Cartomancy in Folk Witchcraft: Playing Cards and Marseille Tarot in Divination, Magic, and Lore

Cartomancy in Folk Witchcraft: Playing Cards and Marseille Tarot in Divination, Magic, and Lore

by Roger J. Horne

In this new and vastly expanded edition, Cartomancy in Folk Witchcraft offers readers a well-sourced and practical guide to the witch’s card-based arts, unifying the realms of Marseille tarot and playing card divination and magic. Exploring the cards as a book of occult art authored by the Devil himself and drawing on cartomantic and folk-magical texts from hundreds of years in the past, this work is designed to serve as both guide and inspiration, allowing cartomancers to build on the lessons through their own experiments over time. Innovative approaches to old traditions in this volume include unique spreads, such as the “witch’s table,” advanced reading techniques, and rarely detailed methods of cartomantic craft, including Leland’s Aradian spirit conjuration, card-based sigilization and incantatory formulae, and ritual card pairings for sabbats and seasons. Newly included in this expanded edition are detailed card-by-card descriptions for both playing cards and Marseille tarot cards, a full chapter devoted to analyzing patterns in the tarot sequence, and an exploration of games and play using cards in order to develop budding skills in reading. The sound approaches in Cartomancy in Folk Witchcraft offer a corpus of transferrable lessons that can be utilized with any playing card deck or old-style tarot deck alike, emphasizing skillful pattern discernment over keywords and memorization.

Roger J. Horne is a writer, folk witch, and modern animist. He is also the author of A Broom at Midnight, Folk Witchcraft, and The Witch’s Art of Incantation. His personal spiritual practice is informed by the magical currents of Scottish cunning craft and Appalachian herb-doctoring. Through his writing, Horne seeks to help other witches rediscover the living traditions of folk craft and connect to their own sacred initiatory threads of lore, land, and familiar spirit. Read more about his work at rogerjhorne.com.