Product Description

With the help of this guide, anyone can practice the 600-year-old tradition of fortune-telling that survives to this day. Using an ordinary deck of cards, readers will learn the meaning of each card, how to interpret groups of cards, how to read their own cards, special spreads to answer questions about love and romance, and six other spreads from the simple to the complex.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #735267 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

About the Author
Richard Webster was born and raised in New Zealand. He has been interested in the psychic world since he was nine years old. As a teenager, he became involved in hypnotism and later became a professional stage hypnotist. After school, he worked in the publishing business and purchased a bookstore. The concept of reincarnation played a significant role in his decision to become a past-life specialist. Richard has also taught psychic development classes, which are based on many of his books.

Richard's first book was published in 1972, fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming an author. Along with Is Your Pet Psychic?, Webster has written 19 other books for Llewellyn Publications including, The Complete Book of Palmistry, Seven Secrets to Success, Feng Shui for Beginners, Past-Life Memories, Dowsing for Beginners and Pendulum Magic for Beginners.

Richard regularly has appeared on several radio and TV programs in the United States and abroad including guest spots on Hard Copy, WMAQ-TV (Chicago), KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), KSTW-TV (Seattle) and the Mike and Matty Show (ABC). He currently resides in New Zealand with his wife and three children. He regularly travels the world to give lectures, workshops and to continue his research.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction

People have always wanted to see a glimpse of the future. Primitive people lived in a state of constant anxiety, as so many things were out of their control. Earthquakes, droughts, floods, thunderstorms, and wild animals were just some of these forces.

It is not surprising that primitive peoples sought ways to find out in advance what was going to happen. If they knew that, they could store food to sustain them during a drought, just as the pharaoh did at the time of the seven-year famine. They could move to higher ground before a flood occurred, or move away from an area that was to be destroyed by fire.

Of course, even though life has changed enormously, we still live in uncertain times. The fast pace of the lives we all lead creates as much anxiety as anything our ancestors experienced. People want to know if their jobs are secure, if relationships will last, if they have enough money for retirement. At every stage of life, people have questions about the future.

Nothing could be more fascinating and intriguing than the unknown, especially the mystery that surrounds the future. During the last few thousand years, many different systems have been used to predict the future. The movements of the planets, extremes of weather, lines on the palms of hands, bumps on the head, crystal gazing, dreams, and omens of all sorts are just some of the ways that have been used by people in attempt to part the veil of the future and see beyond now.

The Bible mentions a variety of methods of divination, including dreams, signs, and prophecy. Joseph saw visions from his early childhood (Genesis 37:5-11). Saul visited the witch of Endor (I Samuel 28:7-25). The king of Babylon consulted the teraphim, which were images used for the giving and receiving of oracles (Ezekiel 21:21).

A History of Playing Cards

No one knows exactly how or when playing cards were invented. However, there are two legends that may, or may not, describe their origin. The first claims that playing cards were invented in the twelfth century in the harem of the Chinese imperial palace. The women living there led lives of incredible boredom waiting to be summoned to the emperor''s bed, and the legend says that in 1120 c.e. one of them invented playing cards to help pass the time.

The second legend claims that playing cards were invented in India. Apparently, one of the maharajahs constantly pulled at his beard. This habit annoyed his wife so much that she invented a game to utilize his hands.

These legends are charming, and may even hold a kernel of truth. However, it seems more likely that playing cards originated in Korea and were descended from a Korean divinatory arrow. At least two experts on the history of playing cards, Sir William Wilkinson and Dr. Stewart Culin, made a study of the Korean connection and were convinced that this is where playing cards began.1

Wilkinson and Culin were certain of this origin because the original Korean cards were similar in shape to the slips of bamboo that were used as arrows in divination rites. A scroll in the shape of a heart on the backs of the cards was thought to represent an arrow feather. Finally, it is thought that the numbers on the cards were related to the cock feathers on the arrows.2

It is possible that playing cards reached the West through Persia, as the designs on their cards included young men and women, and kings and queens on thrones. However, no one knows for certain if modern-day playing cards came from Korea, China, India, or Persia. In fact, it is possible that they were invented by a European, perhaps after seeing an Asian deck of cards.3

No matter where they came from, playing cards quickly spread throughout Europe in the second half of the fourteenth century. No one knows if they arrived in Italy or Spain first. The Moors occupied large parts of Spain at that time, but Italy was busy trading with the East, making it the more likely candidate.

Certain segments of the European community opposed playing cards from the start. The first prohibition against playing cards was probably issued in Bern in 1367. However, this is not based on conclusive evidence; it is mentioned in a list of legal documents that dates back to the end of the fourteenth century.4

A German monk named Johannes von Rheinfelden also mentioned playing cards in a Latin manuscript found in the British Museum. It says, "The game of cards has come to us in this year, viz., the year of our Lord 1377." 5 Rheinfelden described six different packs of cards, containing from fifty-two to sixty cards, each with four suits. Although he did not describe the suits, they were probably the traditional cups, swords, money, and clubs.

A few years later, playing cards were being mentioned in places as widespread as Paris, Florence, and Barcelona, usually because of a prohibition against them. It did not take the Christian church long to pronounce playing cards the work of the devil.

It is unlikely that playing cards were seen in Europe before about 1370, as Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374), Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) and Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) did not mention them in their writings. From all accounts, these men were enthusiastic about games and gambling, and it is inconceivable that they would not have mentioned playing cards if they had known of them. Petrarch wrote a treatise on gaming, and did not mention playing cards. Boccaccio and Chaucer both referred to other forms of gambling in their works, but failed to mention playing cards as well.

In 1363, an ordinance of the Catholic Church prohibited clerics from participating in games of chance. However, it did not specifically mention playing cards. Neither did an edict of King Charles V of...(Continues)

Customer Reviews

Easiest Book I Ever Read On Fortune Telling With Cards
Most books on the topic of fortune telling with cards usually fall under two main catagories: they are either 1. too complicated or 2. they [are no good]!

This book is fabulous. Tarot card reading has a very slow learning curve and you would think that playing cards would be worst. But this book shows you how to do amazing readings with a plain-old-ordinary deck of playing cards.

I really like Richard Websters style of writing. He doesn't come across as a guru or greater-than-thou teacher. He writes like he's your buddy and sincerely wants to teach you his simple systems.

I wish the book were a bit longer, but I guess that would defeat the purpose. If you are looking for a great book that will teach you a terrific card reading system that will impress you and your friends and make you popular, then I'd suggest that you get this book.

It's awesome.

five stars for the hisory....
the history in this book is great, espcially if you are a beginer, (like me) but like a beginer I bought a few books.... this book is great for telling you the history and what to do and to really prepare for the card reading..... but as for card meanings, some are good......... I guess If you are serious about cartomancy this Is a great place to start, I couldn't put this book down as beginner....... but jane lyle's interpretations are better.......taht't' just how I feel and every one will feel diffferent... but on how to start it was GREAT.............. but deffinetly get another book for whatever agrees with you.........about intrepretations.... I know I'm new, but I thought jane's interpretaions were better.......

Average Read
I was somewhat disappointed with this book. It didn't contain as many layouts as I expected and its definitions of the cards were somewhat lacking in breadth. However, the book spoke in simple terms and broke down the cards into their suits and numbers so that their meanings were easier to understand. I learned the significance of higher or lower numbers predominating in a spread, as well as black or red cards. This book has added to my knowledge of cartomancy, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.