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Distributed for Intellect Ltd

Cartomancy and Tarot in Film

1940-2010

In the first book-length study of Tarot cards on the silver screen, Emily E. Auger contextualizes cartomancy—the practice of fortune telling via playing cards—and dives deep into its invention and promulgation in film. After providing an introduction to divination and cartomancy, Auger offers detailed descriptions and analyses of the roles that cartomancy and Tarot cards play in films. The book features an abbreviated filmography—including nearly 200 films—detailing their relationships to cartomancy. As Tarot communities continue to grow worldwide, Cartomancy and Tarot in Film will be of interest to scholars of esoteric studies, film, folklore, playing cards, popular culture, and religion, as well as diviners the world over.

400 pages | 7 x 9 | © 2016

Culture Studies

Film Studies


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Reviews

“Emily Auger's account of the use of tarot cards and tarot imagery in films is nothing if not detailed…It gives an insight into one of the ways tarot, and the lore surrounding it, has entered popular culture, and influenced the way the topic is perceived in broader society and culture.”
 

Magonia Online

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Preface
Part 1 Divination, Cards, and Culture
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: A Brief History of Cards and Cartomancy
The Invention of Cards and Cartomancy
Cartomancy Prototypes in Narrative
Chapter 3: A Brief History of the Tarot Trumps
                The Gaming Deck: From Paint to Print
                Tarot and Cartomancy
                The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
                Popularization and Commodification
Part 2 Cards and Cartomancy in Film
Chapter 4: Cartomancers and Querents as Film Characters
                Gender, Age, Marital Status, and Profession
                Ethnicity, Eccentricity, and the Supernatural
                The Mystic
                Nomadism
Chapter 5: Cartomancy and Tarot in Film Narratives
                The Cartomancy Reading
                The Narrative Roles of Cartomancy and Tarot Scenes
                Cartomancy and Tarot in Genres and Themes
Chapter 6: Tarot Trumps in Film
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Appendix 1: Filmography
Appendix 2: Charts
Appendix 3: Cartomancy and Tarot Films by Date
Appendix 4: Carmen on Screen
Appendix 5: Directors of Cartomancy and Tarot Films
Appendix 6: Actresses and Actors Playing Cartomancers
Appendiz 7: Actresses and Actors Playing Cartomancy Querents
Bibliography
Sources for Films (Novels, Graphic Novels, Video Games)
Cartomancy Decks Cited
Index
 
 

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