Throughout the ages, mankind’s fascination with the unknown has resulted in the beliefs of different theories of magic, sorcery and other supernatural activities. While it is a natural trait for humans to be curious of what they do not know, there is something to be said for the mass conviction in these paranormal topics. It’s a mystery in itself how groups of people of all ethnicities and nationalities can have the same beliefs and interest in these topics. From witchcraft to UFO’s, it can be seen all throughout history that humans have been attracted to the unexplained.
Things like astrology and fortune telling have been looked upon as fun diversions to pass the time. Amongst these pseudoscience’s, the art of Tarot card reading has the most diverse and mysterious history. There is much confusion that surrounds the origin of these cards, as well as the original purpose of their creation. Perhaps they were perceived and used differently in different parts of the world. Perhaps they were used the exact same way. The art of Tarot card reading should be considered an art as well as an artifact with relevant historical significance rather than just a leisure activity. While Tarot card reading is not as popular as it once was, many people all over the world still carry on the tradition of fortune telling.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
There are many claims that state Tarot cards to be the first playing cards ever created, and that standard playing cards were based off of the Tarot deck. However, this is untrue; for it was the standard playing cards that were seen first in China around 1375 that are considered the first playing cards. These cards quickly spread throughout Western Europe by way of the Mamluk Empire of Egypt, who discovered them i...
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...eople were using them for divination, an act considered witchcraft and a sign of the devil.
However, although trendy, it was a confusing game if one did not memorize the definition of each individual card. American scholar of the occult, Arthur Edward Waite, sought a solution to this in 1910 when he created his own easy to use deck which “…liberated Tarot enthusiasts from having to learn complex systems of correspondence…” (tarotpedia.com.) Waite collaborated with artist Pamela Smith to redesign the cards and the Rider Company to publish what would be known as the Rider- Waite Tarot. Due to its simplicity, Waite’s deck gained popularity fast and was used more often than any others, making it the first standard Tarot deck. Since its creation, Waite’s deck has remained the most widely used deck in the world, and is still commonly used today.
STRUCTURE OF TAROT DECKS
I thumbed through my cards for the fourth consecutive time, and I could still not decide which one to throw. I glanced up from my cards and caught a glimpse of each player. I immediately felt the intensity of my brother's eyes glaring at me from across the table. He did not provide me with the support and reassurance I was looking for from my partner. I shifted my eyes to the right. My mother, having just discarded a five of clubs and seeing that it was of no use to me, was sipping coffee with a carefree grin of relief. Then I peered directly at the most intimidating canasta player I have ever encountered. Great Grandma Rose was calmly humming a tuneless tune which added to her enigma. As this crafty eighty-eight year old lady squinted at her cards through her bifocals, I knew that time was running out; I had to make my decision. The most obvious choice was to discard the king of spades for which I had no use, but I was afraid that she was waiting for this card. My alternative was to break up my meld and throw the six of clubs, a card which I felt somewhat safe in throwing.
1. There is a man who was very famous yet his early life history was not completely blown open by the press.3. Actually, he was a master magician, whom everybody knew because of his death defying escapes and mystical magical illusions.6. This man is Harry Houdini.2. At your first glance at his photo, you will most likely not recognize him.5. When someone mentions Houdini’s early life, magic career or his quest to debunk spiritualists ever again after reading this paper, you will proudly speak, “Houdini? I know all about him.” because I will give you enough information to be considered “knowledgeable”.
Out of This World is an outstanding card effect that many magicians have improved upon and performed with their own unique twist, including me. Out of this world has been billed as “The Greatest Card Trick of The Last Century,” and also “The Trick That Fooled Winston Churchill.” According to Curry a magician by the name of Harry Green performed Out of This World for Churchill, the effect fooled Churchill so he demanded it be shown to him again. Harry Green did so, he performed it six more times for Churchill and left him completely baffled every time. The method is simple yet deceptive, and it is truly a classic of card magic. So now with much excitement, I present to you my re-telling of Paul Curry’s Out of This
Blackjack has its origins in the 1700’s French casinos and it was called vingt-et-un (twenty and one);
Of course, the symbols chosen to represent these two stately queens are meant to be symbols only. Tarot is a trick, slight of hand and the reading of people’s personalities and reactions. And yet, our fate is indeed within the cards, but not the rainbow-hued and stylized ones in Gypsy tents, but in the hand of cards handed to us by Hashem Himself the moment we begin our journey on the Earth. Regardless if we think that our hand is good or bad or unfair, what we are meant to do is lay them out the best we can.
Alright let’s recap on what we have learned about Blackjack. We covered the history of Blackjack and how it came to be the card game it is now from its origins in Europe and voyage to the America’s. Talked about casinos how to finds your table, chip values, making bets, and lastly chasing out your chips. Understanding the object of the game and the value of the cards, and how the dealer plays the game. Lastly we explain what the player options of surrendering, hitting or standing, and doubling down and how it may benefit you. In short you should have a clear grasp on the game and feel confident when you sit down at a Blackjack table.
Is there life out there in the great beyond? It is a question that many of us have asked, but there is no real answer, no tangible evidence to validate the existence of other intelligent beings. All we have are so-called experiences that earthly people have had with these beings, like me. I remember, as a child, I stayed awake late one night. I was lying in bed admiring the stars outside my window when I saw a bright light in the distance. It moved in impossible ways I could not explain, even to this day. It was only for a moment, but the memory of this unexplainable phenomena has stayed with me ever since. If there are other intelligent beings like us living in distant worlds, how do we explain their standing in religious history? Are they gods or angels? Are they our creators? In decades past, people who claim to have had ufological experiences have banded together to create religious societies in their quest to become closer to extraterrestrial life. While all of these societies support different views on UFOs and religion, all have one common belief – there is life out there and they are real and powerful beings far more advanced than humans in technology and psychic abilities. Throughout this research paper, I will establish how some of these religious societies were formed, and describe in detail how their belief system works and why they are considered religious in nature.
The introduction of the supernatural in the Elizabethan-Jacobean mind as human beings, we tend to perceive concepts like “supernatural” as a sort of phenomena beyond scientific explanation, a notion largely identified with religion and belief. It might be portrayed as events or occurrences introduced by powers outside nature. These obscure powers have been, since the start of mankind incorporated in every social and literary interpretation, the presence of the supernatural is for the most part acknowledged as an unavoidable truth by the masses, and even by the best researchers and scholars, in the Elizabethan and Jacobean times. Throughout the Elizabethan Era, and with the development of science, started the superstitions. The roots of the supernatural can be directly traced from the Celtic tribes of the Bronze Age, the convention of making medicines was given over to women, and hence the old women of this period were distinguished as witches and their medical prescriptions as magic potions.
Since the beginning of settled civilizations, people have had more mutual sharings than ever before. By the same token, there have been some conspiracy theories that are usually against the culturally accepted beliefs of religions, science and society. A conspiracy theory can be described so differently. However, as in his text, Marshall Brain explicates, a conspiracy is generally defined as a theory seeking to explain a disputed case or matter as a plot by a secret group or alliance rather than an individual or isolated act (Brain). Especially, after the new media has become quite popular, more and more conspiracies are theorized every single day, which aim to catch society’s attention via such media tools as the internet, journals and newspapers. Thus, people who theorize those conspiracies tend to use such objects as spiritual and mysterious ones in order to interest people. To illustrate, many examples can be given. For instance, many people have claimed that they were abducted by aliens, although they could show no evidences. Here, a citation from Blackmore could facilitate to understand the circumstance better. She states that people occasionally claim that they have been abducted from public places by aliens, in this case that may provide them with witnesses and affirmations but no evidence could be shown so far (Blackmore). As it is well known, only a small number of people believe such alien abductions, however, rating of this kind of news is quite high on media, because humankind has been wondering if there are extraterrestrial creatures out of the earth. Another example can be conspiracy theories which are about the origins of religions such as the rejection of Jesus Christ. There are some people who pay attention to...
Over the centuries, the concept of Witchcraft, as it presented within religion and society, evoked a variety of responses and attitudes that permeated throughout the cultures of the world. Christianity incited wars and hysteria and chaos in the name of extinguishing the practice of Witchcraft. Today there are prominent religions within many cultures that uphold the practice of witchcraft as a feasible manifestation of spirituality. The term conjures a variety of images for a diverse range of people. To the Azande, witchcraft and oracles and magic existed in everyday life as permeation of the Zande culture. In Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande, E.E. Evans-Pritchard focuses on the beliefs associated with witchcraft and how they manifest in the social structure of the Community.
Magic tricks have fascinated people of all ages for centuries. From David Copperfield to Chris Angel, many performers use magic to amaze and astound. One of the least elaborate types of magic tricks is the card trick. There are two main types of card tricks: there are mathematical card tricks and sleight of hand card tricks. The former are simple to learn, but do not impress audiences. To really attract attention, an aspiring magician should learn sleight of hand card tricks. Sleight of hand card tricks are tricks that use misdirection and special manipulations of a deck of cards to do something seemingly impossible. The techniques involved require much practice. While performing a sleight of hand trick, a magician must constantly be distracting the audience. Because of this, many people believe that they are not capable of learning sleight of hand magic. In order to prove them wrong, I will describe a simple sleight of hand trick that anyone can learn, as long as they remember that we all have the potential inside of us to do magic.
Welcome back to Divination. Over the past few weeks we have looked into many different ways to unleash your inner eye. Today we shall be looking at an art form that is very close to my own heart. Cartomancy, more commonly known as Tarot is a valuable skill for any Seer to learn. You will see on the table in front of you my own Tarot deck laid out. I must ask that you do not touch, as you may
Psychological susceptibility to various faiths in the fact that human life is exposed to supernatural forces that affect a person's fate, and often prejudge its outcome, always existed in all human societies and cultures. One of the major determinants of this psychological susceptibility is superstitions that appear as the main engines of believe in the intervention of supernatural forces in human’s life. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica (2010) ‘superstition’ could be defined as ‘belief, half-belief or practice’, which does not have any rational explanation or basis. Despite this fact, according to Behringer (2004) the amount of believers in witchcraft and superstitions are significantly higher than in XVII century.
Magic tricks have fascinated people of all ages for centuries. From David Copperfield to Chris Angel, many performers use magic to amaze and astound. One of the least elaborate types of magic tricks is the card trick. There are two main types of card tricks: there are mathematical card tricks and sleight of hand card tricks. The former are simple to learn, but do not impress audiences. To really attract attention, an aspiring magician should learn sleight of hand card tricks. Sleight of hand card tricks are tricks that use misdirection and special manipulations of a deck of cards to do something seemingly impossible. The techniques involved require much practice. While performing a sleight of hand trick, a magician must constantly be distracting the audience. Because of this, many people believe that they are not capable of learning sleight of hand magic. In order to prove them wrong, I will describe a simple sleight of hand trick that anyone can learn, as long as they remember that we all have the potential inside of us to do magic.
From Europe and Africa to the end of Asia and the regions beyond the ocean known as America , " Dark Arts " have become so notorious and frightening, that the mere mention is able to sow the fear and panic to its defenceless victims. Modern man reacts to the sounds of witchcraft either with mockery and humorous outbursts or suspicion. Magic cloak of prejudice and superstition that surrounds Western societies is increasing systematically day after day.