charged body moved away from it, the gold leaves will remain separated by a force of repulsion. Solari describes this device as similar to a thermometer.

Volta says of the twelfth Trump that the “number signifies completion and the sorrow which follows as duality; (10 + 2) representing sacrifice and the archetype of measurement. It is that which, in its search, chooses values different from prevalent ones. It is associated with abundant ideas, but also with profound change. In this arcanum is shown that that which is above is like that which is below, and vice versa. The Hanged Man indicates a situation where things have positively sunk to the bottom, bringing self sacrifice to its limit: this is the choice which must be made when the two and six join. This arcanum follows that of Strength not by chance: after a full display of energy and personal power, tension must be properly relaxed in order to allow a radical reversal of perspective. The Hanged Man is the seed that must penetrate earth in order to produce fruit.”

Trump 15, The Devil, bears the title Inflammable Air. This card refers to Volta’s discovery of Methane gas, which he called inflammable air from marshlands. His observations of swamp bubbles inspired him to capture these gases for study. He then found ways to electrically ignite this gas to cause explosions within a sealed object, leading to his construction of a device called Volta’s Pistol. These studies also led him to develop gas lanterns, fueled by methane and ignited by electricity. Both of these devices are shown on Solari’s card.

It was shortly after this that Luigi Galvani, Volta’s friend and colleague, began his experiments on frog tissue. Galvani noticed that the frog’s legs twitched when they were touched by a conducting rod, leading him to believe that animal electricity was being released from within the frog’s muscles. Galvini’s theory, which is illustrated on Trump 18 The Moon (not shown), was disputed by Volta who believed that animal tissue was not the source of this electrical release.

Volta eventually proved that the true source of the energy was the contact tension within Galvini’s conducting rod itself. Volta produced the same electric current by layering pieces of silver and zinc into a solution of salt water. This ‘piling’, the first true electric battery, was called the voltaic pile, illustrated on Trump 19 The Sun. The device produced a continuous stream of electricity.

Galvani’s work helped build the foundation for biology and electrophysiology.

The 120-page book included with this set is titled The Caduceus of Volta, written by Solari (in Italian). His interest is in the metaphysical implications behind the findings of Volta and his colleagues. The book includes a timeline of Volta’s inventions, as well as scientific and occult explanations for each card. What is remarkable about the book is that it is printed in full color, with numerous Tarot-like designs by Solari in addition to the full color images of the cards themselves. The symbol of the caduceus is incorporated into many of these designs. These additional illustrations are sometimes more beautiful than those on the cards.

This set contains 22 cards, paperback book, and a fold-out chart of correspondences, all packaged inside a folded lightweight box. It may be available through Alida, based in San Marino, Italy.

Review by Mark Filipas, 8/4/00