divination Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...

using a deck of cards. Forms of cartomancy appeared soon after playing cards were first introduced into Europe in the 14th century. Huson, Paul (2004). ''Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage''. Vermont: Destiny Books. Practitioners of cartomancy are generally known as ''cartomancers'', ''card readers'', or simply ''readers''. Cartomancy using standard playing cards was the most popular form of providing fortune-telling card readings in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The

standard 52-card deck The standard 52-card deck of French-suited playing cards is the most common pack of playing cards used today. In English-speaking countries it is the only traditional pack used for playing cards; in many countries of the world, however, it is used ...

is often augmented with jokers or even with the blank card found in many packaged decks. In France, the 32-card piquet stripped deck is most typically used in cartomantic readings, although the 52 card deck can also be used. (A piquet deck can be a 52-card deck with all of the 2s through the 6s removed. This leaves all of the 7s through the 10s, the face cards, and the aces.) In English-speaking countries, the most common form of cartomancy is generally tarot card reading. Tarot cards are almost exclusively used for this purpose in these places.

Methods

The most popular method of cartomancy using a standard playing deck is referred to as the ''Wheel of Fortune''. Here, the reader removes cards at random and assigns significance to them based on the order they were chosen. Though the interpretation of various cards varies by region, the common significators for the future are as follows:

References

External links

Origins of Cartomancy (Playing Card Divination)
{{Tarot Cards Playing cards

Methods

See also

References

External links