Fifty-four Devils

Book excerpt: "Ye are twenty-five cards. Become twenty-five devils Enter into the body, into the blood, into the soul ." So begins a nineteenth century Italian charm making use of a small deck of playing cards. This brief-but-richly drawn book explores the practice of divination by playing cards-known as cartomancy. It reveals the "secrets in plain sight" which hide within the pips, kings, queens, and jokers of a standard deck. Explore one method of divination in-depth as you meet the "fifty-four devils"-the symbolic spirits of each card-and learn about invoking ancestral blessings for card readings, the folklore of playing cards, and how to relate fairy tales to a spread along the way. In this Tenth Anniversary Edition of Fifty-four Devils, the author expands the original guide to playing card cartomancy while adding reflections and refinements drawn from an additional decade of practice and research. The history of cartomancy receives more attention, as do some of the sample readings that provide insight into how to best suit the needs of each querent. Additionally, new sections on incorporating playing cards into spellwork, using them in conjunction with other systems such as Tarot, and even designing sigils based on cards expand the scope of cartomancy within the pages. The appendices also include new materials and commentary focused on card-reading folklore. If you are discovering the book for the first time or reading for the new material, the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Fifty-four Devils waits for you to come and meet its impish pack of spirits and find all the joys and mysteries cartomancy has to offer.