Fortune telling, divination and mystic arts gain huge popularity in the European Victorian Era. Nations careen through cycles of progress and industrial revolutions. A hectic pace triggers reactional revivals of Romantic imagery, self-searching, Nature and the occult.
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In the Victorian era the Spiritualist movement appeals to those searching for a religion uniting mysticism and science. Spiritualism is a social religious movement centered on the belief a person's awareness lingers on after death and may be contacted by the living.
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Spiritualists behold the afterlife, or spirit world, as a place in which spirits continue to evolve. In communication with the dead, spirits can give helpful advice or insight into moral or ethical concerns.
Various forms of fortune-telling are practiced from the prehistory of humankind. In regions of ancient China, Egypt, Chaldea (S. Iraq), and Babylonia, evidence of divination appears by c. 4000 BCE. Some methods remain the same for thousands of years.
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Divination through history involves cards, crystal balls, tea leaves, astrology, automatic writing, Ouija boards, trances, scrying, palm reading, more. Common entertainments include astragalomancy (casting the bones) and phrenology (interpreting bumps on the head).
Casting the bones, lots or dice predates the written records of humankind. Astrology evolves from Mesopotamia c. 1800 BCE. Crystal balls are known c. 5th century CE.
Astrology is thought to date back to the 3rd millennium BCE.
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Throughout ancient history, and up to the 17th century in Eurasia, astrology is an academic discipline. Astrology influences the way one arranges marriage, starts a war or plans a palace.
Scrying is widespread by the 5th century BCE despite being condemned by the medieval church. In scrying the diviner gazes into a crystal ball or water, or falls into a trance. Staring into hot coals is anthracomancy. Scryers see visions and may hear voices.
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Palmistry originates in ancient India and spreads to China, Tibet, Persia, Egypt and Greece. Aristotle describes palm reading in his De Historia Animalium (History of Animals) in the 4th century BCE.
Tarot originates is 1440 CE Italy as a deck for card games. The Tarot is first adapted for divination in 1789 and comes into popular use. Cartomancy, reading playing cards, comes to Europe from China in the 14th century with introduction of the standardized card deck.
In the Victorian Era, one of the favorite mystic past-times at parties and gatherings is fortune telling with a regular 52-card deck. Every suit, number and combination has a meaning.
For example:
Clubs indicate positive growth, people, objects or events coming in the near future
Spades relate to challenge, progress, building on physical, intellectual, spiritual levels
Hearts represent feelings, emotions, home, love, family and romantic relationships
Diamonds connect to money, prosperity, business, success
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Fortune telling with playing cards is popular in the 17th - 20th centuries. Interest in spirits, divination, prophecy and life after death crosses class and gender. Inquiring minds seek insight into the future, romance or money.
Séances originate in the 17th century. Automatic writing becomes a divination method in 1878. While Ouija boards are used in Victorian times, they aren't linked to the supernatural until the 20th century.
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From dead relatives, Victorians seek advice, insight or assurance. It's a way of holding on to a beloved family member, like death photography. Mediums, who claim to act as conduits for communication with the dead, are sought after by the social set in the 19th-century.
Other forms of divination include by animal movement, such as hippomancy or horse divination. In the Ashvamedha sacrifice ritual the horse wanders for a year, attended by guards. If the horse wanders into lands held by another king a battle of conquest follows.
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Early Bronze Age Egyptians study movements of the sacred bull Apis. Animal divination is also done by ornithomancy, prophecy by the movement of birds. Among the birds, owls, hens and corvids like crows and ravens are considered the most prophetic.
The 19th century is also a time for stage magic acts featuring mentalism, hypnosis and feats of grand illusion. The first "ball and cups" magic game originates with magician Dedi in Egypt c. 2700 BCE. Magic and divination are in the same spiritual sphere.
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Close-up magic, parlor magic and stage magic trend throughout Europe in the 19th century. Magic shows are popular from 1845. In the latter half of the century, magic becomes a spectacle with grand performances to thrill the audience.
A spectacular number of frauds appear, seeking money from the curious and gullible. Hot on their heels come new laws condemning the activities of fortune tellers, magicians and mediums. Traveling diviners can be charged with vagrancy before even getting a client.