Project Gutenberg 2013-06-15 Public domain in the USA. 408 Van Rensselaer, John King, Mrs. 1848 1925 Rensselaer, John King van, Mrs. Van Rensselaer, May King Rensselaer, Mrs. John King van 82134802 Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.) "Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards" by Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer is a comprehensive study of the history and significance of playing cards, written in the early 20th century. This work delves into the origins and various uses of cards, particularly focusing on how they have evolved from instruments of divination tied to ancient religious practices to their modern roles in gambling and recreation. The text suggests a deep connection between the symbolism found in card decks and the ancient mysticism surrounding figures like Mercury and Thoth. The opening of the book presents a detailed exploration of the three main categories of playing cards: those for divining, those for gambling, and those for educational purposes. It explains the historical context in which these cards developed, alluding to their ancient roots in fortune-telling practices. The author sets the stage for a thorough analysis of how these cards embody the rituals and beliefs of cultures long past, claiming that traditional Tarot decks, with their rich imagery and symbolic elements, serve as a modern extension of these ancient mysteries. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/42950/42950-h/images/cover.jpg Reading ease score: 60.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Playing cards -- History Fortune-telling by cards -- History GV Text Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: History - General Category: History - Other Category: Archaeology & Anthropology Category: Religion/Spirituality 514764 2025-06-17T11:09:51.395333 text/html 520262 2013-06-15T09:04:36 text/html; charset=utf-8 4970166 2025-06-17T11:10:01.115275 application/epub+zip 4969151 2025-06-17T11:09:53.166327 application/epub+zip 251994 2025-06-17T11:09:52.240329 application/epub+zip 5113352 2025-06-17T11:10:07.127236 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 5058283 2025-06-17T11:09:59.519296 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 356591 2022-09-19T15:30:09.431270 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 456824 2023-09-18T14:19:16.647776 text/plain 15993 2025-06-17T11:10:07.310280 application/rdf+xml 25967 2025-06-17T11:09:52.341338 image/jpeg 3673 2025-06-17T11:09:52.290313 image/jpeg 4769325 2025-06-17T11:09:51.662305 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia