Tarot

Tarot is a very interesting method of divination. It can't tell will you win the jackpot on online bingo or not, but can tell you what forces lead your life.

"Tarot" refers to a family of games played with an augmented deck, (that is, decks with a fifth "suit" serving as permanent trumps), and also to the decks themselves. Most other card games using trumps select one of four regular suits to serve as trumps for a particular hand. Tarot is commonly played in various areas of Europe, and has been played in Italy since the 1440s. Outside Europe, there has been a revival of interest in Tarot card games especially amongst participants in Medieval and Renaissance re-enactments. "Tarot" also refers to similar decks that are used for fortune-telling and other esoteric purposes. In English-speaking countries, despite a slow but growing interest in Tarot's gaming heritage, fortune-telling is currently the only common use of Tarot cards, even though such use did not begin until roughly 350 years after their invention.

The Tarot has a fragmented history that intrigues historians, scholars, hobbyists, and spiritualists alike. Drawing on the concrete facts that are available, we will attempt to briefly explain the origins of the Tarot, and trace some of its milestones through the centuries.

The designs of the 22 cards in the Major Arcana can be traced back as far as 1440, when the first known deck appeared in Italy. The 3 decks called the "Visconti Trumps" are generally regarded as the "forefathers" of the decks that are widely available today. It is believed that they were originally created as a game for Nobles. It is not until centuries later that the cards reemerged, this time as a tool of divination. In the latter half of the 15th century, the cardmakers in Marseilles, France began to standardize the Trumps. Before this organized production, those who played the Trumps could dictate which they wanted to include, and which they wanted substituted or eliminated. Certain cards; Death, the Devil, and the Tower in particular; were considered offensive by the more conservative Nobles. These images caused religious leaders to attempt to ban the Trumps.

The first detailed reference to the Trumps of the Tarot is in the form of a sermon. This sermon, given by a Franciscan friar in Italy sometime between 1450 and 1470, contends that the Trumps were invented and named by the Devil. It condemns the use of the cards, and generally credits them with the triumph of the Devil. According to the friar, the Devil wins through the loss of the souls of those who play what was then, quite probably, nothing more than a simple game.

The rebirth of the Tarot, and its beginnings a means of divination, are attributed to Antoine Court de Gébelin in 1781.He believed it was Egyptian in origin, and that it contained mystical knowledge that had been purposefully encoded in the symbolism of the Trumps. Specifically, he theorized that the cards were the key to lost Egyptian magical wisdom written by Thoth, the Egyptian God of inspired written knowledge. The Trumps themselves began to noticeably evolve from this point forward. Changes were thought to have been introduced by the different secret societies who produced the decks.

The first account of divination through the use of cards is attributed to cartomancer Jean-Baptiste Alliette, better known as "Etteilla", in 1770. He was the first to publish divinatory meanings for cards, and only 32 cards (plus one, representing the querent) were included in this edition. At this time, only regular playing cards were mentioned. Later, Etteilla published several works that involved the Tarot Trumps specifically. It is no surprise that these later writings coincided with deGebelin's then-recently-public treatment of the Tarot as a wellspring of Egyptian occult knowledge. Etteilla must have anticipated the Tarot's jump in popularity: his was the first deck available to the public expressly for the purpose of Cartomancy.

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone that translated the hieroglyphs of the Egyptians in 1799 did not yield any support to the theory that the Trumps hailed from Egypt. Still, the belief endured and was augmented in 1857 with the introduction of the notion that the wandering Romany people - " Gypsies" thought to be descendants of Egyptians - had carried the deck with them on their travels through Europe.

In the nineteenth century, the famous occultist known as Eliphas Lévi developed a correlation between the Tarot and the Kabbalah: the Hebrew system of mysticism. This fueled a new belief that the Tarot originated in Israel, and contained the wisdom of the Tree of Life. The new theory brought all 78 cards together as keys to the mysteries, but again, there were no concrete facts to support it. Nevertheless, something important was accomplished. The theory would later serve as proof that the symbolism of the Tarot crossed all boundaries. From this point forward, many magical and esoteric groups recognized the Tarot as a timeless body of knowledge that had significance in every mystical path.

Since that time it has been linked with almost every magical system or religion known to humankind. The Tarot is comprised of archetypal images that cross linguistic, cultural, geographical, and temporal barriers.

The Theosophical Society, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Rosicrucians, the Church of Light, and the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.) all secured the Tarot's position in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the United States of America, the Tarot became popular and more readily available in the 1960's, when a period of exploration in spirituality began.

Arthur Edward Waite is credited with the renaissance of the Tarot in the Twentieth Century. He commissioned artist Pamela Coleman Smith to create what he called the "rectified" Tarot. Created by a member of secret societies also known as a revered mystic, Waite's version has been widely accepted as the standard, and is by far the most popular deck of the century, rich in symbolism and easily understood due to the simple nature of the artwork.

In the opinion of many learned Tarot enthusiasts, the most significant change the deck has experienced is Smith's treatment of the Minor Arcana. Hers are the first "pip" cards to contain images depicting the meaning of the cards. These graphics allow readers to explain the significance of each cards nuance to querents who, in most cases, have never encountered the cards before. This artistic trend can be traced through the majority of the decks produced after the Rider-Waite (1910), and Smith's influence is readily recognized, as many of the images echo her drawings.

Today's Tarot card designs reflect specific trends in sexuality, religion, culture, and philosophy. There are literally hundreds of interpretations, and more are being conceived as this is being written. The diversity of the styles allows Tarot Readers to choose a deck that suits their personalities, the subject of the reading, the person receiving the reading, or any other variable as they so choose. Certain decks have a serious tone, some have a dream-like quality, others are full of cartoon images. The true beauty lies in the Tarot's ability to retain its "soul" through each metamorphosis and incarnation. It is, on many levels, a mirror of those who work with it, and allows them to make each reading a truly personal experience.

Future in a cup of coffe

Drinking Turkish coffee is a centuries-old ritual, enjoyed best in company and sometimes followed by some fortune telling.

As the poet says,

"Not the coffee, nor the coffeehouse is the longing of the soul

A friend is what the soul longs for, coffee is just the excuse".

Turkish coffee differs from percolator and instant varieties, in terms of the way it is grinded and served. Coffee beans are roasted a few times and then grinded very fine. Turkish coffee is prepared in tiny pots called cezve, which can be used to make two cups of coffee at each shot. For perfect coffee, first put two cups of water in the cezve, and then add two spoons of Turkish coffee. When the coffee starts to boil, a thin layer of foam will appear on the surface of the liquid. Using a spoon, distribute this foam among the cups. Then boil the coffee in the cezve until it foams up again, and break it among the cups. This boiling action gives it its unique taste. Traditionally, each cup of coffee should be served along with a glass of water. Sugar may be added to taste into the cezve right before the cooking stage. One will be asked to specify the amount of sugar when ordering, sweet, sekerli, medium sweet, orta sekerli, and plain, sade.

Yet, the most distinguishing feature of Turkish coffee is neither the way it is grinded nor the way it is boiled. Turkish coffee is unique because it allows your fortune to be told by looking at the cup. This custom of coffee cup reading is at least as old as Turkish coffee itself, and it is repeated with each and every cup consumed. While this can be done casually among friends, it is also possible to consult professionals. So how a coffee cup is read, how can shapes trapped in a tiny cup reveal the future?

Firstly, the coffee should be drunk only from one side of the cup. When the coffee is finished, the saucer is placed on top of the cup, and a wish is made. With the saucer still covering the top, the cup is held at chest level and turned counter-clockwise a few times. Following this, the cup is turned upside down onto the saucer, and left to cool. Sometimes a coin may be placed on top to make the cup cool faster and to dispel bad omens that could be read from it. When the coffee cup is cool enough, someone other that the person who drunk the coffee opens the cup, and starts interpreting the shapes for divination.

Coffee cup reading is a widespread and popular fortune telling method, which speaks of both the past and the future. For divination purposes, the coffee cup is considered in two horizontal halves. The shapes in the lower half talk of the past, whereas shapes in the top half talk of the future. The shapes that feature on the right side are usually interpreted positively, while shapes on the left are interpreted as signs of bad events, enemies, illnesses, troubles, and the like. According to another belief, the coffee cup can tell the past but it can only foretell forty days into the future. Hence the practice of coffee cup reading cannot interpret the future that lies beyond forty days. In addition, if, at the reading stage, the cup and the saucer are firmly stuck, and the person is having trouble separating them, it is believed that this particular cup should not be read. This is a case of “prophet’s fortune telling,” where it is assumed that the person who has drunk from the cup is lucky, and does not need to have their fortune read. Similarly if a large chunk of coffee grounds should fall to the saucer as the cup is being separated, the interpretation is that the owner of the cup will soon be rid of all troubles and sadness. According to another standard interpretation, if coffee drips onto the saucer as the cup is opened, the person who drunk is to soon shed tears.

After the interpretation of the shapes within the cup, it is time to interpret the shapes in the saucer, where the majority of the coffee grounds have dripped. The saucer is generally interpreted as the home of the person whose cup is being read, and it is said to give clues about their domestic life. If there are large blank areas on the saucer where the coffee has not touched, the interpretation is a sense of relief that will be experienced in the person’s home. If however the shapes on the saucer are confused and disorderly, this is taken to mean that there will be a funeral or illness-related crowd in this person’s house. During the reading, the reader holds the saucer straight and waits for coffee grounds and coffee to flow. At the end of the reading, the saucer is flipped over once. At this stage, if a drop of coffee manages to get behind, and half way into the saucer’s radius, this is taken as a sign that the wish made will come true. Another important consideration while reading someone’s coffee cup is not to say things that will make a person too happy or too sad.

Whether it happens spontaneously after a meal, or delivered by a professional, the ritual of having one’s coffee cup read is a widespread divination practice characteristic to Turkish coffee. Today, in Turkey, the number of coffeehouses which employ professional coffee cup readers is on the increase. Hence you enjoy a fine cup of Turkish coffee, and get mystical glimpses into your future.

Let's drink a cup of coffe before you play bingo online!

History of Horoscope

Astrology is one of the most ancient philosophies still in existence in this world. Some estimate it to be more than 3,000 years old but recent study of more esoteric beliefs place it further back into the clouded past of human history.In ancient times , and up until today Astrology has been used to predict what happens to countries, the outcome of wars, economic trends and much more about personal course of actions as well.

Around the world, farmers know that for most crops, you plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. But in some regions, there is not much differentiation between the seasons. Since different constellations are visible at different times of the year, you can use them to tell what month it is. For example, Scorpius is only visible in the northern hemisphere's evening sky in the summer. Some historians suspect that many of the myths associated with the constellations were invented to help the farmers remember them. When they saw certain constellations, they would know it was time to begin the planting or the reaping.In course of time this dependence on the sky became a strong part of many cultures.Many nomadic tribes followed the night skies to move from one location to the other.

Horoscopes and astrology began with the ancient Greeks some thousands of years ago. They evolved the belief that the position of the sun and the planets also had an effect on a person's life and what future events would happen to them can be predicted based upon their location.

The word "astrology" is a Greek word that means "Science of the Stars." Astrology was used by the Chaldeans who lived in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. The people of China in Asia later became interested and began practicing Astrology . It is said that these people first noticed how the position of the sun influenced the seasons as well as the planting cycles of their agricultural practices.

Then, somewhere in the year of 500 BC, philosopher Plato used Astrology and studied it further. This kept it alive, and it continued to spread on through the ages. However, it took a downturn when Galileo Galilei was the first astronomer to use a telescope in the 1500's. However, as time went by, astronomy once again took an upswing in popularity when it flourished in Egypt around the years of 300 BC. Then, during the Middle Ages, the practice of astrology quietly hid itself as the Christian Church became the predominent leading voice of the new world. It wasn't until the 1600's when an astrologer named William Lilly renamed astrology as being "Christian Astrology" in order to avoid the wrath of the Church and to make it more acceptable. This was instrumental in popularizing astrology and horoscopes of today.

What is luck?

Luck is the outcome of your own creative thinking, be it good or bad. The Universe is there to help you realize your every thought.

Some call it destiny, fate, karma, inevitability, choice, free will.

However, most of us human beings do not use our free will. Most of us just hang in there and let the outer world decide. Most people create no thoughts, and are prone to the randomness of nature, and the thoughts of others.

That is the reason why religions are so successful; religions prevent you from thinking for yourself. The priests will think for you, will issue rules, and will tell you what to think. Religions take away your own creativity. For the same reason armies exist, the soldier stops to think, all he has to do is follow orders. For this reason also factory workers go meekly to work at 8 and stay there till 6. They don’t have to create anything by themselves; they only have to do what is told them.

It is laziness of the mind and ignorance of the truth that decides how lucky or unlucky one is.

This is where amulets and talismans come in. We all know what a good luck charm is. What a talisman is, or an amulet. These are items that bring luck, they help to avoid troubles, they help to find the way you like the best to go.

How do they work? How can a rabbit foot, or a four-clover leaf, a horseshoe, bring luck to the owner? The truth is that they don’t work by themselves. Truth is that the owner of the amulet produces his own luck. The amulet is only help, a guide, and a channel through which the owners’ thoughts are bundled towards the goal.

Everything in the material world has begun as a thought. Be it a car, a radio, a piece of jewelry or a bingo card. Someone had to think it first, then word it, and then make it.

[The statement that the Word was First is incorrect. First was the Thought. ]

So with luck, good or bad, it has to be created by the thinker. An amulet, charm or talisman helps the owner to direct his thoughts to create the desired result. Another little known fact is that wishful thinking never produces the result one wishes for. As all thoughts are received by the Universe, it immediately goes to work to create your reality. While you carry the item that you are thinking brings you good health, the good health is being created by the Universe you are in. Or luck or money or a friend or anything.

My lucky number on my lucky day!

Wow, this bingo horoscope really works. I played at Posh Bingo on Tueasday and were careful to have number 1 on my cards. It worked, thank you Mr Grant! :)))

Gambler's horoscope

The gambler is a funny little creature. He relies on cold hard facts and sound rational judgment. He makes his bets based on scientific certainties, like odds and probabilities, yet he is often also a member, somewhat contradictory, of one of the most superstitious groups of people. Perhaps it’s a need to appease the lure of cosmic influences in the face of reason and logic that leads to it, but the gambler is as likely to consult an astrologist as he is to dismiss one as irrational and childish. This is why guys at BingoStreet feel it’s their duty to present to us, with a gambler’s horoscope.

Fortuna - Fortune

What fortune (my family name) means?

In Roman mythology, Fortuna (equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) goddess of fortune, was the personification of luck; hopefully she brought good luck, but she could be represented veiled and blind, as modern depictions of Justice are seen, and came to represent the capriciousness of life. Atrox Fortuna claimed the lives of Augustus' two hopeful grandsons, educated to take up princely roles,^[1] for she was also a goddess of fate. Her father was Jupiter, and though she had no lovers or children of her own, Fortuna was propitiated by mothers.

So I should pray to her when I want good luck in my life e.g. when I play bingo online ;)

The Wheel of Fortune, or Rota Fortunae, is a concept in medieval and ancient philosophy referring to the capricious nature of Fate. The wheel belongs to the goddess Fortuna, who spins it at random, changing the positions of those on the wheel - some suffer great misfortune, others gain windfalls. Just like in my favourite online game, in bingo. Like last time when I played at Wink Bingo and were chatting with a good bingo mate... I had bad luck when she had great luck.