Other Definitions
cartomancy (dict)
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CartomancyCartomancy is a form of fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards. The practise of cartomancy has been observed since playing cards first came into use in Europe in the 14th century, with some practitioners (known as cartomancers) claiming its origins date back to Egyptian times, the art being derived from wisdom given to the ancient Egyptians by the scribe-god Thoth. A standard deck of Anglo-American playing cards (i.e. 54-card, four suit set - hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) may be used for this purpose, however this usage is frowned upon by many people in the art, who believe that one should not use divination cards for playing. As a result there are many decks designed specifically for use by cartomancers, the best known of which are Tarot decks. Whichever cards are used, there are specific layouts designed to tell different things, from one card to about thirty. The Tarot consists of 22 Major Arcana cards, and 54 Minor Arcana cards (Arcana means lessons,). The fifty-two minor cards are equivalent to the regular deck of playing cards most people know today, while the Major Arcana was cut from popular culture because of its heretical images and symbols representing occult knowledge.
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