What is Divination? by David Allen Hulse

By stars, cards, and alphabets. These are the three most popular methods of divination that have survived into the twentieth-century. The three occult sciences governing these oracular techniques are astrology (divination by the placement of the stars), cartomancy (divination by the random fall of the tarot or playing cards), and numerology (divination by the numbers concealed in the letters of a name or the digits of a birth date).

A TAROT HISTORY TIMELINE

By Dame Gabby

The modern tarot is a deck of 78 cards consisting of 2 types of cards: the 22 cards of the “Major Arcana” or “Trumps which are named (such as the Lovers, Death and Judgement), and the “Minor Arcana” or “suit cards” (four suits of fourteen cards, each comprised of cards numbered from one to ten, and four ‘court’ cards) which roughly correspond to a modern deck of playing cards.

AMETHYST

— One of my favorite stones!!! Amethyst helps to calm fears, reduces stress, dispels doubts and negativity, and can relieve depression and promote good judgement. Amethyst induces vivid dreams, increases mental powers, and is useful in psychism. I keep an amethyst with my Tarot cards, and have found that this greatly enhances their power. Also useful for drawing pure, true, emotional love!

Tarot – The Major Arcana

Lesson 16

The average Tarot deck consists of 78 cards, divided into two general sections. The other section, the Major Arcana, consists of 22 cards.

If you own a Tarot deck, why not get them out now? Then you can look at each card in turn as you read the descriptions.

The cards of the Major Arcana can be called by a variety of different names, depending on which deck you are using.

Suggestions for Exercises – Lesson 17 Tarot

Exercise 17.2 – Interpreting Reversed Cards

1. Three of Wands– reversed
   I’m in a rut. I rarely break out of my normal routine to seek new experiences.
2. Chariot– reversed
   My desire to get my own way is being thwarted, but my win at work will mean little if my family is unhappy.
3. Ace of Swords– reversed
   I don’t feel like getting too involved in this cause.
4. Tower– reversed
   There is a small chance my run of good fortune could end suddenly.
5. Knight of Swords– reversed
   My cousin is a great talker, but he’s not that knowledgeable about the technical aspects of this field.
6. Four of Cups– reversed
   I’m beginning to lose interest in this relationship. I feel a small, but growing urge to withdraw.
7. Six of Pentacles– reversed
   I’m not sure I have enough physical and emotional resources to support my daughter through this crisis in my home.
8. Page of Cups– reversed
   My feelings of love and tenderness for my baby are begin drowned out by my need for sleep!
9. Temperance– reversed
   I’m pretty low on patience right now. I’m tempted to take drastic action.
10. Death– reversed
    Animportant inner change is struggling to happen, but my fears are blocking

Spring Kitchen Witch Class: Lesson One

Kitchen Witch Class

Path of the Kitchen Witch

What is a Kitchen Witch’s Path?
Quite simply, the path of a kitchen is witch is whatever she or he wants it to be. Some Kitchen Witches are Pagan or Wiccan and use the form of a magical household as part of their religious work. Others may solely use magic for magic sake, without any spiritual component to their workings. Others may belong to a mainstream religion and use magic as a part of that, similarly to how Christians may use Tarot cards.

A Quick Guide to Reading Ordinary Playing Cards by Cheryl Lynne Bradley

Divining from regular playing cards is an old practice and I am sure many of us know at least one fortunetelling game done with this tool. Reading regular cards is called cartomancy or metasymbology. Playing cards have been called “The Devil’s Picture Book” and have a few superstitions associated with them. Miners and fishermen viewed it as bad luck to have a deck with them while working or on a voyage. Thieves will rarely steal a deck as they have a belief that this will turn luck against them . Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades – King David; Clubs – Alexander the Great; Hearts -Charlemagne; and Diamonds – Julius Caesar.

How The Major Arcana and The Tibetan Book of The Dead an work together

by Cheryl Lynne Bradley

 
There are some striking complements to the Major Arcana of the Tarot and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
They are a nice enhancement to the meanings of these powerful cards. I claim no expertise on Buddhism but I found the resonance and compatibility to Tarot was surprising and enlightening. This article has been written under the assumption that the reader has a working knowledge of the esoteric meanings of the Major Arcana.